Make this your best summer yet
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Instead of a summer slump, plan to improve your health and wellbeing this summer.
1. Exercise regularly.
You don’t have to count formal exercise regimens as the only way to stay active. Take long walks with your family or romp with your kids on the lawn. Instigate a water balloon fight or dig out the sporting goods for an afternoon of games.
2. Get some “me time.”
Sometimes, working out by yourself can help you clear your head. But it can be hard for parents of young children to get away. Fortunately, many gyms provide childcare.
“We offer child watch service if a parent wants to come into the Y and spend an hour or two to take time for themselves to work out or do a class,” said Stefanie Noble, vice president of marketing and communications for Downtown YMCA in Syracuse. “It’s drop-in.”
Consider regularly swapping childcare or eldercare duties with a friend if you want to get away for a mental health break.
3. Set a fitness goal.
“We have run groups and triathlon groups for adults who want to train for a fall race,” Noble said.
You could also use a phone app to set a steps-per-day goal or other fitness or health metric. Whatever goal you want to set, make sure it’s measurable and realistic, then take steps to make it reality.
4. Try a new activity.
Noble said that the YMCA offers groups to support people who want to do something different.
“Try that new class or try pickleball out,” Noble said. “It’s definitely something fun to do something new.”
You could also audit a course during your local college’s summer school sessions, peruse your community’s events calendar, website or social media to find new things or check out what’s up at the library. Make summer a season of new experiences to engage your mind and body.
5. Learn to swim.
For fun, fitness and safety, ensure every member of your family is a strong swimmer — not just the kids.
“We do a lot of programming to promote water safety,” Noble said. “Learn about swim lessons and safety around water programming can help people stay safe at the local beach or on vacation. We have a number of folks who never learned as a kid and come to the Y as an adult. They feel more comfortable around water and overcome fears about it. Any age, you can learn water safety and to swim and potentially compete on either our youth swim team or master’s program.”
Some school districts and community centers also provide swimming lessons.
6. Socialize more.
Summertime is the perfect time to get to know your friends, neighbors and make some new friends. If you don’t know your neighbors, why not introduce yourselves?
Noble said that many retirees enjoy coming to the YMCA for a group class or to walk around the track and then stick around for socializing.
“It connects you within our communities,” Noble said. “Whether it’s for a water fitness class or art class or writing class, people form new friendships. We’ve found that the mental health that come along with those connections are something that a place like the Y can help support.”
Join a group such as a church, civic organization or club that interests you. It’s an easy way to make friends with like-minded people.
7. Support your community.
Whether it’s a local store, performer or other organization, putting your support behind your community builds goodwill and strengthens the health of the community.
Jack Riffle, former executive director of The Farmers’ Market Federation of New York in Syracuse, said that many farmers markets have a community nonprofit tent set up where these groups can educate the public about what they do.
“You might want to get involved,” he said. “You can meet some social needs as well. The conversations are rich and plentiful. I love to see people out at the farmers’ market enjoying the spirit and camaraderie.”
8. Catch a summer concert.
Build lasting memories with friends and family by attending a concert. Search online for “concerts near me” to find out who’s playing where and when. Outdoor summer concerts kindle camaraderie like no other type of gatherings.
9. Buy seasonal produce.
Farm markets, farm stores and farm stands provide the freshest seasonal produce around. Farm markets are comprised of several vendors selling produce and value-added goods. Many offer entertainment. Farm stores may carry other farm’s products but typically feature the products of the farm that owns the market. Farm stands are smaller selling points, usually on the farm, where a more narrow selection of seasonal produce and goods are sold. Some of these may not even have an attendant but rely on cameras and Venmo or goodwill and a secured cash box.
10. Preserve summer’s bounty.
In addition to enjoying fresh produce, save some for later.
“See if your farmers market vendor could sell in bulk,” Riffle said. “During blueberry season, buy eight quarts on a flat and your kids could turn some of those into jam to put on toast. Freeze some as well. Frozen blueberries and grapes are a tasty treat.”
Frozen berries are also delicious in smoothies or defrosted to top cereal, waffles or oatmeal.
Riffle recommended spreading washed berries in a single layer on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to freezer before placing them in freezer-safe containers.
“They freeze as individuals instead of one big blob,” Riffle explained.
He also suggested dehydrating produce for year-round use. Dehydrated fruit offers convenient, delicious nutrition year-round.