During the summer, it’s important for seniors to pay attention to the cues from their body and practice smart health tactics to keep them healthy and feeling good all summer long. Summer temperatures can get very hot and even hotter depending on the location your living in. Some of the most popular destinations for the elderly or senior citizens are places like Florida, Arizona, and California. It’s unfortunate that these destinations are recent hot spots for the novel CoronaVirus Covid-19, so seniors in these destinations need to take extra precautions for their health in today’s day and age. It was thought that the summer and higher temperatures would kill of the CoronaVirus, however, that doesn’t seem to be the reality as cases continue to rise. It’s better to be safe and continue to stay diligent in following best practices to prevent elderly and most at risk population from getting the virus. Some of the below safety tips can be helpful to ensure seniors and the elderly stay during the summer season.

One of the most important items during the summer and high temperatures is to stay hydrated. Seems so simple and easy, however, many seniors fail to hit their daily water needs either due to memory or being forgetful. It’s important to get into good habits and routines so that it becomes second nature to do things that are essential to their health. Water is life and good quality water is important. Water that is reverse osmosis or alkaline is well absorbed by the body. Spring water is another good option. Water is meant to be consumed away from meals, preferably 30 minutes minutes before a meal and 30-60 minutes after a meal. This helps the water not get in the way of digestion and allows it to do it’s job. The best time to drink water is first thing in the morning. You’re body goes the whole night without water so hydrating it with water in the morning can help set up seniors for a good day and limit chances of get dehydrated. Aim for 16-32 Ounces of water first thing in the morning. Another good tip is to squeeze and lemon into the water to help cleanse the liver or add a pinch of Celtic or Himalayan sea salt to get good essentials minerals in the body. As a rule of thumb, around half your weight in Ounces is a good place to start, so if you weigh 180 pounds, consuming at least 90 ounces of water would be sufficient.

When staying indoors, it may be a good idea to invest into a air purifier such as one from Air Oasis or IQ air.   With hot temperatures and many seniors and elderly staying home to prevent getting infected with COVID.  The indoor air quality becomes of more importance to seniors health.   Having good air circulation throughout the home and ensuring there is no mold spores or mold in the air quality is important to ensure proper breathing and healthy lung function.

Breathing and practicing breathing techniques are great idea to help build better lung function.  These can be accomplished through box breathing where you breathe in for a 4 count, hold for 4, and release for 4 count.  Ensuring you are breathing throughout the day helps the body get oxygen and is great for long term health.   Participating in a online yoga, tai-chi, or QiGong class will help solidify these breathing techniques and make them part of your daily routine.

In hotter parts of the country, an elderly’s  person diet becomes even more important.  Heavy foods like bacon and sausages add more to digestion.    Eat more leafy greens and low glycemic fruits to get the most benefit from your diet during the summertime.

Lastly, if you don’t have one yet,  don’t wait until it’s too late when getting a medical alert system.   There are many stylish medical alert watches, bracelets, and devices that you can wear on your wrist or neck to ensure seniors they can get 24/7 medical attention in the event of any medical emergency.