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According to a study by the American National Academy of Sciences, the happiest years of people’s lives are often their 70s and 80s.

Those years will be even better if you’re in good physical shape. Here are the three most important things seniors can do to live well—

1. Diet

For the most part, dietary recommendations are the same for youth and seniors alike—eat a balance of whole grains, lean meats, and lots of fruit and veggies. Seniors are advised to be extra vigilant in not eating too much sodium or sugar, due to the increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

2. Exercise

Experts typically recommend seniors do low impact exercises such

While searching for a mobility aid topic to write about this week, I came across a very simple almost mundane story. But it’s a fun and real story, and one I wanted to share.

It’s the story of Michele Bender, a senior living in Johnstown, PA. Michele is a self-proclaimed “unconventional gal,” especially when it comes to holidays. She hands out Easter candy on Halloween, decorates her Christmas tree with Marilyn Monroe ornaments instead of Santa, and stockpiles snowballs (or Siberian M-80s as she calls them) in the winter for snowball fights on the 4^th of July.

So in keeping with her unique holiday celebrations, this year instead

Gardening provides a fun, low-impact workout for seniors. It helps them maintain flexibility, strength, and endurance. Plus, it relieves stress and can produce delicious, healthy homegrown foods.

But when starting a garden, seniors should consider obstacles which can result from aging. For example, mobility. Gardening
helps you stay mobile, however if you have limited mobility it may be difficult to make your way through the garden. For some, a cane will make all the difference. Others may need more support, like that provided by a rollator. If you use a rollator, make sure to set up your garden with paths wide enough to get through. You may also want to use a narrower rollator, such as a 3 wheel rollator, instead of a

According to German newspaper RP Online, over two million Germans now use rollators. That’s roughly 2.5% of Germany’s total population and 12% of the population over 65. The paper also estimated that 500,000 Germans start using a rollator every year.

Why are rollators so popular there?

For one thing, Germany has a much larger elderly population than the US. An estimated 12.8% of Americans are over 65 years old, whereas an estimated 20.3% of Germans are over 65. Plus, rollators were invented and first popularized in Europe. And although they’re now starting to catch on in the States, rollator use still isn’t as widespread as walker use on this side of the Atlantic.

Rollators are not only a part of everyday life in Germany, they’ve even become a part of pop culture.

Some seniors sleep easily and often, but others find it difficult to fall or even stay asleep. Reasons vary, but common ones include medical conditions, pain, medications, and stress. Solutions also vary. Simply limiting caffeine may do the trick for some. Other seniors turn to sleep medication, which isn’t necessarily a bad choice but can come with harmful side effects and is often unnecessary.

One of the best solutions is more exercise. Even if seniors have limited mobility, they can still get out and exercise with the help of a mobility aid. Canes are one popular choice. Those who need more support might try a rollator or rolling walker, which allows for greater mobility than a traditional walker although not quite as much support.

Even walking 10 minutes each day can make huge improvements to your sleep. According to a recent poll