Elder Care Encourages Your Senior to Walk Outside Daily

Spring is coming, and with that, the weather turns warmer, and it’s time to encourage your loved one to walk outside. You may know there are benefits to walking outside, but you may be surprised to find out what some of them are. Here are reasons you and elder care should start encouraging your loved one to get outside and walk around.

You Get Vitamins

Your senior may have walked in the gym throughout the winter months, and that’s great; it’s important to move every day. However, walking outside allows seniors to absorb vitamin D from the sun, and after a long time indoors, this could be a major benefit for them to get outside and move around. Walking indoors can be great because you are protected from extreme weather and allergies, but being outside has some very clear benefits that being inside doesn’t have.

Being Surrounded By Nature Has Stress-Relieving Benefits

Walking is good no matter what, but there are specific reasons why going outside is beneficial for your loved one. The best reason is that being outside can reduce stress. When a senior goes outside, it helps reduce cortisol levels which is the stress hormone. When this hormone decreases, your senior will experience less stress and anxiety, which are both crucial for seniors to focus on. Learning how to boost a senior’s mental health will be a huge focus in a senior’s later years.

Being Outside Boosts Mood

Just connecting with nature can be a huge mood boost for you because it can boost serotonin levels in the body. Just looking at nature can increase moods in your elderly loved one. Going outside for a walk in the neighborhood park can help boost a senior’s mood by helping them feel less lonely. It’s the best way to connect your seniors with others and offer them ways to socialize if they feel like it. This differs from the gym because most people keep to themselves at the gym unless they join a class.

They Will Get More Natural Light

Natural light is better for us because it helps to regulate our circadian rhythm, the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. As a result, exposure to natural light during the day helps us to feel more alert and energized, while exposure to natural light at night helps us to relax and sleep better. Natural light also helps to boost our mood and provides us with vitamin D. When you go to the gym; you are exposed to indoor lights because they may be too dim, too bright, and you can’t control them. It may create an unpleasant atmosphere for your seniors and worsen their words.

They Breathe Better Air

Outside air is typically much less polluted than indoor air. Outdoor air is also naturally rich in oxygen. In contrast, indoor air can become stagnant and contain higher levels of indoor pollutants like dust and mold, especially after a long winter of being shut in. Additionally, outdoor air is often fresher and contains beneficial allergens like pollen that help to strengthen the immune system.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elder Care in Natomas, CA please contact the caring staff at Aging Assistant today. (916) 897-4752