As people get older it is quite noticeable how their dreams of wealth and status are slowly moderated and how health becomes a focus. Health is something that young people tend to take for granted. Their bodies are strong, and they bounce back from almost anything. Wear and tear and the demands of everyday use have yet to take their toll, it is all rather easy. But as age starts to bring its relentlessness to bear so health becomes an increasingly significant focus for people. But aside from being grateful for simply waking up each day, what proactive steps can be taken to ensure that you are operating as optimally as possible. Here are a few simple tests and ideas to help keep you functioning like somebody half your age!
Monitor yourself
We are living in the digital and technological age and it is now very easy to monitor your health through a range of simple to use devices. A good example here is something like an oximeter which is able to monitor the levels of oxygen in your blood. It is a completely painless device that you can clip to a body part to see the levels of oxygen saturation that are reaching the specific area of your body. It is obviously critical to ensure that the extremities, like fingers and toes, are receiving the levels of oxygen they are meant to. If they are not you could have pulmonary or cardiac issues, or circulation problems. The important thing is to know if there is a problem and to act swiftly if there is.
Solve problems
Another thing that is easy to monitor is your heart rate. Heart rate monitors are available from most sports or running shops. While they are traditionally used to track exertion levels and fitness for athletes, they are also very helpful in gauging general levels of health. Influencing your heart rate is something that is quite easy to do and wearing a monitor will make things like improving your diet and exercise a whole lot more fun. In other words, the less you weigh the easier it is for your heart to power your body and the lower it will beat.
Gamification
Gadgets like Fitbits are currently all the rage, and they are doing a lot to improve people’s health. These gadgets are becoming increasingly complex on a daily basis, but the general principal is that they track the number of steps you take daily. Often, they are linked to medical aid companies who try to reward and incentive the wearer to live a healthy lifestyle by offering rewards like lower premiums or gifts.
Exercise
The importance of regular exercise simply cannot be stated enough. Exercise is vital for staying fit and healthy and for aging gracefully. It doesn’t need to be high impact – although if you like squash or rugby and it works for you, play it – it can be a simple walk around the block once a day. Things like weights are great for maintaining muscle mass. Swimming is good and so is cycling. The key thing is to stay active and to get the body releasing endorphins.