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Senior Activities

When it comes to aging, our bodies start to change and begin to operate not like how they used to. For example, when you’re young, you’re able to go for a run, lift weights, or do any form of exercise all within an hour or so. However, when you continue to age, that begins to change.  For example, you may not be able to run like you used to, or remember things as well as you could either. That is why it is extremely important for people, especially seniors, to partake in regular physical or mentally stimulating activities to improve their overall health. In this blog post, we will be discussing a couple of things that seniors can implement to help maintain their physical fitness and mental stability. 

Social Interaction

Social interaction is an essential part of human nature. Apart from keeping the mind active, or distracted from unwanted thoughts, social interaction provides some important health benefits to seniors. According to an article written by A.G. Rhodes Senior Care organization, social interaction can reduce the risk of dementia, or reduce an extensive range of physical problems like blood pressure, and arthritis. As for myself, I have seen seniors’ health improve from social interaction and it is honestly quite amazing. A dear friend of mine has a relative with dementia who currently resides in a long-term care home and has been visiting them regularly. Since they started visiting their relatives, the relative’s overall memory improved as they were able to recognize my friend more easily.

However, it is common for some seniors to live on their own, and can become isolated. There are many ways for seniors to avoid isolation and engage in social activities. Such activities include:

–       Weekly get-togethers with friends or family

–       Game nights playing board games or bingo

–       joining an active club (book club, gardening club, baking club, etc.).

–       Exercise

–       Animal therapy

–       Group walks

–       Movie night

These are just some of the activities seniors can do to be engaged with each other socially. Now, if you are unable to do some of these activities because you have a mobility issue, that’s okay! Many senior-driven social activities have accommodations so that everyone can join and everyone can have fun!

Mental Stimulation 

         Our minds are important, and if we do not exercise them regularly, they will slowly start to decline, especially for the elderly. Much like social interaction, mental stimulation is also extremely important for seniors, as it also reduces the risks of dementia or cognitive decline. According to an article written by Comfort Home Care Practicing The Importance of Mental Stimulation for The Elderly, mental stimulation can help seniors maintain a healthy level of awareness, attention, perception, memory, and reasoning. Mental simulation does not have to be a complex activity, yet can be something simple like solving a puzzle.

Below are some activities that seniors can partake in that’ll help with mental stimulation and will assist with :

–       Board Games

–       Chess

–       Puzzles

–       Reading

–       Baking/cooking

–       Painting or drawing

These can assist in stimulating and maintaining a person’s cognitive ability. Some other simple activities can help like writing lists, journaling, or having a friendly conversation with a family member or friend.

Physical Activities 

No matter what age demographic you currently reside in, you should always be doing some form of physical activity to keep yourself healthy and in shape. Now if you are someone who is over the age of 60, you may not be able to do as many physical activities as someone in their thirties. Not to worry, there are still some things that you can do to keep yourself in shape! According to the CDC, seniors aged 65 and older should spend at least two and a half hours a week exercising or doing some form of

physical activity. For example, you could do a light jog, or go for a walk. It’s been known that seniors who maintain a healthy active schedule throughout their week have improved their balance, and muscle strength.

Other exercises you could do would be:

–          Water aerobics

–          Swimming

–          Chair yoga

–          Resistance band workouts

–          Pilates

–          Body weight workouts

–          Dumbbell strength training 

Now, with some of these exercises (dumbbell strength and bodyweight workouts), you do not have to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger lifting weights well over 270 pounds. Do what you can and lift what feels best for you. The important thing is to keep being active and maintain a healthy lifestyle for your age. 

         It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, no matter how old you are. Following these simple tips, seniors can implement weekly/daily activities that can either improve their physical fitness or mental health. Regularly engaging in social interactions can help you lower the risk of dementia, and reduce overall stress levels. Stimulating your brain can also help reduce the same issues but more actively or independently. Finally, exercising can also help maintain and improve your physical health and help you feel better overall.

For more information and other Everlively blog posts, visit us at www.everlivelyhhc.ca 

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