Often when we talk about senior health, our first thought turns to physical health. And it makes sense – seniors manage their own unique set of health concerns. As the body changes, so do your needs.
But physical health and mental health are more interconnected than you might expect. In fact, it’s estimated that about 20% of seniors deal with mental health issues like depression, anxiety and more. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of because all aspects of your health and well-being matter.
An important component to mental health and healthy aging is keeping active and busy. Having regular hobbies, especially during retirement, is not only fun but contributes to an overall sense of peace, belonging and connection to others. Here are some fun activity ideas to explore and the positive ways they can impact your overall health and happiness.
Hobbies and activities for staying physically active
We all know exercise is an important part of staying healthy, but it gets even more important as you age. It’s estimated that around 1 in 4 older Americans aren’t getting the regular exercise they need. And this can put mental and overall health at risk.
In fact, seniors should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to hit the gym. There are plenty of fun ways you can stay fit after 60. Hobbies centered around physical activity can help:
- Reduce your risk of developing many chronic diseases, like heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes
- Boost cognitive function and decrease risk of dementia
- Increase bone strength and overall musculoskeletal health
- Improve sleep quality
- Lessen risk of depression and anxiety
Let’s take a look at some fun hobbies that’ll help you get moving – some may surprise you!
Gardening
Studies suggest that gardening is a great way for seniors to get exercise. The more physical components of gardening, like lifting and squatting, can be beneficial for core strength and muscle building. But gardening can also be gentle and slow – all at your own pace. If you’ve got mobility limitations, there are plenty of devices and tools (like stools, kneeling aids and raised beds) available to help ensure motions are minimized or done safely and efficiently. If you don’t have the space to start a small garden or would like to make gardening a group activity, you can look into your local community garden.
Low-impact dance
Certain types of low-impact dance, like Zumba, can help improve your cardiovascular health, blood flow, mobility and balance. Not only is Zumba a great way to get moving, but you can also do this kind of exercise at home by following along with a video or online class. If you’d like a more social setting, you can join a class or group through your local senior center or park district.
Walking
Regularly walking can help strengthen your muscles, decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes, strengthen your bones and reduce blood pressure. Also, you’ll get a chance to get out into your community and explore for free. For many people, walking is a good solo activity, but you can also join a walking group if you like chatting while you stroll.
Yoga
Yoga is a mind-and-body practice that involves stretching and balance. It’s known to improve mobility and flexibility, reduce blood pressure and ease chronic pain like lower back pain. When getting started, look into basic or beginner’s yoga – there are many inexpensive options. You might even find classes offering specialized versions like chair yoga for seniors with special mobility needs or gentle yoga that focuses on stretching and sitting.
Fishing
Although fishing can be a relaxing outdoor activity, it boasts a lot of surprising fitness benefits, too. With all that casting and reeling, it can be a full-body workout. Fishing engages different muscle groups, especially in your upper body and core, providing a fun, low-impact form of exercise that can increase heart rate and boost cardiovascular health.
Swimming or water workout
Swimming is a great low-impact physical activity for seniors, and injury risks are lower than other forms of exercise. Moving in the water can engage all your muscle groups, offering a full-body workout without risk of straining your joints. Swimming and water aerobics are both great for heart health, improving circulation and lowering blood pressure.
Golfing
While golf is often thought of as a slow, relaxing game, it also hosts a slew of physical health benefits. Golf involves a lot of walking, even if you’re using a cart to get around, and as we know, regular walking is a great way to get your blood flowing. Studies suggest golf can also be good for building upper body strength, reinforcing your core and improving lung strength.
Explore creative hobbies: Arts and crafts for seniors
It’s always fun to get creative, and for seniors, having more creative hobbies can be a huge boost to mental and emotional well-being. Engaging in regular creative activities may improve immune function and have positive impacts on mental health conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety.
Plus, having a creative hobby you love can encourage the brain’s release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in your brain that’s associated with pleasure. And although many creative hobbies may be solitary, they can still contribute to social health – especially when you find other seniors in your community who enjoy the same creative activities you do. And even better? Hobbies can help you structure your days. This is especially important for new retirees who are much more likely to experience the retirement blues.
Common creative hobbies include:
- Woodworking
- Art and painting
- Crafting
- Crochet or knitting
- Greeting card making
You can usually get started very easily with creative hobbies – maybe with a reference book or an online class. You can also check with your local senior center or online groups to get started. There are many different social media sites where craft enthusiasts have started big groups devoted to their favorite hobby – places where fellow craftspeople can get together and share their work, complete group projects or offer each other support. So even if you can’t get out as much, you can still get that social element, sharing your interest with others.
Easy activities for boosting cognitive function
As we age, the brain, much like the rest of the body, changes. The frontal cortex, the part of your brain that manages memory storage, self-control and muscle control, begins to restructure. It’s just a normal part of aging.
However, because of these changes, seniors are more likely to experience decreased blood flow to the brain, reduced neuro communication and inflammation. This is why it's normal to experience forgetfulness, maybe taking a bit more time to recall specific words or a name, when you get older.
