Health & Fitness Tips for Aged People

You are advancing in age. The immunity of your body has decreased and the metabolic rate is interrupted. So, you are getting older! But, are you ready with the health and fitness tips that can help you overcome or control these health and fitness problems? If you have crossed 60 years, you will be considered old. Being called old or aged is not, however, the actual problem. The big question is how you can control the health problems that attack you at old age. Given below are some of the most essential health and fitness tips to help aged people fight these health problems.

You must be aware that your body requires less energy as you become older. To match up to this energy requirement, older people or aged people must also reduce their calorie intake. Aged people have weaker digestive systems. In other words, the capacity of digestion decreases in aged people. Therefore, aged men and women need to consume an amount of food that can be easily tolerated and digested by the body. Reducing the food intake in older people does not, in any way mean, that the requirement of nutrients for the body also decreases. The whole idea is to provide the body all the essential nutrients that it needs within the decreased energy levels. As per the requirement and fitness level of the individual, the intake of carbohydrate, vitamins, fats and proteins needs to be accordingly decided.

The fat intake of the body should be worked out with care for proper health and fitness. Aged people must take adequate amount of fat. That means the fat intake should decrease depending on the actual energy requirements of the individual. The adequate amount of fat to be taken needs to be calculated as per the body weight of the person. The amount of protein intake should be in the proportion of one gram per kilo body weight. That means, the requirement of protein by the body in old age should neither increase nor decrease. It should remain the same as before.

The health and fitness of aged people also depends a lot on how much iron they take. Like the intake of protein, the amount of iron to be taken also remains the same in aged people. People with advanced age should consume around 28-30 mg of iron per day. Calcium always has to play a very important role while talking about health tips for aged people. The health and fitness of aged people can depend a lot on the amount of calcium they consume per day. With the advancement in age, many hormonal changes occur in the body of aged people.

There is a continuous loss of bone calcium due to the change in hormone levels. Risk of bone fractures also becomes higher at old age, particularly in aged women. According to the Department of Health DRVs (Dietary Reference Values), the recommended intake of calcium in aged people should be 700 mg per day. The requirement of vitamin D remains the same as before. However, if the elderly person is bed ridden, they should make sure to get sunshine which helps in vitamin D absorption.

It is also essential for aged people to tackle constipation problems to maintain good health and fitness. The muscle tone of the gastrointestinal tract reduces in elderly people and this leads to constipation. One good fitness tip for aged people would be to increase the intake of dietary fiber and fluid. Aged people should make sure that they chew the food well and keep their dentures well fitted in case they have an absence of natural teeth.

Fluid diets like custard, grated salad, boiled eggs and well cooked and well steamed vegetable should be included in the diet for good health and fitness of aged people. According a to a new study, if a woman of 70 years continues a regular workout program for one year, she can regain the strength and flexibility of a 40-year-old woman. If followed properly, these health and fitness tips can really help aged people overcome numerous health problems. Also be ready to seek medical consultation from expert health professionals, as and when you need it.

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