In order to keep up with our younger generations, remaining healthy as we age is an act of will.
You will find that our fun activity books inspire both the young and old to play together on a regular basis!
As we age, we are now oddly aware of every bone, muscle, and organ in our body in a different way than when we were 20. For the love of our grandchildren, let’s keep moving and keep up with them.
Keep reading for a few good suggestions on healthy living!
A Watch with a Step Counter. A glorified pedometer, the watch that counts your steps is a daily reminder to move. Relatively inexpensive, these watches will keep an eye on your stepping goals. You can set your daily step goal to whatever your doctor tells you is right for you and what you are comfortable with. It could be 5,000, 8,000, 10,000 or more steps!
If you have a regular large walking loop that you enjoy, challenge yourself every week to get on that loop to regularly get your steps in. Find a neighbor, friend, or grandchild who will take your walks with you. It’s fun to have company while walking, and once you get talking, you hardly realize how many steps you have taken. Speaking of walking…there are several activity pages in our Grandparent Merit Badges kits that are walking activities to do with your grandchild. Who knows what interesting topics of conversation you might have together while making sure you keep physically active?!
Whether going to the zoo or taking a nature walk, walking should be incorporated into daily life for vitality.
Food Prep. Kicking off the new year right? Make sure to focus on intentional food prep that includes chopping and bagging vegetables at the start of every week to make cooking and snacking during the upcoming week healthy and easy!
Do this on a Sunday or Monday morning to prepare yourself for the upcoming week. By considering the upcoming week’s meals and snacks, you can also cut down on unhealthy and needless eating. When we have vegetables pre-cut and ready to eat, one of the largest hurdles has been tackled! Yummy and easy to grab fruits and veggies are a great solution.
Vegetables and fruits keep us young at heart, keep our ticker well and give us more resilience to enjoy our grandchildren; and they can enjoy their time with us too. You can do food prep and veggie cutting with your grandchild - Give them an apron, a child-safe knife and chopping board – Have them cut alongside you. Kids realize very quickly how much fun chopping vegetables and peeling vegetables can be when an adult shows them the fun of it.
Sliced cucumbers and red peppers are juicy and delicious for snacking. Not to mention, they are full of vitamins and nutrients we need to stay healthy and energetic. Nowadays there are so many ways to have fun with foods, from fruit skewers to vegetable platters. Have fun with your foods in healthy new ways this year and include your grandkids in your food journey! Need some fun recipe ideas and suggestions? Follow and like the Grandparent Merit Badges Facebook page (https://m.facebook.com/Grandparent-Merit-Badges-103965502099006/) and watch for fun, kid-friendly recipe ideas all year long.
Local Community Center. A local community center can be an excellent resource for keeping fit and staying young at heart. If they have a pool, hot tub and sauna, even better yet. There are few things as invigorating as a good swim with some time to unwind in the hot tub. What a reset for the mind and body!
Local community centers often have a variety of wonderfully engaging activities from art classes to yoga sessions to book clubs…there is always something interesting going on! Being involved and staying involved is a key to joy and longevity. It beats loneliness and keeps the mind active.
After the pandemic, it became abundantly clear that loneliness and isolation are not healthy for anyone and can have lasting effects on us, even shorten our life span.
A recent AARP study showed that seniors who interact socially live longer by 7 to 8 years. A recent study by The Washington Post said, “If you want to live longer, hang out with your friends.”
Volunteer. Tap into the meaning of life by using your special gifts and talents to give back to your community.
Perhaps you have a performing arts hall nearby that needs volunteer ushers for the performances. What a wonderful way this could be to see The Nutcracker and other favorites!
The local food banks are always recruiting volunteers and having food drives. Being an advocate for the food back is such a great way to make an immediate difference. Whether you are a liaison for a school, church, neighborhood, or helping out at the soup kitchen, they will be thrilled for the helping hands.
There are so many ways to be a volunteer, even if it is just once a week or a few times a month. Serving at a soup kitchen, knitting blankets for children, sending letters to members of our military that are stationed overseas, working at a hospital or local thrift store – there are so many ways to stay engaged while giving back to your local community. Ask around about opportunities, check the local bulletins. You will meet lovely people this way and have an engaging activity on your calendar. Get out your Grandparent Merit Badges for Volunteers kit and let it encourage you to give back all year long.
There are so many healthy lifestyle choices we can incorporate to keep our mind, heart and body in great shape. Keeping up with our grandchildren is a great reason to have a healthy lifestyle. Not to mention the savings to your bank account and avoiding unnecessary time at doctors’ offices. There are many benefits to making healthy choices.
Your pocketbook and your loved ones will thank you for it!
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