Elder Care Tips: Simple and Enjoyable Outdoor Exercise for This Summer

By Marlene Diaz | June 1, 2016 |

Elder Care Federal Way WA

June is Great Outdoors Month, and while this is a fantastic time for you to make memories with your elderly loved one by heading outside for activities, it can also be a great opportunity for them to change up their exercise routine. Staying active is critical to maintaining health, but if your parent gets bored with their usual forms of exercise it is likely that they will not maintain them, especially when the temperatures creep up and they start dealing with lower energy. Finding exciting and enjoyable physical activities that they can do outside can keep them motivated so that they are more likely to actually head out and keep their body going so that they stay healthy and strong throughout the season. These activities are ideal for your loved one to do as a part of their elder care routine. Their elderly health care services provider can guide them through the activities or even do them with them for even more fun and strengthening of their relationship.

Try some of these simple and enjoyable outdoor exercises for your aging parent this summer:

• Stroll through the pool. Hitting the pool for a few dozen laps is a great way to stay in shape, but it might be a bit too strenuous for your aging parent. Instead, encourage them to simply walk through the pool. Water that is at at least waist height is ideal, though slightly higher offers even more benefits. The water provides resistance, forcing your parent’s cardiovascular system to work harder and conditioning their muscles and their joints. This means that your parent will stay cool and comfortable while bumping up their heartrate, burning fat and calories, improving their strength and balance, and supporting better range of motion.

• Water aerobics. If your parent really enjoys the pool, stick to it and encourage them to take a water aerobics class. These classes use many of the same movements and principles of a traditional aerobics class but they are performed in the water. Your parent may even have the chance to use specialized equipment such as flotation devices and weights that increase the number of moves that they can do and boost the benefits.

• Walk along the beach. If your parent is lucky enough to live near a beach, they are already prepared for one of the best exercises available. Walking along in the sand places extra resistance on your parent’s body, forcing them to work harder for each step. This gets their heartrate up even if they do not feel like they are overexerting themselves while also strengthening their muscles and joints. As an added bonus, if they do get hot, walking through the waves that lap up on the shore will cool their feet, which is one of the main places on the body that holds heat.

Any time your parent is heading outside for physical activity during the summer months, make sure that they are prepared. They should wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 and ensure that they are well-hydrated throughout the experience to prevent potentially dangerous issues such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care in Federal Way WA, contact the caring staff at Hospitality Home Care today. Call us at (206) 966-6552.

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Marlene Diaz

Care Supervisor at Hospitality Home Care

Marlene brings to Hospitality Home Care's Care Supervisor Team an unprecedented level of passion for caring for others and a wealth of knowledge and understanding in the care services field. Marlene has worked in the healthcare field for more than 15 years in a variety of settings including, adult family home administration, home care HR supervising and working with specialty populations including dementia, mental health and developmental disabilities. Throughout this time Marlene has also maintained her caregiver credentials that she obtained as a teenager because, while her knowledge is best served helping to train caregivers and assist families to get the care they need, her heart is most fulfilled when she is providing care to others. When she is not in the office, you will most likely find Marlene caring for her family, or spending time with her friends.