3 ways to take care of yourself for long-term health

The plan for most of us is, make sure we have our joints intact by the time it comes to retirement and all should be fine. It’s why after a certain age, we just stop doing sports, stop taking risks that we don’t need to, and try to take care of ourselves more. It’s probably about 50 or so when this kind of thinking comes to the forefront of our minds. So if you are heading towards this age or perhaps already surpassed it, you need to think of your long-term care. But what exactly is, long-term health? What does it mean for you as an individual and what does it mean in terms of society? This is a really interesting topic and it’s essential for determining the best ways to take care of yourself.

1. Joints and long-term health

So, why the joints? Why do we look after the joints more than anything else when in old age? It’s because our cartilage is kind of like the springs in a car’s suspension. Eventually, they get worn out, they don’t bounce as much, they don’t provide as much resistance and the car sits lower overall.

This is something that occurs to all of us in old age. Why do you think elderly people suddenly shrink in height, in the final 10-15 years of life? It’s because our springs or cartilage in our joints has been worn down and we then begin to kind of crumple.

That’s all the more reason to take care of your joints, by eating better, taking off the weight, and trying to prevent unneeded damage to them. Here are some suggestions for joint care:

● Eat more fatty fish, such as sardines, salmon, sea bass. The omega-3 is great for your brain and joints, and it helps to keep your cartilage discs nice and bouncy.
● Eat more healthy fats such as nuts and avocado. The fat in these foods is rich in vitamins and minerals that our joints use to give us more flexibility and range of motion.
● Make sure you are not putting too much impact force on your joints. This means, try to substitute jogging for some other cardio work, such as cable rows, exercise cycling, or swimming.
● Make sure you are trying to stay away from blunt forces, such as impact sports like combat, football, and racing.

Starting to take steps to reduce joint pain can start today. Always follow your doctor’s recommendations, as they know what is best for your unique body.

2. Long-term health: Your lifestyle

If you do have long-term lifestyle needs which ultimately also impact your health, you need to take a look at some kind of Long Term Care plan. This will mean you can have a care style that is centered for yourself.

Long-term care will mean at-home care, prescriptions for our conditions paid for, chronic pain support, nurses visiting you at home, and the home designed in such a way to make moving around easier. This approach is something that takes time to design, so contacting the professionals who run this kind of plan and offer it to those who are eligible is a smart move.

Even if you are not at that age where you need long-term health care, it’s a good idea to know what will make you eligible to receive it should you desire it.

3. Slower metabolic rate

Whether you like it or not, your digestion becomes a very big talking point. Towards the twilight years, our gut system becomes a very important part of our health.

Without the ability to retrieve the nutrients from our food, we become weaker, more tired and the aging process speeds up. The intestines, colon, kidneys, liver, and stomach are going to be affected by your age.

If you are over 50, you are already in the vastly slower metabolic range. Your food takes a lot longer to digest than when you were 20, 30, or even 40.

So the key is to boost your digestive system with fruits and vegetables. So will include an increased intake of berries.

Any kind will do. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, and others, will all add a little bit of much-needed oomph into your stomach and digestive system.

Final words

Long-term health care is so important for your overall lifestyle when you age. If you need long-term health care for your particular lifestyle, then look at some plans which can accommodate it.

One way to begin is to see if your state offers something like this if you live in the US. Also, avoid putting stress onto your joints while also speeding up your metabolism in some way.