The Importance Of The Right Nutrition For The Less Mobile

Posted by Anna on May 1st, 2019

Making and preparing meals when you have issues with arthritis or other mobility problems can be very challenging. The simple act of slicing a cucumber, opening a jar or even just making some toast can be very difficult and as a result your nutrition can suffer. 1 million adults aged 65 or over in the UK are malnourished or at risk of malnourishment and many of those people may struggle because of issues with mobility.

Adversely, the right nutrition is very important for anyone but particularly those who are less mobile. As we age our nutritional needs change and a big challenge can be getting the right nutrients on fewer calories and ensuring we don't consume too many calories. If you are less mobile the already present challenge of nutrition becomes even more challenging. Here are some tips from the non-profit Live-in Care Hub (www.liveincarehub.co.uk) to help you maintain your nutrition if you are less mobile:

Count Your Calories

If you move less you require fewer calories. It is important for you to count your calories and ensure you are getting the right nutrition from the smaller amount of food you are consuming. It can be challenging to do this but so important as weight gain is only going to cause further issues with mobility and increase your risk of obesity related diseases like Type 2 Diabetes. The My Fitness Pal app is a really great way to count your calories for free.

Consider Some Help At Home

The Live-in Care Hub completed a study that found that most people would prefer to avoid residential care if they are unwell or unable to care for themselves and residential care might not even be appropriate for you if you simply need some help with basic tasks. The same study showed that somebody who has live-in care is much more likely to enjoy the food and drink they want, than someone within residential care. Home care services can be really useful to help with shopping and cooking nutritious meals for you. Home care services can also help maximise your mobility and help you stay as independent as possible.

Pack In The Protein

For the elderly and those who are less mobile protein is so important. When you don't get enough protein in your diet you lose body fat, lean mass and muscle and you can't maintain the strength you currently have let alone build more strength. So, you could even be limiting your ability to improve mobility just by not eating enough protein. Some great protein sources  are eggs, lean meat and legumes.

Maintain Good Bone Health

Falls can be really tricky injuries to recover from as you age, so it is important to keep your bones as strong as possible with exercise and diet. Although calcium is important when it comes to your bone health, a good variety of fruits and vegetables is also important.

It is important that you seek specific advice for your personal nutritional needs to ensure that your health and vitality is optimum as you age. Simple tweeks can make a huge difference, and the right diet changes and support could even boost your mobility, if not maintain it along with good levels of health, for an active and healthy later life.