Great Hobbies to Keep the Elderly Active and Healthy

Many people look for ways to stay healthy and young even as they age. This is even more important for elderly people who have lost mobility or don’t have time to spend hours being physically active anymore. The elderly are more prone to aging once they stop being active and this includes keeping the mind busy.

Just because someone is older, doesn’t mean that they cannot do the same activities and hobbies they have always loved. They just have to find ways to continue doing what they love. Here are a few great hobbies that the elderly can adopt to stay young and healthy, both in body and mind.

Outdoor Activities

Everyone knows the importance of getting enough vitamin D every day, and this can easily be achieved by going outdoors. Sitting outside in the sun for just a few minutes a day has been shown to greatly improve depression and anxiety. Whether you enjoy gardening or taking walks, there are ways to keep yourself active and feeling younger by engaging with nature.

Start a small garden and tend to it every day, or make it a point to read your favorite book in the sun. You will get tons of fresh air while reducing any stress you may have. The sun can do wonders for everyone.

Stimulate Creativity

Drawing or painting is normally reserved for artists, but research shows that creative activities can help with both emotional and physical issues. It is a fun way to spend your time, as well as increase muscle function for those with limited mobility. Being creative doesn’t mean sticking to a canvas and paintbrush though.

Creative activities can be making a new scrapbook with the best memories someone has or learning a new language. Anything that stimulates the brain helps to keep neural pathways healthy by keeping them in constant use. Many assisted living facilities will offer a variety of activities. Places such as Spring Meadows Trumbull CT have libraries and plenty of entertainment options available. As soon as a person stops learning or using their mind, they start to lose functionality.

Games

It’s all too common for a young person to be caught playing video games, but did you know that there are more gamers over the age of 55 than there were 10 years ago? Playing interactive games, whether it be online role-playing or a weekly game of Scrabble, has been shown to significantly stimulate all areas of the brain.

Playing 3D video games can help boost your memory performance by 12%, and is the perfect activity for anyone older than 50 years of age. As we age, our brains don’t function as well as when we’re teenagers. All types of games can help to improve this, and even combat the early stages of dementia.

The elderly population needs to have regular communication and activities in their lives as they age. This includes having visitors often and engaging in hobbies that they enjoy. It is equally important to have some downtime though by watching movies or listening to your favorite music. Just be sure to remain as active as you possibly can.

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