Seniors Site

In our attempt to fight natural skin aging, seniors should know that there is a skin reaction which makes your natural aging process go faster than normal. With that said, you know that it is something you would want to avoid at all cost.
Trying to keep your skin away from harsh conditions will tell you that the sun is not really your bestfriend, no matter how good you’ll look, tanned skin and all. Now more than ever, you need to stay out of the sun as you are putting your skin in high risk of skin cancer, and most especially during hours when the sun is at its brightest. If you are an avid sunblock and sunscreen person, then you are most likely be avoiding photoaging. However, not everyone is so keen on using sun protection which practically saying that not everyone is protected from photoaging.
So how would you know if your skin is experiencing photoaging and not your plain old skin aging? Do take note that photoaging can be prevented which means that the effects of it such as wrinkles and dark spots can be prevented if you observe proper skin protection while natural aging can only be delayed but they will eventually manifest and to date, there is no way to reverse it effectively.
Photoaging is a result of an excessive UV radiation exposure. In layman’s terms, you have been out in the sun for far too long—a bad news for senior gardeners and those who just love the outdoors. The usual visible effects of photoaging are wrinkles, skin discoloration and roughness of the skin, basically the things you will eventually get as you age, only delivered to your door earlier than it should. The most hateful thing with photoaging is that it makes you look older than your actual age. However, before it really manifest on your face, it does great damage first on your underlying skin which is not visible to the naked eye. Moreover, you would want to avoid smoking as it encourages skin degeneration which makes the skin more vulnerable to photoaging.
According to studies made for photoaging, the risk is higher if your skin is fair. It further stated that the darker your skin is, the better is your protection from photoaging. To prevent photoaging from happening, it is best to observe proper sun protection practices such as applying sun protection creams and covering most of your body when out in the sun. Also, never ignore those hidden parts of your body when applying sunscreen along with the other parts you are most likely to overlook such as your lips and ears as they need protection too.

Mediation is good for seniors since it helps in improving your ability to focus. Researches even suggest that it delays early onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as meditation stimulates the mind. Aside from that, meditation is a good destressor which can help seniors prevent anxiety and depression from happening. However, meditation is not without myths and unfortunately, some seniors cringe away from meditation because of the idea it connotes. Below are the top 5 meditation myths and the truth behind them:

MYTH 1: Meditation and relaxation are the same. They are two different things. When you relax, you don’t necessarily-or automatically- meditate—you simply let go. Letting go is just the first step in meditation. In order to achieve a higher state of mind, which is meditation, you need to have a relax body and a calm mind.

MYTH 2: Meditation is supernatural mumbo-jumbo. There is nothing supernatural about meditation. Although it may sound like it, seniors should not be intimidated by the idea it connotes as meditation can really help you in taking things in a “mind-over-matter” manner. Take note of the word “mind”, since it is your own mind power you are harnessing.

MYTH 3: Meditation is only for the religious kind. Just because Buddhist monks meditate, it doesn’t mean the practice of meditation is strictly religious. In fact, meditation concerns your body and mind, no religion involve. Most common meditation practices don’t include any religious references however, some may have, in aid of achieving higher state of mind.

MYTH 4: Meditation is running away from your problems. Not so, in fact it is quite the opposite. Meditation helps you focus on what’s happening now thus enabling you to face your challenges without feeling the stress of it or allowing the stress of it to affect you. Again, meditation is having a sound mind, and in order to have a sound mind, there should be nothing to bother you. Running away from your problem, on the other hand, is not necessarily solving it since it will still be there when you come back. Meditation will only help you deal with it.

MYTH 5: Meditation is the quickest way to solve your problems. It may be, but not very soon. Remember that meditation takes practice and a different mindset. You should embrace the practice of meditation knowing that you are interested in exploring a different state of mind—different from what you are used to. Your ability to focus and divert energies are only a plus.

