Staying healthy and fit is important at any age but unfortunately as we age we forget about including a health wellness program into our daily lives until our aches, pains and other health problems catche up to us. Then we start thinking about getting active and trying to remain healthy as we age.

Maintaining good health is important at any age but especially important for older adults. So why the emphasis on older adults? Well,older adults are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease, as well as by disabilities that result from injuries such as falls. More than one-third of American adults 65 or older fall each year. Twenty-one percent of the population age 60 and older – 10.3 million people – have diabetes. Seven of every 10 Americans who die each year, or more than 1.7 million people, die of a chronic disease. The need for health wellness programs that enable older adults to learn and practice healthy behaviors is critical.

It is never to late to start a health wellness program and there is lots of help available to get you started. Most municipalities have programs that focus on health promotion and disease prevention activities. These activities include: exercise, nutrition, chronic conditions, injury prevention, mental health, incontinence, medication management and alcoholism to name a few. These programs are generally designed for those 50 years of age and older and can be found in seniors centers, at senior expos and at some senior housing facilities.

The first thing you should do is to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrition. A good resource for this information is the Daily Food Guide for the Older American. The next thing you must do is become active and get involved in your health. Do not be afraid to think outside the Box. Join a club, take up golf, tennis, running, walking or any other activity as long as it gets you to move. If something excites you do it.

Your goal should be to remain independent as long as you can . You can only do this by remaining active and healthy.

Tom Murray
Skype: atom111160
http://www.healthwellnessprograms.net

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