As our bodies age, we learn that we just aren’t able to do some of the activities we used to love passing time with. Staying active both mentally and physically, while living in a retirement community, is difficult or when your body and mind just won’t cooperate; but practice makes perfect. Studies have shown that higher levels of mental and physical activity in elderly correlates with higher levels of happiness. Here are some ways in which you can keep your mind and body active without pushing your limits too hard.
Exercise.
While you may not be able to run marathons like you used to, doing exercise in increments of 10 minutes throughout your day makes a difference on your body. 30 minutes of exercise a day helps deliver more oxygen to the brain, keeping your muscles tight and your brain fit!
Reading.
Book clubs are a fantastic way to keep up on your mental activity. Reading not only requires focus and analyzing, but it requires critical thinking. Book clubs provide the added stimulation of conversation that also provide critical thinking and keep your mind moving. Reading even a newspaper can make a big difference in mental activity.
Diet.
Diet sounds like it would primarily be benefiting your physical health, but the truth is that what you affects your mindset more than you realize. Making sure that your diet includes plenty of B group vitamins and proteins, like turkey and fish, help keep your body and mind fit. Low carb diets increase fatigue, so stay away from those and start focusing on low fat and low cholesterol diets. These keep your arteries from clogging, allowing normal blood flow from the brain.