Do you feel as though the elderly person in your life has slumped into a bit of a daily rut? Keeping both physically and mentally active is important for all ages, particularly as you age.
Since it is not uncommon for elderly adults to fall into a routine that will harm their mental health and dull the spirits, you must do everything you can to fill their life with purpose and meaning.
One of the ways that you can do this is through engaging activities for seniors. But what elderly activities are there?
In this article, we’ll share nine different activities for elderly people.
1. Gardening
If you are looking for elderly activity ideas, then gardening is a useful activity as it works on many levels.
On one hand, it gets your elderly loved one out of the house and into the fresh air.
Gardening requires some physical exercise, however, there are plenty of tasks that don’t require too much strenuous activity if your loved one has limited mobility. Tasks such as seed placement and watering require minimal exertion.
Gardening is great for mental wellbeing too. Planting flowers or fruit and vegetables and watching them grow helps create a sense of purpose.
2. Walking and Other Forms of Exercise
Regular exercise is important to your elderly loved one’s physical health. One of the best forms of exercise is walking. Having a destination and some walking companions is important as this will help your loved one with their mental health.
Walking helps create endorphins that make you feel good. It also helps to get the blood flowing and keeps an elderly person fit.
Think about signing your loved one up for some exercise classes. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in organized activities such as yoga, aerobics, themed crosswords, tai chi, and more.
If the elderly person in your life has limited mobility, there may be specially designed classes at the best senior living community that are suited to those who are chair-bound.
If your elderly loved one is not able to leave the house, then you may also want to consider using exercise videos.
3. Reading and Writing
If the senior in your life is a lover of books, magazines, and newspapers, make sure that you provide them with plenty of reading material.
If they enjoy fiction, they could also join a book club. This is a great social activity based around a pastime that will keep them very mentally active.
Your elderly loved one may also appreciate writing too. Writing short stories, poetry, or articles is a great way of keeping the mind active and it gets the creative juices flowing. It is also something that can add a sense of purpose to someone’s day.
4. Take a Higher Learning Course
If your elderly loved one is at all academic or has a yearning to develop their skills in any way, taking a course in further or higher education could be for them. This is an excellent way to maintain alertness and to engage with the world around them.
Many local community centers will provide learning opportunities too and you may also find suitable courses at a community college or even being run by a senior living community.
5. Volunteering
If you are looking to help create a sense of purpose in your elderly loved ones’ life, you could help them find a volunteering opportunity. There are no shortages in ways that the senior in your life can volunteer.
This might mean cooking meals at the local shelter, knitting raffle or sewing clothes for homeless people, or making items for a charity raffle.
6. Try Cooking and Baking
Maybe your loved one is a bit of a foodie at heart. Encourage them to get involved in planning and preparing meals, as well as baking.
Cooking and baking requires patience, energy, and will keep your loved one mentally active. Cooking also requires creativity and is a great way of engaging a person’s passions.
7. Take Up Dancing
There are many reasons why dancing is a great activity that your elderly loved one may want to take up. Firstly, it is a great way of getting exercise. There are lots of different types of dancing, and you can find a dance that matches your loved one’s physical abilities.
Music-centered activities are great for elderly people with dementia or any other cognitive impairments.
Music and dance is also a great way to get your loved one reminiscing about their youth.
8. Get Crafting
Get your loved one into the artistic spirit with some crafting. Getting creative is a great way of stimulating the brain and some of the best senior activities are things like drawing and painting, knitting or sewing, sculpting, or they could even try their hand at pottery.
Many older people enjoy having the time and freedom to pursue creative hobbies and interests. Many crafts can also be done as part of a group or on your own, meaning that there is scope for social engagement too.
9. Do Puzzles and Play Games
Senior games and puzzles are a great source of fun and enjoyment. From puzzles you can do on your own such as jigsaws, crosswords, and sudoku, to games that you can play with other people such as cards, chess, or Scrabble; there are plenty of options to choose from.
What Are Your Favorite Activities for Seniors?
Keeping mentally and physically active is important as you get older. For this reason, you must fill your time with plenty of fun activities. If you are a relative or caregiver, create a fun program of activities to keep your loved one engaged.
With so many different options to choose from, what are your favorite activities for seniors?
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