I am an active ageing coach and activist and I would love you to join me.
Why?
Because I know the long term benefits of keeping on the move and I know how good it can make you feel. Life is all about enjoying each day to the max and not resting and rusting as many people do as they get older. As you age your health is often all you have so why not work on having better health and fitness.
Unfortunately Kevin Trudeau was right when he said, “most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.”
There’s plenty of leisure activities which are good for promoting your well-being as well as providing satisfying outcomes, companionship and plenty of good social fun to keep you interested.
Just find one you like and enjoy doing.
And I’m sure you will also be delighted to know they don’t all involve physical activity, even though that is a vital component to your better health.
5 pleasurable leisure activities you can indulge in to promote your sense of well-being.
1. Gardening
The wonderful aspect of gardening is that it provides you with physical activity, while you spend time out in the sunshine getting your daily dose of Vitamin D.
Gardening might just seem like a hobby, but it offers numerous health benefits: exercise, stress relief, nutrition, and even brain health as you’re keeping your mind active as you tend to your garden.
There are a number of studies that prove this to be so. One study in the Netherlands, which had one group of people garden after stressful activity, and the other read a book – it was the gardeners who saw their mood improve the most. If you have a community garden within easy reach, it is ideal as it fosters some great social contact.
If you need some new ideas to ramp up your gardening skills I found this book the perfect guide to get me started on my new hobby: All New Square Foot Gardening: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space.
2. Dancing
Dancing is a wonderful activity – it promotes energy, vitality, physical health and an improved mood to support your overall well-being at any age!
And remembering all those new dance moves is a great workout for your brain as well.
There are many types of dance styles, from ballroom to hip-hop to square dancing and everything in between.
Grab a partner or find one at any of the local dance schools near you and get those feet moving!
3. Cooking
The American Psychological Association recommends cooking as a leisure activity. When you consider that it not only gets you up and about, but it requires some thinking, thus keeping your mind active, so it makes sense that it would be considered an important activity to your overall well-being.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health also points to the fact that you are more likely to eat a healthy nutritious diet when you are spending time in the kitchen.
If you happen to be cooking with products you grew in your own garden, then you are in an even healthier position.
4. Exercises for baby boomers and older adults
C3 Health offers a number of graphs with statistics about obesity across the world, in addition the activities that can help you counter against it.
Light walking is sufficient to promote your well-being, helping battle against diabetes, not to mention lowering BMI, fighting high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
In fact, let’s put it like this: 6% of deaths across the world can be attributed to physical inactivity, while it is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality, globally. That equates to over 3 million deaths annually, with almost 700,000 of them being premature.
If you haven’t done much exercise of late then walking is an ideal place to start. It is often classed as the ideal exercise for seniors.
You can then increase your distance daily and as you get fitter branch out to other activities like tennis, cycling, swimming, water aerobics, going to the gym or whatever else you may prefer.
If you can join a club to get time socializing, then that is wonderful, as human contact is very important to your overall wellbeing.
5. Yoga & Meditation
Yoga is one of the holistic ancient methods that has been used for thousands of years; it aims to treat the entire body. Not only do you employ breathing techniques, but also the poses allow you to lead your body through stretches which will keep your joints flexible.
Yoga reduces aches and pains and also helps prevent injury, especially in the event of a fall. While you are focused on breathing through your postures, you are shutting everything else out and becoming one with yourself.
Yoga offers incredible physical benefits in addition to mental health benefits, since it is a stress relieving exercise it can also relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression.
I am a firm believer all older people should give Yoga a try. Many people I suggest it too say they are afraid to have a go because the poses look too hard and they would not be able to do them. Well, that is where you are wrong.
The beauty of Yoga is…..anyone can do it.
It is not where you start it is where you are after you have been doing it for twelve months or so. Give it a go – you will be amazed at the results. The more you do the easier it gets.
If you are afraid to venture out into public and give it a go then start off at home first to gain some confidence. This book has excellent instructions which will get you going in no time at all: Gentle Yoga: 7 Beginning Yoga Practices for Mid-life (40’s – 70’s) including AM Energy, PM Relaxation, Improving Balance, Relief from Desk Work, Core Strength, and more.
The Bottom Line
The majority of leisure activities all offer similar benefits: reduction of stress, which can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, exercise to improve your physical being, keeping your mind active, and depending on where you can enjoy your activity an it can keep you entertained with a flourishing social life.
Social interaction is one of the key aspects of a leisure activity, while you can complete any of these activities at home and alone it is more beneficial to make sure you spend some time socializing with others.
Cheers – John – your Active Ageing Coach and Activist.
P.S. Don’t forget to like share this with a deserving friend.
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