Winter Activity Ideas For Seniors

Being active in the cold, snowy months of winter can seem like a lot of hassle for many senior citizens.

However, it may be the time of year when it’s most important to keep their mind and bodies sharp and active, since they may tend to stay inside, isolating themselves from social and physical activities.

Embassy Healthcare offers the following suggestions for keeping yourself or older loved ones active during the winter:

1. Go swimming: Relax! We mean in an indoor pool. Swimming is a low-impact activity that most anyone can enjoy. Even if you can’t actually swim, moving around in the water is good exercise that won’t hurt your joints.
2. Cook meals together: Making food together with a spouse or parent can be a bonding exercise that helps strengthen the mind and opens people up to new dishes and ideas. The mental stimulation can help stave off cognitive decline.
3. Get into genealogy: Learning more about your family has never been easier than it is now. The amount of online resources and DNA testing kits has made it less time-consuming and frustrating to find out more about your family tree.
4. Go from room to room: It can become easy to settle into the recliner after breakfast and before you know it, the winter sun is getting low in the sky. Challenge yourself or your loved one to not become too stationary – even if they don’t leave the house. Get up for a glass of water during a commercial break. Do some dusting in the upstairs guest bedroom. The regular movement will help strengthen both heartbeat and muscles.
5. Time to travel: The golden years can be some of the best years of our lives. Traveling to fun destinations can help with that pursuit – not to mention getting away from the cold of the northern hemisphere in the process. Getting exposure to new places and cultures is good for the mind and body as well.
6. Connect with video chats: To combat feelings of isolation and depression that can set in during winter, connect with family and friends via video chats. Use Facetime with Apple products or get a free Skype account so friends and family members can keep in touch.

For more information on services at Embassy Healthcare, call us at 888-975-1379 or contact us online.