3 Healthy Tips That Seniors Should Follow in the Winter

Winter can make it challenging to stay healthy—this is especially true for seniors. If you’re a senior, read these three tips to see how you can stay happy and healthy through the entire season.

1. Winterize Your Home

You want to make sure that your home is completely safe and comfortable throughout the season. So, you should take some small steps to make sure that it’s winter-ready:

• Seal air gaps around windows and doors with caulking/weatherstripping.
• Get thick curtains to keep the cold from creeping inside.
• Keep the heat on at all hours.
• Use humidifiers to stop the air from getting too dry.
• Vacuum regularly and use air purifiers to stop the air from getting too dusty.

Why are these steps important? Seniors are more at risk of developing hypothermia and frostbite. Proper heating and insulation are essential to prevent these dangerous health problems.

Air quality is also an issue during the winter since you’re spending more time indoors and aren’t letting any fresh outdoor air in. Stale, dusty air can irritate your skin and make you sick. So, you should try to purify it as best as you can.

If you find that your house can’t handle winter, you should consider finding a better space for retirement living in the near future. There are exceptional senior retirement communities that have cozy, well-heated apartments for their residents. The best senior communities will also have housekeeping services that will help keep the dust and dirt at bay. You can be comfortable all season long.

2. Eat Well

Tis the season to indulge in everything sweet. Your kitchen cupboards are going to be filled with holiday cookies, candies and other tasty treats for the next few months.

While there is nothing wrong with having a sugary snack once in a while, you should still do your best to eat a wholesome diet filled with nutritious superfoods during the winter. Talk to your doctor about what vitamins and minerals you need to increase in your diet. They may suggest taking supplements to guarantee that you’re getting exactly what you need.

3. Get Active Indoors

Your exercise routine usually drops off in the winter. The ice, snow and bitter cold make it difficult to do any activity outside — you can barely walk around the block, let alone go for a hike or take an outdoor class.

You don’t have to curl up on the living room couch and wait for warmer weather. You can get active indoors. You can do lots of exercises in the comfort of your living-room, like yoga, Tai Chi, strength training and dancing. If you have trouble getting motivated to work out on your own, you can look up online workouts for seniors and see what classes pique your interest. All you have to do is sign up and follow along.

Why should you stay active indoors? Exercise is something that gets easier when you make a habit of it. If you stop for a few months, it will be harder to start up again. Plus, regular exercise offers a lot of benefits that will make a cold, dreary season much easier on you. It can keep you feeling energized. It can help you sleep better. It can improve your mood. That means no more winter blues.

Winter doesn’t have to feel long and dreary. Follow these tips and you’ll feel great all season long.