2017 is close to coming to an end and it feels like 2016 was just yesterday. To some, it may just seem like another year, but to others, it’s an opportunity for a fresh start. With January 1st closing in, take these final days of December to reflect on your 2017. What did you achieve? What could you have done better? Are you happy with your health? Did you spend enough time with your loved ones? With so much to consider, setting reasonable New Years Resolutions can be quite difficult. If you want your 2018 to be the year of better health, better relationships, and better well-being then consider these New Year Resolutions:
Increase Physical Activity
Staying active is key to feeling young and aging healthily. This doesn’t mean all your free time should be spent in the gym, but rather a light exercise for a brief period every day. There are tons of exercise programs out there specifically designed for seniors such as yoga, water aerobics, and circuit classes. At the bare minimum, we recommend taking a 10-minute walk every day. Walking is one of the best ways for seniors to stay fit. It’s proven to strengthen muscles, help with osteoporosis, improve circulation, and assist in weight loss.
Reach Out To An Old Friend
It’s normal to lose a couple friends as we get older. But it’s never too late to revive a past friendship. In the past, it may have been much more difficult to keep in touch, but thanks to advances in technology rekindling old friendships couldn’t be easier. Set New Year resolutions to reach out to a couple old friends and set a date to hang out and catch up. Chances are, they’ll be thrilled to hear from you!
Spend More Time With Your Grandchildren
They say you don’t know what happiness is until you’ve had grandchildren. And they’re right! How can you not light up when you see their adorable faces? Unfortunately, some people don’t have the ability to drive up the street to see their bundles of joy. Thankfully, Independa is an incredible solution that can bring you closer to your family anytime, anywhere! If you don’t want to miss out on their special moments and golden years, Independa can keep you connected.
Work Out Your Brain
Muscle mass isn’t the only thing we lose over time. Just like working out at the gym, our brains need exercise too. Researchers believe that consistent mental exercise is vital to a healthy memory and strong cognitive thinking. This year, strengthen your mind by learning an instrument, take a cooking class, register for an online course, do puzzles, or anything that can sharpen your thinking skills.
Speak Up
We left this for last because this is incredibly important. A study found that 10 percent of adults 55 to 85 years of age experience anxiety in the same prevalence among other age groups. This can be characterized by feelings of loneliness, worry, irritability, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and loss of appetite. This poses a risk particularly for seniors as they’ve experienced hard loss, suffer more pain due to chronic diseases, and side effects from medication. If you are experiencing these symptoms for more than two weeks we recommend speaking up to your friends, family, and physician.
2018 is going to be a tough year. There will be many up and many downs but all we can do is focus on becoming a better version of our past selves. If you want to grow and thrive this year we recommend starting with the New Year resolutions mentioned above. Have any other helpful New Year Resolution suggestions? Be sure to let us know on our Facebook page.
