12 Therapeutic Activities For Seniors to Uplift Your Spirits

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Therapeutic activities have immense health benefits for seniors dealing with physical or mental health issues and provide an ideal way to avoid boredom, loneliness, and depression.

The key benefits of regular therapeutic activities for the elderly include improved mood, a better quality of life, and strengthened social connections.

Seniors can enjoy these activities in their homes, nursing homes, and senior living communities. For the best results, try to match these activities with your interests.

Related Article: 12 Fun things to do at home

1: Puzzles and Brain Games

According to a study by NIH, puzzles and brain games help older adults maintain reasoning skills and improve cognitive abilities by stimulating their brains.

Puzzles and brain games are fun therapeutic activities for the elderly who are suffering from anxiety and depression, health issues, or the loss of a spouse.

Family members and professional caregivers can also use puzzles and games to keep seniors entertained and motivated.

2: Play Video Games

A study by North Carolina State University shows that older adults who play video games regularly or occasionally report a higher level of emotional well-being.

The study further states that the participants who never played video games tended to experience more depression and negative emotions.

A study by NIH showed many improvements among senior dementia patients who play video games. Gaming is one of the recreational therapy activities that are ideal for bedridden and wheelchair-bound elderly.

If you think video games are for young people, visit Shirley Curry’s YouTube Channel who is an 86-year-old gamer with 1 million + subscribers on her channel.

3: Listen to Podcasts

A podcast is like a radio program that you can listen to any time you want. There are podcasts for seniors covering every possible topic.

Podcasts can inspire seniors to achieve their goals in retirement and provide new ways to see things from a new perspective.

4: Cooking and Baking – Try a New Recipe

It is natural to lose interest in cooking if you live alone but it is important to have fresh homemade meals with proper nutritional value.

Cooking can help stimulate senses that are not normally used.

Cooking and baking bring alive the senses of smell, taste, touch, and sight and improve hand-eye coordination.

The Internet makes it easy to access recipes that require minimal prep and time and provide proper nutrition for older adults.

5: Listen to TED Talks

TED is a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas worth spreading” in form of a short and powerful presentation by motivational speakers and experts.

Listening to a Ted Talk is one of the best therapeutic activities for seniors to get inspiration and motivation.

These talks are not more than 18 minutes while most speakers aim for under 10 minutes.

Here are some of the Ted Talks to get you started.

You can listen to Ted Talks on YouTube or Ted Talks website. There are more than 4100 Talks to choose from.

6: Art Therapy

Express your creative side and dedicate some time to art that you love. Seniors can try painting, drawing, singing, sculpturing, photography, and more.

You do not have to be perfect and what you decide to do. You can always learn a new art. There are plenty of free resources online to help you.

Learning and practicing art not only gives you the ability to express your thoughts and emotions but also combat depression and anxiety.

7: Develop a Workout Routine

Out of all the therapeutic activities for seniors, a workout routine is the most important for physical and mental health.

You can increase your balance, avoid falls, and increase your energy levels through regular exercise.

There are many low-impact workout routines that you can follow including yoga and chair exercises.

8: Learn a New Skill

Learning makes you think out of the box and out of your comfort zone. Following the same routine every day is a recipe for stagnation.

Challenge yourself to learn something new that you always wanted to explore. It can be a new hobby like painting or a skill like knitting.

Many seniors miss a sense of purpose when they are not working or raising a family. It will provide you with a strong sense of purpose and feelings of accomplishment.

According to research by The University of Edinburgh, learning a new language delays the risk of developing dementia and improves the cognitive skills of older adults.

You feel a sense of accomplishment after learning a new skill.

9: Try A Second Act After Retirement

According to Business News Daily, 92% of people age 40 and older plan to work after their retirement to remain mentally sharp and active. Many fun and easy part-time jobs can double up as therapeutic activities for older adults.

You can avoid boredom and loneliness, stay physically and mentally sharp and explore new things while working from home part-time and making some money along the way.

Explore some of the fun retirement jobs that can make you a decent income while having fun and enjoying your retirement life.

10: Reading Therapy

According to research by the University of Sussex, 6 minutes of reading a book reduces stress by 68%. The research further concluded that reading outperformed other recreational therapy activities such as listening to music and walking.

Dr David Lewis, who conducted the research, says:

“It really does not matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination”.

Technology makes it easy to access thousands of books on your Kindles, iPads, and other e-readers.

You can get e-books from ebooks.com, Apple Books, and Barnes and Noble’s online store.

Seniors can also choose to listen to audiobooks on their smartphones and other gadgets.

11: Watch a Sitcom

Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter enhances your oxygen intake, stimulates your lungs and heart and increases the endorphins that are released by the brain.

It not only elevates your mood but also reduces stress, anxiety, fear, and depression.

When we experience humor, we socialize more and our relationships improve. There are many benefits of using different types of humor as therapeutic activities for the elderly.

You can start with a famous sitcom (like Mr. Bean) or a comedy TV series (like F.R.I.E.N.D.S). There is enough free material on YouTube.

12: Start a Group Activity

There are different recreational therapy activities that you can do in groups. Group activities have a sense of belonging and relatability and provide a social experience.

Examples of group therapeutic activities for seniors include:

Skill development groups: you can learn a skill like knitting in groups
Workout Groups: This is the best way to get some well-needed exercises and have fun
Meditation groups
Book clubs
Puzzles and party games: Try to solve some crossword puzzles or play group Trivia.

Group activities are ideal to have fun and socialize and help you combat anxiety, depression and stress.

Your relationships improve and you make new friends and find many things in common with other seniors.

These are 12 therapeutic activities that you can try in your home.

Sohail Ahmed

I love helping seniors with technology. This blog features apps, games, gadgets, technology tips, and tutorials for older adults … Know More