Nowadays, fighting stress is more of an every day battle with an invisible foe. I can still remember when I was younger and I would finish my day’s work with still a little energy to spare at the end of the day to play with the kids or go out with my partner. Not that I am comparing it with my energy levels today as it won’t really be possible considering my age but when I see my daughter which is, more or less, supposed to be at her peak age, dragging herself to and fro appointments by 7pm, that will make you realize that stress should not be taken lightly and should even be considered as hazardous to our health.

However, the sad truth is, stress is unavoidable. No matter what you do or where you hide, stress is always there. Stress can be in the TV series you are watching; stress is your mobile phone; stress is present when stuck in a road traffic or even when driving. To say that stress is everywhere is really putting it mildly since it is an ominous presence, it is always there. To combat stress, we seniors need to take the step away from it, it should be an effort you are willing to take. Trust me, it will all be worth it.

One of the most proven ways to fight stress is to have your own happy place wherein you can be alone with yourself and forget the things that have been bothering you. Once in a while, our mind and soul need to gather themselves and put everything back in its rightful place—you can’t do this amidst the hustling and bustling of your normal life. To create your own happy place or stress-free zone, follow these simple tips:

•    Assign a room. If this is not possible, then find a corner where you can be left alone. Claim it as yours. If a corner is still not possible, then a corner inside your closet should do just fine.

•    Find little things that will remind you of happy memories. In order for you to be calm and relaxed, you should be able to bring yourself back in time when you are in your most happiest. For example, a little sandbox with tiny shells may remind you of a beach which calms you or perhaps a zen water fountain to create a mood of tranquility and calm.

•    Set the mood. Your stress-free zone should be able to calm your senses, particularly your eyes, nose and ears. There should be no distracting sight to see, sound to hear or stink to smell. They should all be indulging.

•    Bring in some plants. Plants improve the air quality in any room. By bringing in one, you’ll be able to harness its calming and destressing effect to humans too.

•    Bring in the things that comfort you. It can be your most comfortable chair or a pillow, or perhaps a chair massager. However, steer clear of mobile phones, laptops and TV as they not only distract you but also make you jump out of reverie.

Just because we seniors are used to taking prescription drugs it doesn’t mean we should use them all the time, in fact, it is better if we can find ways other than drugs and medications to alleviate our health conditions so that we can spare our bodies from further damage caused by these methods. Granted, some of age-related health maladies cannot be cured without the use of synthetic drugs but there are those which you can heal by your own—and without side effects too. Two of them are stress and anxiety.

Seniors are prone to stress and anxiety. Understandably, there are a lot going on in a senior’s life than one could ever imagine. It is somewhat stressful for a senior to be living in a body which is deteriorating, more so if it is rapidly declining and there’s not much to do about it. Lifestyle changes, especially if not taken voluntarily such as selling your home to downsize or moving to an assisted living facility can bring about anxiety as well. Furthermore, seniors can also feel stressed if they live alone and far away from their loved-ones. These are just some of the known stress factors for seniors. Below are ways to overcome stress and anxiety naturally:

·         Take a break. Go somewhere different from the world you are living in now. Break the monotony of your life and revive the adventurous you. If you don’t have time for this, assign a “me space” anywhere in the house or your place of work where you can recoup whenever needed.
·         Bond with nature. There is nothing more relaxing than having your body back with nature. Spend some quality time on nature parks or perhaps dine seaside. Gardening is one good diversion to take up if you need a quickfix; set your garden up with garden chairs wherein you can sit and lounge when you need to.
·         Eat wholesome foods. Be kind to your body as it is the only one you got. Do without those harmful processed and refined foods and eat homemade, old-fashioned foods which are kinder to your body.
·         Learn to let go. Understand that your body, mind and soul can no longer take several stressors all at the same time. You need to learn how to let go so it will free you up even for just a little. One good rule to this is if you cannot do anything about it then let it be. You don’t have to control everything, give it to the young ones and enjoy your life-you earned it afterall.
·          Live now. The future is a territory unknown while the past is already done and gone, these are the things which you don’t have to worry about anymore as it is futile. Learn how to live your life in the “now” and really be in it.
·         Be optimistic, always think positive thoughts. Positivity invites positive energies while negativity, of course, allow negative energies in.

