With age, staying physically and mentally active can become more complex. It is natural for seniors to slow down and lead a more sedentary lifestyle. However, slowing down too much can hasten many common age-related illnesses, making seniors’ lives more difficult. Fortunately, mental health activities for seniors can improve their mental health and give them something fun to do every day.
At Ventana, our community features several senior mental health activities, games, exercises, and therapies to improve cognitive function and stave off age-related mental decline. When you join our community, you can access our services, amenities, and quality medical care to address any health changes as you age. We have several mentally stimulating activities, games, and social events for seniors of all activity levels.
To see if our senior living member lifestyle is something you are interested in, give us a call at 214.225.6197 to schedule a tour.
The Benefits of Senior Mental Health Exercises
Leading an active lifestyle is essential to be healthy mentally and physically. While there is nothing wrong with leading a relaxing lifestyle, you want to do more than sit around and watch TV all day. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weakened muscles, weight gain, depression, and other severe physical and psychological complications.
There are several mentally stimulating activities for seniors, like reading and meditation, as well as more physical activities, like gardening and cooking, that stimulate the mind. Not only do they give you something pleasurable to do, but they also come with several other health benefits. Some of the benefits of senior mental health exercises include:
- Improved reasoning and cognition
- Faster response times
- Increased memory retention
- Decreased risk of dementia
- Increased dopamine and serotonin production
- Improved sleeping habits
At Ventana, our residents have several senior mental health activities and socializing opportunities for an enriching and fulfilling retirement. We encourage our residents to join in the activities and games that interest them to socialize and build new relationships with other seniors.
Mental Health Activities for Seniors
Filling your day with mentally stimulating games and activities is a fun way to give your brain a workout and keep age-related mental decline from increasing. Here are some fun mental health activities for seniors to keep their minds sharp:
- Puzzles – Jigsaw and word puzzles like Sudoku or crossword games are very popular mental activities for seniors that they can do alone or with friends. Research has proven that puzzles are relaxing, mentally stimulating, and improve hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
- Arts and crafts – Working on art projects like quilting, making collages, and pottery are equally mentally beneficial as puzzles can decrease the progression of dementia. Creating art can also decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve your overall mood.
- Playing an instrument – Learning to read music and play the guitar or other instruments boosts memory retention and alertness and increases hand dexterity. Learning new songs is an excellent mental activity if you like to sing. It can build your self-confidence and give your vocal cords a workout.
- Journaling – Writing in a journal daily is a relaxing mental exercise that is great for recalling recent memories. Plus, this is an excellent chance for you to document your life and pass it along to your children one day as an autobiography.
- Cooking – Learning new cooking recipes is an excellent mental workout with great health benefits. Cooking requires exact measurements, works your hand-eye coordination, and will give all five senses a workout.
There are plenty of other senior mental health activities that you can do to improve your mental health. Try out as many new activities and games as possible to see which ones you enjoy the most to get the most enjoyment out of the experience.
Join Ventana for Our Senior Living Member Lifestyle
Ventana is a full-service luxury senior living community in a state-of-the-art high-rise in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Our residents enjoy various mentally stimulating games, activities, and social events within the community. We also have a creative arts studio, wellness center, fitness center, and many dining options to create a comfortable and enriching retirement.
To see which mental health activities for seniors we offer our residents, give us a call at 214.225.6197 today. You can also reach us through our online form.