Senior Health and Wellness: Spring Health Tips for 2024

Spring is the season of new beginnings, and the warm weather brings new opportunities for senior health and wellness. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and time outdoors all contribute to our health in meaningful ways, and we’ve gathered some tips to help you improve in all three categories. Join us as we explore these fun spring health tips for seniors.

Exercise Every Week

Physical activity strengthens our bodies and supports mental and emotional health. This makes regular exercise important throughout our lives, not just when we’re young. Adults aged 65 and older should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. This could translate to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

It’s up to you how you want to spend your fitness time. Walking is a great way to get outside and can be done alone or with friends. Some adults prefer swimming, which can be done year-round if you have access to a pool. Basic strength training routines utilizing body weight and elastic bands are easy to do from anywhere and don’t require sophisticated equipment. You can also lift household items like water bottles as substitutes for weights.

Strengthening your muscles and improving your balance can protect you from physical injuries and falls. At Southview Senior Communities, we offer regular fitness classes and exercise DVDs to help our residents stay in shape.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Eating nutritious, well-balanced meals is a key component of maintaining senior health and wellness. Spring is also the perfect season to freshen up your diet as produce becomes more readily available. HealthPartners® recommends eating more fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy dairy products. Healthy fats from fish and avocado are also beneficial, but seniors should cut back on red meats and processed foods.

Drinking enough water is just as important as eating well. We tend to lose our sense of thirst as we age, which has led to an increased risk of dehydration in seniors. To maintain hydration, adults should drink one-third of their body weight in fluid ounces. So, if you weigh 180 pounds, you should drink 60 ounces of water per day. Eating water-rich foods like watermelon, cucumbers, lettuce, and strawberries also increases our fluid intake. Staying hydrated supports our overall health and helps protect us from fatigue, infection, and illness.

Spend Time Outdoors

Fresh air and sunlight can do you a world of good after a long winter. Spending time in nature has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and benefit mental health. Sunlight also boosts vitamin D, which supports bone health and helps stave off osteoporosis.

Besides walking or jogging, you could take up gardening or birdwatching to spend more time outside. Digging and planting seeds provides exercise in addition to a crop of fresh food if you choose to grow produce. That means you can get a healthy workout, improve your diet, and breathe some fresh air all at the same time! But remember to watch out for spring allergies as you garden. Wear protective gear like a hat, sunglasses, and face mask to keep pollen out of your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Find Wellness at Southview Senior Communities

We hope you’re as excited as we are for this season of new beginnings. If you are searching for a home where you can live a healthy and balanced lifestyle in a community with others, you’ve come to the right place. Our Southview communities offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care in a comfortable, enriching environment.

Schedule a tour today to see how our residents embrace senior health and wellness all year round.