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Celebrate Great Outdoor Month and National Trails Day on June 5th (the first Saturday in June)! Gather your residents that are able and willing and get them involved in a light hike. There are trails absolutely everywhere that you may not even know about! Check out the app All Trails and put in your zip code for a complete list of all hikes near you, including their length and level of intensity. Pick a light trail to make sure your residents are all able to complete it without issue. www.AllTrails.com Useful hiking tips for active seniors By Stef Zisovska Source: www.OutdoorRevival.com Hiking is the best outdoor activity for people from any generation. There are many out there that don’t like to accept it, but the fact is hiking rules. Also, there are many health benefits to be had if you practice it once a week. There is no need to mention that spending time in the wilderness and walking alongside fields, streams, and rivers is especially useful for active seniors who like to stay fit and keep themselves in a good and healthy condition. Why take dozens of pills and feel sick much of the time when you can resolve many physical issues for free while enjoying nature at the same time. Here are some useful hiking tips for elderly people who refuse to give up! Hike safely Before heading to your first hiking trail, consult your doctor about it and check for any ailments that might need to be addressed. As an active senior, it’s always better to go hiking early in the morning or in the afternoon when the temperatures are not too high and won’t affect your blood pressure. If you want to go alone, don’t forget to let your family or your neighbor know where it is that you’re going and when you expect to be back. Take plenty of water (at least 2 liters), protein bars, nuts, a safety whistle in case you get lost, a rain jacket (bright colors preferred), a cell phone (if you’re planning to hike near the city), first-aid kit, and an extra pair of socks. Dress appropriately Don’t try to be fancy or wear jeans on the trail. Hiking is an outdoor activity that requires a lot of effort and sweating, so go for working out clothes if possible. Dress in layers that can be stripped off. As for your feet, always wear sturdy tennis shoes if the terrain is not too demanding. Otherwise, good old hiking boots are what you need to have at home just in case you decide to climb a difficult route. Stretch before you start walking Always do some basic warm-up stretching exercises that will help your muscles prepare for the challenge. There are trails that may seem to be easy for you and you think no warm-up is needed, but that’s not the reality. No matter how old you are, you need to stretch all your muscles before starting any ascent, even the lowest hill in the world. Hike at your own pace Hiking is not racing, and there is absolutely no need for you to compete with anyone else from your group. The point of it is not who will finish the loop first, but who will enjoy it the most. So, don’t push yourself to do something that your body doesn’t like, but hike at your own pace. If you run into obstacles that you don’t feel ready for, just slow down, think twice, and if necessary go back and ask for help. Why force your body to do something that doesn’t suit it? Start with short hikes If you are a senior and you’ve never hiked before, no problem, as it’s never too late. What you need to be aware of is your watch. When starting out, try doing 30-minute to 1-hour hikes and see how you feel afterward. Do this twice a week and if you feel you’re gaining more strength, start adding 15 more minutes to each hike. Try hiking poles or a walking stick If you have problems with your balance, there is no reason for you to not be spending time in nature. Be brave, get hiking poles and go out there to conquer the beautiful landscapes that surround you. Hold your stick or poles so that your elbows are at a comfortable 90-degree angle. Share Tweet Share Pin Forward Celebrate National Doughnut Day (always first Friday in June)! To celebrate this fine day you could just make a doughnut spread on a food cart with some hot coffee. Or...if you work at facility where spirits are welcome, check out these unique doughnut and wine pairings for a fun twist on this beloved breakfast staple. Dunk Into National Doughnut Day With These Doughnut And Wine Pairings by:Jeff Licciardello Source: www.vinepair.com National Doughnut Day is finally upon us and you bet your bottom dollar we’re going to be celebrating at the VinePair office. While it is generally expected that you should pair a good cup of coffee with a doughnut, expectations are for people who don’t like Thai food and think that Times New Roman is the ONLY font acceptable for use. TAKE IT FROM US, ? BE LIKE THEM. Throw the expectations out the freaking window (literally throw your cup of coffee out the damn window) and get your corkscrew instead. We’ve matched classic doughnuts with their