The active aging It is the ability of older people to stay active, with a low risk of illness, committed to interpersonal relationships and participation in meaningful activities and a high level of physical and mental activity.
Currently, the increase in the population over 60 years of age is an epidemiological trend throughout the world. It is important to take this into account because this creates social challenges for us when it comes to promoting healthy aging..
Aging is a process of positive adaptation on a continuous basis to changes that take place over the years. Age alone indicates very little about a person's state of health.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of disease. Therefore, healthy aging includes different components such as biological, psychological and social.
The aging process is highly influenced by the environment, lifestyle or diseases.
Active aging is to reinforce lifestyles that allow the person to enjoy a maximum level of health, that the person lives in a functional way, with well-being and quality of life and in accordance with their sociocultural context..
The WHO proposes that the elderly to grow older without “aging” through the continuous development of physical, social and spiritual activities throughout their lives..
If you age in a healthy way, it is because you have health and a good physical adjustment (you are on your own), you have good cognitive functioning, well-being and you also participate and get involved socially.
Keep in mind that the person is not solely responsible for their aging process. You as an individual are within a society that acts on your aging process and that also has to contribute to its proper development..
However, it is true that different scientific investigations have shown that aging also depends on oneself; active and healthy aging and preventing disease depend, to a certain extent also, on the behavior of the person.
Some of the protective activities of the disease and promoters of healthy aging are: cognitive activity, interpersonal relationship, positive thinking and attitude, stress management styles, resilience, perception of control and self-efficacy for aging.
All these forms of behavior are predictive conditions of longevity and healthy aging.
Mental activity is a fundamental pillar within active aging, as well as physical exercise. Surely you are clear that these two aspects are part of a healthy and proper way of aging.
However, keep in mind that proper nutrition or social participation are just as important to you..
When we talk about the fact that you must stay active and agile and that you must stimulate your cognitive abilities, it may seem that you have to do boring tasks to achieve it, but it is not like that at all..
There are different activities, like the ones shown below, that will help you achieve physical and mental agility within healthy aging and that can be really fun.
Keep in mind that aging successfully depends, to a greater extent, on the prevention and health promotion actions that you implement, since, as I have told you, the concept of old age associated with physical and mental deterioration is, at the less in part, under your control.
Some authors affirm, therefore, that successful aging is a matter of individual choice.
Both the cognitive exercises typical of a cognitive stimulation program and the realization of hobbies are a very beneficial way to keep the mind active and empower it.
For example, word search is an ideal activity to work attention and language and mazes can be useful to work on planning or problem-solving skills..
It is necessary to exercise the different mental capacities, through various cognitive exercises that enhance different aspects for optimal stimulation work.
Other exercises can be related to calculation, for example sudokus, where logic, memory, planning, working memory, patience are worked on ...
There are also crosswords, where language skills, semantic memory, mental flexibility are worked on ...
Other examples can be looking for the differences or pairs of images to work memory.
All these activities increase attention, improve perception and stimulate the senses, as well as help activate memory.
The more active you maintain your cognitive skills and your ability to learn, the higher performance you will have and for longer.
Try to read the newspaper, books, magazines every day ... stay informed of what is happening in the world and around you. All of this will help you keep your mind sharp..
Here you can find exercises to improve memory.
Games like dominoes, cards, bingo ... are not only suitable because they have cognitive benefits, but also because they facilitate social participation, which, as we said at the beginning, is also a fundamental aspect of active aging..
The game should be fun for you, something that helps you exercise your cognitive abilities while helping you to enhance social relationships.
Some studies, for example carried out by the Toy Technological Institute, have shown that board games provide many benefits for the physical, social and emotional health of the elderly.
For example, through board games, mood and self-motivation, perceived self-efficacy and satisfaction are improved, cognitive skills are exercised, coping with stress is managed, self-esteem is increased, and self-esteem is decreased. feeling of loneliness.
In addition, these group activities close to your home will help you with resistance, postural control, flexibility, posture, rhythm and you will make friends in a playful and fun way.
Walking is also a good option, from 30 to 40 minutes at a medium pace and in better company. All music-related activities also bring many benefits. For example, ballroom dancing.
Given that in aging there is a physical deterioration of the body, you can perform certain activities aimed at enhancing the musculoskeletal system, reflexes, balance, muscle strength, coordination, etc..
These are specific exercises to work on specific areas. You can make a weekly or monthly plan where you propose to exercise a specific muscle group every day: the face, knees, shoulders ... And do specific activities for it.
