3 Things to better your health if you’re over the age of 65

“The fact of the matter is, this is for anyone and for any age”

“We have two lives, and the second one begins when we realize we only have one” – Confucius

     We’ve heard it our entire lives, whether it was in a passing conversation or a nighttime television show that we need to take care of our Mind, Body & Soul to live a long fulfilled life. Keeping these three categories level amongst them will produce happiness, memories to look back on and a well-balanced life that anyone can be envious of. Lets jump into these three categories to find an easy solution that will do wonders to your life ahead. 

Mind: 

An astonishing statistic that most people are unaware of is that only 13% of people over the age of 55 have pre-planned their funeral. We set out to interview a couple of these people who have pre-planned and we were surprised at the common remarks.

     When we asked the first question to our first 5 interviews, we had the same response each time: “I wanted to make sure the financial burden wasn’t left behind after I passed”, but what was even more surprising was at the end of each interview. Out of the 10 interviews we conducted, everyone felt as if there was a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.  

     It’s important to have a clear mindset in your later years just when you might be thinking the mind is slowing down. Removing the obligation to plan or pay for your funeral allows you to fully engage in the present and remember the important memories with your families and friends. Becoming aware of the present and living each day with what’s in front of you is how life should be remembered. 

     Take the burden off your mind and get this off your plate, take the burden off your loved ones with planning your services and either paying for them or setting up a payment plan. This takes the guesswork out and everyone is aware of the costs. It’s honestly a win-win for all involved to get this past the family dinner table and on to enjoying life. Guardian Angels Trauma Experts are the go-to when pre-planning your funeral or cremation, there’s no detail that gets by their team and they love to help others. Here’s the link for the contact page. 

Body:

An object in motion will stay in motion just like a body in motion will want to stay in motion. It’s not about hitting the weights hard or running 6 miles a day, it’s about keeping your body moving and doing the things you love. Once we fall into a routine of comfort or laziness, it’s almost impossible to escape those feelings in our later years. Here are two great examples you can mesh into your daily routine for a result that will do wonders on your life. 

      Early morning walks with a loved one or close friend and a cup of coffee/tea will jump start your day like you’ve never imagined. You might be saying well I don’t have time in the morning or I don’t have a friend to walk with. Well to those excuses we say set the alarm a little bit earlier and walk alone and reflect on how blessed we are to be here.  The time is now to throw away the excuses and realize we only have one life on earth and that we need to maximize every second. When you exercise to even slightly raise the heart rate, your body immediately starts to release endorphins that will interact with numerous receptors within your body and brain. It’s time to get the blood pumping so we can activate the trigger for a positive feeling in the body and mind. Another key to releasing these endorphins is that it helps reduce the perception of pain throughout the body and will help with any aches you may be feeling. Endorphins are sometimes called the “feel-good” chemical in the body and if we can stimulate that early in the morning, we are setting up a great day ahead. 

     If you’re looking for something that you would be able to stay within your household then it’s time to resort to stretching. Stretching is often overlooked because most people think that you only need to stretch before running or before working out. All leading studies and doctors recommend stretching everyday no matter what point in life you are at. To keep the body in motion, your muscles and joints need to be in good condition with the normal range of motions. Keeping the muscles flexible and healthy will help keep your joints in good condition and ready for the life experiences ahead. If you always want to hold your granddaughter or love to play soccer in the backyard with your grandson, you need to make sure your muscles are in good condition to do so. As we get older, we get fragile and we need to make sure we are doing anything and everything we can to avoid any injury.  

Soul:

     We take pride in faithfully doing these two things every day of our lives: helping others and loving the people around you. These two easy tasks will take your soul to another level you would have never imagined. It’s a shame that we don’t realize this earlier in life but that easy phone call to your best friend or loved one can be taken away from you at any point. It’s the “Until you can’t” soul that will always keep you at your best. “I’ll see my grandchildren next time. I’m a little tired today.” Until you can’t. “I’ll call my son over the weekend to catch up since I have too much on my plate today.” Until you can’t. “I’ll go visit Niagara Falls next year with the family.” Until you can’t. The constant reminder to yourself that missed opportunities cannot always be made up will help alleviate the excuses we make every day.

     The first is to stay in contact.  A couple of minutes a day to pick up the phone and call a friend or loved one will not put you behind on your daily routine. Catch up with an old friend, see how they are doing, if they need anything and let them know you are here and happy in life to help. What can come out of this conversation could open doors to see each other, walk the park, a bowling night; who knows. Your next adventure or get together may only be a phone call away. Having a fabulous circle around you that shares the love and respect for each other will be life changing. 

     The second one is to help someone whenever you can. I’ve come to terms that true help comes from the time you donate, not the money. Obviously money helps, but when it comes to close friends and family, time means the world. Having the memories of being together, good conversations and showing that you care will bond the relationship even stronger. If you don’t have the time, the money helps with specific charities. You can always reach out to a family member that might be having a hard time and offer help. The more we give the more we love and there’s no greatest combination than peace and love.