Summer is on its way and so is the warm weather. The pleasant weather
provides older adults with an opportunity to enjoy fresh air while
participating in outdoor activities. In fact, it is recommended
that older adults go out in the sunshine at least 20 minutes every
day to help the body maintain its supply of vitamin D – a
vitamin that improves the absorption and utilization of calcium,
an element necessary to maintain strong bones and muscles.
Aundrea Leonard, LNHA, Administrator of Greenbrook Manor Nursing
and Rehabilitation Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health
Care System, suggests the following activities for older adults
who are in search of fun in the sun.
- “Gardening can be a relaxing and rewarding activity,
especially after you see the beautiful results of all your hard
work,” says Leonard. “But there are some ‘rules’ to
follow before you dive into digging.” Knee pads or a pillow
will absorb pressure on your knees if you must kneel to pull weeds
or plant flowers. Also, make sure gardening equipment suits your
size, build, and physical capabilities. If you suffer from arthritis
in your hands, use garden tools with enlarged handles. Long handles
on garden tools ease the strain on an arthritic back.
- “Walking, at any pace, strengthens the cardiovascular
system, aids digestion, helps to reduce blood pressure and improves
sleeping habits,” states Leonard. It also plays a role in
relieving the pain associated with arthritis by strengthening and
relaxing muscles that protect joints.
- A great way to take advantage of pleasant
weather is to move activities that you are accustomed to doing indoors,
outside. “Read the morning paper in a lawn chair or have lunch
on a park bench,” says Leonard.
- The Jersey Shore is an ideal location to spend a summer
afternoon. The boardwalk is an excellent place to get exercise or
simply sit back and soak in the sun while enjoying a snack.
It is important not only to enjoy an activity, but to do so safely. “Because
heat exhaustion and heatstroke can strike quickly, it is important
to protect yourself from the summer sun,” says Leonard. “Your
primary care physician is an excellent source of information for
sun and outdoor safety measures.”
For more information about Greenbrook Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation
Center, a short-term rehabilitation and long-term
care skilled nursing facility located at 303 Rock Avenue in Green
Brook, please call 732-968-5500.
[ top ] [ back to news index ]
|
