Geriatric Health: Tips for Senior Doctors to Stay Active and Fit

If you’re a senior doctor, here’s something that might make you a little uncomfortable. You’re getting old.

The stress of every day piles up and makes you anxious, and stressed out, you’re not able to eat, sleep or work properly. Soon you start facing health problems related to aging.

Being a medico is tough.

You’re exposed to a stressed-out lifestyle that you cannot avoid no matter how much you try. You don’t get proper sleep, proper diet or proper workout, and this in turn makes you weaker.

No doubt the average lifespan of doctors is very low in India

  • If you want to increase your lifespan
  • If you want to be called a “fit senior doctor” then continue reading on. 

This article is for you and here is what you can do as a senior doctor to stay fit

You might think that working out once a week or a month is enough to have a healthy body. But that is not enough.

You have to make major lifestyle changes. Don’t worry we’ll take it slow.

As a senior doctor, it is crucial to have a healthy and fit body. Because if you’re healthy you can take proper care of patients, thereby increasing your patient satisfaction and work performance.

Here are some senior doctor's guide to health and fitness:

Quit smoking or quit the game of life:

Life is a game. You only get one life, why waste it with the risk of smoking?

As a senior doctor, your life may be tougher than any regular person. You’re exposed to uncertainty, higher stress and workload, sometimes to manage this stress you may think about smoking.

Stress and workload is the number one reason most people smoke.

Smoking has the worst effects on your body. It can make your heart weaker, lungs weaker, and people who smoke have higher chances of dying from heart or lung disease.

But if you quit for a year, you reduce the risk of dying tenfold.

If you quit it forever, your risk of dying is much less.

Start working out:

Another activity for staying fit as a senior doctor is working out.

Working out every day boosts your endorphins and makes you feel good. Working out reduces stress (the age booster), and it strengthens your bones and muscles.

To stay active and add years to your life, working out can be very beneficial. It is recommended that to get most of the benefit from working out, you work out for at least 1-2 hours every day.

Do you do this?

Another best activity to stay healthy, happy and fit as a senior doctor is prioritizing self-care.

No self-care isn’t selfish, it is a gift you give to yourself and your patients. Self-care is essential as a senior because you need to be at your best to provide your best care to patients.

Try indulging in self-care activities like:

  • Meditation
  • Journaling
  • Working out
  • Talking to friends
  • Spending time with family

Getting enough sleep:

Do we need to say it? You're a doctor, you know well that sleep is very important. Sleeping at least 7-8 hours can decrease stress, increase attention, make you feel good and also help in losing weight?

Getting a proper amount of sleep is very crucial for a senior doctor.

Here’s what you can do:

If all these tips are making you feel overwhelmed, then start slow with habit stacking. Habit stacking is the coolest way to get your momentum of habit-building going.

But this is a challenge that you have to do every day for 90 days.

Every day for 90 days, you stack your habits one after another like:

  • Working out
  • Eating healthy
  • Doing self-care activities
  • Sleep
  • Healthy habit stacking
  • Meditation

Why 90 days?

Because it works the best. In three months you’ll be changing your lifestyle from a stressed-out senior to a young, happy healthy fit senior doctor.

Decreasing stress and anxiety is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy as a senior doctor.

But oftentimes times because of the high workload and excessive sweating your medical scrubs and white lab coat aprons start to smell, and you start feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed out about it.

Here’s what you can do:

Choose a medical scrub, under scrub, white lab coat apron that is:

  • Breathable
  • Moisture wicking
  • Comfortable
  • Functional

Choose a medical scrub or a lab coat that gives you maximum comfort, and maximum functionality.

When choosing maximum comfort or functionality, choose Knya.

FAQ's

What are the benefits of strength training for senior doctors?

Strength training for older as well as younger doctors can strengthen your bones and muscles which can reduce the risk of any fractures when falling. Other benefits are as follows: • Decrease in weight • Builds muscle • Increases your strength • Decreases stress

How can seniors maintain their balance and prevent falls?

One of the best ways to maintain balance is by doing strength training or aerobic exercises. The more you work out the more you learn to balance your body in different ways, and this prevents falls. Another benefit of working out it makes your bones and muscles stronger so even if you fall you have a lesser chance of getting a fracture. But that doesn’t mean you fall purposefully.

What role does mental health play in staying active and fit as a senior?

Mental health is very important for staying active and fit as a senior. Taking proper care of mental health reduces your risk of dying early. Activities like meditation, eating properly, journaling, and going to therapy can help with taking care of your mental health.