5 activities to fully enjoy spring’s arrival
After a long winter, the nice weather is finally back! Spring is the perfect time to get outside and be active. Especially for seniors, who often spend much of their time indoors, away from the fresh air and sunshine, the main source of vitamin D and essential to the proper functioning of the body! Regular physical activity is one of the most important lifestyle habits that help people age well. It improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of chronic diseases in seniors. That’s why we’re offering 5 activities that will give seniors a breath of fresh air.
The benefits of fresh air and sunshine for seniors
Fresh air and sunshine have many health benefits for all of us. They improve the quality of our sleep, enhance brain function and help us feel calm and relaxed. Fresh air and sunshine can also help seniors fight common problems associated with aging.
Spending time outdoors lifts our spirits and keeps feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression at bay. The fresh air and sunshine can also be beneficial to seniors living with memory loss. Being active outdoors can help improve some of the behavioral symptoms of dementia, including agitation, aggression and wandering.
Activities for seniors to do in the spring
Walking in nature
The return of warm weather makes walking outdoors much more enjoyable. It’s also less risky for seniors, whose physical condition is usually weakened. And for seniors, who are often more vulnerable to cold weather, sunny days are an opportunity to get outside for the pleasure of getting fresh air and admiring nature.
Walking is known for its many benefits for seniors. Indeed, this daily sport does not require too much effort compared to many other activities. Moreover, walking in the middle of nature (or even in the city), allows seniors to spend a moment of rejuvenation and pleasure.
A good hour’s walk a day in a nearby park or in the woods allows seniors to stay in shape, fill up on vitamin D and maintain their independence.
And for those in wheelchairs who would like to enjoy a nice walk in nature, Parks Canada offers a wide variety of accessible trails.
Have a picnic
We love taking something we do every day (like lunch) and turning it into an outdoor activity! Picnicking is a great way to combine social activity with outdoor activity. It may be a good way to use up some of the vegetables and fruit you bought at the market! It’s also a great opportunity to invite the whole family and have a good intergenerational time.
Gardening
Gardening is one of the best outdoor activities you can do in your golden years. It stimulates all the senses, puts us in touch with nature and rewards us with beautiful flowers or delicious fruits and vegetables. In addition to all these benefits, gardening has several mental and physical advantages for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Research shows that activities that involve the senses provide people with Alzheimer’s disease with positive emotions that they may no longer experience on a regular basis. Gardening therapy engages all the senses and can help people with Alzheimer’s disease rediscover their world.
Visiting your own city
Whether you are in a retirement home or at home with home help, taking the time to visit or revisit your own town is one of the best things to do in the spring. The snow is melting, the patios are opening one after the other and life is generally picking up. Quebec and Ontario are two provinces known for their tourist appeal and rightly so! Whether it’s the museums, the parks, the architecture or the many activities that any city can offer, it’s hard to get bored.
The chances of events (festivals, workshops, etc.) taking place in your city in the weeks and months following the arrival of spring are high! Visiting your own city means rediscovering the charms and culture of your own territory.
Spring cleaning
Spring is a time of renewal, new beginnings and healthy living. By starting to make changes inside now, we’ll have more time outside to start our garden, have a picnic or just take long walks. Here are some common tasks that can be started now:
- Sorting clothes
- Complete cleaning of floors and carpets
- Dusting your home
- Washing your windows
- Change your decor
For those who find these activities tedious, take advantage of this moment to invite the whole family. By tackling the task surrounded by your loved ones, it is also an opportunity to share good memories by opening photo albums! Together, you can also decide which objects to give to an association that will be able to use them. For seniors who would like to move into a residence and who need advice from their relatives or their children, this moment all together will give you the opportunity to discuss and choose a new retirement home as a family.