Get the Elderly - and Yourself - Up and Active
For the many adult children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren who so often take on the role of caregiver for an elderly loved one, it can be challenging, especially without support. But even more difficult is striking a balance between the monotony of daily routine and keeping life exciting and stimulating. Let's face it: no matter how young or old you are, life is sweeter when special events replace tedious routine.
And if excitement isn't enough of a reason to keep each day as engaging as possible, new studies show that sitting around too much can be deadly. According to a recent AARP bulletin, scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods - even if you also exercise regularly - could be bad for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place - at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV - just the overall number of hours it occurs. The bulletin goes on to say that research is preliminary, but several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die. And even people who get a lot of exercise but are sitting for long periods of time may be better off spreading out their activity throughout the day.
So how do you and senior loved ones get there? Pinpoint things you enjoy, whether it's fishing, shopping, cleaning and organizing or bird watching, and brainstorm ways to keep active doing them. Even if you do a little activity at a time throughout the day, research shows that it is more beneficial than if you didn't at all.