Funny how we begin to think about improving our spiritual state as we age, just think of how insignificant it was when we were younger. Maybe it really does come with age, or perhaps we are already coming into terms with death and near-death which only makes us think how we need to hold on to something especially our inner selves.

I would like to think that we were too busy and too caught up making our lives normal and right to look within ourselves when we were younger, that’s why spirituality seemed unimportant those days but now that we are older—and maybe wiser—we feel the need to look within. To know ourselves more, and to repair the damages life has brought us.

It was said that spirituality is the only way we can put ourselves together. It connects parts of your being such as your physical body, your mind or intellect, your emotional being and of course, your soul or your core being. If spirituality is not strong enough to bond these parts, you can easily be broken by life’s difficulties and troubles.

Having a good spiritual life is beneficial to seniors. It improves quality of life and it enables us to live happier lives. If you feel good about yourself, you keep depression at bay. The practice of meditation is one way to improve your spiritual being. As we all know, meditation helps tremendously in maintaining a healthy and sharp mind.

If you would like to achieve good spiritual life, start with knowing yourself a little bit more. Writing your own life story is one good way to examine your life, i.e your accomplishments, your life’s meaning and how you felt during a certain experience. These are your feelings, your reactions, without it, you are not defined as a person.

It will also be good for you if you start accepting yourself, good and bad. It is not bad to try to be a better person or hope to be someone else however, trying without accepting your faults as part of your being will only  bring upon frustration and disappointments—certainly not a good way to build your spiritual life.

As seniors we also have fears and doubts. You need to face these things to put your spiritual life in order. Remember you can’t dodge them forever and the sooner you face them, the better. This way, you’ll put your mind at ease with things.

Also, think about what legacy you want to leave behind when your time comes. Your life’s meaning is defined by how you’ll be remembered after life. You need not change the world but at the very least, you should have made impact to the lives of the people around you.

If there is one thing seniors will learn in any meditation class is that they have to live in the now, not in the past and not for the future—that is, if you want to avoid stress. However, trying to focus on what’s happening now is not that easy especially nowadays that people are brainwashed to rushing things as if there is a fast forward button in life. Of course, there’s none and since humans are designed to live one day at a time, it only creates stress which is really harmful to your body.

While people are trying to simplify life by creating new technologies designed to make your life easier to live in, but what happens is, since tasks have become easier to do, we jump from a finished task to another without having the chance to smell the flowers in between. Everything seems so easy, your tendency is to take on as many challenges as you can in a day. Of course, that is not healthy, especially for seniors like you whose bodies need to slow down every once in a while.

But is it still possible? Yes, it can be done. If we, seniors, make it a priority. As mentioned earlier, our minds were conditioned in such a way that we only feel productive if we’re able to tackle today and tomorrow’s jobs yesterday. And, that is not usually done to free up 2 days but to be able to finish more jobs in the following days. Same goes for multitasking. I remember multitasking was once a highly regarded trait, not anymore as it is now considered as stressful and counterproductive. I, myself, experienced it, and had a hard time reprogramming myself to take it slow and enjoy every moment. Ask someone who was able to experience near-death and they will tell you that your past is not important anymore, so as the very unpredictable future, what’s more important is the here and now. That you live right here and right now.

Practice doing tasks one at a time then give yourself some rest time in between. This will allow your body and mind to focus on the task at hand and get ready for the next task. No need to get frantic and all if a task took more of your time than expected. Do things according to priority which means, you should do the ones that need your immediate attention and deal with the non-urgent ones later the day, tomorrow if you feel you’re not up to doing tasks anymore. Remember that in order to prevent stress, always put your body and mind’s needs first than anything else. It is also important that you learn how to listen to your body. This is the only way to prevent stress from happening.

I would like to put blame on the holidays for triggering my unhealthy cravings. Personally, I noticed that if I resist them long enough, the cravings don’t come strong however, if I give in two consecutive cravings then it will be a lot stronger the next time so the best possible way for me to control them is not to give in at all—hence the blame on the holidays.

