You’ve heard ad nauseum just how important it is to move our bodies as we age, whether that’s just stretching, chair exercises or working on our balance. Sometimes it can feel like our bodies limit the fun we have, especially when the seasons change, and new activities are highlighted.
If you’re a senior with limited mobility or are a little shaky being out and about on your own, I’ve got some suggestions for fall activities that might interest you.
Here are some activities that older people with limited mobility can enjoy during the fall season:
~Scenic Drives: Always at the top of my list is seeing how the landscape changes with the seasons, especially in fall with brilliant flashes of colored foliage right before rain arrives to wash away the orange, red, and gold leaves and vines.
~Fall Crafting: We can up our creativity and fine tune our motor skills by crafting activities like making fall-themed wreaths, decorating pumpkins, or creating other autumn-inspired artwork. Think about something for the Christmas tree or holiday mantle or dining table. One plus is that you can sit during most of this fun activity.
~Puzzles and other games: Work on jigsaw puzzles featuring fall landscapes or play card games with autumn-themed decks, which can be mentally stimulating and a fun way to spend time indoors.
~Indoor Gardening: Nothing more relaxing and therapeutic than using pots indoors to create small flower or herb gardens, which can decorate a kitchen or enhance any windowsill. I’ve been known to add tiny ceramic “scenes” with holiday characters like the Elf on the Shelf to up the festiveness.
~Holiday Baking: If you’re able to stand and get around the kitchen, baking fall-themed muffins, breads, and cookies can be frozen and given as heart-felt gifts. Plus, save some to enjoy now! Grandkids add a lot of fun (and mess! LOL) to the experience – a lasting memory for the little ones.
Other ideas that may interest you include virtual museum tours that showcase fall-themed exhibits or seasonal art and reading or listening to seasonal audiobooks that evoke the special time of year. Perhaps you’ll use the new season to change up your gentle indoor exercises with chair yoga or stretching routines designed for limited mobility.
Fall — and all seasons — are about change. Changing up any routine, be it fun or functional, will help you stay engaged, mentally stimulated, and appreciating the beauty of a new season regardless of your mobility.