Age Well Healthy Body

What is a Healthy Body?

Being active, socially engaged and looking after your health has many benefits, especially as you become ‘more mature’. Many of us will have some sort of age related health issue to manage, but understanding the condition, being able to talk openly with your Dr and ask questions, and knowing you medications will all help you to stay well and feel in control.

Nutritionally your body’s demands change a little, and physical activity becomes important for slightly different reasons than when you were younger. Building gentle exercise and movement into your day is not only beneficial for your physical and mental health, but it is also enjoyable.

The good news is that it is never too late to make some small changes, learn new skills and take on new challenges.

Fun, Food and Physical Activity

Often our appetite changes as we age, but eating less shouldn’t mean missing out on important nutrition. It can be hard to know exactly how much of what you should be eating so this calculator is a great first step to do a dietary stocktake. Take a look and see how you stack up.

In terms of physical activity, we prefer to think about ‘movement’ rather than exercise. Movement includes all sorts of incidental activities that help to keep joints mobile, bones strong and muscles stretched.

Simple walking is the cheapest and easiest form of exercise, and it is achievable by most people. Whether it’s a hike, a walk around the block or a slow walk to the letterbox it all counts. If you are more adventurous you may like to go dancing or join a gardening club, choosing an activity that you enjoy is the key to maintaining it.

If your health is limiting your ability to get out and about, there are a range of support programs that can assist you to increase your movement and activity in your home.

How healthy are YOU ? take the quiz and see how you score.

Support

• Make Healthy Normal check out tips and strategies to ensure you stay on track
• Active and Healthy locate a gentle exercise program near you