Healthy Aging: Fitness in old ageAn important cornerstone of being able to enjoy life in the best of health at an advanced age is living as healthy a lifestyle as possible, with plenty of physical and mental exercise. Aging begins at birth. Runs differently from person to person. A wide variety of factors influence the aging process, e.g. the ageing process.B. Genetic changes or diseases. Recommendations for an age-appropriate diet therefore vary in many respects and depend on illness and the need for care. A healthy diet is therefore just as important as sport and regular exercise. .
Fit and healthy in old age
Never before have people had such a high life expectancy as in modern times. Everyone wants to grow old – but please do so in a fit and healthy manner! While going to the gym is still a routine activity for many people when they are young, most people's enjoyment of exercise declines as they get older. At the same time, especially at an older age, sufficient exercise is fundamentally important to maintain physical fitness and contribute to the health of body and mind.
But not only sports keep you fit. A healthy lifestyle has also been shown to contribute to physical well-being and reduce the risk of many diseases. But what comprises a healthy lifestyle? First and foremost, this includes abstaining from toxins, alcohol and nicotine as well as a healthy and balanced diet. In this way, for example, diabetes or various types of cancer can be prevented. Problems of the musculoskeletal system can be alleviated by an appropriate lifestyle.
Even at an advanced age, seniors want to feel good about themselves. A small wellness break can contribute to this. Whether sauna sessions, relaxing massages or anti-aging cosmetics: wellness treatments ensure a healthy feeling in the body and are a benefit for the soul. Many cosmetic studios offer suitable offers for this on site. If you need a little more rest, you can treat yourself to a little time out in a wellness hotel. Relaxing hours, good food and smaller excursions can be enjoyed here.
Sport in old age
To improve or at least maintain physical fitness, exercise is essential. Those who exercise contribute to a healthy cardiovascular system and also strengthen the immune system. In addition, muscles are built up that can provide targeted relief for problems with the musculoskeletal system. Posture is also improved. How to counteract back pain. Strengthening the general body muscles also helps prevent falls, the number one cause of injury. 1 in old age.
Anyone who has previously been inactive in sports and wants to start again should in any case have a thorough check-up beforehand and obtain a doctor's permission.
Exercise in everyday life
It doesn't always have to be the big sports, often it's enough to integrate some exercise into everyday life. In principle, any form of exercise is better than no exercise at all. The thought of sports in old age often frightens seniors off at first. However, it should always be kept in mind that the aim is not to achieve peak physical performance. Instead, even small units of movement in everyday life are enough. Even a walk or a bike ride to the supermarket brings movement into everyday life. Can be considered as a small sport unit. Even those who prefer to take the stairs instead of the elevator and do gardening can be physically active. This makes it easy to integrate exercise into everyday life. A contribution to physical fitness can be made.
Sports for seniors
Those who want to go beyond everyday sports can also try different sports for themselves. Perhaps some have already been active in sports for a long time or once practiced a sport that they would like to reactivate in old age. To avoid overloading the body, two to three training sessions per week are optimal – preferably with a day's break in between each session.
From Nordic walking to hiking – the list of possible sports for seniors is long. We have compiled the most popular variants at a glance.
Sports for seniors
Nordic walking: Nordic Walking is one of the healthiest sports of all. So it's no wonder that it is becoming increasingly popular. While fast walking gets the heart and circulation going, the included upper body workout strengthens shoulders, arms and back at the same time. Exercise in the fresh air also stabilizes the immune system and is good for stamina. If you don't want to walk alone, you can join a local walking group.
Swimming: Swimming keeps young and old fit, but seniors in particular benefit from water sports. If you regularly swim in the pool, you not only strengthen the muscles throughout your body, but also protect your joints. Swimming and aqua fitness train strength and endurance and thus support the entire musculoskeletal system.
Gymnastics: From senior yoga to cardiovascular exercise to back training, the list of gymnastics classes offered for seniors is long. Seniors can benefit especially from gymnastics classes geared toward older people. These are often offered by health insurance companies, adult education centers or fitness studios, in some cases even free of charge. When choosing an activity, you should pay attention to what gives you the most pleasure. So it is directly much easier to exercise!
Dancing: Dancing makes you happy! This has been proven by numerous studies. Even many seniors fall for this type of exercise after the first few steps. From waltz to tango – there's something for everyone. Incidentally, regular swinging of the dancing leg promotes endurance and coordination. In addition, dance classes are a great way to get to know other seniors. This is how dancing keeps you young and makes you happy.
Cycling: If you like it a little faster and like to spend time in nature, you can try cycling. With plenty of fresh air, the cardiovascular system in particular is strengthened and the leg muscles are specifically trained. This is especially helpful in preventing problems when climbing stairs or walking long distances. Explore the most beautiful corners of Germany. Doing something good for your health. Hiking is not popular with young and old for nothing. Slow walking is a low-impact endurance sport that revs up the whole body while being easy on limbs and joints. Walking routes and pace can be adapted very well to the individual's ability, so that walking is a suitable sport for pretty much every older person.
Nutrition recommendation
A needs-based and balanced diet provides the body with the necessary nutrients. These include carbohydrates, fat, protein and a coordinated amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements with the supply of liquids. The amount of food and fluid intake needed is calculated based on body size and weight. According to the DGE (German Society for Nutrition), the food pyramid is the recommended diet, which is divided into the following food categories.
Here is the percentage of a healthy and balanced diet:
Keeping mentally fit
You never stop learning – this is also true in old age. Those who have always wanted to learn a new language or play a musical instrument finally have the time to do so in old age! Senior studies can also enlighten the mind and help to gain new knowledge. If all this is too much for you, you can also get your grey cells going by doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku.
No matter what you choose, the most important thing is that it is fun and enjoyable. Who plagues to boring occupations, harms in the long run the motivation. And also with the memory training applies: In community it trains itself substantially better than alone. Whether puzzles or lifelong learning: Mental fitness. Physical fitness go hand in hand. Activating brain cells has been shown to reduce the risk of diseases such as depression and dementia.
Even small things like regular meetings with peers or other social activities keep your mind fit.
Prevention is better than aftercare
All fitness measures come to nothing if precautionary measures are not taken from a medical point of view. That's why, in addition to regular checkups with their primary care physician, seniors should. In addition to annual dental checkups, you should also see other specialists for preventive checkups. In this way, age-related diseases such as cataracts, osteoporosis or lung diseases can be detected and treated at an early stage. This also applies to early cancer detection. Especially forms of cancer such as colon cancer, prostate cancer or lung cancer occur statistically more frequently in old age. In any case, the following applies: Prevention is better than aftercare. Should definitely be taken seriously!
Even with small activities, older people can make a decisive contribution to their physical and mental fitness. For example, integrating a little exercise into your daily routine with walks and trying your hand at the daily crossword puzzle can make a difference.