Call 7 days a week for free advice

0808 303 7503*

New Year – new you

31st January 2018

Moving forwards with New Year’s resolutions can be difficult when winter is still very much in swing. Spring is a time for positivity, but preparing for it with good habits at this time of year is a wonderful way to shrug off the winter blues and move into the year in a positive way.

Health

A popular New Year’s resolution is to improve one’s health, and though this is important, especially with older adults and those with limited mobility and are reliant on home facilities like a disability bathroom, it can be hard to know where to start. Promising yourself you will move more on New Year’s Eve is a difficult aim to achieve in the wet mornings of January, so how can you improve your health in the New Year?

Exercise

Whether people want to lose weight, gain mobility or simply improve their strength, exercise is an important way to control how a person’s body looks and feels. Understanding what people want to achieve is necessary to finding the best exercise for them but it is also necessary to understand that no one wants to power walk in January drizzle.

Indoor Classes are a great way to not only keep people motivated towards exercise and socialise with people who have the same goals but also to stay fit and out of poor weather. Choosing a class designed for older adults ensures people will be exercising within their abilities. 

Superfoods

Every year different food and ingredients are investigated for the healthy properties they can impart. Some of these superfoods are fads while others like blueberries became a staple of people’s diets. Researching the latest foods that are being hailed for their positive properties is a great way to improve your diet and ensure your body is getting the proper nutrients.

In 2018 fatty acids are being hailed as the new superfood. They may not have a positive name, but Omega 3, 6 and 9 are fantastic for the body. While oily fish has long been on the list of foods to eat, it is filled with Omega 3 and is a great addition to the daily diet.  Mind over Munch is keen for people to learn more about Omega-3s, Omega-6s and Omega-9s:

“Most of us have heard it before: “Get your omega-3s!” Then, often followed by: “Eat more fatty fish!” or “Eat more flax and chia seeds!” Or, maybe you’ve even heard about omega-3 supplements, like fish oil, cod liver oil, krill oil, and flax oil. But, what about all of the omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids? Why’s there so much hype around omega-3s? For some good reasons, actually.

“In general, omega-3s are pretty much the super-est of superfoods. Because of this, you’ll find items like salmon and flax seeds—both excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids—at the top of most superfood lists. In addition, studies link omega-3 consumption with some pretty serious benefits. Most notably, health benefits like a lowered risk of heart disease, decreased inflammation, cancer prevention, relief from depression, and even a delayed onset of memory problems and Alzheimer’s as we age.”

Wellness 

Taking care of people’s mental health is important, especially in older adults who can feel lonely and isolated. There are lots of ways to focus on wellness and it is very unique to the individual. Taking time to meditate is often a positive way to rebalance, however some people find it difficult. Unstuck is a blog that offers lots of wellness advice and one of their suggestions is reflection:

“I admit there are benefits to goal setting, but working toward an appreciation for where we currently stand can also be rewarding and even clarifying.

So this year, before you start work on your vision board and New Year’s toast, take a moment to recognize your feats from the past year. Similar to an annual job performance evaluation, try completing your very own personal year-end self-review.”

Technology

Technology is always evolving and staying abreast with advances is important, especially if it can help people achieve their goals. While there are lots of scientific breakthroughs, from robotic cats to driverless cars that are aimed at older adults, they are not always accessible.

Apps

Apps are a brilliant way to streamline your life and there are always new ones coming on to the market. Finding the right apps to fit your lifestyle is important as well as researching any apps that will help you achieve your goals.

Lumosity is an app designed to help brain training and if people are looking to improve their cognitive abilities, it is a great place to start. The app gives people a baseline to help them track their progress and with daily work-outs it is a commitment that does not encroach too heavily on their day to day life. It has promising results:

“Our scientists had 4,715 participants complete the study. Half-trained with Lumosity, while the rest did online crossword puzzles to control for placebo effects. After 10 weeks, the Lumosity group improved more than the crosswords group on an aggregate assessment of cognition.”

Any.do is for those looking to organise their social lives and between doctors’ appointments and coffee mornings it can quickly get confusing. Any.do has an assistant option that reminds and assists people with everything from grocery shopping to gifts. 

Blogs

Finding a regular online community is a great way to communicate with others with different perspectives as well as help structure your life. Whether you are looking to improve your health, wellness or fashion, there will be a blog that will reflect that and aid you in achieving it.

There are thousands of blogs available online and not every blog will suit every person, whether due to tone, content or attitude. If your New Year resolution is to travel more, feel inspired with the Senior Nomads blog, Debbie and Michael Campbell sold up their lives and decided to travel the globe. With an engaging tone and beautiful pictures, Senior Nomads will motivate everybody to explore a little more, whether at home or further afield.

A Boomer’s Life After 50 is a blog that encompasses health, wellness, fashion, beauty, travel and so much more, so if you are looking for ideas, inspiration or just conversational pick me ups, this is a blog to follow that will help keep people upbeat. 

Image Credit:Max PixelNational Cancer InstituteMax PixelPixabayPixabay, Pixabay

This news article is from Handicare UK. Articles that appear on this website are for information purposes only.