Choosing activities for older adults or seniors may be difficult, especially at this time when a global pandemic continues to rage. However, with the rate planning and mindset, you can use motion to keep seniors engaged and active. Doing so would help them keep healthy mentally and physically.

While encouraging them to move or use motion may be challenging as they may have a decline in their motor skills, mental abilities, or motivation, the following tips may help. These tips can put purpose and excitement back into their day and can greatly help reduce the time they spend prone or in front of the television.

Use Motion to Keep Older Adults More Active

The following are tips that you can do at home or outdoors. However, due to the current state of the pandemic and seniors belonging to the high-risk population, it’s best to take these tips with care. Remember to practice protective measures, avoid enclosed, high-traffic, and crowded places. Also, be sure that seniors are vaccinated against the virus.

1. Take a walk. Whether it’s within the house, out in the garden, or around the neighborhood, taking a few minutes each day to walk can do wonders.
2. Practice yoga. This is one of the best things you can do at home. There are yoga moves best for seniors that are low impact and helps keep them strong and flexible. It is also a gentle means of improving balance, coordination, and posture.
3. Lift weights. Weight-lifting doesn’t mean going the extreme. Even just lighter weights are great for safe strength training for seniors. Be sure to seek guidance from a professional to avoid injury. Great things is, there are virtual workouts that make this possible. Just make sure also that elderly people have someone to watch over them as they do this.
4. Garden. We discussed in one of our blogs how gardening helps the body and the mind. This is one of the safest and most worthwhile ways older people can use motion and keep active.
5. Go to a park. It can be difficult to go to public places these days, but if there is time and a safe place for elderly to go to an open, airy place surrounded by nature, this can be a great, refreshing time for them.
6. Do some crafts. While this can be done at home, this also helps them use motion in ways that can help them hone their motor skills, focus, and creativity. There are video tutorials you can find online. You may also register them to an art class or start a group of your own among friends and family.
7. Start a culinary hobby. This may just be simple, but cooking can also be one of the most worthwhile ways older people can use motion to do something productive while keeping them on their feet.

Ensuring that they are on the move from time to time can greatly help improve their physical and mental health. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits:

• Stronger immune system that helps prevent disease
• Increased strength
• Increased flexibility
• Improved balance
• Less prone to injuries and accidents
• Improved mental health and alertness
• Improved focus
• Reduced feelings of isolation
• Reduced stress
• More or  better sense of purpose
• Increased well-being
• Improved quality of life

At Blessed Home, we prepare numerous activities to keep our older adults active and engaged. Talk to us to learn more!