Young at Heart
Young at Heart
Young at Heart
Young at Heart
TIPS FOR OLDER ADULTS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............................................1
How can I use this booklet?.......................................1
HEALTHY WEIGHT.........................................3
Why is keeping a healthy weight important?............3
RESOURCES................................................ 18
Additional Reading from the Weight-control
Information Network...............................................18
More Resources for Older Adults............................19
Healthy Eating Resources........................................19
Physical Activity Resources......................................21
Introduction | 1
While seeking advice from your health care
No matter provider is a good place to start, if you want to
what your age, stay healthy as you age, this booklet is for you.
it’s never too It offers tips and tools to help people ages 65
late to make and over eat healthy foods and be physically
healthy changes active. The back page of this booklet is a tip
in your life! sheet that you can tear off and post to remind
yourself to be healthy every day.
Healthy Weight | 3
TOOLS
YOU CAN
USE What is a healthy weight for me?
Healthy Eating | 5
TOOLS
YOU CAN How can I learn more about healthy
USE
eating for older adults?
Healthy Eating | 7
Plan and prepare your own meals
Eating healthy meals can be easier when you
plan ahead and make them enjoyable. Try the
tips listed below and see the Resources section
for more ideas:
Cook ahead and freeze portions for days
when you don’t want to cook.
Keep frozen or canned vegetables, beans,
and fruits on hand for quick and healthy
meal add-ons. Rinse canned foods to
remove extra salt. Drain juice and syrup
from canned fruit to remove extra sugar.
Eat often with someone you enjoy. If
you can't cook for yourself, contact the
Eldercare Locator listed in the Resources
section for local programs that deliver
meals.
Sodium Tips
Healthy Eating | 9
Tips for a Healthy Eating Plan
✓✓Eat breakfast.
✓✓Do not skip meals, as doing so may
make you hungrier later.
✓✓Choose high-fiber foods, like whole-
grain breads and cereals, beans, deeply
colored vegetables (like kale and sweet
potatoes), and fruits.
✓✓Drink fluids throughout the day. You
may feel less thirsty as you get older.
But your body still needs water and
other fluids to stay healthy and keep
you regular.
Eating healthy
meals can be TOOLS
easier when YOU CAN Are my eating habits
USE
you plan ahead healthy?
and make them
enjoyable. Many factors may affect an older adult’s
ability to eat well, including mouth pain, a
fixed income, eating too little, living alone,
and certain diseases. Review the checklist
Determine Your Nutritional Health to see if
any of the warning signs of poor nutrition
apply to you.
Physical Activity | 11
TYPES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
What is it? What are the benefits? What can I do? How often?
AEROBIC • Aerobic (or endurance) • Stay active as • Go for a brisk walk. • Aim to spread at least
ACTIVITY exercise uses your large you age. • Do heavy housework or gardening. 150 minutes of moderately
muscle groups (chest, intense activity throughout
• Look into a water aerobics or tennis
legs, and back) to increase the week.
class for seniors. You may find free
your heart rate and • Reach your 150-minute
or discounted classes at a local
breathing. goal by exercising at least
community or senior center.
• You can speak several words 10 minutes at a time.
in a row but not have a long
chat while exercising.
ACTIVITY TO • This activity strengthens • Increase your strength • Raise and lower arms and legs for a • Aim for at least
STRENGTHEN your muscles by making and independence. number of counts. You can even do 2 days a week.
MUSCLES you push or pull against • Reduce your need for this while seated.
something, such as a cane. • Climb stairs in your house or at a
gravity, hand-held mall if you can do so safely. Use your
• Improve your balance
weights, exercise bands, cane if needed.
at the same time.
or even soup cans.
• Dig in the garden, rake, and push a
lawn mower.
ACTIVITY • Balance activity requires • Stay steady on your • Try walking heel to toe in a straight • Aim for 3 or more
TO IMPROVE you to keep control of feet. line. days a week.
BALANCE your body as you move. • Reduce the risk of a • Practice standing on one foot.
• It may help strengthen fall or injury. • Stand up from a chair and sit down
muscles in your abdomen • Improve your strength again without using your hands.
(stomach area), lower at the same time.
back, hips, and legs.
ACTIVITY • Flexibility activity • Keep the full range • Stretch all muscle groups. • Aim for 3 or more
TO INCREASE improves your range of of motion of your • Take a yoga class or practice yoga days a week.
FLEXIBILITY motion. muscles and joints. with a video.
• Prevent stiffness as
you age.
• Lower your stress.
You can start slowly and increase your goals as you build your
strength over time. For example, you can do many arm and
leg exercises without weights to get started. As you progress,
you can add hand-held weights, like soup cans, to improve
your strength.
Physical Activity | 15
Ask your health care provider about
being active
Healthy older adults generally do not need
to check with a health care provider before
becoming physically active. However, health
care providers may be able to recommend
types of exercise that are best for you and
ways to progress at a safe and steady pace.
Eldercare Locator
U.S. Administration on Aging
1–800–677–1116
http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Index.aspx
Resources | 19
Determine Your Nutritional Health
http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/igec/tools/nutrition/
determineNutrition.pdf
MyPlate
USDA
http://www.choosemyplate.gov
Resources | 21
Why should I participate in clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies involving people. Clinical trials
look at safe and effective new ways to prevent, detect, or treat
disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects
of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic
illnesses. To learn more about clinical trials, why they matter, and
how to participate, visit the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You
website at http://www.nih.gov/health/clinicaltrials. For information
about current studies, visit http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov.