We hear a lot about how we should take care of ourselves. The things that we should do to look after our health and wellbeing and improve our mood. But, something that we don’t hear much about is our senses and what we can do to keep them healthy and working well. 

Most of us assume that our senses will just naturally start to decline as we age. To an extent, this is true. We’ve got far fewer taste buds when we enter our 70’s than we had when we were 20. Our sight and hearing may start to decline from middle age, our skin becomes more delicate, and some people notice that their sense of smell isn’t as effective as it once was. Genetics also play a part. If your parents were near or farsighted, you are more likely to be the same. 

But, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing that you can do to improve your senses and slow any deterioration. There’s plenty that you can do to enhance your senses, and help them to stay young for longer. 

Protect Your Hearing

Most premature hearing loss is caused by long-term exposure to loud noises. If you work in a noisy environment or spend long periods of time at particular loud events, it’s worth investing in hearing protection, to reduce the risk of broken eardrums, swelling and hearing loss. 

Get Regular Checkups

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You should get your eyes tested at least once every two years. More often if you wear glasses or have noticed changes to your sight. These checkups shouldn’t just test how well you can see, but other areas of your eye health too. 

You might not need to get your other senses checked unless you notice sudden deterioration, pain, discomfort, or other symptoms. But, you should attend regular health MOTs to make sure your body is in good condition, and so supporting your senses efficiently.

Keep Clean

Dirt, bacteria and other germs can cause damage to our senses, so it’s important that we keep ourselves clean and practice good personal and home hygiene to stop any nasties invading our bodies. 

Eat a Healthy Diet

Your diet can play a big part in keeping your senses healthy. A balanced diet with plenty of vitamin A, folic acid, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and plenty of water can help your senses to function well, keeping them healthy for longer. 

Get Some Exercise

You might not think that exercise could benefit your senses, but it can. Exercise boosts your circulation and lowers your blood pressure. This can keep all areas of our body working well. Yoga can be very good for your senses, and cardio activity will boost your overall health. 

Keep Warm

Being cold can be bad for your skin, affecting your sense of touch. It can lead to blocked noses and an inability to smell. Coldness can cause ear infections and damage, and you’ll find that things taste different if you are unwell with a winter bug. Keep yourself warm, and wrap up when it is cold outside.

Whilst the world has moved further ahead, women for a long time were considered inferior and secluded to the ‘comfort’ of their homes, ordered around to cook and cater to household and more ‘woman-friendly’ activities. However, with the advent of modernization and the immense struggle and strife worldwide, women have come center stage, albeit not on the same pedestal as men, but they are now increasingly becoming prominent outside of their homes and leading initiatives worldwide.

Sports is one of the latest sectors that women are growing increasingly comfortable in. Otherwise, for a wide period of time, it was believed that any kind of sport was meant only for men, and women did not have the temerity to sustain the rigor that came along with it. In this regard, cycling became a very popular sport for women, because it is a good exercise for the entire body and not only served as a means of transport, but allowed you to wander across to places that you otherwise would just ignore. Cycling is not just for recreational purpose, it is a serious professional activity too. Many professional and seasoned athletes time their cycling sessions for training purposes. They might also make use of cycling training apps to help them train better. Of course, you can also utilize training apps like Spoked (if interested, What to consider when buying a training cycling plan) to get personalized training sessions that can enable your training journey for the best. These training apps can also help you avoid unnecessary overworking injuries.

If you are a woman and are buying a bike for yourself, it is very important to first ascertain whether you are even interested in this sport or not. It is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, and to do it just to prove a point or just as an occasional pass time, would mean that you may be wasting your money on something that could potentially not benefit you. Similarly, if you are buying a bike for your girl child, or your girlfriend or your wife, you need to check beforehand, exactly how comfortable and interested she is, in trying to take up a sport which you may even be imposing her. Because if she does it out of her own free will, she is bound to enjoy it and sustainably take it forward, but if you force it down her, then her interest will be very short lived. Therefore, have her consent before you look towards buying any sort of bike.

Once it has been ascertained that there is indeed interest in the biking sector, then you should decide upon what size you want to go for. For that you may want to know her height and weight before you make the decision. This is because the size which you will advance towards will be in sight of that. Similarly, if there are some constraints in your life, some disability or injury that needs to be catered to, then you should choose a bike which can create a comfort zone for you rather than have you in constant pain.

One of the easiest way is to take her to the shop so she can look at a variety of bikes firsthand, so that you do not end up buying her one of the comfort bikes for women that she just does not like. Sometimes, your preferences are just not aligned with the other individual’s and it is perfectly alright to let her do the choosing. In this regard, she can choose the size of the tires, the kind of handlebar she wants, if she wants a small basket attached to it, what additional features she just does not want to compromise upon. There are a lot of things that guys may want that girls just may not be as attracted to, as is the case with the interests of girls. Don’t compromise with bike seat either, with a comfortable bike seat for women can go long trip without pain and maintain hip flexibility. Comfort matter too, right?

Similarly, it is also important to note that the decision may not entirely be gender specific. Even amongst girls, some would rather have a mountain bike (maybe one with even a Braze-On Front Derailleur) to rigorously take with them on their journeys, whilst others would be completely fine with getting a standard bike. It is just a matter of preferences and interest and it is best to sort these things out before you buy anything. After all the choices you make now, would matter!

If you are buying a bike for a woman without her knowing it, then it would be great to get a bike which comes with an exchange policy so that if she does not like it or is fond of another bike, then she can exchange it to get the bike of her dreams. After all, she is the one riding it so let her do the choosing.

Another option is to get a motorized bike, especially if she regularly commutes by bicycle. Motorized bikes have small engines powered by either gas or electricity that make pedaling easier, allowing the rider to take breaks without stopping. There are many types of motorized bikes built for different purposes. Learn how she uses her bike to choose the best model for her.