Anti Aging Advice For Seniors

by Tony Rovere
(West Islip, NY)

Perhaps the single most important anti-aging device we have at our disposal is exercise. And as someone who has spent a great deal of time as a caregiver (for my mother) I can attest to the fact that one of the most frustrating things I have seen is the slow, downward spiral in physical performance that is caused by lack of exercise and improper nutrition among seniors.

And the saddest part of all is that this downward spiral is primarily the result of one thing...neglect!

Neglecting to eat right...neglecting to get the recommended amount of exercise every day. And the cost for this is staggering, not only for the person who is declining but for society as well.

Consider this frightening statistics...

Senior citizens spend an average of $320,000,000,000¹ a year on prescription drugs in the United States alone. And that was with the widespread use of generic drugs to try and keep the costs down! Imagine what it would be with brand name drugs.

So with that in mind, I would like to give a few basic anti-aging tips that can be used by anybody to live a natural, more holistic lifestyle so that they can avoid many of the ailments, whether those ailments are arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or any of a host of other conditions that affect seniors.

1) Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet. This was pioneered by Dr. Andrew Well after Dr. Well conceived that the root cause of many cancers, heart disease...even Alzheimer's disease...was chronic inflammation. This inflammation damages the body and can cause illness.

The basic premise behind the anti-inflammatory diet is to eat as much fresh food as possible, including an abundance of fruits and vegetables while avoiding processed foods. This type of diet is naturally low in saturated fat and sugar and will contribute to weight loss for anyone.

2) Get the recommended amount of moderate exercise every day. It isn't necessary to completely exert yourself to get back in shape, just get your body moving. I believe that one of the issues people have with exercise is that they picture it as something you only do at the gym or that you have to set time aside for it.

Active hobbies, such as gardening or even playing soccer with your children or grandchildren in the backyard count as exercise.

Of course, you can go to the gym by all means. Other exercises include power walking, aerobics, tennis, canoeing or rowing, even dancing or a good cleaning of your house. Just keep active.

And finally, I would like to sum up with the health benefits of losing weight, not only for seniors but for all of us. And it doesn't have to be much...you don't have to lose like they do on "The Biggest Loser"...I am talking about 20 pounds. What could that mean for your health?

Study after study has shown that by losing 20 pounds you can…

• See stabilization of your glucose levels if you are diabetic
• If you have hypertension, start to see your blood pressure lower
• See improvement in your cholesterol levels
• Reduce your risk of heart disease.

And just think of that $320,000,000,000 I mentioned earlier…how many of that money could be saved by seniors (and all of us) if they decided to put into effect some basic anti-aging principles.


About the author: Tony Rovere became an advocate for seniors after his mother’s heart attack forced him to navigate the government bureaucracy that comes with caregiving. His website, StuffSeniorsNeed.com is a resource for seniors and caregivers who can benefit from his personal experience as a caregiver.


1- http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/story/2012-04-04/prescription-drug-spending-2011/54000818/1