As the weather starts to get cooler and the autumn sets in, seniors who prefer to exercise outdoors by walking, biking, or hiking need to make some changes in how they exercise. In the heat of the summer seniors who prefer to exercise outdoors have to be concerned about the heat and the sun. But as the seasons change it’s important for seniors to be more cautious about potential weather-related issues that can occur when they are exercising outdoors. Having home care providers can help to monitor exercise activity.
Some great fall outdoor exercise tips for seniors include:
Change The Time Of Day When You Exercise
During the summer when it’s warm seniors are encouraged to exercise outdoors either very early in the morning or later at night so that they don’t get too hot or suffer from sunstroke. But during the fall the days will start getting shorter and that can make exercising outdoors early in the morning or later at night dangerous. It will stay dark longer in the mornings and get dark earlier at night. Seniors who exercise outdoors should plan their exercise for mid-morning to mid-afternoon to make sure that they are exercising when there is plenty of light.
Always Have Appropriate Clothing
Depending on where your senior loved one lives the weather can change rapidly in the fall. It’s essential for seniors to have appropriate clothing with them if they’re exercising outdoors. Seniors who are exercising outdoors should always have a jacket, extra socks, an umbrella, and other appropriate weather gear with them. If your senior loved one has elder care, an elder care provider can help them assemble a bag with weather-appropriate items that they can keep with them while exercising.
Layering clothing is always important for seniors. In the fall seniors should add a slightly warmer layer over their usual tee shirt or bottom layer in case the weather is chilly. By layering clothing, seniors can adjust their body temperature easily as they exercise by adding or removing layers. Seniors who prefer to hike or walk outside for exercise will be safer exercising in the fall with several layers of natural fiber clothing that will wick sweat from the skin and keep them warm even if the temperature is dropping.
Change Your Footwear
Another thing that seniors who are exercising outdoors in the fall should do is make sure that they are wearing appropriate footwear. In the summer seniors can get by with some good walking or hiking shoes and thick cotton socks. But in the fall when the weather starts to turn seniors should switch to footwear designed for walking outdoors in different types of conditions. Walking or hiking shoes should have thick soles with good traction. Fall rain can make sidewalks and trails muddy and slippery. And all those beautiful autumn leaves can actually be quite a slip and fall hazard when seniors are walking outdoors. Good footwear with plenty of traction will keep your senior loved one from falling while they are exercising outdoors.
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