Research demonstrates that seniors who embrace wellness in their daily lives see significant benefits in quality of life and longevity. This is why focusing on wellness for seniors is vital. Whether taking a daily walk or joining a class, staying fit and healthy is the key to prolonged independence as you age.
Why is Wellness for Seniors Important?
A wellness program is a good way for seniors to support their own health, engagement, and happiness. There are many benefits you can expect from joining a wellness program, including:
- Learning new skills
- Improved cognition
- More confidence
- Improved self-esteem
- Prolonged independence
- Better emotional health
- Improved quality of life
For older adults, wellness is essential. It is the difference between preventing chronic health problems and developing physical challenges as you age. Focusing on wellness can lower your risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity, cognitive degeneration, high blood pressure, and mood disorders.
The most significant benefit to your health of focusing on wellness as you age is the fact that it is a holistic approach. Regular exercise among seniors can result in better overall health, which then enables them to live more independently than those who don’t focus on wellness. It allows you to maintain mobility and cognitive function longer.
Benefits of Wellness for Seniors
Independence
No one wants to feel like a burden to their family or friends as they age. Staying healthy allows you to become proactive and independent. Regular exercise and fitness encourage seniors to maintain and improve their range of motion, mobility, stability, balance, strength, and endurance. This results in individuals maintaining a remarkable ability to function and age without help.
Mental Stimulation
While some degree of cognitive decline is typical with age, maintaining wellness forces you to engage your brain which aids in improving cognitive function. Wellness involves more than just physical activity but also mental stimulation. This can be done by engaging in new activities and learning something you have no previous experience with.
Physical Activity
Being physically active is vital for your overall health and essential to independent aging. Many exercises for seniors are designed around the specific needs of older adults. This can include:
- Improving balance
- Increasing core strength
- Improving range of motion
- Increasing flexibility
Staying Social
One of the most important benefits of focusing on wellness as you age is that it creates an environment for you to make new friends. This is often done by joining classes or social groups which provide you the opportunity to interact with others. Staying social as you age is vital to overall wellness as it limits the complications of solo aging.
This reduces the isolation that many seniors experience. You can participate in wellness activities like book clubs, dance lessons, gardening clubs, and crafting. These types of activities help prevent the health risks associated with a lack of social interactions.
Lower Medical Costs
Another great benefit of wellness for seniors is that it has the potential to result in lower medical costs over time. Evidence shows that those seniors who get regular exercise and eat a healthy diet experience fewer health challenges, resulting in lower medical costs. For example, they experience fewer hospital admissions, emergency room visits, and falls. These all add up to fewer out-of-pocket expenses.
Safety
One primary focus of wellness is home safety. By focusing on wellness, seniors often get information on making their homes safer to age in. From tips to reduce clutter to ensuring that your living space remains accessible, making overall wellness a priority helps keep you safe in your home longer. This increases your chances of remaining independent.
Prevention
Another primary objective of wellness is to keep you abreast of preventative care and health maintenance. This includes:
- Staying healthy
- Getting regular flu shots
- Taking medications as directed by your physician
- Dressing for the weather
- Avoiding slips and falls
Weight Loss and Nutrition
Your physical health is one of the single most important aspects of maintaining independence as you age. Focusing on these components encourages seniors to lose weight and pay attention to what they eat.
How Confident Living Can Help
Being well isn’t always easy to do on your own. This is where Confident Living can help. Confident Living works with those 50+ in being their partner for aging well, starting from today and into their older adult years. Each member has their own wellness coach, otherwise known as a Care Coordinator, who is their advocate for aging well by offering support, programs, information, health care navigation, and the tools needed for aging success.
Sometimes all you need is a partner to help you reach and maintain your goals for later in life. As a Continuing Care at Home (CCAH) program, Confident Living can be the key to aging successfully in your own home.
Now that you’ve gotten in the right mindset for healthier living, how about keeping the positivity going? Download our eBook on how to Improve Your Fitness Over 50!