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Senior Citizen Activities You Must Try This Winter
Updated on: January 2023
As you move on past 55 years of age, you have probably started noticing that you now have a few elderly tendencies. This is despite the fact that you are still a spry young senior very capable of running the New York Marathon.
You are maybe forgetting a few things, moving a little slower, and simply just want to sit and watch your favorite TV shows. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with all that, as you age, these tendencies might start interfering with the quality of your life.
To keep yourself sharp, upbeat, and youthful, you need hobbies that foster those qualities. To achieve this, why not try something new? An activity for senior citizens may not sound like your thing or very interesting but you couldn’t be further from the truth.
Older adults can have just as much fun starting a new program at the local recreation center, the senior citizen center (if there is one), or the local community center.
Try your hand at bingo see if there is a volunteer opportunity to help others, such as helping prepare meals for people who are less able.
Alternatively, if an indoor recreational activity isn’t your thing, try an outdoor activity. Any outdoor physical activity—even just walking—is great for older adults of all ages.
Playing golf is great, as is taking up yoga classes or pilates. Even if you require long-term care there is something waiting for you. With that in mind, here are the top 10 senior citizen activities you must try this winter:
Go Swimming
Wait… what?? Swimming in winter? We know that the thought of snow and frigid cold doesn’t exactly inspire favorable images of bathing suits and water. That, however, doesn’t mean that you should dismiss this activity till summer comes around.
Swimming is one of the most physically, mental, and aerobically beneficial, low impact activities that anyone can enjoy. All you would have to do is find a heated indoor pool. Most big hotels, gyms, and recreational centers have one.
Use a Fitness Video
During these cold months, you should definitely think about getting some exercise. If you are not up for going to the gym or it is snowed in outside, then one of the best options would be to buy a DVD or use a streaming service to find fitness videos.
There are DVDs for all sorts of exercises that cater to all ages, gender, and physical capabilities. Find one that speaks to you and gets some exercise right in your living room. You can even invite some friends over and have a workout party (if there is such a thing).
Start or Join a Book Club
There is a very good chance that you would never have considered this option while in your 20s despite the fact that there is a lot of wisdom in books.
If you like to read, you can actually compliment that feeling of fulfillment that completing an enjoyable book brings by discussing what you have read with others. It is like joining a secret society of people who all enjoy the same things.
The good thing about forming or joining a book club is that you will be fostering a social gathering of like-minded people who will meet often to socialize, discuss their favorite books, and keep each other entertained as well as sharp.
Join or Create a League
A huge part of staying active through these cold months is to remain social. You can do that by joining or creating a social league. Think bowling, ballroom dancing, and fitness group.
This will not only give you something to do, but it will keep you active, social and bring out your competitive side, which is always good for your adrenaline levels.
Delve Iinto Genealogy Research
For most of us, a family is everything. The problem is that many of us have such hectic lives that we barely know who our great uncles were and what they did for this great country.
We simply do not have the time or resources to research that, or we just do not have access to that kind of information because those who came before us did not see fit to preserve it.
As an aging member of the family, you can remedy this travesty. Delving into your family tree can be a fulfilling undertaking. You can go back in time and see if you had anyone on the Titanic or the Mayflower and whether or not your lineage comes from a great pedigree.
The thing about trying to unearth lost family history is that it can be both times consuming as well as intriguing. There will be things of which to be proud and some things that you may not want to discover your lineage.
But, we promise that the journey back into your family tree will be interesting. The best part is that you can go back as far as you want and be the source of information that your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be thankful for when they want to see the old family tree.
Why Not Grow Something?
Even during winter, you can still nurture an indoor garden. Think about it, how good does it feel to grow something and give it life? Gardening is by far one of the most relaxing and fulfilling hobbies you can have as an aging member of the society.
Besides the fact that it gives you something to do and plants to dot over, you can also start eating healthier because you will be growing your own organic vegetables and fruits.
Other Benefits Of Gardening Include:
- It’s a good way to relax and reduce stress
- It involves physical activity that will get that ticker kicking
- Studies have shown that it can reduce incidences of dementia
Plus, it gives you a chance to move around and keep actively.
Just Move Around the House
One thing you need to keep in mind is that these top 10 senior citizen activities you must try this winter do not have to be fancy, expensive or even get you out of the house if you do not want them to.
You can just as easily get enough done by moving around the house. Go up and down the stairs at intervals (maybe when there is a commercial break or when you reach the end of a chapter in the book you are reading).
You could also walk around the room, go to the kitchen, stretch a little and maybe even go to the basement just for the sake of it. The entire idea is that you should change your position every so often to get your heart pumping and your muscles going a little.
Not only to keep you warm but make sure that you are not seated in a sedentary position for too long.
Learn to Play a Musical Instrumental
True, your days of touring the world with KISS are probably over, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot be a musical maverick in your own right. Is there any musical instrument that you have always wanted to learn how to play?
Maybe the guitar, the piano, or the violin? This is your chance to get those creative juices flowing. You have the time, so why not? Learning a musical instrument is a good way to keep your mind sharp and your hand-eye coordination top notch.
It has also been said that playing a musical instrument raises your IQ by about 7 points. Not a bad way to enjoy remaking your favorite old-time hits.
Beat Your Peers at Board Games
Chess, scrabble, and even Monopoly are excellent ways to pass the time and take your peers to school with your gaming skills. Chess, in particular, is a great way to improve and keep your cognitive skills sharp.
Scrabble will have you learning new words every day and Monopoly will infuse fun into being a property mogul. With most board games, you will be required to utilize both hemispheres of your brain:
Left hemisphere—object recognition; right hemisphere—pattern recognition. These games also help to improve your memory and give great opportunities to socialize with your peers and stay mentally active.
Fly Away
If all else fails, you could always fly away. Traveling is by far one of the most therapeutic forms of recreation there is for people of all ages. If you are not too keen on suffering the cold winter days in your state, why not fly off somewhere that has warm weather?
Think about it; you have a chance to see the world while escaping those dreadful snowed in days. Some places are particularly popular with seniors and have excellent tropical weather:
- Spain
- Belize
- Kenya
- Portugal
- Greece
- Thailand
Or you could just go to California if you are not keen on spending 18 hours on a plane headed for paradise. There are several other things that you can do to keep yourself busy and active when winter comes.
The idea is to either find something you like or try out new things until you find something that you can enjoy. The best way to do this is to bring a friend along and have mad laughs as you try out new and strange, yet enjoyable activities and hobbies.
Just think of all the things you have wanted to do but never had the time or money to:
- Cooking classes
- Dance lessons
- Trying out a new look
- Shopping in Paris
Go all out and have fun. If it helps to get your mind off the biting cold and keeps you active, that’s well and good. The hobbies you choose will determine just how much you call upon your cognitive and physical capabilities.
This is a great way to enjoy your twilight years and probably even learn something new that may very well be a newly found passion that fills you with excitement and enthusiasm this winter.
