Engaging in physical exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, pursuing hobbies, and socializing contribute to enhancing the quality of life for older adults.
Many people associate aging with the onset of illnesses, loss of mobility, and cognitive decline. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. It is indeed possible to reach old age with health and quality of life intact.
To achieve this, it’s essential to take care of physical, mental, and emotional health. Additionally, finding time for relationships, socializing, and pursuing enjoyable activities is crucial. Here are some tips:
Tips for Enhancing Quality of Life in Old Age
First and foremost, staying physically active with regular exercise is crucial for well-being in old age. This helps maintain muscle strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health, and reduces stress. It’s important to understand one’s body and engage in activities suitable for individual physical conditions. Walking, water aerobics, swimming, and yoga are examples of beneficial activities.
Taking care of physical health also involves maintaining a balanced diet, undergoing preventive health check-ups to monitor health, and addressing any existing medical conditions.
Another important tip for maintaining quality of life in old age is to exercise the brain. Stimulate your mind with reading, puzzles, or board games, for example. Learning something new or participating in social activities is also highly beneficial.
Social engagement is crucial. Older adults should nurture strong social connections, whether with friends, family, or groups with similar interests. This helps avoid social isolation, promotes a sense of belonging, and reduces the risk of depression.
Moreover, seniors should engage in activities that bring joy and satisfaction. There are no strict rules: having a hobby, joining community groups, or attending cultural activities, for instance, are all valuable. And to maintain balance, it’s important to get quality sleep by following a regular sleep routine and creating a conducive environment for rest.
Free Activities
An option for elderly residents of Betim, in Greater BH, is the CASA project (Culture, Social Assistance, and Sports Activities), conducted by the Ramacrisna Institute in partnership with the Municipal Government of Betim. The program offers free activities and courses throughout the city. Various centers are distributed across the city’s 10 regions, providing sports activities, crafts, music, academic support, and job training for the community.
The project serves people of all ages, starting from six years old, completely free of charge. Classes include sports such as football, futsal, martial arts, swimming, ballet, zumba, pilates, gymnastics, body practices, and recreational activities.
At 74 years old, Cláudio de Magalhães Lucas faced health challenges, underwent various treatments, and received care from professionals at the local health center in Icaivera neighborhood. However, everything changed after he discovered the CASA project and started attending activities daily at one of the centers.
He arrives early ready to participate in various classes, such as water aerobics and ballroom dancing. Thanks to the project, he started going out more, socializing, making friends, and moving his body. As a result, since joining the project, he has reduced his visits to the doctor.
“I found such a good place there. I saw a project that I had never seen before and didn’t even know existed. I used to live with high blood pressure, headaches, and constantly visited the emergency room. Living alone made it very difficult and worried my children a lot. Left to my own devices, I would stay there all day. I made many friendships, my blood pressure improved, as did my overall health. I even stopped taking the medications I used to take,” he summarized.
Excited and passionate about the project, Cláudio started promoting it to bring more people to the activities. He mentioned moving during the pandemic, becoming isolated with little contact with others. “It was a dream to dance forró, dance bolero, something that today I’m learning easily. It’s a spectacle. I’ve been talking to people to sign up, encouraging them,” he added.
Like Cláudio, over two million people have benefited from at least one of the Institute’s projects. But Ramacrisna aims for even more. And you can help continue this chain of goodwill. Visit the website to choose a donation method and contribute any amount.
