Meditation has been shown to be beneficial for people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The very nature of taking a moment to meditate in a busy lifestyle can make a huge difference to anyone, and seniors are no different.
Meditation can improve a senior citizen’s quality of life and make a difference to their health. It should be incorporated into senior citizen’s lives on a daily basis so the full effects can be obtained.
Meditation can make such a huge difference to a senior citizen’s mental and physical wellbeing. Overall, all senior citizens should engage in meditation on a regular basis, as it is so helpful. Here are some of the main ways meditation can improve health and overall quality of life for seniors.
Meditation Improves Memory
During meditation, key areas of the brain such as the frontal lobe are activated. These are the same areas that are responsible for memory; by continuing to use the vital brain areas memory loss will decrease. Meditation can reinforce the connections in the brain, ensuring better recall and retrieving of memories.
Meditation May Slow The Progression Of Alzheimer’s
Research has shown meditation can actually slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Whilst researchers are still not very sure how this happens, it is likely to be due to anxiety and stress. Stress and anxiety are known to worsen symptoms of Alzheimer’s, so activities such as meditating that reduce these negative feelings should only help with the disease.
Meditation Can Reduce Loneliness
Unfortunately, many senior citizens suffer for loneliness, and research has shown this has such a huge negative effect on their health, wellbeing, and quality of life. This is important, as loneliness has been linked to serious health issues such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. By engaging with meditation, whether in a group or on your own, the negative feelings associated with loneliness have been shown to reduce.
Improved Mental Health
Mental health can be a huge and debilitating issue for anyone, and senior citizens are no different. Unfortunately, there is a higher rate of depression in senior citizens, with many possible causes.
Meditation has been shown to reduce the negative feelings, and actually creates positive emotions in the person. It also helps to clear the mind of any negative thoughts and stresses that may be contributing to poor mental health.
Senior citizens who meditate have reported more feelings of happiness and positive emotions. Meditating helps by focusing the mind on the positive aspects in life and reducing the focus on negative areas.
Increase Oxygen In The Body
Oxygen is vital for so many functions within the body and we all need to ensure we get enough. This can be harder as we get older, but thankfully, meditation can actually increase the oxygen supply. The process of relaxing and deep breathing enables the body to take in much more oxygen than usual, which can help with many bodily functions.
This includes increased alertness and decreased fatigue. By increasing the amount of oxygen in the body, we are improving the circulation of our blood. In senior citizens, this has been shown to have a positive impact on the digestive system in particular.
Meditation Can Reduce Insomnia
Although we naturally sleep less when we are older, for some this can be insomnia; insomnia has repeatedly been shown to cause many negative effects on health. Meditation can help reduce insomnia by reducing the time it takes to fall asleep, and by increasing the time you can stay asleep for. This can have huge health benefits for people of any age, and senior citizens are certainly no different.