How to Stay Active and Engaged in Old Age
The Importance of Staying Active in Old Age
Keeping active in old age is crucial, due to the damaging effects that being inactive can bring to both physical and emotional well-being. “Older adults should do some type of physical activity every day” says the NHS, as it can ““help to improve your health and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke”. While being active should always be approached carefully, especially if you haven’t been active for some time, the NHS recommends speaking to your GP or another healthcare professional first, especially if you “have medical conditions or concerns”. Exercising regularly can have far-reaching benefits for our physical well-being by keeping our joints supple and our muscles working, boosting our mental health when experiencing nature and the outdoors, and also helping to develop important social connections.

Fun Ways For Seniors to Stay Active
Exercise can instil fear in some people, and it’s easy to avoid something that we don’t want to do. The key to sticking with exercise is finding something that suits you and that you enjoy. If you’re worried about attending classes alone or going out into the community without support, we can help. Our carers can support you to get more active at home or outside, including:
Moving about more at home
Getting up and out of your chair can be difficult if you’re worried about pain or the risk of falling. By making your home less cluttered so that you aren’t risking falling over things, or speaking to your GP about managing your pain, can make you more willing to move about your home freely.
Enjoying your garden
Having a beloved garden to look out over is one of the joys of remaining in your home for your care and support. Your carer can help you to undertake gentle weeding or repot plants and flowers, or support you to walk around your garden and enjoy any nice weather we may get
Accompanying you at group activities
If you’re keen to try exercise classes but don’t want to go alone, your Helping Hands carer can accompany you, to make sure you can manage to access the class safely. Trying something gentle to begin with, such as pilates or classes designed for older people, may be ideal.
Helping you to enjoy your community
If you’re keen to get out and about in nature but concerned that you won’t manage on your own, our carers can accompany you to local parks, beauty spots and places of interest. This will give you essential companionship as well as gentle walking and a chance to meet people.
The Importance of Staying Engaged
There are many ways for seniors to stay active, but having a social outlet that’s stimulating is important as well. Joining a group that encompasses your interests can also be a good social outlet as well as giving you something to look forward to, such as a book group or a choir. This is important as it will give you the motivation to leave the house and attend the group. Age UK agrees. “Join a club, class or social group to meet new people. Focus on relationships or activities that you enjoy.” Keeping in touch with family and friends can also keep spirits higher, even if they live far away. Using a computer or tablet to keep in touch can be an ideal solution, and your carer can help to show you how to use digital technology.

Keeping an Active Mind
Keeping an active mind is vital because letting boredom settle can lead to depression, which can affect you both mentally and physically. Going out is all very well, but if you’d rather focus on becoming more mentally active at home first, there are many things you can do to achieve that, including:
Puzzles
Puzzles can be relaxing, which is beneficial for anxiety levels, depression and blood pressure. Some people enjoy doing puzzles together as a social exercise and bonding experience, but whether in a group or on your own, they’ll help you to remain mentally active.
Crosswords
Crosswords definitely get the grey matter working. Doing more complex puzzles regularly will keep the brain in tip-top shape, and Age UK agrees. They say that, on the whole, “people who do more mentally stimulating activities have better thinking skills in older age.”
Reading
Reading has so many benefits. You can lose yourself in a fantasy world, learn new skills, or find out about the life of a famous person you’ve always admired. Escaping for a while into the chapters of a book you’re enjoying can boost your mental health enormously.
Listening to Music
When we hear a song or piece of music that reminds us of happier times, we can all be transported back to them. If you always enjoyed dancing, there’s nothing stopping you from having a gentle boogie in the privacy of your own living room, as long as you’re careful!
Caring for Bodies and Minds with Helping Hands
Helping Hands have been supporting people with their physical and emotional well-being since we were established in 1989. This means we’re one of the longest-established home care companies in the UK and one of the most trusted. This is because we have branches across the whole of England and Wales, all of which are owned, managed and run by us. This gives you an unrivalled quality of service that ensures you always receive the highest standards of care. Due to our attention to detail and our incredible carers, you’ll also have a consistency of care with us that you don’t find with other companies. Whether you’re looking for visiting or live-in care, we’ll always put you at the centre of your care experience, and the Care Quality Commission and the Care Inspectorate Wales fully regulate all of our services.
