Pittwater Life March 2017 Issue

Seniors Health Special
‘ACTIVE’
INGREDIENTS
Over the following pages, you’ll find general and specialist information on health issues
affecting seniors, with simple messages to assist. Plus, tips from local experts will help
you manage your health and wellbeing - so you can age well! Compiled by Lisa Offord
Health & Wellbeing
HEALTHY AGEING
We have known for ages that healthy
eating and being active is important
to staying well and strong and it’s never
too late to start paying attention to what
you put into your mouth and how you use
your body.
Enjoying a wide variety of foods in the
right amounts will ensure you are getting
all the nutrients your body needs; while
sitting less and moving more is good for
your heart, your bones, flexibility and
balance.
Although you can’t control every factor
that affects your health, adopting other
habits – such as staying up-to-date with
immunisations and health screenings and
having regular dental, vision and hearing
check-ups, taking steps to ensure you
are getting enough sleep, learning about
common conditions and how to manage
them and staying safe and connected –
will help you age well.
Healthy eating
As you age your nutritional needs change.
For example, older adults need more
calcium and vitamin D to help maintain
bone health and can often find they
need to eat more high-fibre foods (fruits,
vegetable and whole grains) and drink
more water to prevent constipation as the
digestive system slows down with age.
The National Health and Medical
Research Council (eatforhealth.gov.au)
recommends guidelines for maximum
vitality, health and energy in people of
all ages and life stages and provides
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details on how many serves of food you
need to eat every day, tips for eating well
and healthy recipes. Also, check out The
Heart Foundation and Diabetes Australia
websites for easy-to-follow healthy eating
tips and recipes.
Make your move
Too much time spent sitting around and
not enough time being physically active is
bad for your health.
If you have always exercised keep it up
to the best of your ability.
If you haven’t been active in a while or
you have a chronic health condition talk
with your doctor or a health and fitness
professional about the type and amount
of activity suitable for you.
And remember… the old saying “no
pain, no gain” no longer rings true. If you
feel pain, slow down or stop!
The Australian Physical Activity
and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines
recommend people aged 65 years and
over focus on four types of activities.
Try to include at least one from each
group:
n Moderate activities for your heart,
lungs and blood vessels for 30 minutes
on most days. These include brisk
walking, continuous swimming, golf,
cycling, washing the car, walking the
dog, gardening, tennis, water aerobics
and dancing.
n Strength activities to maintain your
bones two or three times a week. These
include weight, strength or resistance
MARCH 2017
training, lifting and carrying, climbing
stairs, push-ups.
n Flexibility activities to help you move
more easily such as Tai Chi, bowls, yoga
and dancing.
n Exercises to improve balance and help
prevent falls.
(See opposite page for tips from some of
our local experts.)
Healthy sleep
Sleep changes as we age, becoming lighter
and more interrupted. There are however
things you can do to improve the situation.
Most adults need between seven and nine
hours of sleep each day – in older people
this sleep may not all occur at night (nap or
after dinner snooze anyone?).
To sleep well:
n Keep regular times for going to bed and
waking up.
n Relax an hour before going to bed.
n If you are in the habit of taking naps, do
not exceed 45 minutes of daytime sleep.
n Avoid caffeine at least four hours before
bedtime.
n Be aware that alcohol in the evening can
interfere with sleep.
n Exercise regularly, but not right before
bed.
n Avoid going to bed on a full or empty
stomach.
n If you cannot fall asleep after 20 minutes
in bed go to another room until you feel
tired again.
n Get some sunlight during the day.