For us seniors, resisting cravings is not only about staying fit and looking good, it also has something to do with our health and let’s just say that our quality of life depends on how good we’re able to balance everyday meals. Although maintaining a healthy diet is quite hard especially if faced with temptations left and right, it helps to have techniques to combat unhealthy cravings :

•    Learn to know when you’re really hungry or just craving for something not good for you. There’s a difference between physical hunger and a triggered craving. Knowing the difference will help you avoid eating on a craving.
•    Avoid triggers. What’s good to know about cravings is that they usually have triggers and it is almost always, the smell. Yes, it’s impossible to shut our nose off at all times however knowing that it is indeed a trigger, it will be easier to remind yourself that it is also a craving.
•    Indulge it once in a while but never twice in a row! Indulging a craving can actually help you stay on track with your diet. Remember, treats are good for you. Consider it as a reward for a job well done.
•    Practice mindful eating. Mindful eating involves the mind whereas cravings are desires. These two are different.
•    Welcome distractions. Cravings can also be easily forgotten. If you learn how to distract yourself from eating what you crave at the moment, your cravings will surely pass thus you escape unscathed.
•    Fill up with liquids. Craving for something? Drink a glassful of water. Liquids can quench your cravings for a while, keeping it at bay for the moment.
•    Never skip a meal. Skipping meals only intensify your unhealthy cravings since the body is put in a lot of stress and you are making room for hunger to grow. If you worry that you won’t be able to control your meals when started then go for light snacks althroughout the day.
•    Identify the emotions that come with the craving. Are you feeling lonely? Or perhaps awfully mad? Identifying your emotions is like getting to the rootcause of the problem and by getting to the root cause of it, you are better equipped in avoiding it.
•    Support system. It is important that you have someone to support you in your battle with cravings as oftentimes it is the people around you which trigger an attack.

The recommended exercise time for seniors everyday is 2-3 hours. That’s 2-3 hours every single day, 14-21 hours a week, in order to get fit—and yes, there should be no cheating on time! That’s only the time spent on a chosen exercise however, your exercising need not end just there since there are some ways to still improve your routines and get the most out of your exercises!

•    Alternate routines. You need to do moderate cardio exercises such as jogging or brisk walking 2 hours everyday. To enhance your daily exercise routine, why not do resistance training twice a week in addition to your daily cardio stint? This way you’ll also train your muscles on top of burning calories which is by the way, a very effective combination.
•    Do variations. Cardio exercises don’t necessarily mean you should jog all your might along trails every single day. You can also do cardio training using an elliptical or a stationary bike if you think it is not safe for you to go outside or you simply don’t have the time.
•    Take advantage of your energy spurts. Energy spurts are packets of energy which can be felt when doing a repetitively slow, monotonous movement such as walking. Put your energy spurts to work by increasing intensity when you feel like it then going back to low intensity when it’s gone.
•    Go for free weights. While it is recommended for beginners to use machines since they are supportive and has less chances of getting your injured, free weights such as dumbbells and barbells allow natural movement of the body, thus training your body the way nature intend it to be.
•    Train the body in alternates. Not the “split routine” mind you as it doesn’t work for everybody. I’m talking about alternating between upper body and lower body with each workout session. Of course, you do this under a professional trainer’s supervision.
•    Get proper warm up and cool down times. It is important that your body is made prepared before doing exercises and giving it time to recover afterwards. The whole idea behind these things is to just give time for your body to adjust to the activity that you’re about to do which of course, lessen the possibility of an injury.
•    Train with a buddy. Training is fun when you do it with a buddy. Shared experiences like this not only strengthen the bond between friends but also strengthen your body. It can’t get better than that.
•    Walk your way. Walking is still the best and easiest form of exercise plus it will save you a couple of pennies. Walk around your neighborhood, instead of driving.

