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How to talk with your kids about coronavirus
By Jeffco Families Colorado
As the public conversation about Coronavirus ...
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No matter your age, it’s important to take care of your body and prevent illness.
But if you’re 65 or older, something as simple as the flu or a common cold can progress and lead to complications. This includes secondary infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, an ear infection, or a sinus infection. If you have a chronic condition such as asthma or diabetes, a respiratory illness can make these worse.
Because of this, it’s important to make healthy choices to strengthen your immune system and reduce the likelihood of illness.
Follow these nine tips to stay healthy year-round.
Physical activity is an immune system booster. The more you move, the more your body is able to fight inflammation and infections.
The activity you partake in doesn’t have to be strenuous. Low impact exercises are effective, too.
You might consider biking, walking, swimming, or low impact aerobics. If you’re able to, engage in moderate intensity exercise for about 20 to 30 minutes a day to reach the recommended total of 150 minutes a week. Also, strengthen your muscles by lifting weights or doing yoga.
Modify your exercise routine to find what feels best for you.
Some supplements help support a healthy immune system. Before taking a supplement, always ask your doctor if it’s safe, especially if you’re taking a prescription medication. Some supplements they may recommend include calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, or vitamin B12.
Take supplements or multivitamins as instructed to boost your immune system.
Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats also give your immune system a boost and protect against harmful viruses and bacteria that cause illnesses. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage and keep your body healthy.
You should also limit your consumption of sugary and fatty foods, which can trigger inflammation in the body and lower your immune system.
In addition, limit your intake of alcohol. Ask your doctor about safe amounts of alcohol to drink per day or week.
Washing your hands on a regular basis is another excellent way to stay healthy year-round. Viruses can live on surfaces for up to 24 hours. It’s possible to become ill if you touch a virus-covered surface and contaminate your hands, and then touch your face.
Wash your hands with warm soapy water often, and for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your nose, face, and mouth with your hands.
You can also protect yourself by using antibacterial hand sanitizer when you’re unable to wash your hands. Also, disinfect surfaces around your home and workstation frequently.
Chronic stress increases your body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol can disrupt different functions in your body, including your immune system.
To reduce stress, increase physical activity, get plenty of sleep, set reasonable expectations for yourself, and explore relaxing, enjoyable activities.
Not only can sleep reduce your stress level, but sleep is how your body repairs itself. For this reason, getting an adequate amount of sleep can result in a stronger immune system, making it easier for your body to fight off viruses.
Sleep is also important as you get older because it can improve memory and concentration. Aim for at least seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night.
If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor to find the underlying cause. Causes of insomnia can include inactivity during the day and too much caffeine. Or it can be a sign of a medical condition like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.
Getting annual vaccinations is another way to stay healthy throughout the year. If you’re age 65 and older, talk to your doctor about getting a high-dose or adjuvant flu vaccine.
Flu season is between October and May in the United States. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to be effective, and it reduces the risk of the flu by 40 to 60 percent when the vaccine strains match the circulating strains.
The flu virus changes each year, so you should get the vaccine yearly. You can also talk to your doctor about getting pneumococcal vaccines to protect against pneumonia and meningitis.
Scheduling a yearly checkup can also keep you healthy. Always speak with your doctor if you have concerns about your health.
Conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can go undetected. Regular physical examinations will enable your doctor to diagnose any problems early. Getting early treatment may prevent long-term complications.
Also, if you have any cold or flu symptoms, see your doctor immediately. The flu virus can lead to complications in adults over the age of 65. The immune system weakens with age, making it harder to fight off the virus.
If you see a doctor within the first 48 hours of flu symptoms, they can prescribe an antiviral to reduce the severity and length of symptoms.
Another way to protect yourself year-round is to avoid being close to people who are sick. This is easier said than done. But if there’s a flu outbreak in your area, limit contact with people who aren’t feeling well and avoid crowded areas until conditions improve.
If you must go out, protect yourself by wearing a face mask. If you’re caring for someone with the flu, wear a face mask and gloves, and wash your hands frequently.
The flu and other viruses can be dangerous as you become older. You can’t prevent all illnesses, but taking a proactive approach can strengthen your immune system.
A strong immune system can keep you healthier and make you less susceptible to illnesses throughout the year.
In Australia, more and more people are living full and productive lives well into their 80s and 90s.
Research shows that if you start living a healthy lifestyle earlier in life, you have better chances of staying healthy as you get older. Staying physically active, eating well, socialising and improving your health can help you live a healthy, happy and active life as you get older.
