As you get closer to the last leg of your 50s, you realize it is the time to start planning to retire and put your work life behind you. At this phase, you would have more time to spend on yourself. All these changes occurring in your life may seem to be both exciting as well as scary to you causing you to feel overwhelmed. Yet, this is the best time to start working on taking better care of your health.
If you are already in your 60s or are nearing this age, keep reading to learn about the care you need at this age and what you can do to stay healthy and fit, both physically and mentally.
Taking Care of Your Body
Do not let your body retire just because you have retired from your work. Most people actually enjoy the discretionary time during this phase in life, by investing it in a healthy lifestyle such as eating well, exercising, practicing yoga, and much more.
Do not assume that it's too late to start exercising or lose weight. Make sure you eat healthy foods and exercise regularly to stay fit.
You can attend our Respiratory Therapy CME Conferences 2022 to learn more about how you can take care of your body and stay healthy in your old age with an emphasis on your respiratory health.
Taking Care of Your Brain
The brain thrives when it has something to figure out or puzzle over. It is also the healthiest when it is challenged to learn new skills or new information.
Brain health experts once believed that the brain stops making any new neuron connections as we age. However, this is not entirely true. The fact is that the brain tends to stay capable of forming new neuron connections throughout life.
To ensure this happens, try not to get stuck in a mental or physical rut. Change your daily routine once in a while and work out regularly. Keep your brain engaged by getting involved in exciting activities or learning new skills:
Taking up new hobbies or making strides to move out of your mental comfort zone would stimulate your brain thus allowing you to stay and feel younger than your actual age.
Medical Care
Ignoring your overall health, medications, or treatments could make you vulnerable to developing several acute and chronic diseases.
Hence, during this phase, it is very important that you focus on improving your health literacy by obtaining, processing, and understanding health information, including the treatments, needed to make the basic health-related decisions for yourself.
Our Respiratory Care Conference is aimed at creating awareness and improving the health literacy of people belonging to different age groups to help them take better care of their health.
Stay Positive
The way you feel about getting older could have a significant impact on the way you experience life and even how long you live. Having a positive or optimistic outlook is directly linked to an increase in lifespan.
Developing a positive attitude would also affect how your body deals with emotional stress and how it affects your behaviours and thoughts.
Hence, even if you feel nervous or depressed about the idea of aging, make sure you also focus on the positive aspect of this phase of life, such as having more time to exercise and work on your spiritual growth.
Get Tested
When you are nearing your 60s, make sure you undergo preventative care and screening at least once every year. It is good to start having your preventative care and screenings at an even earlier age if you are at a higher risk of any condition.
Make sure you keep up with the screening schedule recommended by your physician. It might involve a few tests and examinations aimed at detecting illnesses at an early stage so that they can be treated with a higher success rate.
Focus on Productivity
Retirement is not just about having plenty of time to do anything that you want. It is more about having plenty of activities to fill up your days so that you are never bored.
Maintain your focus on productivity such that you are engaged in physical or mental tasks. This would help you avoid falling into the habit of spending your days doing sedentary things such as watching TV.
Make conscious efforts to limit the activities that do not engage your body and mind. For example, set up a daily routine for walking with your spouse or a friend, watering the plants, playing simple games, etc.
Enjoy Your Social Life
Most people focus only on planning financially for their retirement. However, they do not realize that they also need to plan for the social aspect of life.
The decline in socialization could have a huge impact on your emotional health when you are transitioning from an active working life wherein you get to interact with others throughout the day to spending more time at home.
Make plans for getting out of your home and being with your friends or relatives on a regular basis. You can also consider joining a local sports club or a hobby group.
Interacting with people would help you manage stress and emotions, and make it easier for you to maintain good habits.
Conclusion
Consider your 60s as an opportunity to enjoy your life without any restrictions while ensuring you make the right choices about your diet and lifestyle. You can also attend our AARC Approved Live Respiratory CEUs to get deeper insights into how to care for yourself in your 60s so that you can enjoy your life and stay healthy and active for years after years.