Stay Hydrated, Stay Healthy
By Bernard Freeman
Water is essential for proper body function. Seniors are especially prone to dehydration because appetite and thirst diminish as we age.
Even when your body needs more to drink, you may not know it. Your body composition may have changed over time, leaving you with less water in your body than you once had. Lastly, seniors are more likely to take medications that increase the risk of dehydration.
How Much Water Do You Need?
You should drink one-third of your body weight in fluid ounces, the National Council on Aging says. This means if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 50 ounces of water per day. Talk to your doctor or other medical professional about how much you should drink. Medical conditions and medications, including over-the-counter medications, could affect how much water you need.
Try to build hydration into your daily routine so that it becomes a habit. Take little sips of water throughout the day. If you can’t stomach water, switch it up by infusing your water with sliced fruit or juices, provided you’re not diabetic. Even if you are, talk to your medical professional about safer ways to stay hydrated.
Symptoms of Dehydration
Even a mild case of dehydration can lead to uncomfortable symptoms. One sign is less frequent urination and, when you do go, producing a dark-colored or smelly urine.
You may feel tired or weak, be more irritable than usual, or experience dizziness and headaches. You could also have a dry mouth, muscle cramps or confusion. Dehydration symptoms can easily lead to falls and more serious injuries, so pay attention to the early symptoms.
Staying Hydrated
Keep water with you all the time. Today, there are a variety of refillable bottles available and filling stations are frequently built into public places. If you have trouble drinking fluids, include water-rich foods in your diet such as cucumbers, watermelon, lettuce, tomatoes and celery. You can include foods such as soups and broths, provided you monitor your salt intake. Avoid caffeinated beverages such as tea and coffee. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning you’ll urinate more and lose fluids your body needs to stay healthy.
Why It’s Important to Stretch
Stretching before you work out can help protect your muscles and joints from injury, but it’s especially important for seniors, whether you’re about to work out or not.
As we age, our ability to build muscle strength and flexibility declines. You can combat this by stretching. Try to stretch all your major muscle groups for at least 10 minutes, two days per week.
How to Stretch
Before you stretch, warm up by taking a short walk or otherwise moving around for a little bit. Then, take a deep breath. Slowly exhale as you stretch. Hold each stretch for 30 seconds to give it time to work on the muscle. Don’t bounce or hold your breath, and only stretch until you feel tension. Dial it back if you feel pain.
Neck Stretches
This is important for posture and for driving. Slowly bring your chin toward your chest and turn your head to the right. Hold for 15 seconds, then turn to the left. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat as needed.
Shoulder Stretches
Hold a towel in one hand over your head and let it drape down your neck and back. Grab the free end with your other hand and gently pull down until you feel a stretch in the arm over your head. This stretch focuses on shoulder mobility, which is important when you get dressed or reach for items over your head.
Chest Stretches
This is another stretch designed to improve posture. Extend both arms to the side with your palms facing forward. Reach back with your hands until you feel a stretch across your chest and in front of your arms. If you have a hard time holding your arms up, lean against a wall, stepping forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your chest. Switch it up and stretch both sides.
Ankle Stretches
Stiff ankles can cause poor balance. This stretch will help. Sit in a chair and slowly move your foot up and down and then side to side. Hold each position for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other foot. Make sure to do both feet each time.
Lower Back Stretches
These stretches will help maintain mobility in your spine, giving you better posture and balance. Lay down on your back with your knees bent and your feet together. Keep your feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees together and lower your legs to one side, twisting your torso until you feel a stretch in your lower back. Hold and repeat on the other side.
Weight Training for Seniors
Strength training — or good, old-fashioned lifting weights — can help defend your body against age-related muscle loss, keep your bones strong, help you stay mobile and balanced, and even fight depression and cognitive decline.
Staying Safe
First, talk to your doctor. Once you’re cleared for strength training, learn the proper form to keep yourself injury-free. Consider hiring a trainer to help you until you can get it right. Start with just using your body weight, no additional weights. Perform three sets of 10-15 reps and, when it starts feeling easy, progress to weighted workouts.
How Much Weight to Use
Start with the smallest amount of weight available. Try to perform three sets of 8-12 reps, keeping your form as best as you can. When those reps start to feel easy, consider increasing the load as you feel comfortable.
When to Strength Train
Add weight training to your routine three or four days per week on nonconsecutive days to give your muscles time to recover. Alternate weight training or resistance training with cardio days. Remember that it may take you longer to recover from exercise nowadays. Give yourself plenty of time to recover between training sessions.
Some Exercises to Try
Becoming stronger can help you live more freely. Try some of these exercises to get you started.
Incline pushup. Stand facing a table, dresser or wall. The more upright you are, the easier the move. Place your hands on the surface or the edge of the object, slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Move your feet back until you’re at a comfortable angle, keeping your arms straight and perpendicular to your body. Bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest toward the wall or object, pause, then press back to straighten up. Make sure you engage your abs and squeeze your buttocks. Try to do 10-15 reps.
Stationary lunge. Stand tall with your arms by your side. Step back with your right foot, placing your toes on the ground and keeping your heel lifted. Then, bend your front (left) knee to slowly lower your body as far as you can comfortably. Allow your back knee to bend until it hovers just above the floor, but keep your weight in your front heel. Draw your lower belly in and lift your chest. Pause, then press through the front foot to raise your body back to standing. Aim for 10-15 reps per side.
