How to Make Your Senior Years Vibrant

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Getting older has lots of perks—grandchildren, retirement, comfortable shoes. But aging can also lead to uncomfortable physical problems and poor health. Luckily, older adults can take steps to improve their emotional, mental and physical health at any age. University of Maryland Medical System has the advice you need to make your senior years vibrant.

Move More

It doesn’t matter how old you are: Regular exercise is still important. Research shows exercise can help:

Boost mental health
Improve quality of life
Prevent disease
Reduce pain
Strengthen bones and muscles

Just 20 minutes of brisk walking daily can get you on track to better health. For best results, try to incorporate 30 minutes of aerobic exercises per day for at least five days a week. Light weight training may help with slowing muscle loss.

Find Your People

Regular social interaction as you age can boost mental health and may help with social isolation, which is linked to conditions such as dementia and stroke. If you don’t already have a network of close friends and family, it’s not too late to build one. There are lots of ways to meet people, including these:

Audit a class at a local college in a subject you’ve always wanted to know about and start a study group with classmates.
Get involved in activities with your church, mosque or synagogue.
Learn a new skill, such as beading or woodworking. If you are already a craft expert, you can teach your skills to younger people.
No grandkids? Sign up to be a foster grandparent.
Travel with other seniors and explore parts of the country or the world that you haven’t seen.
Volunteer with your favorite community organizations and find a new sense of purpose.

Boost Your Brain Power

You’ve heard the phrase “use it or lose it,” right? Keeping your mind active may help you maintain cognition.

Engage in mind-stimulating activities such as reading, playing cards, working on number games and crossword puzzles, and listening to music. These are great activities that you can do on your own, or you can join others with similar interests and have fun as a group.

Eat Your Veggies

Eating heart-healthy fare, such as the Mediterranean diet, is just as important when you get older. It can improve your overall health and give you energy for all your activities. Focus on filling your plate with a variety of colorful fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Make sure you get enough fiber and fluids. Save the red meat and sugary desserts for occasional treats.

Seek Balance

Your risk of falls increases with age—a quarter of people over 65 experience a fall every year. Falling can cause serious injuries, but you can take steps to prevent fall by:

Improving your balance through Tai Chi, yoga, standing-on-one-foot exercises, heel-to-toe walk exercises, “balance walking,” and other exercises as directed by your primary or senior care provider or physical therapist.
Checking your vision and hearing, as changes can increase your risk of falls.
Limiting alcohol, which can greatly increase balance problems.
Removing obstacles from your home that could contribute to falls, such as throw rugs and clutter.
Making sure that your house has adequate lighting, especially at night, to help you easily see your way around.
Staying inside if there’s snow or ice.
Talking to your health care provider about any medications you are on and whether they could increase fall risk.

Reduce Stress

Stress can make existing health issues worse and can allow new health issues to develop. According to the National Council on Aging, stress can impact how the body responds to inflammation that may lead to conditions like arthritis, atherosclerosis, cancer, dementia and Type 2 diabetes.

Mental relaxation and mindfulness can help with stress reduction. Try things like gentle yoga, deep breathing, meditation and positive visualization to help.

Check in With Your Health Care Provider

Keeping up with your health care is crucial in your vibrant senior years, even if you do not have any major medical problems. How often you need to see your primary care or other providers will vary, but everyone needs to:

Continue regular cancer screenings, including mammograms and colonoscopies, as recommended by your primary care provider.
Get annual vaccines (flu and COVID-19) and other vaccines as recommended (pneumonia, shingles, RSV, Tdap).
Have an annual wellness exam that screens for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and other conditions as needed.
Don’t forget to get your routine eye exams, dental exams and regular screenings for hearing loss.

Plan Ahead

Unfortunately, no one can predict how long we will live or how long we will stay healthy while we’re alive. Planning ahead may feel grim, but it can reduce your stress because you know everything will be taken care of if the unexpected happens.

Talk with your loved ones about your desired end-of-life care and draw up advance directives, including a living will and medical power of attorney. If you have pets, make plans for them too.
If you are not in a senior living facility, plan ahead for aging in place. Look for ways to make your home accessible and find resources to help you live independently.
Write down everything your family might need to know regarding bills, online accounts and other important information in case you are incapacitated.

Ask for Help

It’s hard to admit that you can’t do things you once could easily handle, such as opening a jar of pickles or lifting a heavy pot. But stubbornly trying to do things that are now beyond your physical capability is a great way to get injured—which is a great way to lose even more independence.

Asking for help is not weak. We all need help sometimes, at every age. Asking for help can also be a great way to get to know your neighbors and make new friends. And if you need more help than a neighbor can provide, your UMMS team can connect you with community resources. You don’t have to age alone; we’re here to help.