Senior stress wreaks havoc on our health, whether it’s fear- or reality-based. Right now, with the spread of corona virus disease, seniors need to protect themselves even more from excess stress. We need to preserve our immune system and stay as healthy as possible. How?
I’ve been sharing how important the mitochondria are to healthy aging. They provide energy for every function in the body, including fighting off infections. Let’s look at how stress endangers seniors and puts them at risk for disease. Then we can plan to combat stress with a few simple tools.
Senior Stress Is More Risky Now
Reports of the corona virus spreading and increased deaths for seniors are everywhere. How does your body react to pervasive bad news, negativity, and danger? It responds with a surge of the stress hormone cortisol.
Cortisol weakens the activity of the immune system. Cortisol also reduces bone formation, contributing to development of osteoporosis. It affects the lining of the gut leading to leaky gut and inflammation, which is a cause of oxidative stress.
Stress Is Physical and Emotional
Overeating along with not moving is doubly bad on the mitochondria. The metabolism of excess food without the utilization of ATP molecules for energy produces abundant free radicals and oxidative stress.
We usually think of stress as emotional but any sort of physical stress is a big factor, especially for seniors. For example, having surgery is hard on our systems. Any injuries and chronic conditions also cause mitochondrial dysfunction.
When alcohol is consumed in excess with food, the mitochondria are further compromised. In fact, few other toxic substances destroy mitochondria as quickly as alcohol, which predisposes you to the development of chronic degenerative diseases including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and dementia.
A word about excess drinking. Excess is a relative term, of course, but remember that with age our bodies aren’t as adept at metabolizing as it once was. With age, alcohol is a stress to our systems, and we need to eliminate as many unhealthy habits as we can. While small amounts of red wine carry some benefits, those can also be obtained with supplements and a nourishing diet. Why subject your mitochondria to additional stress?
The Senior Anti-Stress Playbook
We can’t directly lower oxidative stress caused by free radicals but there are a lot of things we can do that will keep them in check.
- Besides eating foods rich in colorful vegetables (better than taking supplements of anti-oxidants), we can exercise routinely.
- Experts say bouts of high intensity activities along with strength training is best. Any form of movement is beneficial, especially those that elevate your heart rate.
- Avoid environmental toxins as much as possible.
- Social connections are helpful to combat stress. The emphasis is on meaningful relationships rather than number of friends. Good conversations help us unwind even better than a glass of wine. More so when we share a good laugh together.
- Another big anti-stress activity is engaging in relaxation through meditation or spiritual practices. The research on mindfulness meditation shows that important changes in the brain occur that assist with emotional healing and an increased capacity to handle life’s challenges.
May Your Journey Be Stress-less
As aging seniors, we face more than our fair share of challenges by virtue of living longer. Many of our loved ones and friends pass away. We face inevitable losses of strength and abilities of every day activities. We lose eyesight, hearing, and sometimes our driver’s license. We can’t remember stuff that only yesterday was clear.
It is easy to give into a pessimistic attitude. Senior stress can seem rampant, if we don’t have anti-stress responses. As I’ve tried to outline here, we have plenty of wisdom and experience to fight back. We can manage the assaults on our physical and emotional well-being. We can reach out to friends and get the support we need.
The need for taking action to combat senior stress is multiplied by the threat of the corona virus. Fortunately, de-stressing can be fun, as it is with social contacts, exercise, and sports. Additionally, we can relax with massage, meditation, and social conversations.
We are privileged to be alive longer than most of our ancestors; we have many opportunities for healthy living habits; and we can take advantage of modern medical solutions when needed. As we take the long journey into night, we can make the most of our lives and protect ourselves by tending to good moods, good meals, and good health. Blessings.
Recent Comments