Participating in Activities You Enjoy

  As we age, our bodies change and so do our interests. Keeping yourself healthy and helping your body age into new years can be a conscious effort, but thankfully there are lots of ways to do so. Things like eating healthy, exercising regularly, and not smoking are a few very key factors in the overall health of our bodies. People often find themselves spending more time at home as they get older, but it’s incredibly important to stay active to avoid things like depression. Having a healthy lifestyle makes you less likely to develop certain diseases, helps cope with loss, keeps you happier, improves thinking abilities, and can extend lifespan. If you’re not sure where to start on finding more activities to do to keep you busy and active, we have some ideas for you.

• Get out and about: It can be hard to find group activities when you’re older but there might be more options than you think. Things like playing cards and games with a group of friends, traveling with other people, trying new restaurants, joining a group of people with a similar interest in a hobby, reconnecting with old friends, or visiting local attractions like parks or museums are great ways to meet new friends and venture outside.
• Try something new: Is there something you have been wanting to try for a long time but never got around to? Now is the perfect time to give it a try! Maybe try to take a new class, join a book or film club, learn a new hobby like music, gardening or knitting, maybe something you enjoyed when you were younger. Anything to exercise that muscle in your brain that craves a new skill.
• Become more active in your community: This is great for not only your physical being, but for your mental health as well. Volunteering brings a whole new source of happiness to your heart because you get to help others. This might include volunteering at a local shelter to serve meals, helping at the animal shelter, joining a committee, helping with community gardening, or volunteering at a local church.

Finding the right balance to a healthy life can be a challenge, but there are so many options to keep yourself entertained and busy. After a strange year of having a lot of separation, it’s time to go back to doing the things you enjoyed before the world got turned upside down. You’re only helping yourself by finding something that makes you excited for another day, especially if that activity includes human connection, one of the most important and special parts of life.