You can even do it in a group with your friends, so that you promote socialization at the same time.
Some of these exercises can be relaxation, facial (to improve circulation and coordination and strengthen the muscles of the face), for the head and neck (improve balance, prevent dizziness and falls), for hands and feet (preventing joint stiffness and favoring coordination) or for the knees (favoring muscular independence and mobility).
Physical exercise is one of the lifestyles in old age that helps to achieve the highest level of health and well-being, reducing the comorbidity of chronic and degenerative diseases and increasing the quality of life.
Since I previously indicated that to stay active and age in a healthy way you must develop different aspects of your life, work, leisure or occupational productivity are adequate to promote healthy aging.
Trying to find some occupation of the time and be useful to others can be very beneficial for your self-esteem.
There are people who find it attractive to take care of their grandchildren, while others prefer to take classes in music, drawing and painting, dressmaking, theater ...
Today there are also the so-called "University for the Elderly", where you can attend as a listener to university classes on the topics that you like the most..
You can also join a club that encourages reading, cinema-forums, gardening, memory stimulation ... In some retirement homes there are specific classes. Ask the ones near your house.
Research shows the benefits of leisure activities in contributing to the psychological well-being of the elderly and life satisfaction.
The personal growth of each one, their adaptation and integration into society gives rise to the concept of well-being that we indicated before that is also part of healthy aging.
It is necessary to have stable social relationships, have friends, go out with them, have conversations ...
Social isolation, loss of support, and lack of social relationships are related to illness and shortened life.
It is important that you develop your autonomy as much as possible. The concept of well-being that we referred to earlier includes self-acceptance, mastery of the environment, personal growth ... and autonomy!!
Try to maintain your independence, your own authority and resist social pressure.
Being independent and autonomous prevents disability and dependency. Try to satisfy your own desires and set your own goals and get closer to them. It's never too late!
Self-acceptance is one of the core components of well-being. Accepting yourself, with your abilities and limitations is essential.
Sometimes when we get older, we have to stop doing things that we were used to and this causes us discomfort and negative thoughts towards ourselves.
Having positive attitudes towards oneself is a fundamental characteristic of positive psychological functioning.
It has been shown that feelings of sadness and depression increase in old age, especially when there are situations of social lack.
It is also important that you are able to prevent and detect mental health problems such as a depressive state early, since it is associated with cognitive impairment and in initial states it has an easier solution.
Depression is a psycho-affective disorder that causes a decrease in mood and has repercussions at various levels on the life and health of the person.
Depression has high rates during old age, reducing the person's ability to control their life (alcohol abuse, misuse of medications, etc.), so it must be addressed in time.
You can take at least 5 minutes a day to relax. Getting started in meditation or instructing yourself in relaxation techniques can help you a lot. Sit comfortably, learn to breathe and relax, and let yourself be carried away by positive thoughts.
Personality variables such as optimism, a sense of humor and positive thinking are associated with greater satisfaction in life during this stage. It is a protector against physical and functional decline.
Many older people, within the occupation of their free time and in search of helping others, find volunteering as a form of social participation.
It is an altruistic and social experience, perceiving it as commitment and helping other people. This also promotes self-esteem, encourages commitment and helps the person feel useful and necessary..
Aging models agree that aging in a healthy way involves maintaining high social competence expressed through participation and social productivity.
In this sense, volunteering is offered to many older people as a useful activity that meets many of the characteristics to promote healthy aging.
It is important to train the body and the mind but also our interior. But pleasant activities are also necessary, whatever they may be, but that produce positive feelings and that are meaningful to us..
In this sense, it is also appropriate to know how to properly handle stress and anxiety to enjoy life. As I have told you before, you can find relaxation techniques or get started in meditation.
Coping styles in the management of stress or adversity allow the prevention of psychopathological conditions during old age.
Intense spiritual life has been linked as a protective factor of adaptation in old age.
Different studies have linked leisure activities and subjective well-being. In fact, many authors place leisure activities among the best predictors of life satisfaction in older people.
Those who perform them feel more competent, with greater self-confidence. It has been linked to a decrease in the feeling of loneliness, increased mood and the ability to cope with the changes of aging.
In short, the elderly should be a stage where the individual opens up to everything new, to relate to their environment (friends, family, community), start life projects, continue with others already started, get involved in learning skills and activities ...
From everything I've told you so far, healthy aging requires good physical, functional, cognitive, and social health..
And you, what do you do to stay active?
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