Century Park Blog

With warm weather, sunshine, and plenty of outdoor activities, the summer season offers many opportunities to improve your overall health and wellness – and perhaps even cross a few items off your summer bucket list at the same time!

Here are a few research-backed summer wellness tips and ideas to boost your physical, mental, nutritional, financial, and social health at home and in the workplace this summer.

1. Have Fun (or Just Relax) in the Sun

Get outdoors often, even if just to relax in a hammock or chaise lounger. If possible, seek opportunities to work outdoors. For example, if your workplace has an outdoor break area, you could work from your laptop at a patio table.

2. … But Don’t Forget your Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must-have in the summer, even on overcast days since UV rays can penetrate the clouds.

3. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is critical to staying well during the summer months. According to Harvard Health, proper hydration offers multiple benefits, from carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells and aiding digestion to normalizing blood pressure and regulating body temperature.

4. Adopt a Daily Stretching Routine

Regular stretching offers many benefits, including improved flexibility, better balance, and injury prevention.

5. Go for Daily Walks

Walking is one of the most beneficial summer wellness tips we can offer. Per the National Heart Association, walking at a brisk pace for at least 150 minutes a week helps you think and feel better.

6. Fire Up Healthy Grilling Recipes

Summer BBQs are a favorite activity. However, fatty meats and sugary sauces can have negative health consequences. This year, enjoy summer cookouts with a wellness twist and look for healthier grilling recipes instead.

7. Do a Digital Detox

It’s tough to avoid screen time when we’re cooped up indoors all winter long, but summer provides the perfect opportunity for a digital detox. Benefits include: better focus and productivity, reduced anxiety, and better sleep.

A digital detox also frees time to spend with your friends and family and on your favorite non-screen activities.

8. Try a New Sport or Activity

Summer is the perfect season to try a new sport or activity, which can boost personal wellness via physical, mental, and social benefits. Ideas include:

• Swimming laps or just going to the pool with your kids
• Hiking
• Pickleball
• Disc golf
• Kayaking
• Outdoor yoga

9. Meditate Daily

Meditation offers a myriad of wellness benefits, and during the summer, you can meditate outdoors to immerse yourself in the sun’s warmth and the sounds of the season.

10. Watch the Sunrise and Sunset

Studies have shown that watching sunrises and sunsets can trigger a feeling of awe, which in turn can improve your mood, foster positive emotions, and promote social behavior – all valuable factors in enhancing overall wellbeing.

11. Read Summer Books

Studies have shown that reading stimulates neural pathways in the brain, improving memory and cognitive function. Reading can also reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve the quality of your sleep.

12. Start a Garden

Gardening is a fantastic way to get daily exercise and makes it easy to improve your diet with fresh, pesticide-free vegetables. It can also contribute to financial wellness, as it’s cheaper to grow your food than buy it at the store.

13. Travel

Summer is known as vacation season, but did you know traveling offers wellness benefits? According to Harvard Business Review, traveling can:

• Unclutter your mind and boost creativity
• Reduce stress
• Improve your mood

14. Volunteer

Volunteering is a meaningful activity that also contributes to your wellness. According to South Dakota State University, volunteering benefits include better physical health, reduced anxiety and depression, a sense of purpose, and cultivating relationships.

15. Get Your ZZZ’s

As activity-packed as summer is, it’s still important to get your sleep. Most people should aim for seven hours of sleep each night, as sleep restores your body’s cells and removes toxins.