How2Day: Summer Activities for Senior Citizens

Senior citizens can stay active during the summer with proper planning. smiling grandmother image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
Senior citizens have the same issues as the general population when they make summer plans. Seniors will organize activities that meet their interests while taking the hot weather into account. However, some seniors may have limitations that place added constraints on their plans. Seniors can maintain a physically and mentally active life during the summer by organizing activities that provide challenges while following healthy guidelines.

Consider a group that combines adventure with learning by joining an Elderhostels (or Road Scholar) program. You can find programs that explore crafts, history, cultures, food and wine, the culinary arts and much more with Elderhostel groups.

Some groups travel the world, attending classes and seminars while they explore far-away places on cruises or other tours, while other programs operate in your home town. You can find study sessions, groups whose activity levels and interests match your own, and find a budget with which you are comfortable.

If you want to skip the hot summer months all together, you can join a group that travels to areas south of the equator whose winter months match the Northern Hemisphere's summer months. Active senior citizens can join Elderhostel hikes, bird-watching expeditions and other invigorating physical activities. Seniors who prefer more sedate activities can learn in a classroom setting.

The summer months drag by for many people, but volunteers can ease boredom, frustration and inactivity by giving some time to community service activities. Senior citizens can participate in a wide variety of volunteer activities, from helping prepare and deliver Meals on Wheels dinners to homebound individuals.

Volunteer activities that can suit a range of seniors' abilities include volunteering at an animal shelter to walk and play with animals, reading stories to children at libraries, and teaching classes at a community center or summer school.

Maintain your exercise routine as much as possible. If you feel overwhelmed by the heat, scale back a bit so you don't become ill. Try to stay energized and active to maintain your weight and health. Get up a little earlier in the morning if you exercise at home, or find exercise classes that take place in an air-conditioned facility if you exercise in a group. Senior citizens should not neglect healthful exercise, but must moderate it according to the season.

If you swim outdoors, make sure you put on enough sunscreen and don't do any exercise outside when the temperature goes above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a walk at night, after the sun has gone down. The National Institute of Health reminds the public, "Older people are at high risk for developing heat-related illness because the body's ability to respond to summer heat can become less efficient with advancing years."

How2Day