Getting older does not mean a person’s mind and body have to go dull.

It is possible for seniors to stay active mentally, physically and socially for a long time.

As a caregiver, you can help your elderly loved one stay active by encouraging them to engage in a combination of the activities I share in this post.

Keeping Seniors Active

Social Interaction

Social interaction is essential to the success of any human being. One method of keeping seniors active is encourage them to get involved in social situation. The could include:

• Dinner with family members and/or friends
• Game nights that are designed especially for seniors in the community
• Local fairs and festivals with family members
• Church or other religious events

Physical Activity

Another way to get seniors active and engaged is to encourage them to get physically active.

• Offer to exercise with them. People are more likely to work out when other people do it with them. Take a walk with them in the park, ride a bike together or offer to do a video exercise program with them.
• Make it easy. Chances are that your elderly loved one is not exercising for a body-building competition. So keep the exercises easy and fun.
• The National Institute of Health recommends that adults exercise for at least 30 minutes everyday. As we get older, it understandably gets harder to work out. In this case, research has shown that getting healthcare providers on board is helpful.

Games for mental sharpness

It is helpful if you can help your elderly loved one stay sharp mentally. Examples of games you can try include:

• Crossword puzzles
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Sudoku
• Video games
• Chess
• Checkers

And I am sure you can think of more if you wanted to. The point here is to incorporate a game your elderly loved one enjoys into their daily routine to help them stay mentally sharp.

Games have also been shown to be helpful in seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Nobody is ever too old to learn

It is possible to teach an old companion new tricks!

If your elderly loved one does not use a computer, now would be a great time for them to take that computer class at your local community college.

Other skills the elderly can take up as a way to stay active include:

• Writing
• Pottery
• Quilt-making
• Computer coding
• First aid
• A sport
• A new musical instrument

The list is endless here. Learning a new thing is a great way to help your senior loved one stay active.

Volunteering

Volunteering is an excellent way to help your senior loved one stay active.

Not only will they be undertaking an activity that keeps their mind sharp, they will get to interact with other people and that will help meet social needs.

Closing Thoughts

Staying active keeps the mind and body sharp.

Encouraging your senior loved one to get involved in social, physical and learning activities is an excellent decision.

Everyone deserves to live a full and active life.

In this post, I have shared various ways you can encourage your elderly loved ones to live a more active life.

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