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What can I do to promote healthy aging?

There are many things you can do to help yourself age well: exercise and be physically active, make healthy food choices, and don’t smoke. But did you know that participating in activities you enjoy may also help support healthy aging? As people get older, they often find themselves spending more and more time at home alone. The isolation can lead to depression and is not good for your health. If you find yourself spending a lot of time alone, try adding a volunteer or social activity to your routine. 

 

Benefits of an Active Lifestyle Engaging in social and productive activities you enjoy may help to maintain your well-being. 

 

Research tells us that older people with an active lifestyle: 

• Are less likely to develop certain diseases. Participating in hobbies and other social and leisure pursuits may lower risk for developing some health problems, including dementia. 

• Have a longer lifespan. 

• Are happier and less depressed. Studies suggest that older adults who participate in what they believe are meaningful activities, like volunteering in their communities, say they feel happier and healthier.

• Are better prepared to cope with loss.

• May be able to improve their thinking abilities.

 

Activities to Consider Would you like to get more involved in your community or be more socially active? There are plenty of places to look for opportunities, depending on your interests. Here are some ideas: 

 

Get out and about 

• Visit a senior center and take part in its events and activities 

• Play cards or other games with friends 

• Go to the theater, a movie, or a sporting event 

• Travel with a group of older adults, such as a retiree group 

• Visit friends and family 

• Try different restaurants 

• Join a group interested in a hobby like knitting, hiking, birdwatching, painting, or wood carving 

• Reconnect with old friends through your high school or college alumni association 

• Visit local museums. Many offer free group tours. Learn something new 

• Take a cooking, art, dance, language, or computer class. Get in touch with your local community college. Many offer free or discounted courses for older adults. 

• Form or join a book or film club 

• Try yoga, tai chi, or another new physical activity • Learn (or relearn) how to play a musical instrument

 

Become more active in your community 

• Serve meals or organize clothing donations for people in need 

• Help an organization send care packages to soldiers stationed overseas 

• Care for dogs and cats at an animal shelter 

• Volunteer to run errands for people with disabilities 

• Join a committee or volunteer for an activity at your place of worship 

• Volunteer at a school, library, museum, or hospital 

• Help with gardening at a community garden or park 

• Organize a park clean-up through your local recreation center or community association • Sing in a community choral group, or play in a local band or orchestra 

• Take part in a local theater troupe 

• Get a part-time job 

• Rediscover a favorite childhood pastime or teach it to a new generation— embroidery, photography, building models, chess, baking, woodworking, calligraphy, or quilting

 

Be physically active 

• Garden or do yard work 

• Take an exercise class or do exercises at home 

• Go dancing • Join a sports group for older adults, like a bowling club or bocce league 

• Walk or bicycle with a friend or neighbor 

• Take a swimming class 

• Join a local hiking or mountain biking group. Try rowing, canoeing, or kayaking at a nearby lake or river. 

• Start a weekly basketball or tennis game with friends 

• Join a mall-walking group 

• Play with your grandchildren. Teach them a game or dance you remember from childhood. 

 

For more information about physical activity, check out Go4Life®. This exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging has exercises and free videos and print materials at www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life.

 

Find the Right Balance Everyone has different limits to the amount of time they can spend on social or other activities. What is perfect for one person might be too much for another. Be careful not to take on too much at once. You might start by adding one or two activities to your routine and see how you feel. You can always add more. Remember—participating in activities you enjoy should be fun, not stressful.

Adapted from: Participating in Activities You Enjoy— More Than Just Fun and Games Tips from the National Institute on Aging

Photo: Photo by Johnny Cohen on Unsplash 

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