THIS Mother’s Day, put her health and well-being first – she’ll thank you!
Buying a huge bouquet of flowers and cooking a homemade Sunday roast makes for a wonderful Mother’s Day, especially if you’re doing all the washing up afterwards.
But if you want to go even further this year, it’s not too late to set your mum on the right track with some health tips that will take care of her – the same way she’s always taken care of. you.
Keep her safe
It’s normal to worry about your parents falling and breaking something.
Bone density begins to decline from the twenties and women are particularly prone to osteoporosis, especially after menopause, due to declining estrogen levels.
Regular, low-impact, weight-bearing exercises are the way to combat this. Three ways to do it:
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- Do gyrotonics together. It combines yoga, tai chi, swimming moves, dance and gymnastics, hitting core muscle groups and increasing flexibility.
- If your mom is active and steady on her feet, take her paddleboarding. It builds core strength, is gentle on your joints, and once you get the hang of it, it’s mindful to boot.
- If your mom is at risk of falling, download the FallSafety Home app to her phone. If she falls, he can detect it and send alerts to his emergency contact. It also features a panic button (Fallsafetyapp.com).
Get her tested
If your mom is always caring for others, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to remind her to take care of herself too by attending health checkups.
“A little bit of gentle coaxing to get checked out is important,” says GP Gill Jenkins, adviser to Deep Relief.
Also don’t forget about blood pressure and diabetes, dental and eye exams.
“Eye checks are particularly helpful,” says Dr. Jenkins. “You can diagnose all sorts of things by looking at the eye, including diabetes and high blood pressure. »
Three ways to do it:
- Check when you both have to take your next smear test and book it. Cervical cancer doesn’t just affect young women. The NHS offers cervical screenings every three years for 25-49 year olds and every five years for 50-64 year olds.
- Remind her to have her breasts checked. The risk of breast cancer increases with age, and eight in 10 cases occur in women over 50.* Screening can detect early signs and save around 1,300 lives each year in the UK. It is offered every three years to women aged 50 to 71, and those over 70 can self-refer.
- Order a bowel cancer test kit. Bowel cancer screening is simple to do at home and helps catch the disease at an earlier stage. Kits are sent to 56 year olds and 60-74 year olds every two years. Those over 75 can apply via the free helpline on 0800 707 6060.
Reduce your stress
You don’t have to rely on beauty treatments and spa retreats to reduce your mother’s stress level.
Start by having a good old fashioned conversation with her. “Stay with your mother, talk to her. We forget that it is the time spent with our loved ones that matters more than anything,” says Dr. Jenkins.
“Just talk to her about how she feels. »
Three ways to do it:
- Go for a forest swim (shinrin-yoku) – AKA a nice walk and talk outdoors. Offering a combination of good company, fresh air, vitamin D and gentle exercise, it is a proven anti-anxiety and can increase a person’s sense of meaningful purpose in life.
- Enroll it in the AI Wysa app. You won’t always be available to chat with your mom, but this cute penguin chatbot will be. Offering daily mental health support, he’s there to chat in real time and provides tips for relieving stress and anxiety, like easy-to-follow videos on neck stretching and breathing exercises (Wysa .io).
- Clap your hands. OK, so standing with your mom and clapping for 10 seconds might sound weird, but it’s been found to help relieve anxiety and get you out of negative thoughts.**
Eliminate his pain
Watching a loved one struggle with pain or crack as they age can be difficult, but there are ways to help ease any pain.
Three ways to do it:
- Book her an Akwaterra body massage. It relieves muscle knots and tension using hot ceramic stoneware tools and essential oils. Sonia Khan, Senior Pharmacist and Women’s Health Specialist, says: “Massage helps strengthen muscles and joints, so if your mum has arthritis or another painful joint condition, it can be a soothing way. relieve some of the pain.
- Order a few gua sha stone massage tools and watch a YouTube video on how to do it together. A traditional Chinese practice, the smooth-edged stone is used to stimulate circulation and can even help minimize wrinkles – a win-win!
- Pull out the photo albums and remember. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found that a dose of longing can be a drug-free way to reduce low-grade pain like headaches. Scientists have discovered that sentimentality may have the power to decrease activity in parts of the brain linked to pain. “People forget that their parents had an exciting life, or still do,” says Dr. Jenkins. “But you could learn a lot by asking about her memories and, in turn, potentially make your mother feel more physically comfortable. »
Help her socialize
Age UK has warned that the mental health of older people has been hit hard during the pandemic.
They found that 33% of over-60s say they feel more anxious and 34% feel less motivated to do things they love, while loneliness and moodiness have increased significantly.
In fact, 5.1 million older Britons feel lonely, up from 4.5 million in 2019.
Your mother may have isolated herself for the past couple of years, and nurturing friendships and dating as you get older is vital. “We are social animals, and if people don’t go out they can quickly get nervous,” says Dr. Jenkins. “But going out builds confidence. »
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Three ways to do it:
- Boost its technological capabilities to reduce feelings of loneliness. Age UK’s Friendship Centers and Friendship Services are available online and by phone, and podcasts can help people feel more connected. Try Beautiful Stories From Anonymous People for interesting insights; Table Manners blends cooking and family, thanks to co-hosts Jessie Ware and Mom Lennie; and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place dissects what true happiness means.
- Sign her up for Stitch. This social community is for anyone over 50, whether they are looking for love or companionship (Stitch.net). The site hosts group chats, virtual events, and real-life activities, depending on where you live.
- It’s simple, yet revolutionary – ask your mom how she wants to spend her time. If you don’t know she has a burning desire to learn salsa, how can you find her a class to join?
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