When you are taking care of an older loved one, it might be hard to see past the daily events. Finding the right leisure activities might help both sides involved reconnect while they also avoid stress. Whether the one you love is more sedentary or still has a high level of mobility, the most important thing is that you spend time with them so they get attention and interaction.
You might want to know that routine exercise can help keep away chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, and the overall exhaustion that usually happens with aging. The issue is that activities that your parents enjoyed once aren’t always so easy as they get into their 60s or beyond.
This does not mean that exercise needs to end when the golden years start. It really just means that the activities need to start slightly changing. In fact, with a bit of creativity and some thirst for fun, some exercises won’t be so daunting in the end, even if they’re done five days a week.
Get inspiration with these suggestions from the best senior care in Houston:
For Your Limited-Mobility Loved Ones
Pick Up A New Game
You can buy darts, Card games, online games, word games, board games…just choose something that everyone enjoys and either work on enhancing your skills or just learn how to actually play. Not only can this be a fun way of spending leisure time, but you’ll also both have something you can do when you need to lift the mood.
Make Things In The Kitchen
Take up baking and cooking. Focus on new ingredients, techniques, and recipes. If you happen to come from a long line of bakers or cooks, then think about dusting off some family classics to bring about the powerful medicine that is togetherness and nostalgia.
Make A Family Tree
Ask the one you love about their own personal history, as well as the history of the family. Pull this new knowledge together into a big family tree. Consider recording all these sessions so that future generations might hear the stories so they can make connections for themselves.
Get Some Exercise
Even if the one you love has some physical limitations, plenty of ways to stay in motion remain open to you. Think about taking daily walks, Wii video games, or chair exercise DVDs, all of which offer a variety of low-impact sports games and fitness programs.
Start Or Just Join A Good Book Club
Engaging in a book club or Quordle game is a chance for you and the one you love to enjoy something that is both together and also a wonderful solo activity. Check online message boards and local libraries for book clubs. If you’re not able to find one, think about starting your own.
Pamper Your Loved One
Never underestimate just how powerful touch can be. A manicure, pedicure, or massage can be something that helps you connect with them and relax them at the same time.
For Your Loved Ones Who Still Have Good Mobility
Get To The Park
Pack up a snack or even a picnic lunch before heading out to the park. Based on the mobility of your loved one, you might get to spend your day strolling or just kicking back and enjoying your company and surroundings.
Take A Museum Tour
Find any museum that holds appeal to each of you, and then go during one of the more quiet times. Generally speaking, weekday mornings aren’t as crowded as afternoons, evenings, or weekends. If the one you love needs some special accommodations, make sure that you check out the website of the museum in advance.
Seek Out Other Events
Wherever it is you live, there are probably lots of concerts, performances, and festivals that happen each week or month. Quite a few of them might hold appeal to you and the one that you love. Not only can these be fun to go to, but scheduling them means you get something fun which you can both look ahead to.
Take Classes
Based on the mutual interests between the two of you, these might be anything from college courses to music, writing, cooking, and art classes, or just anything in between. You might even consider taking a tech-based class which helps your older loved one improve their online skills so they can better stay connected to their family and friends.
Plant A Green Garden
Whether you do this at home or in a community garden, this is the kind of activity that can give both of you something to return to time and again. Even if the one you love has mobility restrictions, they can still come outside to enjoy watching this garden grow.
Spare Some Time For Strikes
Who said every workout needs to be work? Throw bowling into the mix of family fun, so you can incorporate strength-training and aerobic fitness into just one outing. Just be sure that your older loved one chooses a weight-appropriate ball which doesn’t give them too much strain.
Pump Up The Volume
Dancing has great heart-pumping benefits for seniors, so crank up some living room tunes worthy of a jam session. Get virtual by using a gaming console that has a dancing game.
Low-Impact Exercise Routines
Give something new a try and encourage your older loved ones to join you for low-impact exercises which can build up the balance, mind, and body, as these are all crucial for the prevention of dangerous falls. Even if your older relative has never done something like this before, there are benefits of tai chi, Pilates, and yoga which lower blood pressure and bust up stress. Join a class or just stream YouTube routines.