Spring Activities to Keep You Active & Engaged
Spring is hailed as a season of renewal and awakening. After a long winter of cold weather, the flowers bloom and the sunshine provides the perfect climate to get back outside. There’s nothing quite like spending time in the fresh air to help us feel revived and refreshed.
While you begin to gear up for your spring activities, why not try some new hobbies and sports that can help you boost your physical activity? For older adults, staying active can provide a wide range of health benefits to keep the body in shape, keep the mind sharp and stave off diseases and health issues. Here’s the best part: physical activity doesn’t need to be strenuous or difficult to be beneficial. In fact, plenty of sports and hobbies can help you get your body moving and allow you to have fun along the way.
The Woodlands at Canterfield’s luxury senior living community is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents and strives to provide the tools individuals need to boost physical wellness. Here are some of our favorite spring activities to help you get moving this season!
Tee Up with Some Golf
Golf is often considered a mainstay of retirement living, and that’s not a bad thing! Golf is a timeless sport that can be played competitively or just for fun. Not only is golfing a great way to meet new people or enjoy a day on the course with friends, but it can also help boost your heart health.
While golf might not be a cardio-based sport, it does require a lot of walking. For instance, an 18-hole game of golf might have you walking up to four miles! Walking is an excellent way to get your recommended 150 minutes a week of aerobic exercise, and if you add in the benefits of nature and fresh air, a game of golf can also do wonders for your mental health.
Serve Up Healthy Aging with Tennis
Tennis is an incredibly popular sport among older adults, not just for health reasons but for the fun of competition and honing in on athletic skills. One of the most significant bonuses of playing tennis is the ability to control your level of intensity while you play.
Tennis is an excellent way to achieve and maintain your fitness goals as an older adult, whether you want to improve your wellness or enhance your athletic ability, and it comes with a wide variety of health benefits. In fact, one study focused on the benefits of playing tennis for seniors and found that veteran tennis players display lower body fat, more strength, high aerobic capacity and greater bone density. A similar study found that tennis can even boost your life expectancy by up to ten years!
Get On the Pickleball Train
Pickleball has quickly become one of the most popular spring activities in the United States and beyond, with many people quickly becoming hooked on this fun combination of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
Pickleball was first invented in 1965 by three fathers whose children were bored with their usual summer activities, and it has grown from a homemade game with simple rules to international fame. The best part of pickleball is the varying levels in which the game can be played; it’s easy to pick up for beginners and can quickly develop into a fast-paced, competitive game for more experienced players.
Pickleball is played on a smaller court than tennis, making this the perfect sport for those who experience issues with their knees, ankles, hips and other joints. Essentially, pickleball provides the same aerobic benefits as tennis but without the strain on muscles and joints.
Get Your Hands Dirty with Gardening
This may come as a surprise, but gardening is actually the second most popular physical activity for people over the age of 65. Gardening might not bring to mind images of cardio or aerobic exercise, but the motions and movements that make up various tasks in gardening can provide plenty of health benefits. Plus, it’s one of the best spring activities for enjoying the weather and soaking up the sun!
Digging, weeding, watering and planting are all physical movements required to start, foster and successfully cultivate a garden. These movements might not seem like they’re doing much at the time, but in reality, they’re providing your body with light exercise that can strengthen muscles and get your blood pumping. When you dig holes to plant seeds or plants, carry heavy watering cans across your yard, crouch down or bend to pull up pesky weeds, you’re actually helping your body gain aerobic energy.
At The Woodlands at Canterfield, we encourage individuals to live actively, whatever that means to them. Discover luxury senior living in West Dundee by scheduling a tour of our community today!
