Your parents need to get up and be active. Their sedentary lifestyle impacts their health. Their last doctor’s appointment found their blood pressure is too high, and they're overweight. If they don't change their habits, their heart disease, diabetes, and stroke risks increase.
Their doctor told your parents to walk at least half an hour each day. How do you make a daily walk more appealing to them?
Choose Different Locations
A daily walk is tedious if you're always walking the same route. Mix it up. Take your parents to different locations when you can. If they typically walk up and down their street every day, take them to a local park to walk on the nature paths once a week.
Once a month, gather the family and go to a state park to walk on the easy trails. If you need paths that are groomed, you'll find listings for ADA-accessible routes on the internet.
Make Sure They Have Comfortable Walking Shoes
If they go for a walk and their shoes pinch their feet, they're not going to want to walk. Make sure they have supportive, comfortable shoes. Walking sneakers are ideal for everyday walks, but you should consider hiking shoes if your parents are in the woods a lot.
Have their feet measured to ensure you're buying the correct width and size. Once you find a shoe that your parents love, stick with that style and brand.
Purchase a Treadmill
It's hard to go for a walk when it's cold or raining. Invest in a treadmill to ensure your parents can walk when they want.
Set up the treadmill near a TV or have a tablet available to make it less tedious. Your parents can walk while watching a walking tour of a city, nature trail, or scenic attraction.
Turn it into a Family Outing
Instead of walking alone, try to get others in the family to join your parents for walks every week. If you can walk with them on Monday and Friday and your brother can on Saturday and Sunday, they'll enjoy spending time with you.
You could take one day each month to meet up as a family and go for a walk together at a historic site. When the weather is nice, bring a picnic and go on day trips that involve a lot of physical activity.
Support Them with Companionship the Rest of the Week
Have you looked into the benefits of having elder care aides with your parents throughout the week? You'll free up some time for yourself to enjoy social activities with your friends. But, you're not leaving your parents alone.
With the help of an elder care aide, your parents get up, go outside, and enjoy an active lifestyle. Call an expert in elder care to get started.