People are naturally social. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the dangers of isolation and a shrinking social circle and highlighted how important a sense of community is. The good news is that a social circle can be easily expanded by meeting new people with similar interests while participating in fun activities.
You’re probably wondering, “How can I find senior activities near me?” We’ve put together a list of senior activities to help you get social while enriching your life with fun new experiences.
The Importance of Socialization for Seniors
Socialization is essential for healthy aging. As we age, we also find our social circles shrinking for various reasons, whether due to retirement, people moving away, or the loss of family and friends. These changes can have a large impact on our social lives as well as our mental and physical health.
For example, social isolation has been linked to conditions such as heart disease, stroke, anxiety, and depression. A lack of social activity also has a strong link to cognitive decline and memory loss. With frequent social contact, an individual’s cognitive decline rate is approximately 70 percent less than someone who is socially isolated.
Get Social with These Ideas for Senior Activities
Staying physically, mentally, and socially active is important for healthy aging. Keep reading for ideas for senior activities to seek out near you.
Get Active
Staying active provides plenty of benefits. From improving mood to sleeping better at night to combating numerous health conditions, you have plenty of reasons to get and stay active.
Physical activity can take many forms, whether indoors or outdoors. Aerobic exercises such as taking a walk, biking, or going for a swim are all great ideas for maintaining a healthy weight while building strong bones and muscles.
Taking a class at a gym will also help you make new friends with similar interests while staying active. Plus, the social motivation of seeing a good friend at the gym provides that special factor that makes it more likely you’ll stick to a physical fitness routine.
Prefer to take in the great outdoors while getting your exercise? Grab a friend and take in scenic areas with a walk or hike, or grab some tennis rackets and get on the court. Did you formerly play or coach a sport? Use your passion for and skill in the sport while helping others by coaching a sport for a local youth organization. These activities will help you nurture existing relationships and build new ones, all with the added benefit of staying active.
Resources for Getting Active:
Play a Game
Playing board games provides tons of benefits. They’re simply fun to play, but they can also reduce stress, increase happiness, and provide the opportunity to interact with others. Board games exercise your brain and improve your cognitive function.
You can choose from many different board games like the classics (e.g., Monopoly or Mahjong) or new games that support your other interests (e.g., if you enjoy bird watching, there are board games about birds).
Activities such as board games, puzzles, crosswords, and Sudoku provide exercise for your brain. You’re actively challenging yourself by working with shapes, words, letters, and numbers. These activities enhance memory formation and improve cognitive function because they strengthen the connection between nerve cells in the brain and support the growth of new ones.
Resources for Playing Games
Join a Club
Clubs are a fantastic way to support your interests while making new friends. Meeting new people and making friends in a club is easy because you’re both there for similar interests. Plenty of different clubs exist to suit plenty of different interests, and even better, you can join more than one club!
Gardening clubs are perfect for those with green thumbs, while book clubs are perfect for those who want to talk about the twist in a mystery book they’re reading with friends. Both of these types of clubs also support healthy aging. For example, reading improves cognitive function and maintains concentration, and gardening improves motor functioning and has the additional soothing effect of providing time in nature.
Club Resources
Help Others
Volunteering strengthens communities and can also help you improve your health, build new relationships, and learn new skills. Volunteering is another activity that keeps the brain active and strengthens mental health. It can also contribute to a positive outlook on life, give you a sense of purpose, and prevent isolation.
You can help clean up a park, serve meals at a shelter, tutor or coach at a youth center, and more. Research the opportunities available in your community and what aligns with your interests to find the ideal volunteer opportunities for you.
Volunteering Resources:
Learn Something New
Just because you’re out of school doesn’t mean you have to stop learning. Learning new things keeps your brain active while helping you make new social connections. Plenty of classes exist for adult learners—such as film studies, culinary arts, and more—at local community colleges. Art classes in particular may provide numerous benefits such as social interaction, artistic development, and reduction of mild cognitive impairment.
Educational Resources:
Bonus Tip for Finding Senior Activities Near You: Look for a Senior Living Community
Where can you do all of the fun senior activities listed above? At the right senior living community!
Senior living communities are vibrant places that offer plenty of activities and provide opportunities for socialization, whether you’re already a social butterfly or want to expand your social circle.
At Cedarhurst Senior Living communities, we believe in Living TRUE℠. This acronym represents our values:
- Tailored to You: We listen to you and help you live the life you desire.
- Relationships of Integrity and Trust: We build communities where you can easily make new friends, with staff who treat you as an individual and partner with you to help you make the most of this step in your life.
- Uplifted to Live your Best Life: We focus on fitness, wellness, and the perfect amount of support when you want it to ensure you continue to live your best life on your own terms.
- Excitement of the Senses: We create beautiful communities, opportunities for joy and entertainment, and exceptional dining options to enrich all five senses.
Senior living communities provide the benefit of convenience. Your housekeeping, landscaping, snow removal, lawn maintenance, and other chores are taken care of—you’re free to spend time on activities you want to do. You can even find healthy and delicious food options, yoga, and more. Everything you need is available at your fingertips.
Discover if a Senior Living Community Is Right for You
It’s important to continue enriching your life with various senior activities. They provide numerous benefits such as socialization opportunities and improved cognitive functioning, as well as improved mental and physical health.
Senior living communities provide the opportunity to take part in these activities and make them more convenient. Learn about your senior living options with our free, quick assessment, and then find the right senior living community with our comprehensive guide.
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