Summertime activities for a healthy & joyful season

Long days and warm nights offer a season of respite and renewal in the summer. The coronavirus pandemic of the last two years, which forced many activities outside to provide a safer environment, reminded many of us that being in nature provides a respite for our body, mind, and spirit from our busy world!

There are so many options for outdoor summer activities! How to choose which will be best for holistic health & care for the environment? As the last month of summer wraps up, over at Qualicare’s home health care and senior care franchise network, we’re taking full advantage of the summer. Here are some fun ideas for outdoor physical activity, summer hobbies, and tips for sun precautions to enjoy summer & stay safe!

Plant a garden

Nothing says summertime like fresh vegetables, flowers, and herbs! Gardening and working with soil provides a respite for many who live in cities to interact with nature in a direct and productive way. Gardening has been found to lower stress, and growing your own food ensures a more balanced diet with proper nutrients. Growing a garden can ultimately save you money on produce, too!

Depending on where you live, you’ll have to determine what kind of garden is right for you. The Farmer’s Almanac offers some tips for beginners growing a vegetable garden in The Basics of Planting and Growing a Vegetable Garden. Their tips cover: picking the right location, choosing a plot size, choosing vegetables, knowing where and when to plant, and how to use a garden planning tool.

Visit a farmer’s market

If growing your own vegetables isn’t for you, many cities and towns offer farmer’s markets, where locals sell their vegetables and fruit, baked goods, pickles, fresh meat and poultry, and any other number of fresh goods. Farmers’ markets sometimes feature local musicians as well, so a trip to the market could include absorbing local art. Farmer’s markets are social and build community. So, for individuals who live alone, or are looking for more community, farmer’s markets can provide a vast array of options to soothe the soul and nourish the body.

Wondering where to start? The website Farms.com offers a guide for Canadians looking for farmer’s markets in their province. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also offers a search tool for finding local farmers’ markets.

Explore outdoor yoga

Is yoga a part of your life? Do you enjoy a relaxing, beginner-level class that provides the body with healing stretches, and renewed breath work? Or are you an advanced yogi, who enjoys a cardio vinyasa workout, or rigorous hatha yoga session? Perhaps you’ve never tried yoga and are curious to learn more.

Whatever your experience or preferences are, if you are open to learning more about yoga, meditation, or simple breath work and stretching, taking your practice outside in the summer can be an invigorating experience. Outdoor yoga under a blue sky, near leafy green trees, can open up a whole world of spirit and light – a fresh new way to experience this practice of breath, balance, and connection.

Take a walk outdoors every day

There’s no better way to show appreciation for good weather than by creating a daily outdoor walking routine. As noted in another Qualicare blog The Healing Power of Nature, not only does consistent time in nature improve heart health and cellular healing, being outside ultimately is one of the best habits for holistic health.

Taking a walk in nature every day helps to activate mindfulness. This in turn helps humans to respond to the natural rhythm of the world. Mindfulness helps to promote pleasure in the moment, leading to a happier life overall. Nature helps individuals feel more empathy and love. These emotions are both shown to be indicators of overall health and well-being.

A Harvard Medical School article, 5 surprising benefits of walking, calls this basic activity a “wonder drug.” Walking, according to the article, counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. The article states that the effects of weight-promoting genes therefore is cut in half with a simple brisk hour-long walk every day.

In addition, the Harvard article found that walking every day outside boosts the function of our immune systems. This in turn helps to protect individuals during flu season. A study found that walking at least 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week, resulted in over 40% fewer sick days than people who only exercised once per week or less.

Walking also has shown to reduce joint and arthritis-related pain. This information is especially helpful for seniors. Walking strengthens muscles, and lubricates the joints, especially in the hips and knees, which helps to prevent osteoarthritis. Don’t hesitate to start this great habit before the cold sets in!

Protect yourself from sun & heat damage during outdoor fun

Whether you’re weeding a garden, holding a yoga pose, or briskly walking through a park, it is vital to protect yourself from sun and heat damage while enjoying the season. Earlier this summer we highlighted the 4 essential tips for sun protection, which discusses the importance of protecting yourself with sunscreen and clothing, checking the UV index before going outside, understanding how to avoid skin cancer, and being aware of how to treat sunburns. At any age, everyone needs to work hard to protect their skin and during the summer this is vital information!

It’s also vital to understand the causes and signs of heat stroke and other heat-related conditions. As we noted in 5 tips for a healthy summer for seniors, “every summer, more than 600 American seniors die of excessive heat and humidity.” It’s very important to monitor body temperature, vital signs, and water intake so as to avoid any physical problems caused by too much heat.