National Wellness Month

All during August, National Wellness Month focuses on self-care, managing stress and promoting healthy routines. Create wholesome habits in your lifestyle all month long and see how much better you feel!

Research has shown self-care helps manage stress and promotes happiness. Exercise has proven benefits for older people. It reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, colon cancer, and breast cancer. It also decreases the risk of falls and fall-related injuries.

Whether you challenge yourself to a new yoga pose or try a different spa treatment, make a small change and impact your health in positive ways.

Like the rest of us, seniors may know that exercise is good for their health, but they may not have the motivation or encouragement to do it. You can guide loved ones by asking about their daily activities and whether they engage in any kind of regular exercise or physical activity.

There are several ways to encourage seniors to exercise:

• Whenever appropriate, let them know that regular physical activity—including endurance, muscle-strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises—is essential for healthy aging.
• Help set realistic goals and develop an exercise plan.
• Write an exercise prescription, and make it specific, including type, frequency, intensity, and time; follow up to check progress and re-evaluate goals over time.
• Refer them to community resources, such as mall-walking groups and senior center fitness classes.

Although the term “wellness” might imply “healthy”, even older adults and/or those with health conditions can strive to be as well as possible, given whatever limitations they may have. Most health experts agree that it is never too late to implement small changes to improve energy level, health, and quality of life.

There are numerous ways to make those small changes, too.

• Increase your water intake.
• Add more fruits and veggies to your meals.
• Monitor your sleep and make adjustments for better sleep habits
• Join a yoga, walking, or aerobics class.
• Learn to meditate.
• sharing a meal with friends weekly
• volunteering

Happy Wellness Month! Start your path to wellness today!

Resources:

https://www.healthywomen.org/content/blog-entry/15-ways-celebrate-national-wellness-month

https://www.commonwisecare.com/healthy-aging-month-senior-wellness-in-August

https://www.piarch.com/blog/2020/8/celebrate-national-wellness-month-with-creativity-innovation