If your senior loved one is struggling to achieve a healthy weight January is the perfect time to help motivate your senior loved one to lose weight. January is Healthy Weight Awareness Month and Shape Up Month. Being overweight can cause serious health problems for seniors, so seniors should try to get to a healthy weight. But losing weight is hard, especially for seniors. You and your other family members can help your senior loved one lose weight by offering support and assistance like:
Offering Positive Motivation
It should go without saying but family members should never shame, ridicule, or talk down to a senior that is trying to lose weight. Always be positive and provide encouragement and motivation from a place of love, not a place of shaming or humiliating them. Negativity is not going to inspire your senior loved one to make healthy choices. Even if your senior loved one goes a little off track in their healthy weight journey continue to be loving and supportive. Let them know that you are always there to support them and that you believe in them.
Getting Professional Help
Another way that family members can support seniors on a weight loss quest is to help them get professional help. Your senior loved one could benefit from meeting with a nutritionist that specializes in helping seniors with their weight. Or maybe they could use a gym membership so that they will be able to take exercise classes that are designed for seniors or take water aerobics classes which are fantastic for seniors. Water aerobics can help seniors who have mobility challenges or chronic pain get the physical exercise they need without increasing their pain. Talk to your senior loved one about professional options that might be helpful for them and be willing to help them get those services.
Sharing Healthy Meals
Healthy meals are the foundation of a senior’s weight loss. Healthy foods in proper portions can kickstart weight loss for seniors, but many seniors find it challenging to cook healthy meals and they don’t like to eat alone. If you can’t be there to help them cook meals a home care assistance provider can be with your senior parent to help them cook safely. A home care assistance provider can also help your senior loved one prep ingredients for healthy meals that can be thrown together quickly. Try to share at least a couple of healthy meals with your senior loved one each week even if it’s just a quick weekend breakfast.
Exercising With Them
If you want to lose a little weight or get back in shape you can exercise with your senior loved one to motivate them while you are getting healthy. Go for a walk or a bike ride together, or take a fitness class like yoga or tai chi together. Sharing an activity will give you quality time together while both of you work on getting healthy.
