Posted on Oct 30, 2019 in Senior Activities
Staying healthy and keeping physically active are crucial as you get older but it’s also vital not to overlook the role social activities play as you age.
While the advantages of eating well and keeping fit are obvious, what can you gain from social interaction?
Well, we’ll walk you through 8 strong benefits of social activities as you advance in years so you can see exactly what you’ll get from keeping your mind and body active.
1.Create and Maintain New Relationships
2. Stimulate Your Mind
3. Increase Emotional Well-being
4. Improve Physical Health
5. Delay the Onset of Dementia
6. Enhance Motivation
7. Learn New Activities
8. Maintain Your Independence
Your brain cries out for regular social stimulation and this becomes increasingly important as a senior.
If you’re used to interacting with the same handful of people daily, don’t neglect the value of forming new relationships. Just because you’re getting a bit older doesn’t mean you need to stop building new friendships.
Attending new groups is a great way to meet like-minded people also perhaps craving a little fresh company to liven up their days.
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut as you get older, especially if your mobility starts to suffer. Remember, though, you can make a change any time you want.
Whatever social activities you choose, you’re sure to get some level of mental stimulation.
Without the responsibilities of work and children to eat up time, it’s easy to get restless. Using that time productively and enjoyably is the obvious solution.
Studies have shown that you’re more likely to notice positive cognitive health benefits as you age if you engage in regular social activities. The National Institute on Aging discovered signs that strong social relationships might be linked to reduced levels of interleukin-6. This is an inflammatory factor for diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Throughout life, it’s normal for family to provide the majority of your emotional wellbeing.
As you get older, your children are living their own lives – often far away – and maybe you don’t see your grandchildren quite as often as you’d like to. The role of family evolves and you can turn instead to friendships for emotional sustenance.
By staying emotionally healthy, you’ll be amazed at the way you’ll be stronger and better placed to stave off physical ailments while expanding your mind at the same time.
When you fully engage in group activities and social events, you’ll have the opportunity to form close bonds beyond family. You should get a sense of feeling loved and needed while enjoying the chance to be present and mindful.
In addition to the manifold cognitive benefits of social activity in seniors, carving out new social connections can also impact your physical wellbeing.
Here are just some of the physical benefits you could reap:
By regularly heading out and staying active in a social setting, you’ll also boost your immune system and notice an upswing in your nutritional health. If this seems questionable, ask yourself if you tend to eat more and to make better food choices when you’re around others.
Alzheimer’s is an ever-present threat as you age. While there’s no known cure, much research has shown that forming meaningful friendships and participating in enjoyable social activities as a senior can slow down age-related issues like dementia.
While cognitive decline might be an inevitable by-product of aging, there’s absolutely no need to take it lying down.
Without the structure of a working day and with fewer responsibilities and commitments, you might find yourself losing motivation as you get older.
If you start to suffer with mobility problems, this issue can become worse so how can you break out?
One obvious way is to start attending some form of social group or club. Even if you initially find it tough to muster up the enthusiasm, you should notice an improvement in motivation as you start enjoying the new group.
Motivation has a domino effect. The more you do, the more you want to do. Give it a try and see how you find it.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s always the opportunity to learn new things.
Whether you’d like to sharpen up your tech skills so you can FaceTime your grandchildren or you fancy learning a new language, there’s a group for just about anything you could think up.
You can find social activities that are energetic and highly active while others – Tai Chi, for example – are relaxing and calming.
Imagination is your only limitation here.
If you become socially isolated, you might notice a series of knock-on effects, both mentally and physically.
Isolated seniors suffer from depression and anxiety, lowered immune health and poor nutrition. There also tends to be a heightened risk of other health issues. All of this combines and leads to a decline in independence.
If you make sure you surround yourself with others on a regular basis, you can improve your sense of purpose and stay independent without feeling cut off.
If you’re interested in the social activities and other benefits on offer at our assisted living facility in Beverly, we’ll be more than happy to arrange for a tour.
