Once again the time has come to say goodbye to warm summer months full of sunshine, swimming pools and outdoor adventures and say hello to the chillier, shorter days of winter. For seniors in particular, staying active during the winter seasons can be difficult – at a time when it’s crucial to engage your mind, body and spirit while staying safe indoors. These indoor activities for seniors can help you avoid isolation and seasonal affective disorder, a depressive state realted to changes in seasons, while filling your days with joy.
Focus on Your Health
Despite not being able to take long walks and exercise outdoors, there are plenty of health-focused winter exercises for seniors.
Join fitness classes
When you’re feeling cramped or isolated in winter months, joining a fitness class or two is a fantastic way to get exercise for seniors of all levels of abilities. At Canterbury Court, we offer more than 40 fitness classes each week that all take place in a safe, comfortable environment accompanied by neighbors and friends.
Go for a swim
Swimming is an excellent cardio exercise for any time of the year. On top of burning calories, it engages multiple muscle groups and improves circulation. Because exercising outdoors is limited in the winter, swimming is a perfect way to stay in shape – if you have access to an indoor heated pool. Luckily at Canterbury Court, our heated indoor swimming pool is a perfect solution for how to stay active in the winter. You can swim laps by yourself or join instructor-led water aerobics classes.
Get fit online
Virtual fitness is more popular today than ever before. Myriad of online resources, classes and exercise guides are available to everyone these days. Yoga and bodyweight exercises are especially popular indoor activities for seniors looking to stay in shape during winter.
Broaden Your Horizons
Staying active during the winter doesn’t have to be limited to physical wellness. Since you’re already spending more time indoors, winter months are the perfect time to exercise your mind.
Take an online class
There’s a wide array of online classes that anyone can join. From enlightening lectures about historical events to learning a new language to immersing yourself in a lecture series, you come out of the winter months with a sharper mind. Online classes such as Open Culture, TEDTalks, and WonderHowTo are great websites that curate and catalog online learning opportunities to start your intellectual journey.
Find a new hobby
If you already have a favorite indoor pastime, winter is an ideal time to dive into it. If not, it’s the perfect season to find yourself a hobby. Start learning a musical instrument you’ve always admired. Or delve into your family’s genealogy with websites like Ancestry.com. Or try cooking a new style of food you’ve always wanted to try. The options are nearly limitless – the hard part may be choosing where to fix your focus.
Create art
One of the easiest winter activities, and indoor activities for seniors in general, is indulging your creative side. With minimal tools and materials, anyone can spend their time productively and experience fulfillment by simply creating art. The beauty is, art can be anything that brings you joy in a finished product. Painting, pottery, crafting, and even digital artwork are all right at your fingertips. Websites such as Art With Elders provide a wide range of resources and tutorials to fit your creative niche.
Staying Active and Engaged Year-Round
During the chilly Atlanta winter months, Canterbury Court ensures our residents are able to continue the active lifestyles they love with ease. With extensive wellness programming running 365 days per year, there’s never a shortage of fulfilling, entertaining and empowering winter activities. But we’d like you to experience it for yourself. To learn more about Canterbury Court, contact us through our website or call us anytime at 404-261-6611.