Holistic Approaches To Aging Well

What Is Holistic Health?

Holistic health is an approach to health and wellness that focuses on treating the whole person. Holistic wellness encompasses all aspects of the human experience, including mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health.

When we take a holistic approach to wellness and aging, we recognize that all aspects of our being are interconnected and play a role in our overall well-being.

The Impact of Physical Activity on Healthy Aging

Staying physically active is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy as you age, as your ability to remain independent is directly dependent on your physical fitness.

Routine physical activity increases mobility, reducing the risk of falls, fractures, and age-related diseases. Exercise is also good for your brain and is known to help with cognitive tasks like attention, learning, problem-solving, and information processing.

Some types of exercise that are especially beneficial as you age include:

Strength

Strength exercises help keep your muscles strong and include weightlifting, resistance band workouts, and even carrying groceries or other items to help keep your muscles strong.

Aerobics and Endurance

Aerobic and endurance exercises, such as jogging, swimming, hiking, biking, and dancing, help maintain cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and lungs and improving circulation.

Flexibility

Flexibility exercises, such as yoga and stretching, help protect joints from injury and reduce stiffness and pain caused by inactivity.

Balance

Balance exercises will help improve your coordination and build strength. You can practice standing on one foot or engage in balance postures in practices like yoga or Tai Chi.

Generally, the more you exercise, the better your health and wellness.

The minimum recommendation for physical activity is 150 minutes per week. Engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise for more than 450 minutes per week is associated with higher life expectancy.

The Impact of Nutrition on Healthy Aging

Nutrition has an impact on health and wellness for all adults. To support healthy aging, it is never too late to start eating well.

Older adults typically need fewer calories but have increased nutrient needs as they age. This is due to many factors including metabolism changes, age-related loss of muscle and bone mass, and decreased physical activity. This means it is important to make your calories count and choose nutrient-dense foods.

Things to consider when focusing on nutrition as you age include:

• Eating a balanced and nutritious diet with four to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily can help reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve your overall health and wellness.
• Limiting salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats is also essential to maintain health.
• The sensation of thirst can decline with age, so older adults need to remember to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, most older adults (especially those 71 or older) do not consume enough protein. Eating a diet high in protein can help prevent the loss of muscle mass. Foods high in protein include meats, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, and seeds.

Vitamin B12 is a critical nutrient important for nervous system function, protein metabolism, and the formulation of red blood cells. Low levels of vitamin B12 can cause dementia, anemia, weakness, and loss of balance, which could lead to injury.

Vitamin B12 can become more difficult for your body to absorb with age. It is important to consume foods containing B12, such as meats, eggs, dairy products, and fortified cereals, or take a vitamin B12 supplement.

The Impact of Cognitive & Mental Health on Healthy Aging

Brain health refers to how well one thinks, learns, remembers, and processes events. As one ages, cognitive health can decline due to several genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

Mental health refers to your overall psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It plays a role in your aging process. It is important to manage stress in a healthy way, as chronic stress not only increases your risk of physical health issues but also affects your cognitive health as you age.

How Your Brain Changes as You Age

It is natural for changes in your brain to occur with age, even in those who are aging healthfully. Potential brain changes that may occur include:

• Blood flow to the brain may decrease
• Communication between neurons may become less proficient
• Certain parts of the brain may shrink, including the parts involved in learning
• Inflammation in the brain may increase

These natural brain changes can affect cognition even in healthy older adults. It is normal to notice some cognitive changes as you age. However, there are things you can do to boost your brain health and help minimize your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

A National Institute on Aging study of nearly 3,000 adults showed that lifestyle factors — physical exercise, following a Mediterranean diet, not smoking, minimizing drinking alcohol, and regularly engaging in mentally stimulating activities — may help protect your brain. People who had at least four out of five of these behaviors had a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who had none.

Steps You Can Take to Improve Cognition and Mental Health

Here are some steps you can take to strengthen your cognition and mental health as you age:

• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
• Regularly engage in mentally stimulating activities
• Minimize drinking alcohol
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid drugs
• Minimize and effectively manage stress
• Regularly engage in social activities
• Take care of physical and mental health issues that arise
• Talk to your healthcare provider about how any medications you are taking may affect your brain

How Does a Holistic Health Approach Help in Elderly Care?

The holistic health approach to elderly care recognizes that seniors have unique needs.

Integrating holistic wellness techniques into elderly care encourages senior citizens to make healthy lifestyle choices to enhance overall health and wellness as they age.

What Are the Different Types of Holistic Health Approaches?

Many different types of holistic health approaches may be utilized with older adults. These include:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Meditation
• Nutritional counseling and support
• Vitamins and supplements
• Mind-body practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong
• Chiropractic care
• Alternative psychotherapies such as art therapy, music therapy, and dance therapy

These holistic health approaches can play a significant role in supporting healthy aging by addressing physical health and wellness, as well as the aging person’s mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

How Can Holistic Health Approaches Improve the Quality of Life for Older Adults?

Holistic health approaches improve the quality of life for aging adults in several ways. Some of the many benefits of holistic aging techniques include:

• Improved health outcomes
• Increased vitality and stamina
• Improved sleep
• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Increased ability to cope with chronic pain
• Boosted immune system
• Better cognitive function
• Enhanced overall well-being

Because holistic wellness practices consider the whole person’s well-being, they promote greater health and wellness and encourage older adults to foster more harmony and balance in their daily lives.

How to Incorporate Holistic Health Approaches in Elderly Care

Holistic health can be incorporated into elderly care in a variety of ways.

If you are a healthcare provider or caretaker for an older adult, here are some steps you can take to incorporate more holistic care into their lifestyle:

• Educate yourself on holistic health approaches for older adults
• Educate your patients on holistic aging techniques that are appropriate for them
• Consult with holistic health practitioners to create collaborative, holistic treatment plans
• Promote holistic wellness and encourage activities that support holistic health and well-being

Aging Well Through Holistic Health

Taking a holistic health approach helps people age well by adopting healthy lifestyle choices.

Whether you are an older adult yourself or you are caring for someone an aging loved one, taking a holistic health approach to the aging process can help enhance overall health and well-being in the later years of life.