5 Fun Indoor Activities for Seniors
With the winter season still upon us, we are finding ourselves spending more time indoors. As a senior, you’ve probably noticed this too – going out becomes more trouble than it used to be. Thankfully, this blog is here to remind you of all the fun indoor activities you can do right in your own home!
1. Animal Therapy
Who doesn’t love animals? If you find yourself feeling lonely in your home, consider getting a pet! Having an animal companion will increase social interaction and physical activity. Research shows that having a pet has many psychological and health benefits including lower blood pressure and reduced stress. Plus, if you find yourself bored often, you’ll enjoy having the ongoing responsibility of taking care of your pet. With a pet, you’ll never feel alone in the house again.
2. Arts and Crafts
Many seniors use their free time to find new hobbies, and arts and crafts are a great choice. Whether you think of yourself as an artsy person or not, you can always have fun working on an art project. There are many different arts and crafts you can do, such as home decor DIY projects, gathering art supplies for a painting, making collages or scrapbooks filled with memories, or bringing out your inner-child with an adult colouring book. No matter what you make, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment for creating something with your own hands.
3. Games
Games are more than just surface level fun – they can improve your memory, mental health, and daily life skills [1]. Brain teasers are great at exercising your brain. For example, Connections is a game where you are given two words and have to find a homograph (a word that has more than one meaning but is always spelled the same) that is associated with both of these words. Other games that stimulate your mind are sudoku, trivia games, chess and so much more! Visit this website where you can explore all kinds of fun brain games.
4. Exercises
Exercising has many proven benefits, such as increased energy and improved mental health, and can be done in the comfort of your own home. Low impact exercises such as yoga, walking and stretching are especially great for seniors. There are also many at-home exercises you can do with no equipment, such as:
- Stand in front of a wall, up to two feet away
- Place your hands up against the wall directly in front of your shoulders
- Keep your body straight and bend your elbows to learn in towards the wall
- Stop with your face close to the wall and straighten your arms to push your body away from the wall
- Single foot stand
- Stand behind a steady, immovable chair and hold onto the back
- Pick up your left foot and balance on your right foot as long as comfortable
- Place your left foot down and then lift up your right foot and balance on your left foot
- The head turn
- Stand or sit with your back straight and your shoulders relaxed
- Turn your head slowly to the right until you feel a light stretch
- Hold that position then turn slowly to the left
For more exercises, visit our blog.
5. Cooking
If you love to eat or try new things, you’ll enjoy cooking new things and experimenting with different recipes. There’s many recipes you can find online, from simple sandwiches to gourmet meals. What you eat also impacts your health so consider checking out these healthy lunch ideas or heart healthy meals. You can explore different cuisines and maybe even find a new favourite food – plus the great thing about cooking is that you get to eat something delicious afterwards!
We all experience boredom sometimes, but when this happens try to remind yourself of all the fun indoor activities you can do while still being at home. Always remember, you’re never too old to have fun!