TL;DR
Staying active in retirement supports both body and mind. Assisted living communities encourage seniors to thrive through strength, balance, memory, and social activities. From chair exercises and puzzles to group outings and celebrations, structured engagement fosters health, independence, and happiness, helping seniors enjoy their golden years fully.
- Strength exercises: arm circles, leg lifts, calf raises.
- Balance routines: single-leg stands, sit-to-stand, chair squats.
- Memory activities: puzzles, games, yoga, journaling, reading.
- Social engagement: outings, happy hours, holidays, clubs.
- Assisted living provides supportive, enriching activities for well-rounded senior living.
A life well lived is a life full of excitement and adventure. But that’s not to say only once-in-a-lifetime intrigue are the only way to feed our sense of accomplishment.
No, in truth even just having a routine of beloved activities can do wonders. They can keep our hearts full and our minds capable well into retirement. And they can lead to better outcomes as our needs and capabilities change.
Keeping a regular regimen of senior living activities can do wonders for your mind, body, and spirit alike. With this in mind, let’s delve into some helpful activities for seniors in assisted living settings. Bear in mind, though, these are purely offered as a guide to consider, not a recommended regimen.
Exercises for Seniors
They say regular exercise is important for all of us. However, for the aging body, exercise becomes necessary in the building blocks of well-lived golden years. Here are some exercises to consider, broken down by the benefit they serve:
Strength Exercises for Seniors
There are countless, low-impact strength exercises for seniors that don’t require any special equipment or gym memberships. Some can even be done from the comfort of your dining chair!
Consider strengthening your body with a routine that includes:
- Arm circles and lifts
- Leg lifts
- Calf raises
- In-place marches
- Shoulder rolls
- And more
Remember, strength doesn’t mean pumping iron at the gym. It merely means keeping your muscles and joints engaged, active, and capable of being used each day without discomfort. Because the more able you are, the more able you are to experience joy from whatever life throws at you.
Exercises for Balance for Seniors
Balance is key in retirement, as our older bodies are more prone to injury when we fall.
Some exercises for balance for seniors that can be used to help both develop and maintain balance include:
- Marching in place
- Sit-to-stand routines
- Single leg stands
- Chair squats
- Back leg raises
- And more
Maintaining your balance only helps elongate the able-bodied period of the senior phase of your life. And keeping yourself active and able is what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Memory Exercises for Seniors
Keeping the mind as limber as the body is key for productive and well-rounded senior living activities. After all, a mentally-active senior will be more likely to capably take on activities of daily living.
Here are a few we recommend to all our elderly neighbors:
- Puzzles, including jigsaw, crossword, spatial reasoning style, and more.
- Games, from card and board games to video games
- Yoga, including both basic and more involved routines
- Journaling and writing, to keep cognitive processing sharp
- Reading and discussion, particularly in a group of peers
- And more
As we age, our memory needs may change with us. This is what makes challenging, fun, and evolving memory exercises for seniors so impactful. And this is what makes a senior setting in support of those needs so important.
Social Senior Living Activities
As you may have guessed above, many great senior living activities can be done from the privacy of your own home or dwelling. But we find social engagement is just as important an activity in older age as physical engagement is.
To keep your friendship cup full, here are some activities for seniors in assisted living settings to help get you out and mingling:
- Area outings, including museums, parks, concerts, and other areas of interest
- Leisure trips to local restaurants, shopping areas, etc.
- Gatherings, including happy hours, game nights, and more.
- Holiday celebrations, from birthdays and anniversaries to national holidays
- Movie or book club meetings
- Etc.
There are countless other social senior living activities to consider. However, it’s imperative that you find a lifestyle and setting alike that meet those needs.
Find Comfort and Connection in Your Retirement
If you have been craving engagement with your peers in a supportive setting, you may well find it at Summerfield of Redlands.
Our happy and engaged community of seniors enjoy countless opportunities to meet, connect, and discover passions and interests alike. Our activities for seniors in assisted living are designed to engage strength, social connectedness, and memory. And they are offerings our residents love.
If you want a setting that is as designed for your needs as it is comfortable, consider us. Our doors are open to would-be residents and their families who wish to see Summerfield for themselves. Just remember: well-lived golden years are possible. They can be found here.