The Chair of Senior Care for the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health recently hosted a webinar on healthy aging.
Doctor Alexandrea Peel is a Geriatrician who works out of the Royal Oak Health and Wellness Centre in Wingham. She says people are living a lot longer than they expected to now and one of the challenges they face is what do they do with that extra time.
Doctor Peel points out the goal is not just to live longer but to live better in spite of whatever physical issues they might have.
“So we talked about retirement from work and how that can be very positive for some people but for some people they also have a deterioration in their physical and mental health when the retire and we talked about that idea that it's not what you retire from, but it's what you retire to," Doctor Peel said.
Physical exercise is important as we grow older, and Doctor Peel notes even ten minutes of exercise a day can impact health and lower the likelihood of things like chronic disease and cancer. She adds, diet is also a significant factor in maintaining good health.
Also, mental activity is a factor in living healthier, and Doctor Peel suggests that as people age, they should consider how much time they spend reading or working on a hobby, both things that will tend to reduce the risk of dementia.
“So certainly learning new things is really important. So that could be taking a class, joining a club, learning an instrument, learning a language, going to your library and checking out a topic on something you've never looked into before," added Doctor Peel.
She says the old adage is true, if you don't use it you will lose it sooner, so using your brain regularly will keep it strong longer.
The goal is not just living longer, as Doctor Peel points out, but to enjoy a good quality of life as you get older regardless of what your health status is. She says how we perceive ourselves and our environment, pursuing new things and looking forward to the future will be significant factors in enjoying a longer and healthier life.