Top image: At a creative aging (Bharatanatyam session) at the Older Adult Center at Center on the Square
Staying Fit in Your 60s and Beyond: How Seniors Can Lose Weight and Feel Great
- by Teresa Greenhill
- by Teresa Greenhill
About the author:
Teresa Greenhill is the co-creator of MentalHealthforSeniors.com, which is dedicated to providing seniors with information on physical and mental fitness. Being a senior herself, Teresa, with some help from her granddaughter, manages the website as a way to keep herself busy and help other seniors be active and happy in their golden years.
Teresa Greenhill is the co-creator of MentalHealthforSeniors.com, which is dedicated to providing seniors with information on physical and mental fitness. Being a senior herself, Teresa, with some help from her granddaughter, manages the website as a way to keep herself busy and help other seniors be active and happy in their golden years.
Weights (Photo via Pixabay)
You may be at the point in life where you’re ready to retire, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to resign from fitness. It’s true that our bodies change as we get older, and you may not be as strong or flexible as you once were. However, that’s no reason to stop focusing on your physical health. If you want to lose weight or just improve your fitness level, these tips from Sloka Iyengar will help you get you started.
Get and Stay Active
You don’t have to sign up for a gym membership once you decide to lose weight. You can start by making small lifestyle changes. Going for a walk each morning, gardening, and parking further away from the store when you’re shopping will all help you add some movement to your day. When you’re ready to put a more traditional spin on your exercise plan, use these tips to help you ease into it.
Create a Workout Space in Your Home
You don’t have to join a gym or community center to see results from your exercise routine. You can recreate the same experience for a fraction of the cost by setting up your own workout space at home. All you need is the right equipment in a space with enough room to stretch out and move around. Having a fitness space at home will also help you work in exercise whenever is convenient for you, which will help you stick with it.
Switch Up Your Diet
No amount of exercise is truly successful without eating a healthy diet. Too much of the wrong food makes us feel bloated and lethargic, and it can cause serious health problems, especially at an older age. The best strategy is to eat less processed fare and focus more on nutritious meals that boost your energy and metabolism.
Be Mindful of Mental Health
If you’re not feeling emotionally healthy, it’s hard to motivate yourself to work on your physical health. Your mind and body work together as one, so as you embark upon your new regimen, make sure your mental wellness is a priority. Practice daily acts of self-care that give you a boost, spend time with loved ones to keep yourself from being isolated, and reach out for professional help if you need it.
You have the power to change how you look and feel, and your age shouldn’t change that. Remember to work at your own pace, make small changes to exercise and diet as you ease into your new lifestyle, and take care of your mental health.
Get and Stay Active
You don’t have to sign up for a gym membership once you decide to lose weight. You can start by making small lifestyle changes. Going for a walk each morning, gardening, and parking further away from the store when you’re shopping will all help you add some movement to your day. When you’re ready to put a more traditional spin on your exercise plan, use these tips to help you ease into it.
- Sometimes limitations on mobility come with age, but any type of exercise can benefit the mind and body.
- If you haven’t been active in a while, it’s good to begin your exercise program gradually.
- Use online instructional videos to help you practice Bharatanatyam for all.
- Check with your doctor before taking on a new exercise regimen.
Create a Workout Space in Your Home
You don’t have to join a gym or community center to see results from your exercise routine. You can recreate the same experience for a fraction of the cost by setting up your own workout space at home. All you need is the right equipment in a space with enough room to stretch out and move around. Having a fitness space at home will also help you work in exercise whenever is convenient for you, which will help you stick with it.
- Space may be limited, but it’s possible to create a home gym in a small area.
- With careful planning, you can furnish your home gym with affordable equipment.
- There are plenty of safe workouts for seniors that can be done at home.
Switch Up Your Diet
No amount of exercise is truly successful without eating a healthy diet. Too much of the wrong food makes us feel bloated and lethargic, and it can cause serious health problems, especially at an older age. The best strategy is to eat less processed fare and focus more on nutritious meals that boost your energy and metabolism.
- As we age our bodies change, and the nutrients they need most may also change – focus on eating healthy foods that provide what you need.
- Because caffeine is a diuretic, try switching to decaf coffee to support healthy hydration.
- Focusing on unprocessed foods is a good way to incorporate nutrient rich choices into your diet.
- Preparing healthy foods doesn’t have to be time consuming, there are plenty of ideas for easy to prepare healthy meals.
- If you need to gain weight, you can select these foods to do so in a healthy way.
Be Mindful of Mental Health
If you’re not feeling emotionally healthy, it’s hard to motivate yourself to work on your physical health. Your mind and body work together as one, so as you embark upon your new regimen, make sure your mental wellness is a priority. Practice daily acts of self-care that give you a boost, spend time with loved ones to keep yourself from being isolated, and reach out for professional help if you need it.
- A healthy diet can improve mental health and well being.
- Mental and physical health are interrelated, so it’s important to take care of both.
- Seniors can take steps to improve their mental health, which will also help physical health.
- Improve sleep quality by upgrading bedding with a custom bed set.
- Avoiding isolation is critical for mental health in people of all ages, and particularly elders.
- Learn to recognize the signs of depression in an older person, and if they persist, seek help.
You have the power to change how you look and feel, and your age shouldn’t change that. Remember to work at your own pace, make small changes to exercise and diet as you ease into your new lifestyle, and take care of your mental health.