Those above 60 are called senior citizens while in some countries, 65 years is taken as the limit.
Those above 60 are called senior citizens while in some countries, 65 years is taken as the limit. To retain health and prevent age-related problems, it is best to start early, say at the age of 50 or 55. Two golden principles:
1. Physical activity is the key. A minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity is required per week. When you are above 50, you need to be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day. However, when you are planning to do that for the first time or after a gap, you need to undergo a thorough checkup, and get advice from your doctor.
2. Keep the brain agog to improve memory. Memory loss in the elderly can be in the form of forgetting names of dear and near ones. To prevent this, you need to be physically and mentally active. You could perform intellectual exercises such as reading. You should have your seven hours of sleep every day.
To improve memory, you can learn new tasks during old age. You can try to read something you wouldn’t have read before. And then try to remember it and tell others. Memory loss can also lead to depression, from being lonely. So you should try to socialise.
( Dr Jothydev Kesavadev is a consultant in diabetes and geriatrics and was instrumental in starting the geriatric unit in Trivandrum Medical College)
