Innovative Recreation Activities for Seniors

Seniors often have lots of creative energy and time, especially if they’re retired. While there are some recreation activities for seniors that are tried-and-true, such as painting, gardening, and photography, there are some new and fresh ideas to keep seniors active and engaged.

Gymnastics

This isn’t the first thing one would imagine as suitable for people over the age of 65, gymnastics can be a great activity for seniors to stay healthy and flexible. It won’t be the same type of exercises as the US Olympic team, but it can still be fun and invigorating.

In Canada, the Delta Gymnastics Society has introduced a Seniors Can Movie Program, where they teach seniors gymnastics in different localities. It has been an instant hit. Each class is an hour long, and it’s offered between 5 and 8 times a week. The class helps seniors with maintaining balance and preventing falls, in addition to staying fit, healthy, and mobile. It’s also a great way to be social and meet new people.

Gourmet cooking classes

Today it’s so easy to copy even the best and most complicated recipes. Equipment is easily for sale and with the world wide web, people have access to international cuisine. Cooking competitions are ubiquitous, and celebrity chefs make guest appearances at local venues. Seniors can sign up for these engaging and gastronomically delightful classes and gain skills, friends, and good food.

Art, wine and cheese

For the high class among us, there’s always art and wine to delight the discriminating palate and discerning eye. At an art, wine and cheese night, a center offers a selection of cheeses and wines to taste along with art supplies. They might load a thought-provoking song and ask participants to pain what they’re feeling, or they might bring in art therapists to work with the seniors one on one.

Trendy movement

Aerobics and step, while not quite, passe, may be considered boring considering the plethora of new forms of exercise and movement that are being toted as the next best thing in health. There’s Zumba, offered at many facilities, which is a combination of intense dance music with exercise in the form of dance – in other words, something that everyone can easily join and become proficient in. there’s always yoga, for the new age types, who can find mental and physical balance. A newer entrant is Tai Chi, martial arts defensive training. some of these can also be taught to people in wheelchairs – there’s WHOGA and Chair Chi. 

Music and Memory

This interesting program finds out what music the senior likes, and then creates a customized playlist for each patient to listen to with earphones. Music has been shown to help patients with memory as well as provide emotional therapy and simply make people happy.

Drums and Yoga

The programs “Drums Alive” and “Drums Fit” give participants a means of using a yoga ball and a pair of drumsticks to combine exercise and music to promote whole wellness. They are cardio workouts that also help improve coordination and balance. These programs are offered at fitness centers and senior centers.

At Hudson View Center for Rehabilitation in Bergen County, New Jersey, we offer many recreation activities for seniors for our patients, to keep them stimulated and growing whether it’s useful for rehab or simply for staying healthy.

 

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