As we age, it becomes more important than ever to do things that promote happy and healthy aging. From having good eating habits to exercising regularly, there are things you can do and precautions you can take to ensure you’re able to have a long, fulfilling life. Those practices are easier than you might think, and the best senior living communities in MI are going to help you get there. 

If you’re looking for better healthy habits to better your health and wellbeing, here are some tips that might be able to help:

 

1. Stay Physically Active

An active body is a happy body, so if you want to keep your youthful glow, then get up and moving! Regularly exercising can help to improve your balance and mobility, improve your mood by helping to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and actually promote better cognitive function. Regular exercise also contributes to the mitigation of several physical diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, breast and colon cancer, and osteoporosis. 

Even if you don’t feel like you’re physically capable of committing to an intense workout every day, some exercise is better than none at all! If you need something low impact, try going for a swim to get some good mobility practice and a little bit of cardio. Or, if you don’t want to commit to getting in the pool, try inviting some friends or family to go on a walk with you outside in the warm weather. Your body – and your social life – will thank you! 

 

2. Keep Socially Active

Seniors struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness more than nearly every other age group. A lot of this is attributed to the fact that it’s simply more difficult for seniors to get out and active than it would be if they were younger. However, staying socially active in all of the ways you’re able to can help keep you happy and healthy and stave off some of those anxious or depressive moods. 

The best senior living communities in MI are likely going to have classes or activities that you can participate in, whether that’s learning something new like art or cooking, or simply participating in BINGO or a trivia game one evening. Plus, if you’re involved in other community outreach programs like church programs or other volunteer programs, don’t think that moving to a senior living community means that you have to stop. It’ll be a great benefit to you to stay involved!

 

3. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand when promoting a healthy lifestyle. While eating snacks and junk food or enjoying the occasional soda isn’t a bad thing, enjoying these treats in excess can have detrimental effects on your diet. Instead of eating a lot of junk food, try to balance out your meals with plenty of protein, healthy fats, and a good mix of fruits and leafy greens. 

If you live in a senior community, the best ones are going to offer dietician or chef-curated menus that are bound to both taste delicious and be great for your health. So the next time you want to reach for a candy bar, consider seeing what other healthier options you can make!

A healthy salad is just one of the many delicious and nutritious food options served at best senior living communities in MI

4. Take Your Medications

Taking daily medications is no fun at all, but you need to remember that each medication was prescribed to you for a reason. If you don’t take your prescribed medications at the time and dosage prescribed, it can have an extremely detrimental effect on your health. Many seniors are prescribed medications to assist with cardiovascular health, blood clotting, cholesterol, and other chronic conditions that need medicine to help keep you healthy and safe. 

If you’ve been taking a certain medication for a while and are concerned that it isn’t working as well as it should or you believe it is no longer necessary, then don’t stop taking it. Before you make any kind of adjustment to your medication schedule, meet with your primary care doctor to help make those decisions. 

 

5. Stay Up to Date on Your Health

In order to find out if anything is acting up in your body, you need to attend your regular check-ups! While going to regular check-ups for your teeth, eyes, and overall physical health are never fun, they’re important to ensure that you stay happy and healthy. After all, no one is ever going to know that anything is wrong if they don’t see you to diagnose you!

Keeping up to date on your physical health is doubly important as a senior. Many seniors take multiple medications and struggle with several different chronic conditions. If you neglect to visit your primary care physician or get behind on your physicals, you may not have access to your medication or they may miss something important. 

 

6. Quit Smoking

Smoking, while addictive, is one of the worst things that you can put your body through, and as seniors, quitting smoking should be a top priority. This can cause a host of health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high heart rate, and that’s not even the worst of the symptoms. Also, smoking is one of the leading causes of lung cancer and lung damage, which can severely impact your health or may even result in death. If you want to focus on happy, healthy aging, then the cigarettes need to go. 

 

A Happy, Healthy Life at Kingsley

When you’re learning how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the best senior living communities in MI will help show you how to get there. Kingsley does just that. From our on-site wellness facilities, to our classes and activities, to our dietician-curated meal plan, Kingsley will be with you every step of the way in your health and wellness journey. 

Kingsley is one of the best senior living communities in MI for a reason, and we want to prove it to you. If you’re interested in making Kingsley your new home, contact us and schedule a tour today to see what we can offer!