Choosing Fun Senior Citizen Activities

by Calyn Ehid
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Even as senior citizens get up in years, there are a lot of activities and events that they can still participate in. Seniors can take part in a lot of things and even go to many different places like beaches, parks, and monuments. Being active is very good for senior citizens, for mental, physical, and social reasons. They will be able to get out of the house, socialize with their peers, learn what is going on in the world, be educated about specific things (crafts, computers, foreign, languages, etc.). They can also get out and participate in active activities like sports, dancing, walking, etc.

Staying active is the key to healthy aging. Seniors should be active on a daily basis to maintain good health. Playing games keeps their mind and body active and encourage them to be social also. They are also cost-effective methods of entertainment. Research has also shown that playing games can prevent Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia. This means that playing games can allow them to live longer and prolong their quality. There are a lot of advantages to senior citizens being as active as they physically can be instead of watching television all or most of the day and not enjoying what is going on in the world around them.

Choosing Fun Senior Citizen Activities

Activities For The Aging

There are a lot of things that senior citizens can participate in. They can join groups and clubs which are methods of them being social and being able to get out also. The clubs that seniors can join include walking and hiking clubs, dinner clubs, book clubs, current events groups, chess clubs, bird clubs, movie clubs, and special interest groups. Dancing is also a popular activity for senior citizens They love to dance many dances that include ballroom dancing, line dancing, The Waltz, and the Cha Cha. Zumba Gold was created for older and active adults. It is a combination of Latin and international and it provides a safe workout for them.

Speaking of exercise and workouts, seniors also love to participate in Yoga, walking, stretching, Tai Chi, and swimming. There are a lot of benefits to exercise and staying busy. They also participate in congregate meals. When it comes to social activities and events, they participate in parties like holiday and theme parties and other special events. As you will see in this article, there are many things that senior citizens can participate in.

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B.A.D. (Bingo After Dark)

There are a lot of reasons why senior citizens love to play bingo. One of the reasons bingo is something that they enjoy is because it is an easy group for people their age to participate in. They typically are not very physically active. A lot of them have physical health problems like bad backs and bad knees. And these are the ones that are able to walk. A lot of them are in need of a walker or wheelchair to help them get around. They can no longer participate in active sports anymore. The good thing about bingo is that it isn’t an active activity. Therefore, its participants do not have to move around a lot. After they get their cards, they do not have to get up unless they need to use their bathroom or get a snack. Even the people that win a round can stay in their chair until they are done playing for the night. For this reason, bingo is not a physically demanding activity.

Along with not being physically demanding, seniors will love participating in bingo because they can get out of the house. It is not good for anyone (including senior citizens) to be at home all the time. Being home all the time can increase the effects of aging and make people feel depressed also. This is especially true for people that live by themselves. Getting out of the house is good for the emotional health also. Older people also like to play this game because their peers do also. A lot of them love it because people that are their age love to play it. Everyone, including senior citizens, needs a place where they can spend time with their peers. When they go play bingo, they can socialize with other older adults. They feel more comfortable in an environment like this than they do with people that are younger than them.

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What Senior Citizens Can Gain From Card Games

Participating in card games is ideal for senior citizens because it is cost-effective and it is a fun way for them to pass the time. While they are playing cards, they can also sit down and get comfortable. If they are by themselves, there are games that they can play by themselves like Solitaire. Playing card games with other people also give them the opportunity to socialize with other people. Card games are also good for improving cognitive skills. When they play them, they have to do math in their heads and that exercises their brains. Also, shuffling, dealing, and moving the cards around exercises their fingers and hands. They also have to use their judgment skills to decide if they want another card or to discard a card, stay in the game, etc.

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Senior Citizens And The Silver Screen

Movie nights are very important to senior citizens. Watching a movie with others can make them feel less isolated, create friendships can make them laugh, simulate empathy, and provide a “mental time out.” Hollywood has also started putting senior citizens in a good light unlike in the past when they labeled them as tired, grumpy, and forgetful. Now that these stereotypes are a thing of the past, movies now represent senior citizens as fun, intelligent, adventure-loving, and dynamic people. Since they are now portrayed in a positive light, senior citizens now want to spend their money to enjoy movie nights.

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Education For The Elderly

Taking classes or participating in workshops on any subject can improve cognitive abilities, rejuvenate the memory, and they also can be fun. Studies show that senior citizens that remain mentally active get all of these rewards. No matter how old a person is, challenging their brains can result in new brain cells forming. It can also improve problem-solving skills and the memory. The more a brain is used, the more it grows. Some classes that senior citizens can take include computer classes, woodworking, knitting, painting, photography, ceramics, driver’s safety programs, Grandparenting, nutrition, culinary classes, retirement investments, and financial planning seminars. Classes like these will help senior citizens with personal growth and learning so learning is always a life-long experience.

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Outings For Older People

Field trips are also a favorite activity of older people. They love to go on trips to attractions in their town, visiting museums, to see a play, to the theater, a farm, or sightseeing. Other fields that they like are going on walks, caring for animals, going fishing, and tending a garden. They also love to go to museums, sports games, concerts, and shows. Getting older people outside even for only fifteen minutes a day, can provide a change of scenery for them and gives them a boost of Vitamin D. Also, being out in nature is good for the mind, body, and soul.

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The Benefits of Bowling

Along with being fun and competitive, bowling has a lot of benefits. It helps your weight go down by speeding up your metabolism. Even though bowlers are in a small area, the constant movement helps them burn excess fat. During three games, a person walks approximately 6/10 of a mile. The walking exercises the legs and swinging the ball exercises the rest of the body. An adult can burn up to 300 calories per game. The act of holding onto the ball also makes the hands stronger.

Also, since bowling is a form of exercise, it lessens the chance of a person getting a stroke, heart attacks, and diabetes. It also increases bone density, improves the flow of blood, lowers cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and helps the body put oxygen to use better. To get the best benefits from bowling, bowling one or two times a week is a great idea. It is a good sport for senior citizens because there is a low risk for injury and most bowling alleys can accommodate people in wheelchairs and blind people also.

Bowling can help people become more social also, especially if they participate in a league. People that participate in leagues allow people to meet new people, spend time with old friends, and talk to them when they are not playing. Finding companionship through leagues and teams can help older people feel less lonely and other people that live by themselves, making them less sad and stressed. Social relationships with people that have common interests such as bowling can strengthen the heart muscles and increase longevity. Bowling can strengthen a person’s social skills and make their bodies stronger as well and those are the benefits of bowling.

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