As you age, you can easily fall into unhealthy habits. You may gain extra weight, become less active, or even experience feelings of anxiety or loneliness. These unhealthy habits can result in stroke or heart attacks in the worst-case scenario. It is worth noting that while these issues are neutral, there are a couple of ways to solve them. Here are the healthy tips seniors can incorporate into their lifestyle to lower stroke risk.
Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke risk in men and women. Monitoring and treating blood pressure is perhaps the best way to avoid stroke. The ideal objective should be to maintain a blood pressure of about 120/80. While it might be hard for seniors to achieve this blood pressure range due to medication side effects, there are several ways seniors can achieve low blood pressure, such as:
- Lower salt intake
- Increase monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet
- Exercise more
- Eat fruits and vegetables daily
- Quit smoking
Exercise More
In addition to exercises helping you lower blood pressure and lose weight, it is also a stroke reducer. Seniors need to work out moderately at least five days a week. Here are the best stroke recovery exercising tips you can include in your lifestyle:
- Start a fitness club with family and friends
- Walk around your neighborhood often
- Use the stairs instead of an elevator
- As you work out, ensure you reach the optimum level
- If you cannot exercise for about 30 minutes, break up the exercises into 10-to-15 minutes
You can also, increase the number of exercises by golfing, walking, or even playing tennis.”Hence, it is a smart decision to spend on exercise equipment or devices that encourage fitness, such as treadmills, golf simulators, and other sports accessories.
Lose Weight
Excess weight and other complications, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, increase your risk of stroke. So, if you are overweight, consider losing weight. Your objective should be to have a body mass index (BMI) of about 25 or less. Work hand in hand with a physician to create a perfect weight loss strategy. Based on your BMI and activity level, try to eat less than 2000 calories a day. Also, increase the number of exercises by golfing, walking, or even playing tennis.
Drink Moderately
Drinking minimal alcohol is fine, and it may lower the stroke risk. Studies indicate that drinking minimal alcohol daily decreases your risk of stroke. Your risk increases sharply if you begin consuming more than two alcoholic drinks daily. Overall, if you must drink alcohol, do it in moderation. For instance, drink no more than a glass of alcohol daily, opt for red wine over white wine, and watch your drinking portion sizes.
Quit Smoking
Smoking increases clot formation in different ways. It increases the amount of plaque build-up in the arteries and thickens your blood. Quitting smoking is one of the best lifestyle changes you can make to lower stroke risks. Remember that you may need a couple of tries to quit smoking altogether. So, do not give up.
Treat Diabetes
Your blood vessels may clot over time if you have high blood sugar. Therefore, your objective should be to regulate blood sugar. You can achieve this by monitoring your blood sugar and using exercises, medications, and diet as recommended by your medic.
Treat Atrial Fibrillation
Typically, atrial fibrillation is a type of irregular heartbeat that leads to clot formation in the heart. Later, these clots may travel to the brain and, in the process, lead to stroke. It is worth noting that atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke risks. Consider treating this condition if you have it. Else, you can do the following:
- See a medic if you have symptoms like shortness of breath or heart palpitations
- You might need to use anticoagulant medication to lower the stroke risk originating from atrial fibrillation
The Best Way to Reduce Stroke Risk
It is normal for health conditions to arise as you age. Luckily, you can use a couple of tips mentioned above to prevent illness, potential stroke, You can also consider getting regular checkups with a house call doctor. concierge md seattle brings appointments to your home so you don’t have to worry about getting to or from a clinic or sitting in traffic.
By staying physically active, eating nutritious foods, using Medicare benefits, and practicing stress management strategies, you can easily live a happier and healthier life.
