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In my previous post, I highlighted on maintaining mental health during the second innings of life. Our physical health is also very important for us. Let us discuss on maintaining good physical health.
Importance of Physical Health During Second Innings:
The only thing that will remain with us till end is our body. Therefore, it is very important to take care of our body i.e. physical health. Physical health is important not only during post retirement life but also important in every phase of our life. Second innings of life gives us the opportunity to fulfil our unfulfilled desires. But for fulfilling those desires, we require time, money and health. Time is not the constraints during second innings and money is not the constraint for those having proper retirement planning. Even after having money and time one may not fulfill one's unfulfilled desires because of lack of good physical health. For having quality life during second innings one need to focus on maintaining good physical health.
How to Maintain Good Physical Health:
Maintaining good physical health is a challenge during the second innings because of aging process. Proper diet, physical exercise, sufficient rest, and proper medication are required for maintaining good physical health.
Proper Diet:
Physical Exercise:
Lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. are very common in old adults. Lifestyle diseases are linked with our lifestyle and are caused due to lack of physical activities, unhealthy eating, alcohol and smoking. Lifestyle diseases can be prevented with proper eating habits and regular physical activities. Regular physical activity can prevent or delay many health problems that comes with age. It helps in stronger muscle growth which enable us to keep doing day-to-day activities independently. Avoid doing heavy exercise at this age as it may have adverse effect on your body part including muscles, bones and backbone. It is better to do light exercises for burning out calories and increasing blood circulation. I prefer morning walk. I daily go for morning walk in the early morning by 6.30 am and come back between 7.30 am to 7.45 am. Daily brisk walking for 30 minutes is recommended. I also do free hand exercises to make my body parts flexible. It is advisable to move more and sit less during the day to keep oneself active. I prefer to do some domestic work and help my spouse in cooking so as to remain physically active. Cycling is also a good exercise if one is not having acute knee joint problem.
Rest and Relaxation:
Sufficient rest and relaxation are required for maintaining good physical health. It helps in reducing stress and improving our overall health. Rest is required for better mental health. It also helps in improving our immune system. It makes our cardiovascular system strong. There are various relaxation techniques of which you can chose that suits you or work for you. It may be meditation, listening to music, reading book, practicing yoga, etc.
In addition to rest and relaxation seven to eight hours of sleep each night is recommended for every adult. Sound sleep helps in repairing damaged tissues and healing. According to researchers, sleep helps in improving various brain functions including concentration, productivity and cognition. Sound sleep helps in reducing the risk of weight gain, preventing depression, lowering risk of heart disease and making immune system strong.
For having sound sleep have a bedtime schedule and consistently follow it. Make it a point to detach from electronic gadgets 30 minutes before bedtime. Have an exercise or physical activities during the daytime so as to have sound sleep during night time. Finish dinner at least two hours before bedtime. Refrain from taking tea or coffee after evening as consuming these stimulants after evening may delay sleep. It is better to restrict afternoon napping duration around 20-30 minutes and it should not be taken too late in the day otherwise it may lead to sleep deprivation at night.
Proper Medication:
If you are under medication under the advice of your Medical Consultant, please follow the schedule of medication strictly. Never forget to take medicine in proper time as per your medication schedule prescribed by your doctor. Have a routine health check up. Routine health check up not only helps in early detection of any chronic disease but also helps in it's early treatment during its initial stage.