Tips on Keeping Seniors Active & Engaged All Day

As seniors age, it’s important to keep them engaged through physical and mental activities. Encouraging a variety of activities and stimuli can prevent loneliness, depression, and feelings of anxiousness. It also keeps the brain sharp!  Here are a few tips to keep seniors active throughout the day.

Physical Activities

When many talk about becoming more active, they mostly mean working out in the gym.  However, other low impact physical activities such as walks in the park and gardening are great places to start. Yoga classes, swimming, and even dancing are fun ways to get the body up and moving. There are a variety of safety measures available to keep all seniors safe while enjoying the benefits of physical movement. 

Hobbies

Encouraging seniors to take up an old, forgotten hobby or discovering a new one is a fantastic way to keep the mind engaged. Journaling, scrapbooking, knitting, and painting are hobbies allow an opportunity for creativity and mental freedom that inspires joy. Discovering or re-discovering their interests can improve their overall mental and physical wellbeing. 

Volunteering

Volunteerism offers many ways for seniors to get involved in their community and support nonprofit efforts that resonates with them. The number of volunteer opportunities available to seniors is broad. The first step is to identify a cause or an organization that they care about and contact an agency to see if it’s a good fit. Volunteer options are plentiful but could include reading to children at the local library, helping with a food pantry, caring for animals in a shelter, or supporting a local Red Cross blood drive, and more. 

Teams and Clubs

Aging loved ones often believe that activities they once loved are inaccessible to them now. Reengaging them in these activities can drastically improve their quality of life. They can participate in playing card leagues, bowling leagues, golf leagues, and more. There are also a number of clubs that can be attractive to seniors and give them an opportunity to develop new friendships.

Take a Class

It’s never too late to learn a new skill! There are an endless number of classes seniors can take to broaden their horizons and learn something new. Many seniors are interested in computer classes so to help them connect with their families and explore the Internet. Art, music, and theater classes are also extremely popular. Whichever class a senior engages in gives them the opportunity to improve their confidence, memory, and reasoning skills, as well as strengthen new and old relationships. 

To ensure physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, seniors should engage in physical and creative activities. At Penn Village Adult Daycare, our team work to provide the best senior activities in Philadelphia. Contact us today for more information on our programs.

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