There may be health issues emerging now, including chronic pain, which places limitations on your ability to stay active, shop and prepare meals.

Healthy eating

• Keep eating two or three serves of low fat dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese) or high calcium alternatives daily
• Have a high intake of fibre, including plenty of wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables, as bowel problems may occur at this age
• Drink plenty of water

Stay active

Try to stay as physically active as possible, as it is important in maintaining muscles and joints.  Muscles can become weaker and joints can become unstable leading to falls.  Consider strength training using weights to maintain your muscle strength, which tends to decline as we age. Balancing activities are also important in these programs. All of these activities assist with daily tasks such as shopping and gardening. Consider low impact activity such as walking, chair based exercise, swimming and bike riding. Outside activities also help bones by providing Vitamin D to strengthen them.

Weight gain

Weight gain may still be a problem. Your kilojoule requirement is less, but your nutrient requirement is still high. Therefore, foods should be nutritious but lower in kilojoules and low in fat. Include lean meats, low fat cheeses, lots of fruit and vegetables, and keep animal fats to a minimum. Avoid high fat, high sugar snack foods such as biscuits and cakes. Drink plenty of water.

Relaxation

Escaping from the stress and strain of the daily routine has a positive influence on the health and well-being of both men and women. Remember to take time for yourself with enjoyable activities as well as involving yourself socially and having a laugh from time to time.

Sleep pattern may be disturbed with your body requiring less sleep. This may make you tired during the day and some activities may need to be paced.

It is alright to have a rest during the day if you feel tired and don’t worry if you don’t fit as much into a day as you once did.

Health Screening

Your risk of developing certain health problems increases as you age. It is important to have annual checkups by your doctor for: 

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes 
• High blood pressure 
• Osteoporosis 
• Kidney function
• Eyesight
• Skin cancers.
• After 65 years, it is advised to have a flu vaccine annually and a pneumonia vaccine at 65 and at 70. It can take longer to recover from these illnesses as we age.

Further resources

Related articles

Health checks

Healthy living 

Memory and ageing – Jean Hailes Magazine, Summer 2010-11

Getting older, getting better – Jean Hailes Magazine, Summer 2011-12

Content Updated June 23, 2009