perfect vino. And before your boss even asks, yes, it’s acceptable to drink wine in the morning if there’s a doughnut attached to it. Obvi. Original Plain- Chardonay Old faithful doughnut, meet old faithful wine. The old fashioned doughnut is light and fluffy, but still rich and decadent. A lightly oaked or even an unoaked Chardonnay has extremely similar qualities but it’s the tropical notes that are going to take the plain doughnut to the next level. Glazed – Brut Champagne The one. The only. The classically glazed doughnut is a go-to for the morning masses. Because it’s very sweet, we’ve opted for a Brut Champagne that will still carry a touch of sugar, but won’t overpower the doughnut. Chocolate Frosted – Merlot What makes this doughnut so special is the fact that it’s a lighter base doughnut with an supremely divine chocolate topping. Take advantage of the sweet-cocoa flavors with a Merlot. It’s easy to drink (just like these damn doughnuts are easy to eat) and has enough spicy berry notes to tango with the chocolate. Strawberry Frosted – Rosé In my humble opinion, the strawberry frosted doughnut is the greatest doughnut to ever exist. Not only is it ICONIC, it’s sweet, fruity, and comes with sprinkles. WHO doesn’t like sprinkles? When you think pink with your doughnuts you need to think pink with the wine. A Rosé (Grenache is probably your best bet) is dry enough to not compete with the sugary frosting while delivering the floral notes this doughnut needs. It’s also Instagram ready, so what else could you ask for? Vanilla Frosted – Dry Riesling The vanilla frosted is the old-fashioned doughnut taken to the -nth degree of sweetness. Your ideal wine pairing here is something that has flavors to harmoniously blend with the vanilla but can still stand up to the excess sugar. A dry Riesling is just what the doughnut doctor ordered. Jelly – Malbec Depending on the doughnut shop you go to, the jelly-filled doughnut can be sweet, savory, or even somewhere in-between. Generally, you can expect a jelly doughnut to consist of red berry filling, thus we recommend a Malbec. Malbec has a lot of the darker berry flavors that can transform your plain raspberry filled doughnut into a mixed-berry masterpiece. Sour Cream – Prosecco An extremely underappreciated doughnut, the sour cream doughnut is irresistibly intoxicating. It’s on the heavier side so it needs a moderate amount of bubbles to cut through the fat. We recommend a Prosecco here because it has just enough sweetness to blend with the doughnut. Chocolate Cake – Cabernet Sauvignon A doughnut as deep and dark as the chocolate cake doughnut needs a wine that can stand by its side. Cabernet Sauvignon is this dougnut’s full-bodied match made in heaven because its dark fruity flavors can handle the death-by-chocolate-drama that the chocolate cake doughnut brings to the table. Blueberry – Pinot Grigio Another doughnut that isn’t as appreciated, the blueberry doughnut is actually set up to perfectly pair with a Pinot Grigio. The abundant lemon notes of the Pinot Grigio are the best complement to the heavy blueberry flavors from the blueberry doughnut. Apple Fritter/Cider Doughnut – Chenin Blanc Putting the debate of what actually makes a doughnut aside, the apple fritter is a favorite to many. Who can blame them, it’s sweet, slightly tart, and even has a subtle cinnamon spice. It’s basically fall in a doughnut and there’s only one wine we’re thinking of that would complement this perfectly – Chenin Blanc. A Chenin Blanc is the long lost twin of the apple fritter with its tropical flavors, splash of apple notes, and tang. Boston Cream – Extra-Brut Champagne Last but certainly not least, the Boston cream doughnut is as full-flavored as they come. This handheld version of the Boston cream pie is so heavenly rich, it needs a dry wine full of bubbles to slice right through the pastry cream. Thankfully, an Extra-Brut Champagne is up for the job. Share Tweet Share Pin Forward Celebrate Best Friends Day on June 8th! In honor of this Best Friends Day, we have created a Memory Dive worksheet that focuses on 'My Childhood Best Friend'. Click the link to grab your FREE copy! Free Memory Dive Worksheet Share Tweet Share Pin Forward Dad's lessons will always be better, though. Share Tweet Share Pin Forward Activity Directors Network was founded in 1996 on the idea that we could help create elderly care that dramatically improved the lives of those we all serve. We envision facilities that feel like homes and that celebrate our resident’s individuality and allows them to live with dignity, purpose and joy. We believe the exchange of education and wisdom between the most talented teachers and passionate students is the way to make an impact. Each and every single one of you are the revolution that is changing everything. Thanks for being a part of The Network. Copyright © 2021 Activity Directors Network, LLC All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 2010 US HWY 190 W Ste 120 Livingston, Texas 77351