A Checklist for Living Life Better in Your Later Years
As we age, we face many challenges. Our bodies will undergo many changes, and it can seem difficult to do things that once seemed easy. However, many seniors have discovered ways to live life better. Here are some suggestions that may improve the way you feel during your senior years:
Research Some Different Ways to Exercise
People of all ages need exercise to be healthy. All our muscles and organs need oxygen to function, and exercise sends oxygen to our organs. While it’s more difficult to move during our senior years, and our endurance is decreased, most exercises can be changed so seniors can safely perform them. Adding some activity to your day can contribute to your efforts toward living life better.
You don’t have to run a marathon to be more active. Adding small periods of increased activity each day will increase your activity level. Begin by walking 10 minutes each day or doing stretches during TV commercials. If you belong to a senior center, join a Tai Chi or yoga class.
One type of exercise that has become more popular is using electric bikes. These bicycles provide the same intensity of activity as a regular bike but require less energy from the rider. However, when seniors are looking for local electric bikes, they request bikes with more accessible features, like a step-through frame or wider tires.
Consider Building a Pool in Your Backyard
Many people enjoy swimming because it’s not only an enjoyable activity but also good exercise. Seniors can benefit from the cardiovascular benefits of swimming. Spending time in the water can also strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility. Swimming has also been shown to give a boost to your mental health and to reduce stress.
When you increase your movement, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure decreases. Swimming utilizes all the major muscle groups in your body, which helps to strengthen your muscles. Being in the water makes exercising easier, as the water provides gentle pressure, which increases resistance without extra effort. Water has also been shown to improve mental health – and if you invite some friends to share swimming with you, it can increase socialization.
You may be concerned about the cost of installing a pool. However, if you talk to a pool contractor, it may cost less than you think. Some pool companies may offer an installment plan, making a pool more affordable. You’re worth the investment in a swimming pool, and it can be part of your plan for living life better.
Look Into Renting a Golf Cart if Walking Is Difficult
While it’s true you should increase your activity, many older adults will find walking challenging. If you can walk, your endurance may be decreased. The decreased endurance may make you feel you can’t participate in activities like festivals or family parties. For many seniors, part of living life better has included renting a golf cart to help them get around the neighborhood or to attend special activities.
In some retirement communities – especially those in the South, where the weather is generally better year-round – a golf cart is the primary method of transportation. Some of the communities have included golf cart trails throughout the community. Using a golf cart can be a godsend for those who no longer feel safe driving a car. Golf carts are also safe for seniors because they stop when the operator lifts their foot from the accelerator.
Although buying a golf cart may be too expensive, if you have a special event coming up, you might consider renting a golf cart. Research some local golf cart rental companies and ask about their rental policies. In addition to asking about prices, find out whether they rent by the day or by the week. Before renting a cart, be sure to get a demonstration of how to use it safely.
Make an Appointment for Your Teeth
Keeping your teeth healthy remains an essential part of living life better. Your dental health affects your general health, so you should continue basic dental hygiene activities like brushing and flossing your teeth. It’s also essential to continue regular check-ups with your dentist. However, some seniors find they have dental problems which require more attention.
It’s normal for our teeth to shift during our lives, and that tooth shifting continues as we age. For some seniors, that shift makes a noticeable difference in their smiles. Orthodontists recommend seniors address these problems since misalignment of your teeth can lead to difficulties with chewing.
When your crooked teeth become problematic, make an appointment with an orthodontist. After an examination, the orthodontist will discuss your options for teeth straightening. Orthodontists sometimes prescribe braces for seniors but can also prescribe aligners. Aligners are clear devices that are worn over your teeth but don’t affect your appearance.
Discuss Implants for Your Teeth
Another dental problem you may have may be related to missing teeth. Missing teeth can pose the same challenges as shifting teeth because they affect your ability to chew. Orthodontists recommend that people with missing adult teeth consider dental implants. Dental implants are typically implanted by oral surgeons, who will insert artificial roots into your jawbone.
Dental implant surgery is an outpatient procedure. Most dental implants will be made from titanium. This metal has been shown to bond well with your jawbone and act as a good foundation for your crown. The implant will remain stable, and the crown will resemble your other teeth.
When the oral surgeon places the root, it will merge with the bone. The next step for the dentist will be to apply dental crowns over the artificial roots. The crowns will make a significant difference in your ability to chew. Investing in a completed smile for yourself, and the improved ability to chew will contribute to living life better.
