Summertime and the Living is Easy

George Gershwin had a way with words and there are no words more recognizable than the title of this blog . . . at least to those of us who are over 60 or someone who has listened to one of the more than 25,000 recordings that have been made of that song. But the real question remains, is the living really easier in the summer?

For those who have weathered a long winter of shoveling snow or driving on slick streets, summertime is a welcome relief. For all of us it’s a time to enjoy the warm weather and the promise of a vacation, especially given many of us have been robbed of our vacations over the last two years. It’s a time to come out from the shadow of the pandemic and begin to again live our lives unencumbered by a virus.

So, what do we do this summer to make the living easy? One thing you might think about is trying some new recipes. As we found ourselves eating at home more often due to the pandemic, we may have found that we got tired of the same old things. Some of us may have tried out the new cooking appliance, the air fryer. I’ve found it’s a great way to fry food without the mess of hot oil and it’s much healthier. If any of the eight air fryer meals below look interesting, you can get the recipes by clicking here.          

• Breakfast
• Hard “Boiled” Eggs
• Roasted Tomatoes
• Crispy Tofu
• Roasted Fish
• Snack Chips
• Leftovers
• Desserts

You also might have found some new ways to stay physically fit. Pickleball has caught on with the older crowd. The increasingly popular paddle sport, which has similarities to tennis and ping pong, has attracted 4.8 million U.S. players of all ages and fitness levels, according to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) report on pickleball. It doesn’t require an excess of running but keeps the participants moving and, most importantly, it gives us a reason to get out and get some exercise. I have friends who play almost every day, they all say it beats trying to force yourself to go to the gym and workout. Older adults are especially drawn to the fun sport: The SFIA report notes that among the 1.4 million “core” participants — defined as those who play at least eight times a year — 60 percent are 55 or older and more than 33.7 percent are 65 or older. Older people enjoy this sport because:

• The court is small enough that you don’t need to move much to hit the ball, especially if you’re playing doubles.
• The game encourages players to socialize.
• There’s less of the frustration factor that accompanies sports like golf.
• It’s designed to be carefree and fun.
• It’s inexpensive.

The great thing about this sport is it’s readily accessible. You can input your zip code on the USA Pickleball Association website to find out where to play near you. 

Finally, it seems we’ve found a sport, besides golf, that older people can play, and it no doubt is better exercise than riding around in a golf cart. You’re hearing this from a guy who loves to play golf but is going to give pickleball a try this summer.

Volunteering is another activity that you might find very rewarding. Helping someone else gets us out of looking inward at our own problems and allows us to focus on others. There is nothing more satisfying than giving of your time and skills to help someone else. Below are five non-profits that accept and need volunteers. Just click on their name to find out more about their organization.

• Canine Companions for Independence
• Feeding America
• Meals On Wheels
• National Park Service
• Senior Corps

I hope you can find something new and exciting to challenge yourself this summer and you do it while also keeping yourself healthy and safe. I’ve written past blogs about taking care of your skin and your eyes and your joints as you venture outdoors this summer. Do a quick search of my blogs if you need some good guidance in these areas. One little hint, you might take some time to do a little training before you venture out on your vacation. I just spent a week walking around and touring Boston and I found out pretty quickly that I wasn’t as ready for that much walking as I thought.

Finally, while we’re looking forward to this summer it’s not too early to start looking at Medicare open enrollment coming up this year. I’ve been working hard these last few months to catch up on the preventative screenings and checkups that I put off because of COVID-19 (don’t you hate the preparation required for the colonoscopy). Keep track of any health changes that have occurred this year so you can make an informed decision as you review your insurance coverage. Especially keep track of any new prescription medication you may now be taking.

Above all, get out this summer and try something new, and also try to get that George Gershwin song out of your head. I haven’t succeeded yet.

Best, Thair