As we get older, we get tired easily and activities seem tedious, and we tend to become couch potatoes and only turn on the television to watch this. However, having a leisure activity or doing an action can keep you in a good mental and physical state. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and find out some of the activities that seniors can do to keep themselves healthy.
1. Walk and enjoy nature
After being stuck at home during the winter, who doesn’t appreciate the mild temperatures of spring and a good breath of fresh air? For seniors, who are often more vulnerable to the cold, the beautiful days are finally an opportunity to get out for the pleasure of getting fresh air and admiring nature.
Walking is one of the most recommended physical activities for seniors. It reduces the risks of disease and muscle loss associated with a sedentary lifestyle. A good hour’s walk a day in the neighborhood, in a nearby park, or by going further afield with hikes in the forest allows seniors to stay in shape, fill up on vitamin D and maintain their autonomy.
2. Cultural and leisure activities for seniors
Find a common passion that you share with your elderly loved one and do it together. If they are an art lover, you can visit galleries and museums together. You can invite them to the theater, a concert, an exhibition, a movie, paint, and do pottery at her home or in a suitable place. If they love basketball, invite them from time to time to attend games with you.
Cultural activities are very enjoyable and allow the elderly to socialize again because they tend to become more withdrawn as they age. If the senior is limited in what they can do, watch one or more movies at home instead.
3. Activities for older people with manual skills
Gardening, cooking, sewing target a manual activity that brings you closer to the senior and suggests that you do it during your visit to their home. These are activities that this person used to practice and enjoy. As they age, the desire to do so may disappear. For example, if you choose to cook, they need to be involved from the beginning.
If possible, shop together for your recipe. You’ll learn grandma’s recipes and tricks in return. You can also do some gardening on a Sunday morning and have them tell you some memories of her childhood and youth. In addition to the pride that she will feel from the realization of this activity, the practice allows this person to move and to know that she is still capable of doing beautiful things.
4. Gardening outdoors or in the house
Gardening is beneficial for seniors who are still independent enough to bend down and work the soil. For seniors whose mobility is more limited, gardening is far from out of the question. Spring is often the season to renew annual plants.
Regardless of the size of your home or nursing home room, you can always grow potted plants if you don’t know anything about gardening. On the contrary, growing plants in pots are often the perfect way to start!
A good gardening guide or some research on the Internet, possibly with the help of your grandchildren who will love this way of enriching your relationship with them, will allow you to know everything about growing herbs, houseplants and why not a bonsai?
5. Activities to introduce or familiarize you with new technologies
This is something that is especially helpful today because of the current pandemic, and this can allow you t communicate with your loved ones without leaving your home or even if you aren’t in the same country or continent. Nowadays, almost all administrative procedures can be done online.
The elderly can use the new technology to perform several operations, entertain themselves, or contact their relatives. But many do not know how to use it or at least do not use it. You can take advantage of your visit to introduce them to the Internet and the use of a smartphone.
If they are already familiar with it, help them get acquainted with the new technology. You can show them how to exchange via social networks, do research, consult information sites for seniors, and download applications, games, and activities for seniors. Play an addictive senior game together, one that will keep them constantly searching for information, thinking, etc.
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