The right environment can make a big difference in the quality of life experienced by active seniors. Selecting a retirement community that offers the right activities for cognitive health can allow older adults to stay sharp and focused well into their golden years. Here are five key activities and techniques to promote cognitive wellness for seniors during retirement.
1. Practice Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness requires a degree of focus on what you are doing and how you are feeling at any given moment. By living in the now rather than looking to the future or past, you can often enjoy some significant therapeutic benefits. Yoga, focused breathing and meditation are all activities that can enhance your ability to be mindful. Music can also help you to achieve a state of mindfulness more easily.
2. Stay Socially Connected
Making friends and taking part in social activities can also keep your mind sharp and can enhance your cognitive health. Communities that offer in-house activities for residents are a great way to meet new people and to connect with others for improved mental and psychological health.
3. Take Up a Hobby
From learning to play a musical instrument to doing crossword puzzles, hobbies can sharpen your intellect and help you to maintain your mental acuity. Learning new things and engaging your brain with jigsaw puzzles, sudoku and other challenging activities can allow you to maintain better cognitive health for years into the future.
4. Play Some Games
Games like chess, checkers and bingo are all great ways to improve brain function while having fun in the process. Online games can also allow you to challenge yourself and to engage your critical thinking skills to achieve your goals. Choosing a residential community that makes it easy to engage with others and to play games together is a great way to maintain cognitive wellness.
5. Work Out With Friends
One of the most important elements of active aging is staying as fit and healthy as possible throughout your life. Selecting a residential community that offers on-site fitness equipment and wellness options can allow you to stay active. You may also want to look into organized exercise classes or to find a friend from within your community to keep you on track for fitness and health.
Our retirement community offers social connections in a warm and welcoming environment. We provide organized activities every week as well as special events designed with the needs of older adults in mind. If you are looking for a retirement residence for yourself or for a loved one, contact River Ridge in Medicine Hat today.