There are so many benefits of staying active in your senior years. From keeping the brain sharp to avoiding the risk of isolation, an engaged and active lifestyle is pivotal for healthy aging. If you are trying to keep busy or are caring for aging parents who need support in keeping active, keeping the calendar full of fun activities can be a challenge.
Benefits of Socialization
Improved mental health
Sense of belonging
Increased self-esteem
Reduced risk of dementia
Nobody is arguing about the benefits. These have been well-proven and widely accepted throughout the aging community. The struggle lies in how to keep a schedule filled with meaningful activities. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing.
Engaging Activities for Seniors
- Flower Arranging
- Puzzles
- Cooking
- Exercise
- Educational opportunities
- Nursery visits
- Hand massages/manicures
1. Full of fresh air and sunshine, flower arranging is its own reward.
Spending a little time with your hands in the dirt is the prescription for a good day! You can start with planting bulbs and grow from there. Whether you cut some buds from the garden, find a field of flowers, or get a bouquet from the grocery store, flower arranging is a peaceful way to spend time.
2. Let your mind stay active with puzzles of any size.
Due to being inexpensive and reusable, puzzles became very popular during the Great Depression (1930s) and again after World War II. It wasn’t unusual for families to join around a table and complete a puzzle together. Even now, who doesn’t like to sit down without the constant distraction of social media and conquer a puzzle, one piece at a time?
Types of Puzzles
Picture
Woodblock
Shapes
A senior living with arthritis may appreciate the easy-to-grip pieces of a woodblock puzzle while an individual with dementia may still get enjoyment from time spent solving a geometric shape puzzle. Whether it’s a word puzzle that can be read aloud or a 1,000-piece cardboard puzzle with a fabulous city scene, puzzles are a great way to spend time stimulating the mind.
3. From start to finish, cooking is a good way to stay active.
Healthy aging is more than popping a meal in the microwave. A cooking activity only starts with choosing a recipe. Next comes a trip to the grocery store (farmer’s market, anyone?) to choose the ingredients, taking in the sights of a colorful produce department, and delighting in the smells of the bakery. And finally, preparing the meal – one step at a time – and reminiscing about cooking for family gatherings and special occasions.
Depending on the senior, some steps of a cooking activity may require extra support. You can employ the help of a private duty caregiver, or grocery delivery service, or dedicate a little extra time with an aging parent. No matter their level of ability, focusing on the positive social aspects of preparing a good meal enhances the benefits of this activity.
4. Is there a better way to stay active than good, old-fashioned exercise?
Pick the activity that you enjoy most and stick to it. There is an appropriate exercise activity for any level of ability. You can mix up daily walks with stretching, chair yoga, and mild aerobics to keep muscles limber and increase balance.
Easy Exercises for Seniors
Yoga
Tai chi
Chair exercises
Resistance bands
The most important exercise for seniors is squats. Keeping your core and thigh muscles strong is key for every time you sit down and stand up. If you can’t stand up, you can’t exercise – so try standing up and sitting down 10 times in a row, at least three times a day.
5. Help your brain stay active with educational opportunities.
There are wonderful ways for older adults to stimulate their brains. A thirst for knowledge is never quenched and seniors can attend lectures, art classes, and dance instruction, either in-person or online. Local senior centers host a robust calendar of lively activities beyond Bingo and offer a meaningful opportunity for socialization as well as learning something new.
Fun Educational Opportunities
Library book clubs
TED Talks
Online learning
Travel to Ireland or learn how to draw with colored pencils – all from your couch or kitchen table! AARP offers a Virtual Community Center with a schedule jam-packed with great activities that can be done from home. Want to increase social engagement? Invite friends over to enjoy an online presentation and have a follow-up discussion over lemonade.
6. Spend some time with nature at your local nursery.
Spending time outdoors is good for your physical and mental health. You breathe deeper, reducing stress levels which in turn reduces your heart rate and muscle tension – all good, good things. Wandering around a nursery engages all the senses – making meaningful connections within the brain resulting in an elevated mood.
If you need room for a wheelchair, find a nursery with wide paths. For a walker, areas of smooth surface. Most local nurseries will strive to accommodate individuals of varying abilities for the chance to share the beauty of plants, trees, and flowers with anyone willing to venture through.
7. A good hand massage feels good and has health benefits, too.
The benefits of massage therapy are well documented. Just having hands massaged can reduce the pain associated with several health conditions including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuropathy. All those health benefits and it just plain feels good, too!
Whether you spend the afternoon at a spa or schedule a little massage and manicure at home, this activity is great for a rainy day or when you just don’t feel like going out. Some days “staying active” means a little self-care, and there are few better activities than a hand massage and a nice chat with a friend. This totally portable pastime is perfect for taking to the park so you can combine sunshine and pampering for a memorable afternoon.
Staying Active Takes Time to Plan
It is important for mental health that seniors stay active in old age. A feeling of productivity – waking up each day with something to do – is foundational for healthy aging. If you know an older adult that is in danger of isolation because they struggle to plan their own activities, it’s important to support them in staying social.
Many primary caregivers work, making it challenging to also manage their aging parents’ social calendar. Give them the gift of socialization and an activity coordinator all in one with a private duty caregiver. A private caregiver can help the senior plan and schedule their day, as well as provide transportation when needed to keep them engaged in the community.
Juggling social calendars is hard. Let Private Duty Home Care help your aging loved on stay active. Read more about the ways private duty caregivers keep seniors engaged in activities in the Resources Section of our Blog.