Focus on Healthy Ageing

Learning to manage, and keep in balance, the four key areas of your life is the major secret to healthy aging.
The four areas are physical fitness, social wellness, financial fitness, and mental wellness.
Physical fitness includes not only regular, daily exercise and a healthy diet, but also involves adjusting your lifestyle to combat illnesses and disease that are more prevalent in older people.

This involves confronting these health issues head-on, understanding their causes and taking preventative action. Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from learning about these issues, as the more you understand the more you are in control.

Some health issues you may have to face are dementia, sleep disorders, stress, vision and hearing, diabetes, incontinence and lower back pain.

There are many preventative care programs, such as cancer screening, vaccinations and a large range of complimentary therapies, such as physiotherapy to help manage illness, so don’t be afraid to take advantage of them.

Social wellness is also vitally important. Now you have all the time in the world to share your time with like-minded people. Find a buddy to go to exercise classes with, join a bushwalking or gardening group, or even better, astound your family by going back to class and learning something – perhaps another language!

The Internet brings the world into your living room, so take advantage of it. Get your grandkids to show you the basics of using email and web surfing, or go to some local classes. There are endless possibilities for socializing and having fun – and it’s good for your health!

It seems financial fitness is an issue that confronts most of us throughout our life! In our later years especially, good financial management can mean the difference between being independent or not.

Whether you rely on your own 401K plan (called superannuation in Australia), investments or a government pension, managing your money is crucial. This will involve facing the issue of where to live in later life and providing for it well in advance.

If you’re planning to downsize, you want to simplify your life. Don’t get rid of everything, but be ruthless and clear out the clutter, keeping only those possessions you really want, or need.

Last, mental health virtually goes hand in hand with physical health. If you are mentally healthy, you can find ways of dealing with and overcoming depression, anxiety, chronic pain, loneliness and grief.

Mental health can be best described as a state where you are in control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. You feel good about yourself and your relationships and can keep problems in perspective.

Mentally healthy people may still have emotional problems and mental illness, but have learned of ways to cope with stress and problems and know when to seek help from their doctor or counselor.

Set out a plan to tackle these issues head-on, implement a few practical strategies and you are well on the way to healthy aging.