Healthy and happy limericks for the elderly

> Eat three meals evenly to be half full, and you don’t have to run fast to walk a thousand steps,

> Stop worrying about the trivial matters of your children and grandchildren, have more fun and worry less,

> Don’t force yourself to have your physical examination on time. Minor illnesses and pains will be cured early.

> If you are a little confused and don’t get angry, your longevity will be longer than that of a Nanshan person.

I have been doing volunteer health services for the elderly in the community for almost five years. I have seen too many elders step into the pitfalls of health care. The one who impressed me most was Uncle Wang who lived in Building 3. He was coaxed into confusion by the "teachers" of the health care group in the past two years. He saved more than 100,000 yuan in pension for most of his life. I threw it away on IQ tax products such as magnetic therapy beds and quantum water cups. Last time I suffered from high blood pressure and dizziness and refused to go to the hospital. I said that I would be cured by sleeping on the magnetic therapy bed. It was only when we went to the free clinic that my blood pressure soared to 180, so I forced myself to go to the hospital and nothing happened.

Later, he adjusted his schedule with the old guys in the community, and followed these lines of limerick. He walked slowly around the community twice every morning, played two games of chess in the community room in the afternoon, and picked up his grandson after school on weekends.

When it comes to "moving", there are mixed opinions on the Internet now. One group says that the elderly should rest and rest, and it is best to sit and lie down at home every day to avoid tormenting. The other group says that the elderly should exercise vigorously, such as running marathons and high-intensity square dancing to look younger. In fact, both views are too extreme. Just like the doggerel says, "You don't have to run fast to walk a thousand steps." How can there be any unified standard? Elders with bad knees should not follow the young people in fast-paced square dancing. Just take a walk every day, play Baduanjin, and get active. If you have a strong body, you can go hiking, dance, or even sign up for a senior cycling team. As long as you don't feel tired, you can't compare the number of steps or the amount of exercise with others.

The same goes for eating. I have seen two extreme elders. One is reluctant to throw away the leftovers and eats hot food every time, and ends up in the hospital with acute gastroenteritis. The other is those who listened to the health class and dare not eat this or touch that. They are also afraid of sugar and oil. They even dare not touch a bite of their favorite braised pork for half a year. Their life is tasteless. The last time I saw them, I sighed and said, "There is no point in living." In fact, there is really no need, just follow the principle of "three meals evenly to be 70-80% full". If there are any leftover green leafy vegetables, just dump them out. Don't keep meat dishes for a day at most. If your blood sugar is not high, you can occasionally eat a piece of cake or two bites of braised pork to satisfy your cravings. What's wrong? The 92-year-old Grandma Li in our community eats a small piece of dark chocolate every day. She says she feels good after eating it, and her physical examination indicators are more normal than those of many 70-year-olds. How can there be so many things that cannot be touched?

As for "pay less attention to the trivial matters of my children and grandchildren", some elders have argued with me before, saying, "If I don't take care of my children, how will they have time to go to work? What's the value of living if you don't use your spare energy when you are old?" There are also elders who say, "I don't care about my children's affairs, I just want to be cool." In fact, there is no need to go to extremes in either case. Juvenile supervision does not mean that you are completely disconnected from your children, but that you should not take everything on yourself: your children's philosophy of educating children is different from yours, so don't insist on stepping in and doing what you want; when a young couple quarrels, don't help your children to scold each other; if you want to take care of your children, just be happy with them; if you feel tired, just tell your children that you want to take a rest; don't carry on your own grievances, and end up with your children complaining.

I met 78-year-old Aunt Liu rehearsing in a Dai dance skirt in the community room last week. She told me that she loved dancing when she was young. At that time, she had to work and take care of three children, so she had no time at all. Now that she is retired and her children have married, she has enrolled in a dance class at the University for the Elderly. She rehearses and performs with the older sisters when she has nothing to do. Last month, she went to a city competition and won an award. She said, "I understand now that when you get older, your own happiness is the most important. It is much better than being a cow and a horse for your children."

Also, don't always think that "I have a strong body and I can just deal with this pain." Many serious problems are caused by small problems. It really doesn't cost much to have a regular physical examination every year. If you have medical insurance, you can't pay hundreds of dollars. If you really have problems, treat them early, you will suffer less and spend less money. In the end, you will not cause unnecessary trouble to your children. This is really caring for your children.

Speaking of which, this limerick was not written by any expert or celebrity. It was just a tea party for the elderly held in the community last year. You and I made it up sentence by sentence. They are all practical truths that the elders have figured out in their own lives. There are no fancy terminology, and you are not asked to spend half a penny. People are busy all their lives until they retire, and they don't just want to be healthy and comfortable. If you do these little things, they will be more effective than any expensive health care products.