Follow our summer safety tips when you explore the many great outdoor activities for seniors!
How to Add Outings and Outdoor Activities to Your Week
If you want to engage more with the outdoors or find ways to do more outside your home, here are some tips to get you started:
- Plan with your energy in mind. Are you more energetic at certain times of the day? Are there certain days or times of the week when you have more availability to participate in outdoor activities?
- Don’t let mobility or transportation stand in the way of having a good time. Explore local services that support activities of daily living (ADLs), including transportation, so you can live an active lifestyle.
- Pick one outing and/or outdoor activity a week to start. Maybe the weather will be nice one day, so you can plan to walk then. Or perhaps there’s an outdoor event during the weekend you can mark on your calendar.
- The more the merrier! It’s easier to engage in a plan or activity for the week when you bring someone along or meet them there. Consider inviting a friend, family member, neighbor, or even joining a designated social group for the activity, such as a walking club.
Activities in Nature
You can enjoy the great outdoors and appreciate nature in a variety of ways:
- Birdwatching in your backyard
- Exploring accessible licenses, parks, and trails through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Fishing at a local pond
- Gardening at home or in a community garden
- Stargazing at night
- Volunteering at an animal shelter or cleaning up outdoor public spaces
Social Activities Outdoors
There are all kinds of outdoor activities that allow you to socialize with others:
- Backyard BBQ and family get-togethers
- Camping and traveling
- Craft shows and farmers markets
- Dining out or going on a picnic
- Live performances and sporting events
- Nostalgic drive-in movies and outdoor screenings
- Touring museums, historic sites, and nature centers
- Visiting the zoo and aquarium
Low-impact Outdoor Activities
You can enjoy outdoor activities at a more accessible pace that is more gentle on the body and stimulating for the mind:
- Creating art by painting or taking photos of nature
- Meditating and relaxing
- Reading, writing, and journaling your thoughts
- Walking a simple path, even for routine walks with a pet
- Yoga and tai chi
High-impact Outdoor Activities
For a more physically active lifestyle, the outdoors is a great place to engage in:
- Court games like pickleball and tennis
- Golfing and minigolfing with the grandkids
- Hiking and biking through nature trails
- Lawn games like bocce ball and cornhole
- Water activities, including canoeing and swimming
Why Outdoor Activity Matters for Seniors
Older adults enjoy many benefits from leading an active lifestyle outdoors:
- Better physical health from exercising muscles and joints, improving balance, heart health, and strength
- Engaged cognitive skills and mental stimulation
- Enhanced bone health and immune function from exposure to Vitamin D
- Opportunities to socialize and meet new people
- Reduced feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress
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Life Enriching Communities is committed to equipping you with a plan for the future. Learn more about our senior life plan communities at lec.org.