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Make an honest assessment of your physical health. Consider internal and external health issues. Step one of my credit rebuilding program is getting a copy of your credit report so you know where you stand. Where are you starting from? The same theory applies here. Get an all inclusive blood test done and have a meeting with your doctor. Your doctor should have no problem ordering those tests for you. Once you get the results from the tests back and have reviewed them with your doctor you will know for a fact where you stand on many internal health issues and what you may need to get to work on. Also, take the time to research the tests online and what the results mean. Be sure to take home a copy of the test results for your records after reviewing them with your doctor. Your back
Evaluate your structural health. I call it the mechanics
of your body. Think about how you physically use your body. What hurts or
doesn't function as well as you would like? Think about your muscles, tendons,
joints, knees, elbows, wrists, neck, ankles, etc. What can you have corrected or
repaired now so that an inconvenient soreness doesn't turn into a larger, more
painful issue. Do you need to work on increasing your range of motion? I am a
strong believer in chiropractic care as I have personally seen positive results
in my own life from regular chiropractic adjustments.
Many ailments that not just the elderly, but many of us, suffer are from wear and tear. If you are structurally out of balance there is a chain reaction of events that can happen as your body struggles to pull itself back into alignment on its own. That can cause a lot of pain that slows you down. A chiropractic tune up is a great way to keep your body mechanically right and prevent those ailments caused from use. I strongly encourage everyone to take some time to learn more about chiropractic care and how you may benefit from it. In my opinion the physical problems that are prevented through chiropractic checkups are well worth the time and money. You can associate tangible and intangible costs with pain and slowing down. This form of preventative care should be part of an overall package that includes an emphasis on maintaining a quality retirement through preservation of wealth, proper nutrition and exercise, appropriate insurances, and regular preventative medical care. Do you have surgery that needs done? Even cosmetic surgery counts. Do it now. Get everything done sooner versus later. The younger you are when you have the problem fixed, adjusted, or corrected you will heal a lot faster, be better able to cope with any recovery issues, and possibly save yourself years of suffering while you wait until later to take action. Create a chart that tells you when you should be scheduling different kinds of preventative care. This "health calendar" can be marked with the appropriate dates and care that should be observed throughout the year. Routine maintenance should be marked on the calendar in addition to general health reminders to yourself. Also, it never hurts to have someone go to the doctor or hospital with you. Often times doctors or health personnel are in such a hurry they will not take the proper time in explaining medicine use or health care to you. A companion may hear or catch something that you missed but need to know. Ask your regular health providers to send you reminders for scheduling routine appointments. The basics Exercise and nutrition are key in keeping you physically and emotionally healthy. Regular group activity classes or independent exercise at a workout facility (consider weather conditions) are a great way be involved socially as well as staying physically active. Exercising with a partner or in a group of people is an excellent way to stay mentally sharp and physically fit. Working out with others provides two positive outcomes. You will benefit mentally because of the interaction with others and you benefit physically because of the movement of the exercises. Eating nutritious, whole foods will continue to be very important. Plan on taking supplements, such as vitamins, that are appropriate for your age, condition, and lifestyle. Vitamins in liquid or capsule form are best as they are more easily digested than vitamins in tablet form. An easy way to ensure you are getting all the vitamins and supplements you need in one day are vitamin packs found at health food stores. The environment Make sure the environment in your home is healthy. What is the water and air like? It doesn’t hurt to get them both tested for pollutants. These two things are used by you in abundance and should be the first things that you want to have the best of. Both can be purified with an assortment of filters. It is bad enough that there are plenty of germs and pollution for us to breathe out in public; we don’t need a second helping of them when we get home. Make taking care of these health issues automatic. You shouldn’t have to spend too much time thinking about health problems when you are retired. Just like building a sum of money to live on in retirement you should be working on building a "reserve of health" that will serve you later. Don’t sacrifice your quality of life in your retirement years because you "didn't have time" to take care of issues now. You may have a comfortable nest egg on which to retire, but cutting corners with your health will lead to problems that just rob that nest of its wealth. Take steps now to ensure a quality retirement. |
