The crisper air that we feel in our Lowcountry presents the perfect opportunity to switch up a wellness routine or take up new hobbies. If you’re bored with your current health and wellness plan or just need a change of scenery, autumn offers the perfect time to find a new practice.
Whether it’s for you or your loved ones, the following ideas can help you celebrate Healthy Aging Month and reinvent your wellness routine for the changing season.
Use The Fall Weather to Your Advantage
Adults over 65 should aim for at least 2.5 hours of exercise per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Keep this in mind as you try new activities. As far as physical exercise, AARP suggests that older adults should focus on four things: endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance.
One of the best low-impact exercises—regardless of your age—is walking. A daily walking routine strengthens bones, keeps you active, and allows you to socialize with others. If you’re just getting started, try to aim for a minimum of three walks per week. With fall weather upon us, it’s the perfect time to get outdoors.
Find easy hiking trails or walking paths where you can also enjoy the changing leaves. If you live in a senior assisted living community, you may have trails available there, or you can check out local parks.
Diversify Your Practices
Don’t limit your outdoor exercise to simply walking. If you enjoy yoga, tai chi, or other aerobic activities, fall offers the chance to move your workout outdoors and not worry about getting overheated. Tai chi and yoga classes on a crisp fall morning can add another level of relaxation to this already beneficial practice.
Golf and tennis are two activities that make exercise fun and are ideal to do during cool fall months. Golf courses usually offer lessons year-round and may even have classes specifically for seniors. Alternatively, if you want to practice mindfulness, listening to water—whether it’s an outdoor fountain, babbling brook, or ocean waves—is a great way to get into a relaxed state while taking advantage of the fresh air.
Remember: Healthy Doesn’t Mean Just Physical
Health isn’t purely related to physical activity; you want to nourish your mind, body, and spirit. To engage your mind along with your body this fall, consider taking some of your favorite hobbies outdoors. For creatives, try painting or crafting “en Plein Air.” A beautiful landscape scene, painted while you sit outside, capturing various nuances, can help you relax and unwind.
Keeping a nature journal is an excellent great hobby during the autumn months. Document the fall colors with photographs, drawings, or handwritten notes. This practice will not only keep you mindful, but it will also provide something for you to look back on and reminisce. Photography also pairs well with this activity, with fall colors serving as a fantastic subject or backdrop to any picture.
Take Advantage of Your Resources and Cultivate Seasonality
At Vineyard, we celebrate and cultivate seasonality to continually yield the most fruitful outcomes. Our senior assisted living programs include activities and events that help residents find new hobbies and discover unknown passions. The change of season provides a perfect time to evolve routines and put healthy new practices into place.
Refer to our sample activities calendar to get an idea of the type of programming we offer, as well as inspiration for new hobbies to try out at home and outdoors!
Celebrate Healthy Aging Month and remember that fall offers an opportunity to embark on a new journey into better health and wellness!