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How to Keep Elderly Active in winter
During the cold season, staying active is one of the hardest things to do. The weather will make anyone just want to stay inside and sleep all day. However, being cooped up all the time is also not healthy, especially for our elderly loved ones. That is why in this article, we will talk about fun ways to help keep elderly active in winter, which you can also do!
Different Ways How to Keep Elderly Active in Winter:
Take long walks
During the winter, taking long walks might be challenging to do. If you prefer walking outdoors, the best way to stay motivated is by walking with a friend or a family member. This will be a great way to spend more time with your loved ones while still keeping in shape. However, if long walks are not for you, you can instead use a Walking Pad.
A walking pad is a treadmill that is less bulky and can easily fit in your home. The main difference between a walking pad and a treadmill is that the former contains fewer frills, while the latter includes endurance and incline settings.
Host a Game Night
If you want an evening filled with all sorts of fun games and activities, hosting a game night is a sure thing to do.
Games for Family Game Night:
- Charades
- Bingo
- Uno
- Monopoly
- Newspaper Dance
- Simon says
- Twister
- Scrabble
- Heads Up!
- Stop Dance
- Never Have I Ever
- Who’s most likely to
The games listed above are just a few of the games you can play with your family during your game night. My suggestion would be to include a few games which include physical movement like Simon Says. However, ensure that the games you will choose are appropriate for the health and physical capability of your elderly loved one.
If you want to read about more games for elderly parents, this article is perfect if you also want to help boost brain activity.
Join Online Classes
Staying active indoors is enjoyable when you are not doing it alone. One way to do this is by joining online classes. Some of the online classes I could recommend are Zumba and At Home Workout classes. If you are enrolling for yourself, it is important to join a class where the level of difficulty is appropriate to your capabilities. Joining online workout classes are also a great way to meet new friends and build lasting connections.
Watch Workout YouTube Videos
If you do not have extra money to spare to join online workout classes, an alternative is watching YouTube Videos. There are thousands of workout videos online that you can work out with. Watching videos and working out with them is an affordable alternative and will help keep elderly active in winter without having to go outside.
Workout Indoors
If you like working out alone, then investing in some gym equipment is a must for the winter season. A few dumbbells and other workout equipment will help you or your elderly loved one stay active while staying warm indoors.
Join Local Community Activities
During the winter season, there are several local community activities that you can join. Not only are these activities fun to do, but you can also help the local community prosper. Some of the activities that I would recommend you join are those that are more centered on helping the community as a whole. The winter season is an amazing time to help others.
Swim Indoors
For people with mobility problems, swimming is a low-intensity workout that can help you stay active without too much strain. Research shows that there are numerous benefits to swimming and some of these benefits are:
Improved cardiovascular health
Any form of exercise will help improve cardiovascular activity which is important in maintaining a healthy body overall.
Low Impact Activity
Swimming is a great low-impact activity making it perfect for our elderly loved ones. Swimming does not strain your body making it a favorite exercise for doctors to recommend for seniors. According to research, swimming is a great way to boost blood circulation in our body and can reduce muscle and joint pain as well.
Helps Build Endurance
Making swimming a habit is a great way to build endurance. Personally, whenever I swim I don’t feel as tired compared to either running or jogging. However, it still helps build endurance and after a few months of swimming, I realized I no longer feel tired whenever I walk the stairs or whenever I do my daily tasks.
Whole body Exercise
Swimming is an amazing whole-body exercise that most people can do. Most doctors even recommend the elderly to swim since as mentioned earlier, it is also a low-impact exercise as well.
Join a Dance Club
If you want to stay active and meet new friends, joining a local dance club might just be for you. Dancing is a fun activity that can help time pass by very quickly. From experience, it’s not important to know off the bat how to dance, what’s important is your willingness to learn and have fun. If dancing has been on your bucket list for a while, the winter season might be the perfect time for you to try it out.
Hiking
If you love spending time outdoors, then hiking is a great way to stay active while being able to be one with nature. If you have never tried hiking before, then today might be a great time to start. Hiking does not require any advanced equipment, making it an inexpensive recreational activity as well.
If you are just a beginner in trying out hiking as a recreational activity, here are some helpful tips for you:
Start slow
If you are just a beginner in hiking, always begin with the easy trails that are appropriate for your capability.
Do your research
Before proceeding to your chosen trail, it is important to do your research and familiarize yourself beforehand. It is quite easy to get lost, so knowing the various routes beforehand will be greatly beneficial.
Take Someone With You
If you are just a beginner, hiking with someone else is not just fun but is also a requirement. Like the previous tip said, getting lost is very easy to do. That is why having someone with you who is an experienced hiker will greatly reduce the risk of getting lost.
Have Fun
The most important tip that I can suggest is to have fun. Hiking for me is not only a fun recreational activity but is also a spiritual journey. When you are hiking, especially if you are alone, you can learn more things about yourself and introspect.
Shoveling Snow
Shoveling snow is the easiest way to stay active during the winter. It might not be the most fun activity out there, but an activity nonetheless. If you want to make things more fun and exciting, what you can do is offer a weekly schedule on who will shovel for the day, and the person who shovels the most snow at the end of the week wins a prize.
Household Chores
A simple and easy way to stay active during the winter is by doing household chores. If you want to help your elderly parent stay active without having them go out, assigning simple household chores might be the one for you. Aside from helping them stay active, giving them something to do that is beneficial for the household will help them feel independent.
Conclusion:
Staying active during the winter season is no longer as difficult as it might seem before. Knowing the different ways to help keep elderly active in winter is essential to boosting their overall health. If you can take only one thing from this article, I hope what you will remember is to have fun. In most of the activities I listed, the best way in my opinion is to perform these activities with your family or a loved one. It will not only help keep you active but also help build your relationship with the people you love and value. Always remember to exercise caution and again, enjoy your time with your family and have fun.
