Healthy Habits To Incorporate At Our Austin Retirement Community

Improve your health in the new year with these tips

No matter how many years you’ve been practicing your current nutrition and exercise habits, there is always the opportunity to improve your health! Habits are the key to long-term health; healthy individuals tend to uphold habits that benefit their overall well-being, including mental and physical health.

Bad habits can be hard to break, but moving into the new year is the perfect time to adopt healthy new ones. Sometimes, it can be beneficial to share your new healthy habit goals with your partner or close friend to hold you accountable and motivate you. Who knows, they may choose to join you!

The expert team at The Clairmont, an independent retirement community in Austin, Texas, has put together these 10 habits for seniors (or any age) that will improve your health in the new year:

10 Healthy Habits for Seniors or Any Age

• Maintain a healthy diet – A healthy diet is critical in maintaining a healthy weight. If you’re eating the right amount of foods that provide you with nutrients, then your body and mind will feel energized.
• Exercise – Exercising is essential for your physical and mental health. The general goal for physical activity is thirty minutes of movement a day. Exercise also improves and normalizes hormone levels to keep our minds happy and healthy.
• Hydrate – Hydrating has many benefits, including regulating your body temperature, keeping joints lubricated, preventing infections, delivering nutrients to cells, and keeping organs functioning properly. You can also experience improvements in the following areas: sleep quality, cognition, and mood. Both men and women should aim for eight cups (64 ounces) of water per day. Caring a fun water bottle with you throughout the day will make this habit easier and will help you keep track of your water intake.
• Rest – We are often caught up in our day, knocking off the tasks on our to-do list or spending our mental strength worrying about the things in our life that we forget to rest. However, rest is vital to keeping our body in tip-top shape with a strong immune system, better metabolism, increased concentration, and improved mood. Rest can look a little different depending on the person. However, rest is simply putting your mind at ease. Of course, sleep is included as a form of rest, and it is recommended that every adult get seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
• Connect with nature – Stepping outside into nature helps us reconnect with our surroundings and ourselves. Its many benefits include reducing blood pressure, lowering heart rate, and decreasing cortisol levels. For an easy way to incorporate multiple healthy habits, try taking your exercise outside with a walk. You might find an increase in your mood and reduced feelings of anxiety.
• Find an outlet – Use your time to do things you love to give you the break and happiness you need in everyday life, whether this is a hobby or simply something you love to do, like listening to music. Take time out of your day to do something you love!
• Get Social – Socializing with others has many benefits for our mental health. Not only are there mental benefits, but it helps foster deeper relationships and combat feelings of loneliness. In today’s climate, connecting through technology is acceptable – use tools like Zoom or FaceTime.
• Take mental breaks – Find peace of mind with actions like meditation, journaling, and stating your daily affirmations to train your mind to think positively. A positive mindset can help your overall productivity and increase creativity.
• Practice self-care – Look at your daily hygiene as a part of your self-care treat. Whether it’s purchasing a deep body moisturizer or beard oil during the winter months or a new electric toothbrush, treating your body gives you a routine each day or a new outlook on yourself.
• Put your phone in timeout – These days, our phones provide us with many options. We can text, call, email, games, or even watch movies! But the light from our phones can also disrupt our natural sleep patterns. Try not to touch your phone for at least thirty minutes after waking up or before bed. For a challenge, try going a full hour!

All ten of the above habits will be sure to change your outlook and keep you present in everyday life to enjoy it to its fullest! Healthy aging – Americans are living longer than previous generations, but are we living healthier? At The Clairmont, we offer many options to help you achieve these habits, including gourmet healthy dining, senior exercise classes, and social events. If you’re looking for a place to become your healthiest self in retirement, look no further than our community!

To learn more about residency or to take a tour of The Clairmont, contact our friendly team today.