How Recreation Activities for Seniors Can Improve Their Health

Seniors may enjoy doing various activities, from exercise and hobbies to socializing and learning. Especially today, when so many seniors are mobile and there are so many facilities and organizations that offer recreation activities for seniors, seniors can live a full and engaging life, and even their health can benefit.

What are some recreation activities for seniors?

These days, almost everything is available for seniors. There are many residential facilities that cater to the senior population and offer all sorts of classes and activities to suit almost any interest or pursuit. Some popular ideas are swimming, walking, games, and learning.

Many seniors have varied interests, and some have skills they have developed over a period of many years, which they can still perform. Others may look at the golden years as a new opportunity to try new adventures that they never had time for.

How health is affected

When people are idle or indisposed, they are more likely to develop physical illness. This is a function of both the lack of exercise and movement as well as the emotional and psychological consequences of not being social or occupied.

Two address these two issues, seniors can get involved in a variety of recreational activities. Anything involving exercise, such as walking, swimming, gym activities and so on, are excellent for cardiovascular health and are also known to increase positivity and create and upbeat mood, battling emotional downs and helping each person look forward to continued health. Participation in group sports has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Artistic endeavors such as painting, crafts, knitting, cooking and writing keep the senior mentally challenged and focused.

Learning and education keeps them sharp with emotional stimulation as well as providing a social milieu with which to keep company.

Other ideas for recreation activities for seniors include bird watching, photography, and gardening.

And general socializing, whether through playing games, doing any of the above mentioned activities in a group, or simply being around other people provides a platform for emotional well-being. All of these are an excellent basis for staying healthy and increasing better outcomes.

Therapeutic recreation

Seniors who need therapy often get stuck in a cycle of different therapies that take up a lot of time and don’t allow them to focus on activities that make them happy. In a therapeutic recreation setting, there are recreation activities for seniors that take their minds off of their rehab and puts them into a better state of mind, which is more conducive to better results from therapy. In therapeutic recreation, the case manager will develop a customized plan to fit each patient’s needs, developing some form of recreation that the patient can do, despite any physical or cognitive limitations.

There are many avenues toward finding the right activities for each senior. Many are offered through rehab facilities or at senior centers.

At Sinai Post Acute Care, we offer a variety of recreation activities for seniors to keep them growing, learning and staying healthy.