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Benefits of the Outdoors & How to Stay Safe

With the weather warming up, and the sun finally beaming down, everybody is ready to be outside. Being outside has so many great benefits, especially for seniors. But there is also some precaution to take, as the sun’s harmful rays could potentially do more bad than good. 

 

In my opinion, restless nights are the absolute worst, especially when you’ve got something planned the next day and you know you need the rest. Not only is being outside going to help improve sleep quality, it’s going to fill you with vitamins C & D, which help with feeling more energized!

 

Another good mental benefit to being outdoors is how it can improve your cognitive function. Being outdoors replenishes voluntary focus and will benefit concentration, and a working memory. It can also help to improve mental health, where some people use Ecotherapy as a way to treat their anxiety or depression because being outside boosts endorphins and dopamine production. 

 

Being outdoors is also going to help improve more physical aspects of life, not just mental/emotional. Studies have shown that being outdoors can even help to relieve aches. Stress can be the leading cause of chronic aching, and as we covered previously, being outdoors is the perfect de-stresser. Here at Bel Aire, as soon as the weather starts to warm up, we are planning outdoor activities! We just finished our memorial day BBQ, and coming up we’ve got our fathers day BBQ, and car show! Physical activity outdoors is ideal for improving physical function. Doing activities outdoors can help with balance and overall physical health. Better balance leads to less falls and better physical health leads to better quality of life!  

 

Now that we know all the benefits of being outdoors this summer, how do we stay safe? Obviously sunscreen, it’s been drilled into our heads for years, but it’s all true! Wearing sunscreen is going to help to prevent aging of the skin or even skin cancer. Also, no one likes a sunburn. And the best way to protect your eyes (as sunscreen would just irritate them) is a good pair of sunglasses. Polarized specifically are the best for the sun’s harsh rays.

 

Lastly, the most important way to stay safe in the sun is drinking plenty of water! Being overexposed to the sun can cause dehydration and even heat stroke. The best way to avoid this is by drinking enough water, and taking breaks out of the sun. At Bel Aire, outside or not, we dedicate ourselves to keeping our residents hydrated. We use a practice called “The Hydration Program”, all of our residents have a Bel Aire mug, and a few times throughout the day our CNA’s go around the building with pitchers of ice water and refill all the residents cups. This is also a good time to encourage a resident to drink more of their water if needed. 

 

Being outdoors safely is so important, if you have any questions regarding the activities mentioned above, or our hydration program, feel free to call us at 801-763-0622.

With the weather warming up, and the sun finally beaming down, everybody is ready to be outside. Being outside has so many great benefits, especially for seniors. But there is also some precaution to take, as the sun’s harmful rays could potentially do more bad than good. 

 

In my opinion, restless nights are the absolute worst, especially when you’ve got something planned the next day and you know you need the rest. Not only is being outside going to help improve sleep quality, it’s going to fill you with vitamins C & D, which help with feeling more energized!

 

Another good mental benefit to being outdoors is how it can improve your cognitive function. Being outdoors replenishes voluntary focus and will benefit concentration, and a working memory. It can also help to improve mental health, where some people use Ecotherapy as a way to treat their anxiety or depression because being outside boosts endorphins and dopamine production. 

 

Being outdoors is also going to help improve more physical aspects of life, not just mental/emotional. Studies have shown that being outdoors can even help to relieve aches. Stress can be the leading cause of chronic aching, and as we covered previously, being outdoors is the perfect de-stresser. Here at Bel Aire, as soon as the weather starts to warm up, we are planning outdoor activities! We just finished our memorial day BBQ, and coming up we’ve got our fathers day BBQ, and car show! Physical activity outdoors is ideal for improving physical function. Doing activities outdoors can help with balance and overall physical health. Better balance leads to less falls and better physical health leads to better quality of life!  

 

Now that we know all the benefits of being outdoors this summer, how do we stay safe? Obviously sunscreen, it’s been drilled into our heads for years, but it’s all true! Wearing sunscreen is going to help to prevent aging of the skin or even skin cancer. Also, no one likes a sunburn. And the best way to protect your eyes (as sunscreen would just irritate them) is a good pair of sunglasses. Polarized specifically are the best for the sun’s harsh rays.

 

Lastly, the most important way to stay safe in the sun is drinking plenty of water! Being overexposed to the sun can cause dehydration and even heat stroke. The best way to avoid this is by drinking enough water, and taking breaks out of the sun. At Bel Aire, outside or not, we dedicate ourselves to keeping our residents hydrated. We use a practice called “The Hydration Program”, all of our residents have a Bel Aire mug, and a few times throughout the day our CNA’s go around the building with pitchers of ice water and refill all the residents cups. This is also a good time to encourage a resident to drink more of their water if needed. 

 

Being outdoors safely is so important, if you have any questions regarding the activities mentioned above, or our hydration program, feel free to call us at 801-763-0622.

With the weather warming up, and the sun finally beaming down, everybody is ready to be outside. Being outside has so many great benefits, especially for seniors. But there is also some precaution to take, as the sun’s harmful rays could potentially do more bad than good. 

 

In my opinion, restless nights are the absolute worst, especially when you’ve got something planned the next day and you know you need the rest. Not only is being outside going to help improve sleep quality, it’s going to fill you with vitamins C & D, which help with feeling more energized!

 

Another good mental benefit to being outdoors is how it can improve your cognitive function. Being outdoors replenishes voluntary focus and will benefit concentration, and a working memory. It can also help to improve mental health, some people use Ecotherapy as a way to treat their anxiety or depression because being outside boosts endorphins and dopamine production. 

 

Being outdoors is also going to help improve more physical aspects of life, not just mental/emotional. Studies have shown that being outdoors can even help to relieve aches. Stress can be the leading cause of chronic aching, and as we covered previously, being outdoors is the perfect de-stresser. Here at Bel Aire, as soon as the weather starts to warm up, we are planning outdoor activities! We just finished our memorial day BBQ, and coming up we’ve got our fathers day BBQ, and a car show! Physical activity outdoors is ideal for improving physical function. Doing activities outdoors can help with balance and overall physical health. Better balance leads to less falls and better physical health leads to better quality of life!  

 

Now that we know all the benefits of being outdoors this summer, how do we stay safe? Obviously sunscreen, it’s been drilled into our heads since we were kids, but it’s all true! Wearing sunscreen is going to help to prevent aging of the skin or even skin cancer. Also, no one likes a sunburn. And the best way to protect your eyes (as sunscreen would just irritate them) is a good pair of sunglasses. Polarized pairs specifically are the best for the suns harsh rays.

 

Lastly, the most important way to stay safe in the sun is drinking plenty of water! Being overexposed to the sun can cause dehydration and even heat stroke. The best way to avoid this is by drinking enough water, and taking breaks out of the sun. At Bel Aire, outside or not, we dedicate ourselves to keeping our residents hydrated. We use something called the hydration program, all of our residents have a Bel Aire cup, and a few times throughout the day our CNA’s go around the building with pitchers of ice water and refill all the residents cups. This is also a good time to encourage a resident to drink more of their water if needed. 

 

Being outdoors and being outdoors safely is so important, if you have any questions regarding the activities mentioned above, or our hydration program, feel free to call us at 801-763-0622.

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