A vibrant lifestyle and nutritious eating habits maintain physical well-being in the golden years
In today's world, promoting an active lifestyle is crucial for both children and the elderly.
Encouraging an Active Lifestyle in Children
To foster an active lifestyle in children, it is essential to promote daily physical activities that they enjoy, aiming for about 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day. Schools and families can collaborate to support this by incorporating active travel to school (walking, cycling), play-based programs like Munch & Move, and balanced routines that include healthy eating and sleep habits. The key is to find activities children enjoy and gradually build up activity levels, emphasizing that any physical activity is beneficial. 1, 3
Promoting a Barrier-Free Home Environment for the Elderly
For the elderly, promoting a barrier-free home environment is crucial, especially when dealing with challenges like narrow stairs. Practical solutions include installing stairlifts to increase safety and independence. Additionally, improving balance through exercises like walking and strength training can reduce fall risks. Seniors should use supportive devices such as canes or walkers, wear good walking shoes, and walk with a companion when possible. Consulting healthcare providers for personalized exercise plans and home modifications is recommended. 2, 4
Specific Solutions for Narrow Stairs in Elderly Homes
For homes with narrow stairs, installing stairlifts or chair lifts is a common mobility solution that doesn't require a structural overhaul. Removing clutter and ensuring good lighting on stairs also minimizes fall risk. Consider adding handrails on both sides and non-slip stair treads to enhance safety. 4
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle for Older Adults
Many initiatives today draw attention to the connection between diet, exercise, and age-related ailments. Older homeowners may consider moving to a retirement home or a ground-floor apartment if mobility becomes a significant concern. However, solutions for maintaining mobility at home are available, including the installation of stairlifts.
A local lift mechanic from Düsseldorf can help with planning and selecting the right stairlift model for a home. Standard stairlifts may be impossible to install in houses with very narrow stairs built before the turn of the millennium. In such cases, alternatives like used lift systems, stairlifts for rent, and subsidies from the state and health insurance companies can be considered. 2, 4
Safety Considerations
When purchasing a stairlift, it is important to buy from a specialist company that guarantees proper functioning and regular maintenance. An incorrectly installed lift poses a high risk. The dealer should advise extensively on different models to choose the perfect stairlift for a home, considering size, design, and performance based on the floor height and weight. 2
Creating a Barrier-Free Home
A barrier-free bathroom should be renovated according to standards and offer enough space with a floor-level shower tray. Stable grab bars next to the WC and in the shower are ideal, and the floor should be slip-resistant. Removing unnecessary furniture, including oversized upholstered furniture, floor plants, and side tables, can make a home easier to navigate in old age. Sufficient distance between furniture is important, particularly in small rooms and narrow corridors, to make it easier to pass through. 2
The Importance of Early Action
The motto is "You can never start moving too early." Encouraging children's active lifestyles relies on enjoyable, daily movement and school-family collaboration, while supporting elderly mobility involves safety improvements, balance exercises, assistive devices, and home modifications like stairlifts where stairs are narrow. A continuous improper diet high in sugar and fat leads to increasing acidification of the body, resulting in deposits in the joints and causing chronic pain. 1, 2
1 Encouraging an active lifestyle for children involves daily physical activities they enjoy for about 60 minutes, combined with healthy eating and sleep habits, and can be supported by active travel to school and play-based programs like Munch & Move.
2 To promote a safe and barrier-free home environment for the elderly, consider preventative measures such as installing stairlifts to increase safety and independence, improper balance exercises, using assistive devices, and home modifications like removing clutter on stairs and improving lighting.
3 Consulting healthcare providers for personalized exercise plans and home modifications is recommended for the elderly to improve balance, decrease fall risks, and maintain mobility.
4 For homes with narrow stairs, practical solutions like installing stairlifts or chair lifts can minimize fall risk, and recent advancements in technology offer alternative options such as used lift systems, stairlifts for rent, and subsidies from the state and health insurance companies.
5 Knowledge about early action is crucial, as promoting children's active lifestyles at an early age can help develop healthy habits, while supporting elderly mobility can involve preventative measures like home modifications like stairlifts to ensure safety and mobility in old age.
