The summer is here, with July 4th festivities approaching soon, and we’re sure that you want to be active with your aging parents after being cooped up all winter. But what can you do that is both exciting but not too overwhelming? It is time to enjoy the outdoors and keep parents safe, too!

Tips to Stay Active and Safe in the Summer

• Search out some exciting activities that get them outside. Not only does fresh air do the trick for physical and mental health, but also it gives you the opportunity to socialize with others. Many outdoor activities allow you to interact with other people, children, and animals. For example, take a trip to the zoo, and you can engage with people, animals, and children. Interaction with other adults, children and animals keeps you young at heart and active. Consider a sporting event if it’s not too hot outside. Who doesn’t love a good baseball game or soccer match? If you partake in an outdoor event remember to drink water and get out of the sun once in a while to prevent sunburn or dehydration.
• Be a tourist in your own town. This can be either indoor and outdoor exploring! Think about setting up a day of adventure. Hit a museum or the historical society and see what is happening in your community. Then go to an off the path restaurant, and maybe end with a dip in the local pool.
• Treats anyone? How about a nice picnic at a favorite park and follow up with summer’s favorite treat: ICE CREAM! Turn a regular outing to the doctor or grocery store into a nice event ending with a treat! Everyone loves an indulgence once in a while. You can choose from a coffee and pastry at your favorite coffee shop to a yummy ice cream cone at the local Dairy Queen. We can all enjoy a little splurge now and then.
• Community events and holidays. Many towns have their annual fun festivals in the summer. Make a day or night activity of going to the local (or a neighboring community’s) festival. You can enjoy fun festival food, socialization, and music, all at the same time! Typically, you can go to these events with little or no charge and enjoy the spirit of celebration. Make sure to get some shade and water as you are cruising around the festival on a warm day.
• Plan time with family and friends. Maybe getting your grandchildren together or connecting with a close friend is a great excuse to get outside and enjoy some social time and the outdoors. Take a walk through a nature park, a fair, a zoo or a community festival. This is a very simple way to get outside and social with loved ones.

As summer is in full swing you need to enjoy the benefits of the outdoors. Not only is the fresh air healthy and invigorating, but the outdoors allows us to interact with others and that is most beneficial for healthy aging. Also remember: while being outside is all fun and enjoyable, be on the lookout for signs of fatigue, heat exhaustion, thirst, and sunburn.

These are great ideas to get you started, but don’t forget to ask mom and dad about what they’d like to do, too. Sometimes great suggestions turn into springboards for the perfect outdoor fun idea! Want some more advice on caring for your aging parents? Contact Ann at ajamison@seniorlivingoptionsne.com for more information today!  

Author: Ann Jamison

Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.