Determine if You Would Benefit from Body Contouring
If you’re having difficulty losing those last few areas of fat and want to have a trimmer figure, you might consider body contouring. Body contouring services are done to remove fat or excess skin. It can also be done to improve the tone of your muscles. Besides giving you a better body shape, the confidence it provides may be one of the ways you are living life better.
Body contouring is not a surgical appearance. Removing fat is often done by cryolipolysis, which is the application of cold pads to the skin, freeing the fat cells. Another type of body contouring procedure is done by injection of deoxycholic acid or by lasers. All those methods seek to destroy and reduce fat cells.
People who have lost weight may also have surgical body contouring to remove excess skin. Recovery after non-surgical procedures is usually quick; the client may return to work the next day. A surgical procedure will entail a longer recovery. Talk to your doctor or plastic surgeon to see if body contouring is appropriate for you.
Decide if You Need Support with Downsizing
Of all the changes life hands you, the most difficult may be moving from your home to a smaller place. Your home holds special memories, and the need to give up something you’ve invested all that time in can be devastating. If those feelings overwhelm you, find a friend or counselor to confide in. Whatever those feelings may be, say them out loud and identify how this move will affect you.
When you consider the upcoming move, list the things you’ll gain when you arrive. A smaller place means less housework, for one thing. If you’re moving to a retirement community, you can look forward to the activities they may have there. Looking at the many advantages of your new home will help you see it as part of the ways you’ll be living life better.
Don’t try to pack and transport everything by yourself. People of all ages need help with moving. You need to hire movers and packers to assist you. Ask for help from your family, too, but hiring professionals is still a good idea. If a moving team transports your belongings, your family can drive with you to your new home – and maybe stay with you for the first few hours when you arrive.
Hire Professionals to Clean Your Home
When we age, endurance can be a challenge. It may become more difficult for you to keep your home as clean as you’d like. Having a clean home remains vital in your senior years; to prevent the spread of bacteria or other germs. Keeping the pathways through your home clear is also important to prevent falls.
Another reason to keep a senior’s home clean is to prevent allergies. When dust and dirt are allowed to accumulate, it can build up and compromise your breathing. If you find yourself challenged by housekeeping, do yourself a favor and contact a professional service. Part of living life better means to live in the clean home that you deserve.
When you contact a housekeeping service for a quote, let them know all the services you want. Ask if they will wash the dishes or do carpet and rug cleaning. Check with your health insurance company before agreeing to pay for a housekeeping service. Although Medicare doesn’t pay for housekeepers, they sometimes provide home healthcare services, including light housekeeping services.
Rent a Dumpster for Items You No Longer Need
Whether moving or cleaning your home, you may find things you no longer need. If those things aren’t valuable to you or your family, consider donating them to a thrift store. You should consider a dumpster rental if your discarded items have outgrown their usefulness.
According to bintheredumpthat.com, before renting a dumpster, it’s best to put all the items you’d like to discard into one place. Organizing those items will help determine how big a dumpster you’ll need. Once you know that, search for dumpster rental companies in your area. Ask each about their prices, policies, and times available. The dumpster company will deliver the dumpster to your home.
You’ll need help to place everything into the dumpster, so don’t be hesitant to enlist the help of your family members and friends. Keeping your memories in your home is one thing, but if you don’t need something, do yourself a favor and throw it out. Another part of living life better can be living in a home where everything in it is everything you need.
Plan What You Desire for Your Funeral
While you may not want to think of it, the people you love will come to your funeral someday. There may be things you wish could be included at the funeral, like your favorite music or a reading that reflects your faith. Some people have preferred their services to be a ‘celebration of life’ instead of a solemn ritual. By documenting your preferences for funeral planning and sharing them with your family now, you’ll save them from having to plan a service while your death saddens them.
Planning what’s included at your funeral service will be only one part of your funeral planning. There are other decisions you should consider while you can still make plans. You should consider drafting one now if you don’t already have an advanced directive or living will. Make clear what your wishes would be if your heart suddenly stopped beating.
A critical aspect of planning for the end of your life will be whether you’d like your bodily remains to be buried or cremated. You may have strong feelings about this, and your family is unlikely to know about your feelings if you don’t provide this information. No matter how reluctant you are to think about your funeral, to place a fitting ending to your era of living life better, it’s only fitting for you to choose what that ending might look like.
Age will hand us some limitations, no matter what we do. However, by considering some of the above changes, we can make the best of those changes. If we look at how life has blessed us, rather than what we used to have, we’ll be able to see this is the best time for us to be living life better.
