Challenges That Seniors Face
As we age, there are a number of facts that prevent us from staying as healthy and active as we once were when we were younger. It’s nothing that can really be prevented; these symptoms can manifest at any point in time, no matter how much you try your best to stay in shape. It’s just a fact of life.
There are many different factors that can make you or your senior loved ones feeling groggy and listless like side effects of medications, circadian issues (trouble sleeping because of potential diseases or disorders), cognitive decline, depression, or even malnutrition. You may not even realize that your senior loved one is suffering from these things right away, or, if you notice that they’re groggy and tired, you might not know why.
Speak to your or your loved one’s doctor first to make sure that there’s nothing underlying going on that could cause this change in energy level. However, if your doctor doesn’t see any kind of underlying cause, you might want to try something new to boost your energy levels.
Looking for some ideas? Here are five ways that you can help to boost yours or your senior’s energy:
1. Adjust Your Diet
Did you know that maintaining a healthy diet is a great way to keep your energy up? As we age, sometimes going grocery shopping and preparing our own meals can be a challenge. Mobility issues, rising food costs, limb and joint strength, pain when standing, and more are all contributing factors to a decline in a healthy, balanced diet as we age. However, eating only processed or fast food can take a toll on our physical well-being.
It’s important to maintain a relationship with healthy food as you age. Fresh fruits and vegetables can easily help to give you the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants you need. Dark, leafy greens, nuts, and fish can help to give you the Vitamin B12 you need and the Omega-3 fatty acids that help your heart health. You can’t get these same benefits from simply eating takeout!
Here at Bayshire, our facilities for senior living in Oceanside can help you keep and maintain your healthy eating goals. Our chef-style meals give you exactly what you need to give yourself a healthy boost of energy through food. The best part? They’re delicious, and you don’t have to clean up after! Win-win!
2. Exercise Regularly
No matter if you’re trying to improve your physical wellness, boost your energy, or otherwise, exercising regularly is of the utmost importance to staying healthy. Not only can exercising regularly help you boost your energy, it can also help you improve your balance, maintain your mobility, and more.
At our senior living in Oceanside, we have plenty of low-impact exercises for you or your senior loved one to get their exercise without it being too physically draining. We have yoga and tai chi classes, walking groups, and even chair yoga for those seniors who struggle with mobility. Getting up and active is easy with the right help!
3. Reduce Caffeine
This may sound counter-productive: why would reducing caffeine actually help to boost energy? Isn’t caffeine supposed to give you energy?
The truth is: caffeine is great for helping to give you energy, but only in short bursts and limited quantities. Too much caffeine can actually have the opposite effect and cause you to crash. Coffee can also cause your blood pressure to rise, leaving you tired and lethargic.
If your senior enjoys drinking coffee, then it’s totally fine for them to continue to do so! Just encourage them to drink less coffee and remind them that coffee before bed isn’t a good idea.
4. Get Plenty of Sleep
This may seem like a no-brainer, but getting the proper amount of sleep is vital to your health and well-being, and a lack of sleep can leave you feeling groggy and lethargic. The average adult needs about seven or eight hours of sleep a night to maintain a healthy energy level during the day.
However, as we age, melatonin production begins to slow. Melatonin is the hormone in our bodies that helps us to sleep, and when that production slows, it becomes more and more difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep. Most pharmacies sell melatonin supplements, so if you’re really struggling with maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, speak to your care provider about maybe adding melatonin supplements to your daily medication rotation.
Another way to ensure that you get enough sleep is to take naps. If you struggle with sleeping through the night, try taking at least an hour long nap in the middle of the day to help combat some of that nighttime restlessness. It can make a huge difference in your energy levels!
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking water is not only important to your physical health but also for your energy levels! As we age, it becomes more and more difficult to stay hydrated, simply because many seniors just don’t have the same urge to drink a lot of water. Instead, seniors tend to lean toward drinking more caffeinated beverages like coffee or soda.
While it may be difficult, try to drink at least a couple glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. If you truly dislike the taste of water, drinking unsweetened tea is a good replacement and can keep you almost as hydrated as water.
Bayshire Carlsbad – Senior Living in Oceanside
Here at our senior living in Oceanside, we want you or your loved one to make the most of your stay here at Bayshire Carlsbad. There is no shortage of ways to stay involved and active with our wide variety of activities and classes to take, like tai chi and yoga. Plus, we make it easy to enjoy a delicious and healthy diet with our mouth-watering chef prepared meals in the dining area. You deserve to have the time of your life in your golden years, and you need the energy to enjoy it!
If you’re interested in making Bayshire Carlsbad your new home, we’d love to have you! Contact us to schedule a tour today!
