And learn why play is so important. These give you the chance to get some exercise, improve your hand-eye coordination, and gain a sense of control over the physical world. All of that can be very satisfying, especially if you get to overcome obstacles or compete with other people in a friendly way.
Dancing to music can connect your body to exciting and healing rhythms. Singing popular songs even badly in front of other people can help you enjoy the humor in your efforts and avoid taking yourself too seriously. And performing in other ways—such as acting in a skit or trying a stand-up comedy routine—can remind you of how fun it is to tell stories in new or creative ways.
Socializing can be a powerful way to inject more fun into your life. That's particularly true if you get to reminisce about old times or talk about the other things that interest you.
In fact, a good conversation may elevate your mood and outlook more than anything else on this list, especially if you keep things jovial. So don't shy away from attending other people's parties or joining clubs. Also, consider planning some of your own events. You can plan parties around all kinds of themes such as:. Board games and card games provide great ways to socialize and benefit from the joyful challenges of friendly competition.
And puzzles can help sharpen your mind and give you a sense of progress and accomplishment. Besides improving the quality of life, exercising in groups also help you make new connections, get acquainted with new people and also continue to improve your overall well-being.
For elders who recently went through a major procedure or live alone at their homes while their children are living elsewhere, it gets difficult to manage themselves emotionally and also becomes challenging to carry out even the smallest of tasks.
Hence, indulging in physical activities not only improves functioning but also improves the mental health in older adults. Here are some of the benefits of recreational activities for senior citizens. Senior citizens, when gone through major health shifts, such as surgery, are often at great risk for depression and anxiety compared to other age groups.
Hence, involving in recreational activities will be of great help to them and reduces risks in many ways. These activities bring out the lost sense of competence in them, boosts self-esteem, and refreshes them. Besides, involving in group activities also eliminates their need for company and the feelings of loneliness as well as isolation. Further, it also improves mood and promotes positivity. Recreational activities do not only mean involving in it physically. Studies back the involvement of senior citizens in some form of recreational activities and show that their minds will be strong and ward off cognitive impairments that come with age.
Some of the best and easiest creative activities that do not involve much physical movement are playing or learning a musical instrument, intellectual board games, and painting. Other games that require strategic thinking that are known to offer cognitive benefits are card games. These activities are known to increase brain functioning, self-esteem, and more. Recreational activities are something that involves senior citizens who are not at all fitness oriented.
Proper arrangement of activities becomes more important when elders have more leisure time after retirement. Voluntary to participate in activities that have a specific goal which can give us a sense of satisfaction, happiness or achievement, these activities are called "meaningful activities". Some elders may think that they are too old, why bother? Some elders even refuse to accept new things. Actually, elders could gain more control over new activities and new tasks through active participation and trial without comparing.
In this way, their anxiety could be reduced and can also reap the benefits of activities, which include:. Some elders may prefer to take rest rather than being active due to poor health conditions, some elders are reluctant to participate in activities because they fear dealing with new things. According to the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health announced by the World Health Organization in , elders aged 65 or above should do at least minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week.
Physical activity includes leisure time physical activity e. Even elders living in residential care homes can participate in voluntary work such as give a helping hand to those who are weak, help the staff to do some household tasks such as folding clothes and towels, distributing tableware and taking care of the plants.
This will not only help others but also enhance self-confidence and increase sense of satisfaction. This can also improve their ability to cope with daily changes. Research also revealed that elders with dementia living in residential homes who attended more meaningful activities or those activities matching their abilities can make full use of daytime, consume excess physical energy, and reduce idle or nap time.
This can help them to develop a structured daily routine and reduce behavioural and psychological problems; for example, participating in reminiscence activities can improve mood and cognitive functions ; sensory stimulation activities such as music therapy can reduce their anxiety, restlessness and agitated behaviours. Improving inter-personal relationship Some elders avoid participating in activities because they fear that they cannot get along well with others.
In fact, participation in group activities such as morning exercise or travelling provides a good opportunity for improving their communication skill and expanding their social network.
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