Health Benefits of Hobbies for Older Adults

After retirement, some seniors prefer to maintain a part-time job, but others may not know what to do with all the time they’ve suddenly gained in their day. While we may dream about the day when we can hang up our 9-to-5 workdays, those days consist of quite a bit of free time (roughly seven hours of leisure time after sleep and daily chores). However, embracing hobbies are a great way to boost physical and mental health.

Of course, the amount of time a person can devote to a hobby varies. We know it’s not always possible to fish all day in the hot sun or walk on the beach in the cold winter. However, making time for your hobbies has proven to benefit our well-being. Physical hobbies offer a wide range of health benefits such as reducing blood pressure and improving hearth health. Seniors should take into consideration their own health needs as well as their physical abilities when looking to choose their hobbies. It’s a priority for older adults, and all of us, to maintain and improve our health, while participating in enjoyable pastimes.

Additional health benefits of hobbies include:

  • Reduce and manage stress
  • Challenges the brain which can decrease cognitive decline
  • Supports the immune system
  • May support mobility
  • May improve social connections, in turn enhancing their mood

Porch, who provides resources to make staying at home easier, offers more awesome at-home hobbies for older adults here that range from knitting and creating a reading nook to restoring old furniture.

Our Signature Programming

At Commonwealth Senior Living, our residents enjoy days filled with enriching activities built around their unique interests. Below is a sampling of our signature programming which offers residents the healthy, safe, full, and rewarding lifestyle they deserve.

  • For the Traveler: Travel the World Program: Whether you love the snow-capped peaks and skiing down a mountain side, or digging your toes into the sandy beaches of a beautiful island, there is a fun-filled destination planned just for you! Our all-inclusive programming features the sights, sounds, foods, and culture of your favorite vacation spots, right from your own CSL home.
  • For the Foodie: Farm to Table Dining: To name a few, the benefits of farm-to-table dining include reducing blood pressure, lowering risk of heart disease, and promoting higher brain activity. Recognizing this importance, we launched this program in partnership with Babylon Micro-Farms to bring fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to all of our communities. This award-winning partnership in hydroponic farming provides the freshest produce available grown inside our dining rooms and is chosen and harvested by our own residents. In addition, our partnership with Produce Source connects us to 47 local farmers, ensuring that 85% of our produce is harvested locally.
    • Dining Delights: These are special, monthly events hosted by our Dining Services Director. These events are often in celebration of the monthly theme and include a cooking demonstration. The classic apple pie baking around Fourth of July, a class for making dumplings around Chinese New Year, or cheese and wine sampling in celebration of Bastille Day. The possibilities are endless.
  •  For the Musicians: Sweet Melodies: The arts play a large role in our programming calendar with residents volunteering for their peers at some communities. Music also plays a vital role in reaching and connecting with our residents with later stage dementia. For those who have lost verbal skills, Sweet Melodies stirs memories by using nostalgic music to ignite a spark within the resident. We build a personal playlist from conversations with family and by sampling a variety of musical genres. The music reaches deep inside and resonates with our residents.

Choosing a Commonwealth Senior Living community allows you to delight in the active, engaging and service-rich lifestyle you want today, and also have the peace of mind of knowing more support is available should you need it. Making time for your hobbies and other activities you love should always be a priority.

To learn more about a lifestyle filled with engaging activities, visit the community nearest you!