To help keep the urinary tract and bladder staying healthy, go to the toilet regularly, and most of my research says every 2 hours. Slowly extend the amount of time between your toilet trips gradually. If you’re overweight, eat healthier foods and get exercise to lose extra weight. They are key to the process!

Don’t smoke or use other tobacco products, and squeeze the muscles you would you use to stop “far….,” um, passing gas. Keep that up for three seconds at a time, and then relax for three seconds. Increase that exercise gradually until 15 times in a row for a minimum three times per day.

Also, limit foods and drinks that can irritate the bladder like caffeine and foods known for acid production like sauerkraut, alcohol, and carbonated drinks can make incontinence increase. Eat more fiber and take other steps to help stop constipation because it can make “not going” even worse.

The bladder will become less elastic with age, resulting in the need to urinate more frequently. Lowering of bladder and pelvic floor muscles may lead to loss of bladder control, or an inflamed prostate also can cause problems with emptying the bladder completely, all known as urinary incontinence or urinary retention. 

MEMORY AND THINKING ABILITIES

The brain goes through changes as you age which may effect memory or thinking skills. Older adults may misplace items, take longer to learn new things, have a harder time remembering information, or have a shorter attention span than previously.

You can maintain your memory and thinking abilities with moving more during your day in boosting blood flow to the whole body, especially the brain which can ease stress that affect memory.

Instead, eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. And select low-fat protein sources, such as fish, lean meat and skin-free poultry. Too much alcohol can point to confusion and memory loss.

Activities like reading, playing word games, learning a new hobby, or mastering a new musical instrument can keep you mentally active. Spending time with people can help depression and stress. Both depression and/or stress are causes of memory loss. And if you smoke, quitting smoking may help your memory and thinking abilities.

HEART AND BLOOD VESSELS

Arteries can become more stiff over time, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the blood vessels. Your heart rate likely will stay about the same at rest, but it might elevate, causing high blood pressure and other conditions. So be active more by exercising more each day. You can even do exercises in your wheelchair, as simple as propelling yourself to a point and returning from where you started. 

Remember the famous quote from Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion: “A body at rest stays at rest, and a body in motion stays in motion,” (unless acted upon by an external force, and that’s not likely to happen in home).

BONES, JOINTS, AND MUSCLES

Bones tend to diminish in size and density as you age. It weakens them and you might become shorter. Muscles tend to lose strength, endurance, and flexibility. That in turn can affect balance and coordination risking falls or broken bones. 

So get enough calcium–women age 51 and older and men 71 and older should focus on  1,200 mg a day. You can get calcium from foods such as dairy products, broccoli, kale, salmon and tofu. You can take tablets, too.

Vitamin D sources include tuna, salmon, eggs, vitamin D supplements, and vitamin D-fortified milk. The body also makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. Have enough vitamin D, meaning up to age 70 should focus on 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day, and older than 70, you should 800 IU a day. 

EARS

You might already lose some hearing in one or both ears. You may have trouble following a conversation, even when that person is close to you or hearing high-pitched sounds.

So have regular checkups and a hearing test given by an audiologists, and use earplugs when you’re around loud machinery or other loud noises. If you’re prescribed hearing aids, use them. Hearing loss is terrible to have, and especially if there’s a police car, fire  engine, and/or an ambulance trying to get through your path, especially if you’re driving.

EYES

You might have trouble focusing on objects that are close up with age. You might have problems adjusting to different levels of light or become more sensitive to glare. Also, an eye can “cloud” over, affecting the eye’s lens, and you might have cataracts.  

Schedule regular checkup, and your eye professional can advice about glasses, contact lenses, or other aids to adjust to your problem. Wear sunglasses when you’re outside.

TEETH

The teeth and gums might become slightly more likely to have decay and infection since gums might pull back from the teeth. Or certain medicine also can cause dry mouth like meds for allergies, asthma, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 

So brush your teeth twice a day and clean between your teeth once a day using regular dental floss to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Schedule regular checkups once year to visit your dentist and dental hygienist.

SKIN

As you age, the skin thins and becomes less elastic. Aside from blood  thinners, bruising may happen more easily. As the body makes less natural oils, the skin may become drier. Age spots, wrinkles, and skin tags also come with age.

Bettter to bathe or shower in warm water rather than hot to keep skin healthy. If you’re allergic to soap and moisturizer, you can get the hypoallergenic kind that is marked right there on the product. When you leave the house, use sunscreen and wear protective clothing like a hat and lightweight sweatshirt in the warmer months.

And quit smoking which plays a role in skin damage. Pay attention to spots that are dark or grow larger, sores that don’t heal, or moles that bleed.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 

Metabolism, or how the body burns calories, slows down with age. If you become less active as you age but keeping eating the same way, you’ll gain weight. To stay at a healthy weight, stay active, even in a wheelchair.

Eat healthy foods. Select vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein such as fish. Limit sugar and foods high in saturated fat. And watch your portion sizes. Eat until you feel satisfied, not stuffed.

Exercise improves the release of sexual hormones, healthy heart and blood vessel, resilience, mood, and extra weight loss, contributing to positive sexual health.