9 Simple Ways to Encourage Healthy Habits in Grandparents

Grandparents are an integral part of the family, and most grandparents are approaching the later years of their life. Helping older loved ones maintain healthy habits can keep them happy, safe, and comfortable during pivotal family moments.

Grandparents can be a wonderful part of a child’s life, and encouraging beneficial routines can keep them strong and vital. While it can be challenging to introduce new behaviors and routines, small and consistent approaches can lead to major improvements in a grandparent’s well-being. 

Start With Small Steps

You’re not going to change anyone’s lifestyle overnight. You’re going to want to start small. Small habits can later evolve into larger, more integral routines, but you need to start somewhere.

Ask them to join you on a short walk. Swap one sugary treat with a family fruit-eating session. Inspire them to stretch with you before a meal or activity.

You can build large momentum with smaller habits, like a small snowball rolling down a hill to become larger. Don’t be discouraged if you’re met with resistance at first. Try different techniques and approaches. 

Make Exercise Fun

Exercise is important for everyone, but especially for older adults who may struggle with mobility or flexibility. Many people find exercise boring and exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be either.

Walking through a zoo or theme park can be a great way to get the legs moving. A dance class or video game can be fun for both grandparents and kids to enjoy. Programs like Live 2 B Healthy focus on engaging seniors with enjoyable fitness activities tailored to their needs, making exercise both accessible and rewarding.

A yoga class can establish a routine and help create social connections, which is also great for older adults. Gardening or sports like pickleball aren’t terrible for the joints and can help grandparents get a breath of fresh air.

Involve the Grandkids

Grandchildren are great motivators for establishing healthy routines. Playing or eating with grandkids can help keep both parties on track, as they are accountable to each other.

Tell your kids to make sure grandpa eats healthier snacks. Ask grandparents to play with grandkids to keep the little ones physically active. You can disguise healthy habits as fun requests for both of them. 

Create a Safe Environment

Whether grandparents share a home with you or live elsewhere, taking safety precautions in their living environment can keep them free from harm. Picking up clutter from the floors and rooms can mitigate fall hazards.

Grab bars in bathrooms can provide support when bathing or using the toilet. Providing adequate lighting can help make all areas more visible and accessible. Practicing these habits in front of grandparents and their living spaces can keep everyone safe and stress-free.

Lead by Example

Sometimes, all it takes to encourage healthier lifestyles is to maintain good habits yourself. People are less inclined to stick to a healthy diet if you’re right next to them with a bag of potato chips.

Share healthy meals, take an educational class together, or schedule joint neighborhood walks. When others live a certain lifestyle, it can inspire others to step up their game.

Explore Senior Community Options

It’s not uncommon for grandparents to live at home with family or alone in their own home. Independent living is a valid and viable option for many families, but some older adults require extra healthcare and supervision that many busy parents can’t provide.

If this sounds a lot like you, then you may want to consider exploring senior community options together. Not only do senior communities offer the healthcare and supervision that many grandparents need, but they also can help residents maintain positive social connections and healthy eating and exercise habits.

Many popular retirement cities are known for their wide variety of high-quality senior communities. However, not all communities are alike. Even in areas with increased senior populations, staffing shortages and inadequate security can lead to neglect or abuse.

Retirement havens like Naples, Florida, or Charleston, South Carolina, can make older loved ones subject to nursing home abuse, so carefully inspecting and vetting all communities are crucial practices to keep your loved one safe.

Provide Educational Opportunities

Healthy living isn’t just about exercise and nutrition. You want to nurture your mind, too. Just like you provide excellent learning opportunities and mental enrichment for your kids, consider adding grandparents to your plans.

While the lessons will differ, you can take similar approaches. Take grandparents with you on visits to museums to enrich and stimulate their minds. Introduce new hobbies with your kids or the entire family to help them learn a new craft or practice a skill. Help them enroll in online or local educational classes to keep their minds active.

Introduce Friendships

Grandparents often live isolated or secluded lifestyles, which can be counterproductive for their mental health. By maintaining social connections yourself, you can encourage grandparents to do the same. Bring them along to certain social affairs. Host parties in your home to allow grandparents to meet new people.

Birthday parties for kids are a great way for grandparents to meet people of all age groups, not just their own. Providing transportation and support for any senior community events can also be helpful.

Prioritize Healthcare

Older adults need frequent preventative healthcare. Neglecting routine physical checkups, therapy, vaccinations, or health screenings can allow conditions to spread and reduce the time grandparents have to spend with you. Help them make and keep healthcare appointments and check in with them about their health.

Health appointments can be tedious and nerve-wracking, so consider offering support by going with them. Also, they should be brought along to vaccination appointments so the whole family stays healthy.

Conclusion

Helping the older adults in your family maintain healthy habits and routines doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming. With patience, encouragement, and support, you can help them live their best lives regardless of age. Remember, small changes can lead to major ones. You may even find your lifestyle getting healthier, too!