Summer should be a fun time. Its light outside longer than it’s dark. The weather is warm. It means ice cream, beach days and summer camp. To celebrate summer, we encourage you get out and do something fun each week. Research shows that when the adult brain is engaged, it is reinforcing cognitive abilities. Furthermore, when adults maintain social contacts, it helps keep
depression at bay.
Rock Out
Outdoor concerts are offered at public parks and concert venues during summer months.
Some are free. Bring a folding lawn chair or blanket. Check your local newspaper or parks department for schedules. Music is great for your brain and your mood. Bring a friend or make a friend. You might find yourself dancing in the aisle!
Cook Out
If grilling is your thing, try a new rub or marinade (find one at foodnetwork.com) for your favorite meat. If meat doesn’t appeal to you, learn to grill veggies or try grilled stone fruit for a sweet treat.
Veg Out
Grow something in a pot or the yard. No space or knack for growing veggies? Try an herb garden. Herbs are easy to grow and enhance your cooking with easy fresh flavor.
Read
Join a book club with friends or check out your local library. Stuck at home? Find an online book club (www.onlinebookclub.org).
Travel
Go see someone you haven’t seen for a while, or go somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit. If you want to leave the travel hassles and costs at home, enjoy armchair travel by planning a trip you won’t actually take. Browse travel websites or watch the Travel Channel and let your imagination fly.
Get a Beach Bod
Exercise! Walk, stretch, join a gym, swim, dance, hike. Exercising outdoors gets you in touch with the outside world and with others. It’s good for you all around. Remember your sunscreen and drink plenty of water!
Resources:
“Brain Games: Do They Really Work?” By P. Murali Doraiswamy and Marc E. Agronin on April 28,
2009, available at:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brain-games-do-they-really/.
Socializing key to ‘successful aging:’ Seniors who frequently socialized reported better health from CBC News Posted: Oct 17, 2012 at:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/socializing-key-to-successful-aging-1.1260922.