Holiday Health Tips for Seniors
Holiday Health Tips for Seniors
The holiday season is kicking into full-swing, which means time spent with family and friends, giving back and great food. It can also be a season of overindulgence and busy travels schedules, which ultimately could leave your waistline and health at risk. Here are some tips to stay healthy during the holidays:
- Keep Moving
- Whether you’re crashing on the couch after eating a holiday dinner or watching your favorite movie with the grand kids, its easy to find yourself frequently sitting down during the holiday season. You want to burn all the extra energy you are consuming, make sure to keep moving! That might mean taking a walk after a big dinner, taking stairs instead of elevators, and finding active things to do with family and friends.
- Prevention of Infection
- There are a handful of ways to fortify your immune system against infection during cold and flu season. These include getting appropriate vaccines in a timely manner, as well as practicing above-and-beyond hygiene like washing hands frequently, disinfecting commonly-used surfaces like doorknobs, and taking hand sanitizer and tissues with you on the go.
- Avoid Excess
- Its not just the rich food and countless sweets that can pack on the pounds this holiday season, alcohol can also be a major culprit. You can still enjoy your favorite beverages, just me mindful how alcohol consumption affects your body. Practice moderation keep up with water intake while imbibing and avoid high calorie beers and drinks mixed with sugar-laden additives.
- Hydrate Often
- Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout each day with smart tips like consuming a full glass each time you use the restroom, eating lots of water-rich foods like stews and soups, and carrying reusable water bottle with you when you leave the house.
- Prevent Falls
- No matter where your holiday fun takes you, make sure you are guarding yourself against falls by utilizing mobility aids recommended by your doctor, asking for assistance when walking over ice or snow, and employing helpful transfer tools when getting in and out of the car.
- Stick with Your Sleep Schedule
- While it is fun to stay up late catching up with old friends or family, getting off your regular sleep schedule can be dangerous. Not only has it been shown that even as little as a few nights of sleep deprivation can impair cognitive functioning, but lack of sleep has also been linked to dehydration, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. As much as possible, stick with your routine bed and wake up times and aim to get 7-9 hours of quality sleep at night.
- Make Healthy Cooking Choices
- Salty, sweet, buttery, crispy… the descriptions of holiday food, while enticing, also reveal some of the problems they can cause. Over-consumption of salty, sugary, fried, processed and fatty foods can exacerbate existing health conditions, amplify joint inflammation, and lead to unwanted to weight gain.
You must be logged in to post a comment.