Senior Living

Hobbies You Can Try This Winter

As we move on past 55 years of age, we start noticing that we now have a few elderly tendencies. This is despite the fact that we are still spry young seniors who are very capable of running the New York Marathon. We may be forgetting a few things, moving a little slower, and simply just want to sit and watch our favorite TV shows. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with all that, as we age, these tendencies might start interfering with the quality of our lives.

To keep ourselves sharp, upbeat, and youthful, we need hobbies that foster those qualities. So why not try something new? Here are some interesting ideas?

Go Swimming – What??? Swimming in winter? I know that the thought of cold temperatures and even snow doesn’t exactly conjure up favorable images of bathing suits and water. Don’t dismiss this activity till summer comes around. Swimming is one of the most physically, mental, and aerobically beneficial, low impact activity that anyone at any age can enjoy. Find a heated pool… gyms, rec. centers, even a local hotel.

Delve into Genealogy Research – for most of us family is everything. The problem is that many of us have such hectic lives that we barely know who our great uncles were and what they did for this great country. We simply do not have the time or resources to research that, or we just do not have access to that kind of information because those who came before us did not see fit to preserve it. As an aging member of the family, you can remedy this travesty. Delving into your family tree can be a fulfilling undertaking. You can go back in time and see if you had anyone on the Titanic or the Mayflower or your lineage comes from a great pedigree and preserve that information for generations to come.

Learn to Play a Musical Instrument – True, maybe our days of touring the world with KISS are probably over, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot be a musical maverick. What musical instrument have you always wanted to learn how to play? Maybe the guitar, the piano, or the violin? Well, this is our chance to get those creative juices flowing. We have the time, so why not? Learning to play can keep our minds sharp and our hand-eye coordination top notch. It also has been said that playing a musical instrument raises your IQ by about 7 points.

Why not Grow Something – Even during winter, we can still nurture an indoor garden. How good does it feel to grow something and give it life? Gardening is by far one of the most relaxing and fulfilling hobbies we can have as aging members of society.

Besides the fact that it give us something to do and plants to dote over, it’s a good way to relax and reduce stress.

The idea of finding a hobby is to either find something we like or try out new things until we do find something that we enjoy. The best way to do this is to bring a friend along and have mad laughs as you try out new and strange, yet enjoyable activities and hobbies.

I, myself, am going to find someone to play Scrabble with and start a book club this winter.