The aged have many reasons for losing mobility. Conditions like arthritis or stroke or even serious falls can lead the aged to have impaired mobility. When this occurs, it’s not uncommon for the elderly to be unable to enjoy the hobbies or activities they once did, as they may be too challenging with the loss of mobility.
Examples of such hobbies are gardening, dancing, or even Wii sports. Fortunately, loss of mobility doesn’t spell the end of hobbies for the aged. There are still several ways that the elderly can enjoy activities and find new hobbies after losing mobility. Here are a couple of ideas that may spark interest in older adults.
Reading
Reading is an activity that doesn’t require much movement. It is anything more than propping up a book and turning the pages. Reading can be a solo hobby, or it can become a group activity with things like book clubs. It is a hobby that reduces stress, improves sleep, and delays cognitive decline. That’s all you can ask for all in one hobby! An alternative, should it be difficult to handle a book, would be to listen to audiobooks instead. This is perfect for seniors to learn more about things they enjoy and also to learn new things.
Baking and Cooking
This is a particularly good hobby if mobility impairment is related to the lower half of the body. That’s because you only need your hands to bake delicious bread, a cake to share with friends for tea, or a batch or two of biscuits to have every morning on the porch. Older adults love doing useful things, and making something that others enjoy is one way of making themselves useful. Even cooking a meal is a wonderful way to engage your time as you share that meal afterward and feel a sense of fulfillment from it.
Chair Yoga
Yoga isn’t all about long stretches, downward dogs, and deep lunges. It is an activity that you can completely customize according to a person’s needs.
All it takes is finding the right person who can put together a yoga routine that works for older adults. As they have mobility issues, their yoga routine has to be keeping that in mind. Yoga can even improve posture, ease of motion, and simply make you feel great – all huge benefits for an older adult!
Craftwork
There are so many activities that fall under this category that it’s almost too broad a term. However, here we refer to activities with the hands that incorporate plenty of creativity. This can be beading, sewing, and needlework, painting, sketching, scrapbooking, or even knitting and crocheting. These are all wonderful ways to allow creative energy to flow, which is excellent for the aged mind. The focus and concentration involved in such works are also beneficial in taking your mind off of other things. It thereby reduces stress and becomes a welcome relief from the constant worries that older adults generally have!
Birdwatching
This is a very uninvolved activity, and simply requires a comfortable seat and a nice space outdoors that welcomes the birds. Having a little bird feeder, a birdbath, and some attractive fruits and flowers set up a perfect spot outdoors for watching the local species of birds as they visit and have their fun. Birdwatching is a very peaceful and calming hobby, and it requires little to no movement. The fresh air also does plenty of good, as does the vitamin D from the sunshine and the meditative effect of simply being in nature!
Enjoy Television Shows
Mindless television watching is not good for anybody, no matter what their age. However, a perfect selection of TV shows can be stimulating for the mind. It sparks creativity or interest in new ideas or topics. This is great for senior minds. Try to find thought-provoking films, documentaries, and even shows on travel and food channels. This can introduce you to new foods, cultures, and parts of the world to the viewer. These shows could even intersect with one of the hobbies you choose to engage in.
Loss of mobility for any reason is no reason to feel as though it is the end of enjoyable activities. There is so much that you can do, even if you cannot do the things you once used to do. There is something else you could do, which will help you stay busy and promote good health! For example, gardening may be off the cards, but that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate some stones for the flowerbed! Staying at home can still be fun!