Trying to stay within five to 10 pounds of a healthy weight at any age is challenging. It is even more challenging once we reach our retirement years. Muscles naturally lose mass, we become less active, and the role our genes have in affecting metabolic rate kicks in as well. Fortunately, men and women in senior living communities can successfully manage their weight by exercising, socializing, watching how much they eat, and engaging in activities provided by the community.
3 Great Tips for Managing Weight in Senior Living
Get Your Body Moving!
You don’t have to run five miles a day and spend hours on a cardio machine to enjoy the benefits of less rigorous exercise. One type of exercise for seniors in memory care in Sun City Center that burns calories while improving their sense of equilibrium is balance exercises. A gentle but effective physical activity, balance exercises should not be overtiring or cause muscle soreness. However, you might feel a mild tightening of your muscles when making balance exercises a part of your daily weight management program.
Building Hip and Thigh Muscle Strength for Good Balance
- Stand directly behind a chair or table
- Hold the table or chair for balance
- Slowly, lift one leg to your side, about 7 to 10 out
- Try doing this but keep your back and legs straight.
- Stay in this position for a few seconds
- After slowly lowering your leg, repeat the exercise using the other leg.
- Try to keep your back and knees straight throughout the exercise.
Protein Foods for Weight Management
Lean chicken and turkey are protein-rich foods that older adults should include in their meals once or twice a day. Poultry and seafood not only provide protein but also contain amino acids that are essential for keeping your metabolic rate as optimal as possible. In addition, eating foods high in protein makes you feel fuller in between meals so you don’t reach for a not-so-healthy snack.
Other protein foods to help seniors in memory care in Sun City Center manage their weight include:
- Skim milk
- Low-fat yogurt
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Eggs (minus the yolk for those with cholesterol issues)
- Almonds, peanuts, pecan halves, and cashews
Make an Eight-hour Date with the Sandman Each Night
Not getting enough sleep slows your metabolic rate and makes you crave sugar and carbohydrates during the day. When you eat empty calories all day and feel too tired to do anything, it’s inevitable that you will put on weight. Improve your sleep quality by:
- Keeping a regular sleep schedule
- Don’t watch TV in bed
- Try to keep naps down to one 30-minute nap each day
- Do balance exercise right after lunch
Inspired Living at Sun City Center offers the best in memory care residential living for Florida seniors. Call (813) 922-1821 to speak to a representative or schedule a tour of Inspired Living at Sun City Center today!
