There are many ways people can look after themselves to stay physically and mentally well later in life.
As people get older they may start to find things more difficult to do and it’s important to take preventative steps that can slow down or reverse health-based challenges which may come up.
Warwickshire County Council is encouraging residents to learn more about the ways they can help themselves to maintain their independence for as long as possible.
The council’s Living Well webpages are a great source of information for anyone wanting to maintain a better standard of physical and mental wellbeing.
Split into easy to navigate sections, the webpage offers advice on healthy ageing, including keeping fit, connecting with friends and family, tips for eating well, keeping the home accessible and advice for keeping the brain well-exercised.
For anyone finding household tasks to be a challenge there is advice and support about AskSARA, the council’s assistive technology tool. AskSARA can provide many solutions to a range of accessibility and mobility problems.
Below are some great ways to stay healthy and active:
Gentle exercises for older people with restrictive movement or ongoing illnesses
We all know that exercise is good for your body and mental health. However, there are some people who can’t do extensive physical fitness, due to a long-standing illness or restrictive mobility. The council has a series of gentle exercises that can be followed at home, all that is needed is a comfortable chair, laptop or tablet and visiting www.warwickshire.gov.uk to search ‘Keeping Fit’.
Alongside the gentle exercises, increasing step count can also be beneficial, this can include:
- Make walking a more enjoyable experience by inviting friends and/or family along. Alternatively, take some time for yourself to destress by listening to your favourite music or podcast.
- Join a local walking club in Warwickshire, it’s a great place to make new friends and improve mobility at the same time.
- Take time for yourself and your own mental health by visiting one of the beautiful country parks throughout the county or by discovering new areas to explore near where you live.
Brain Training
Keeping mentally alert is just as important as physical activity. Reading a book, magazine or the paper is a great way of helping to keep your brain alert and stimulated. Many books are also available digitally, visit https://www.borrowbox.com/ for more information.
Games and puzzles
The Alzheimer’s Society, in conjunction with the University of Oxford have devised a brain training app called Gamechanger. Gamechanger offers several brain games that help with research into thinking skills and memory. All of the data from the games goes straight to the Alzheimer’s Society and Oxford University to be analysed and added to the research which both are working on. Go to www.alzheimers.org.uk and search for ‘five online activity ideas’.
Councillor Margaret Bell, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: “The council’s Healthy Ageing information is a brilliant resource to help people maintain healthy, happy and independent lives for as long as possible.
“There’s plenty for you to try, whether it’s physical exercises and workouts to keep you active to brain training that helps to keep the mind nimble, which is vital as we get older.
“There’s something for everyone so I would urge you to visit the website and make use of the support on offer.”
The 5 Ways to Wellbeing pages also include advice on how to improve your mental health and overall feelings of happiness.
For more information on healthy ageing please visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/healthy-ageing.
To find support on a range of services for adults and older people, head to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/livingwell. The site includes information on health, finance, social care, lifelong learning and much more.