In general, it’s not something to be too concerned about. Plus, there are cognitive benefits to aging. Studies suggest that seniors have better vocabularies and often better understandings of depths of words than younger people.
And no matter what age you are, you’re always able to harness new cognitive skills and improve on those you already have, whether for problem solving or memory. It all helps keep your brain healthy.
Crossword puzzling
Crossword puzzles, especially more difficult ones, offer quite a workout for your brain. Regular puzzling can boost cognitive function, engaging different areas of the brain that can help you think through new connections, exercise memory function, improve your vocabulary and help you link together different concepts. And the best part is that crossword puzzles are easy to find in your daily newspaper, a crossword puzzle book you pick up in line at the pharmacy or online with an app.
Reading
Whether you’re all about fiction or non-fiction, the benefits of reading are far-reaching. Reading is such a brain-stimulating activity that it’s been shown to slow down cognitive and memory decline as we age. It can also boost your vocabulary and increase empathy – both things that impact how you see and interact with the world.
Reading can also be a social activity. Look to your local library to see what kind of book club activities they offer. And if getting out and about is difficult for you, you can join different book clubs on social media with other seniors. This way you can meet new people and chat about the books you love.
Meditation
Through meditation, people utilize different mindfulness techniques to achieve mental clarity and emotional calm. It’s often used to treat and manage anxiety or depression, but it’s also known to help sharpen your concentration skills. Meditation is something you can practice by yourself at home in quiet moments. If you’re just getting started, look to guided meditation routines available online, for instance on YouTube or through relaxation apps.
Trivia games
In addition to improving your memory, trivia games are also a great way to help keep your mind sharp and alert. Trivia can help fine tune your problem-solving skills and sharpen your ability to recall information quickly, and it’s also a fun way to learn new things. You can join a local trivia league by looking at senior organizations online, or you can even investigate fun trivia games online to play with friends and family.
Playing cards
Rummy, solitaire, canasta, pinochle – it doesn’t matter what kind of game you like to play most, because they all have their benefits. Card games can help keep the mind quick and active, encouraging you to think strategically, analyze situations and make quick decisions. Plus, there’s a fair bit of math involved with cards, improving your cognitive skills and mental sharpness through logical reasoning, problem solving and critical thinking.
Sudoku
Sudoku is a numbers-based puzzle where you must fill a grid with different numbers from 1 to 9. Every puzzle is different, and it’s up to you to figure out the code. Sudoku is well known for being a fun, easy way to enhance mental agility, concentration and pattern recognition. Sudoku and crossword puzzling are often seen as two sides of the same coin, with both being fun, simple mind-sharpening exercises to add to your daily routine.
Take a class
Lifelong learning is an important rule to live by no matter your age. There are many educational classes and offerings from community colleges and universities that allow seniors to participate either in person or online. Studies suggest that learning a new skill helps adult brains form neural connections which boost the efficacy of your brain circuits. And it doesn’t matter what interests you the most – you can learn a new language, take a dive into history or explore your more creative side with the arts.
For seniors in Minnesota, the University of Minnesota offers a Senior Citizen Education program for state residents over the age of 62. You can enroll in courses for $10 a credit or you can audit select classes for free.
The benefits of social activities for seniors
When you look at your daily routine, how often do you spend time with loved ones and friends? Regular social interaction and feeling connected to the people around you have long-term health benefits.
Almost a quarter of American seniors experience social isolation. This may not seem like such a big deal if you like spending time by yourself, but lacking social interactions and feeling disconnected from loved ones or community can take a toll on mental and physical health. Studies suggest it can put you at a higher risk of experiencing dementia, heart disease and even stroke.
People need each other – and it’s okay to need each other. We get more joy and support going through life together. And there are plenty of fun hobbies and activities you can adopt that help you find other people in a way you enjoy.
Many seniors find value in joining sports leagues, volunteering, participating in community-based recreational activities like walking groups or chess in the park, and taking new courses and classes.
How to get started: Create a monthly activity calendar
Before starting any hobby, it’s important to consider your needs. Do you want to be more physically active? Are you looking for more social interaction? Asking these questions can help you whittle down your options to something that best suits your lifestyle, interests and health needs.
For instance, before starting a hobby that’s more physically demanding, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor before jumping in. They’ll be able to factor in your medical history, possible injury risks and overall health benefits to help you find a physical activity that works for you.
It’s also important to consider your finances. Some hobbies are more expensive than others. For instance, if you’re looking to join a tennis league, getting the gear you need may be more expensive than expected. However, you can access something like crossword puzzling easily and for a low price. Before looking into new hobbies, set yourself a budget.
If you’re not sure where to start, look to the seasons. Different hobbies are best suited for specific times of year. Maybe you try swimming at the public pool in the summer, but when winter rolls around, you tuck in for some crocheting. Starting an activity calendar full of hobbies you’d like to try during different seasons may help – and you’ll have the plus of a schedule full of fun things to try.
Mental health and your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit
While staying active is an important element of mental health, sometimes you might find yourself needing a little more help. If you’re looking for a good opportunity to talk with your doctor about mental health, you can start with your Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. During this visit, you can talk with your doctor about any symptoms you’re experiencing, and your doctor can help you come up with a plan.