Yes! We are living longer. OOPS-what about quality of life??? Just living longer is NO FUN. The trick is to also be living better. Here are a couple of tips to help Seniors enjoy those “Golden Years.”

Live each moment. Being “Mindful” is a new buzz word but all it actually means is to be where you are and to make the best of it. Protect these times. Slow down and enjoy the walk. Send an email to a grandchild and read and respond to your answer. Look out the window at the day God has given you. Count your blessings starting with the smallest one.

Keep Moving! Walk, jog, stretch, do a video and on and on. I walk my dog every day and he now makes me do it. There sitting at the door with that look on his face, I just can’t say no-and I shouldn’t either. I know that DVD’s are sort of a thing of the past, but I just bought a wonderful stretch DVD with Ann Smith called “Stretching For Seniors” that is a 10 minute exercise in relaxing postures. What a lovely way to wake up in the morning. Do anything. BTW, I go to a gym three days a week!

Have check-ups. I know it is a pain in the behind to go to the Dr. but do it anyway. Even if you do not feel sick, have regular check-ups including blood work. Monitor any on-going conditions, check in with not only your Dr. but your spouse, loved ones, and anybody you interact with regularly. they may notice changes or symptoms you have missed about yourself. Watch weight gain too.

Finally, be sure to sleep. We all know about the eight hours but I recently also read that the strategy of making up sleep is very wrong. If you have a few late nights, don’t go to bed early to try to catch up on sleep. Better idea-take a short nap during the day. Sleep is related to so many health issues that I won’t even go in to it here. Suffice it to say, seven to eight hours is the optimum-Believe it.

So enough preaching. Read this and just think about it for five minutes! The words “Golden Years” should mean YOU!