A healthy dose of movement is essential for every person, no matter their age. However, adjusting exercise to fit a person’s skill level and mobility is crucial in working with older adults. Whether out of preference or ability, working movement into everyday activities is an excellent way to encourage health, especially for those with an affected memory. Walking outdoors and gardening are often the go-to activities for daily movement, but time outdoors may be a luxury during harsher winters and blistering summers. To combat these more difficult months, we’ve compiled a list of indoor activities that increase movement through fun hobbies and everyday activities.
Bread Baking
This time-honored tradition is an excellent way to involve an older adult without physically demanding too much of them. Still, making homemade bread is no easy task and requires a certain amount of dedication. Kneading the dough is a consistent way to warm up the muscles and, depending on the recipe, there is also cause for the ‘slap-and fold’ method which will get your heart rate up. Between mixing the ingredients and doing the actual baking, a day of breaking bread will give a sense of accomplishment, a little bit of exercise, and will end up with a delicious loaf (or two) of homemade bread. That’s a win-win-win!
Here’s a great step-by-step guide for bread baking.
Indoor Gardening
Plants aren’t just for the outside, and with succulents in vogue, there are more options for gardening indoors than there ever have been. There are MANY opportunities in-store when you create a garden inside (or just a few plants.) From picking out your favorite flowers, plants, and herbs to keep inside to watering them all daily, there is relaxation and movement in every step. As a major bonus, there are several health benefits to gain from gardening. By keeping plants alive, even a novice gardener will gain self-esteem, which greatly enhances mental health. Studies have also shown that dedicated gardening can reduce the chances of dementia by up to 36%. Learning the ins and outs of many different species of plants is an exercise in itself. Also, with more greenery in the home, a sense of tranquility and improved mood are inevitable.
Meal Prep
While it may seem hard to imagine meal prep as a hobby, this endeavor will bring so much time back into your daily schedule. Planning out at least some of the food you plan to eat will allow you to consider what you want to eat and when. This is a money-saving gamechanger that will also give multiple opportunities for warming up those muscles and staying healthy. Here, you can include grocery shopping, simple cooking, and baking, as well as the simple act of packing it all away for the days to come. Older adults can also be helpful in table setting, which helps with dexterity!
Finding indoor chances for movement is a unique challenge, but one anyone can overcome. The activities listed above let you fold movement into everyday moments rather than finding time for exercise alone. Staying active and healthy is as essential as eating and drinking, so make sure to incorporate it but remember, it doesn’t have to be a struggle.