Staying involved and socialising with others
Learning a new skill keeps your brain working and may protect you against dementia. Being able to adapt to change is important at any age, but can be particularly important as you get older. Seeing friends and joining in with others can energise your life and create opportunities for new experiences.
You might want to try something you have always wanted to do but never had the time earlier in your life. This might be volunteering, playing a musical instrument, learning a new language, developing your computer skills or doing a creative activity like painting.
If you are in a caring role, it is especially important to maintain social connections and continue activities that you enjoy.
Read more information on: support available to help you look after yourself as a carer or healthy ageing – staying involved.
Being physically active
Regular physical activity has lots of benefits. It can help you sleep better, stimulate your appetite and may reduce your risk of heart disease, dementia and falls. It also helps improve and maintain your fitness, strength and balance.
It is important to remember that everyone’s fitness levels and physical abilities are different.
If you have not been active for a while or if you have health problems or have been unwell, you may find you are not as fit as you used to be. So start slowly and build up gradually.
Doing some activity is better than doing none.
How much physical activity is enough
Australian Physical Activity Guidelines encourage older people to do 30 minutes of medium intensity exercise each day. This means increasing your heart rate to a level where you can talk but not sing. You don’t have to do 30 minutes all at once, it can be done as three lots of ten minutes each day if you prefer.
Each week, try to do a range of activities to improve:
- fitness - water exercises, swimming, dancing, fast walking and cycling keep your heart and lungs fit and healthy
- strength - lifting and carrying weights, climbing stairs, doing squats and raising your legs to the side all help maintain your muscle tone and bone density
- balance - reaching to the front and to the side, balancing on one foot or your toes with a chair nearby for support, or tai chi all help you stay stable
- flexibility - yoga and stretching exercises can keep you flexible.
For some people, exercising alone can be challenging. It might be more fun for you to get involved in community, team or group activities. You could try lawn bowls, golf, walking groups or exercise classes.
Finding the right activity for you means you are more likely to keep it up.
Your day-to-day activities all count as physical activity. Things like hanging the washing out, carrying the shopping, sweeping floors and doing jobs in the garden are all ways you can be active.
Other things that will help you stay physically active are to:
- drink enough fluids when doing physical activity and listen to what your body tells you
- rest in hot weather or the day after a very strenuous physical activity session
- try chair-based exercise, assisted walking and standing, or water exercise if your mobility is limited or impaired due to arthritis or other health conditions
- make your home safe so you don’t fall. If you’re unsure how to do this, see a physiotherapist occupational therapist for advice and help
- not smoke.
For more information on how you can stay physically active as you get older, see our Healthy ageing – physical activity fact sheet.
Eating healthy food
It is important to eat a balanced diet for health and wellbeing. Good nutrition and regular meals combined with physical activity can improve your strength and help fight infection.
Eating a variety of healthy foods can improve your energy levels and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Some healthy eating tips to remember as you get older:
- Drink six to eight cups of fluid – preferably water – every day in both hot and cold weather. Tea, coffee, mineral water and soda water are also ok, but water is best.
- Eat three meals (and snacks) from the five main food groups each day. The five main food groups are: vegetables, fruit, lean meats and fish, dairy, grains and cereals.
- Avoid foods that have a lot of saturated fat (like biscuits, pastries, fast foods), salty foods and drinks, and foods high in sugar.
- You can drink up to two standard drinks of alcohol each day but aim to have one alcohol-free day every week.
- Always prepare and store food safely.
- Eat protein (meat and fish) and dairy (yoghurt) instead of carbohydrates (bread and pasta) if you are having trouble eating.
- Consider how your food is presented, how it tastes and what you like. Great smells encourage an appetite, and food is more appealing if it looks good!
If you are having trouble with your weight, ask your GP or dietitian for advice.
For more information on healthy eating as you get older see our Healthy eating tips fact sheet.
How your environment affects your health and wellbeing
Your environment has a big impact on your quality of life. Having good access to transport and services can help you stay healthy as you get older as it helps you to be active and connected to other people. Feeling safe and ‘at home’ in your community and joining in with others is important for your wellbeing.
You will feel better about yourself if you find things to do that are important to you, that make you happy and give purpose and meaning to your life.
To find out more about healthy ageing take the healthy ageing quiz from the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI).
The Department of Health and Human Services - Well for life - A healthy approach to ageing booklet is available in Chinese , Greek , Italian and Vietnamese , as well as English .