Cardinal Senior Home Care encourages elder care activities that promote health and happiness. Research shows that seniors who exercise properly and stay active have a significantly lower chance of falling and becoming injured.
While the weather sometimes prevents certain senior activities, there are plenty of indoor options that family members or elder care providers can encourage seniors to take advantage of, no matter how badly it’s raining or how cold it is. This will be a short article to highlight some fun senior activities for seniors and caregivers to enjoy together.
Winter Activities
A great idea for winter exercise: while doing holiday shopping, try to walk the entire mall with every trip. Shopping can turn into a healthy exercise and a way to stay warm. This is good opportunity for elder care providers to spend enjoyable, relaxing and productive time together.
Tango or salsa dancing can be a fun way to beat the cold with a caregiver or significant other.
When grandkids or other family members come over, bundle up, go outside and build a snowman together. Also, many fitness centers offer New Year specials, so this may be a great time to join a gym or fitness center.
Spring Activities
Many seniors and caregivers look forward to spring cleaning, which does not have to be a chore. Instead, make housework fun by playing upbeat music and cooking a special treat together.
Caregiving is the unique approach to elder care that centers around creating positive, lasting relationships between caregivers and seniors. Spring presents the perfect opportunity for this, as the weather warms up. Stretching, lifting and bending are excellent ways for seniors to exercise, so planting flowers or working in the garden is healthy and fun.
The month of May is National Bike Month, so depending on the abilities and limitations of each senior, elder care providers should encourage seniors to go on a light bike ride.
Summer Activities
When the weather is hot and humid, cool off in a local pool. Many community centers offer water aerobics classes, which provide great ways to make friends and stay in shape.
Many local malls offer mall walking clubs for seniors; walking a mall is a healthy solution to getting healthy exercise while staying cool in the hot months.
Fall Activities
September is National Yoga Awareness Month. Yoga provides great benefits to seniors, helping them stretch and stay active in a safe way.
Once the leaves begin to turn, take a hike with grandkids or a caregiver. There are many local farms that offer pumpkin and apple picking, both great ways to get fresh air and exercise. Once the leaves have fallen, raking leaves with grandkids or a caregivers can be a fun activity.
Elder care providers should encourage senior clients and loved-ones to participate in these or other senior activities to promote stronger and healthier bodies and minds.