The New Year is a great time to commit to improving your life and happiness. This is still a valuable celebration and commitment in later adulthood!
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Here are some great ideas for adults and ideas for families to support aging adults in attaining their goals.
Exercise
This isn’t necessary about weight loss or obtaining a better-looking physique. It is more focused on overall health. There are several types of exercise that each person should focus on.
*It is important to speak with your doctor, physical therapist, occupational therapist or qualified health profession to take into account your own abilities and any medical diagnosis to ensure your routine is safe and to avoid injuries.*
- Weight lifting: The correct weight depends on your ability and underlying medical conditions must be taken into account. It is very important to do the exercises correctly and that proper body mechanics are used. * Consult doctor, therapist, exercise specialist
- Aerobic exercise: This helps your cardiovascular system or your heart and lungs, It is important for endurance and circulation. *Consult doctor or therapist
- Stretches: Muscle tightness can severely limit mobility and cause discomfort. Don’t skip the stretches!
- Nerve Glides: Never glides are always overlooked. If time is spent on electronic devices or in a fixed position, nerve glides must be included in a routine. Never glides decrease the risk of nerve entrapments (like carpal tunnel syndrome) that can lead to numbness, tingling, pain and difficulty functioning.
- Balance exercises: Never try a new balance exercise without a qualified health professional there to help! (Please do NOT fall). The correct balance challenge is important to improve one’s ability to regain balance and an upright position after a trip or loss of balance. Regular balance retraining can reduce the risk of falls and fear of falling.
- Vestibular and proprioceptive exercises: The vestibular system is associated with the inner ear and it’s ability to send a message to the brain regarding where the body is in space. Proprioceptive awareness is awareness of where the body is in space. These abilities are important for balance (need to know where your feet are), motor control and coordination (one hand must know where the rest of the body is to get dressed). Additionally, if someone has been sitting or lying in bed for a long time and tries to being walking again, they may become dizzy because the brain is not use to all the movement. This can improve and other vestibular disorders such as vertigo may be improved for qualified candidates with a doctor’s diagnosis and proper treatment.
- Fine Motor Coordination: Activities that involve manual dexterity, small motor movements and coordination of the finger, hand and wrist movements are necessary for many daily tasks. Be sure to vary the task to challenge the brain and muscles. Avoid doing the same activity over and over again to minimize the risk of overuse injuries or tendonitis (tendon inflammation).
- Gross motor Coordination: Activities that require large motor movements are important for daily tasks, balance, sports, etc. It is important to vary the task and safely challenge the body. You can have fun with this! It can be tossing a ball, dancing, swimming, water aerobics, there are many choices to keep gross motor exercises interesting!
These don’t have to be boring or rote either. Engaging in novel tasks that challenge motor systems in new ways is a great way to improve overall physical ability in order to be successful in a variety of (for-seen and unforeseen) tasks. This could be dancing, Thai-chi, yoga, low-impact sports, playing ball or balloon tap with the grandchildren, playing a musical instrument, etc. Just make sure your routine incorporates multiple forms of exercise!
Families and support systems can encourage exercise by making the exercise align with the person’s interest, providing positive reinforcement (a healthy reward for exercising), assisting with transportation to a class or pool and participating with the person. Grandchildren are also motivating companions to play games, ball or walk around the park!
Organization
Organization can greatly decrease frustration when attempting to locate items. Placing items in accessible ares (near waist height with a clear path) can decrease risk of falls and injuries. Additionally, being able to find important documents regarding power of attorneys, wills and deeds is tremendously important if an emergency occurs or in the unfortunate event someone becomes incapacitated.
Families can help by assisting with rearranging WITH the older adult and in line with the older adult’s wishes.
See Gift Ideas for the Organized Adult
End of Life Planning
End of life planning is rarely a comfortable topic. However, many older adults wished they had started the conversation and process early in order to really think about what they want and be confident their wishes are carried out. Additionally, families and loved ones that have direction on a person’s final wishes and know the location and contents of important documents will be better equipped to quickly execute decisions.
This isn’t a New Year’s resolution only for older adults, it is for everyone! Writing a will, considering life insurance and establishing a power of attorney in case of illness should be done by everyone as no one knows when a life-changing event could occur.
See our Resources on Living Wills, advanced Directives and Power of Attorney
See our Resources on End of Life Planning and Advance Directives
Relationship and Social Goals
On a more positive note, having strong relationships and social bonds can greatly improve quality of life! Relationships with family, significant others, friends, community members, neighbors, etc. can yield many benefits and occasions to look forward to! Being socially active in clubs, community organizations, religious groups, volunteer groups, travel groups, etc. can lead to lasting friendships and support systems.
Families can support older adults by providing transportation or assisting to set up alternative transportation.
Mental Health Goals
We tend to focus more heavily on New Year’s resolutions for out physical health and financial wellbeing, but mental health and stimulation shouldn’t be neglected! Engaging in meaningful hobbies and life long learning activities can be great to keep a sharp mind and to stay engaged with life!
See our post below to learn more ways family members and support systems can promote life long learning.
See Ways to be a Life Long Learner
Volunteer
Many people seek ways to give back to others or their communities as a New Year’s Resolution. There are several great organizations and opportunities to volunteer based on the person’s interest and skills.
Families can assist by providing transportation and identifying opportunities. Support systems and family member volunteering together with the older adult can serve as a positive bonding experience.
Plan a Major Event
Having a special to look forward to is a great motivator for several reasons. For example, throwing a birthday party may require some dancing skills (exercise), ensuring there is enough food and seats (organization), chatting with others (relationships, social bonds) and artistic or baking skills (life long learning). Planning a major trip can also be delightful and motivate people to be in better physical shape in order safely enjoy the trip!
Families and support systems can help with these goals by helping with planning and invitations.
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Next: Monthly Challenge: Choose a New Year’s Resolution and the benefits of accountability!
Aging Uniquely Health and Legal Disclaimer:
By continuing with this site, you are agreeing that you acknowledge and understand this disclaimer in full and will not hold Aging Uniquely, parent companies or content creators liable for the information or use of information on this site because everyone ages uniquely and has unique needs. The content on Aging Uniquely sites is for general information purposes only and Aging Uniquely does not provide medical or health advice. It is not a substitute for medical or health professional advice and you should never ignore professional medical advice or delay seeking emergency care because of something you read on the Aging Uniquely website or social media platforms. If you are experiencing a medical emergency call 911 or seek emergency services. Aging Uniquely is not responsible for what may happen if you use their information in place of medical or professional advice. You are responsible for your own health and safety or how you apply this advice to adults/older adults you support. I highly recommend you consult the proper qualified medical or health profession before implementing any information from Aging Uniquely or other health related websites.