What we need to remember is that seniors have nutritional needs different from younger people. What must be working right for our bodies 10 or 15 years ago might not anymore be fit for you now. Also, you need to consider the natural aging process of your body when choosing the right foods for you to eat. For one, your skin needs be nourished from the inside—this is not something your lotion and creams can obviously do. Then there’s the matter of getting enough nutrients into the body to protect your brain from Alzheimer’s plaques. Eating healthy and right is absolutely important for an aging body like ours!

Your everyday food need not be elaborate. In fact, munching on fruits and veggies is the best way to go healthy—must be the easiest too! Also avoiding empty calories will help you maintain a fit body. Furthermore, do note that, in general, seniors need more fiber and lesser calories in their diet. Below are some foods that are recommended for seniors, unless you are on a special diet. In such case, you will need to consult your dietician or your doctor first.

•    Milk. Of course, it has calcium which is good for your bones and vitamin D too which boosts up nutrient absorption. Milk is also recommended if you are trying to lose weight.
•    Banana. This fruit is a good source of energy since it is composed of sugars and fiber. By sugar, I meant the healthy kind, by the way. It is also very ideal for seniors with teeth and gum problem since it is soft and very easy to eat.
•    Avocado. Avocado is recommended for seniors who are having cholesterol level problems as it helps in lowering blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. Fatty acids that are found in avocados prove to be good for your nails and hair.
•    Veggie juice. Seniors who are having trouble chewing their food will definitely get all the fiber and nutrients found in vegetables if they are in juice form. Moreover, for those seniors who are not really keen on eating vegetables, vegetable juices will also help them get their required daily intake without having to contend with the vegetable’s “veggie” form.
•    Yogurt. Yogurt is best for seniors who are lactose intolerant. Yogurt is a good milk alternative and it was found out to be good for your mouth too. Moreover, yogurt promotes good digestion which certainly seniors will benefit from.
•    Eggs. They are soft plus they are loaded with quality protein which your body needs. This will come in handy for those trying to avoid red meats but still want to meet their recommended daily intake.
•    Whole grain products. Cereals, bread—anything that is “whole grain”. This will serve as your carbo intake which will give you energy for the whole day. Furthermore, whole grains are fiber.

It’s irrefutable; seniors need exercise in order to keep everything inside their body in good, working order—well that’s besides looking good on the outside too. However, as an owner of a good, “vintage” piece of machinery known as the body of mine, I do know that not every exercise equipment in the market today is safe for me to use, or else there will be an onslaught of aging bodies bursting of muscles ala Schwarzenegger and it wouldn’t be a nice sight too.

So yes, it’s quite confusing to decide what exercises to do and what types of exercise equipments to use especially if your age is the limit. Which reminds me, consult your doctor first before starting on any program as your current state of health may not permit it or you may need certain adjustments to it such as intensity and time spent on exercising—these things are important to note when a senior is exercising. You may also want to sign up with a professional trainer specializing with geriatrics to ensure you are doing all your exercise routines right. Furthermore, if you are thinking of going to a gym, do check if the gym is seniors-friendly—that is, if it is adequately equipped with anti-slip rubber flooring which at the same time can help you prevent injuries in the instances of accidental falls.

•    Elliptical trainers. Stationary elliptical trainers are good for seniors doing cardio exercises since it trains your heart and at the same time, your hips and legs thus improving balance. It is also considered as low-impact so you don’t have to worry about hurting yourself if you are a beginner.
•    Recumbent bikes. This kind of exercise bike is much kinder to your knees and it supports your back beautifully while you concentrate on giving your body’s lower half a good exercise.
•    Dumbbells. Since dumbbells involve using just one of your hands, you’ll be able to separately adjust weight according to your hand’s preferred weight unlike with a barbell when you have to use both hands to balance the bar. Do note that it is not uncommon to find one of your hands to be stronger than the other thus the difference in capacity.
•    Rowing machines. For pulling exercises, seniors are better off using rowing machines. When done concentrating only on the upper body, it trains the back and shoulders perfectly.
•    Leg curl machine. Since you have to do this sitting down, it eases the pressure on your back while giving it the support it needs. Also, leg curls concentrates on training the legs so it gives your upper body some rest.