Healthy hobbies to pick up as an older adult

Especially after retirement, older adults and seniors may need something pleasant and fun to fill the hours, something that isn’t keeping mentally fit or staying in touch with grandkids. Here are some ideas for new hobbies to try and do just that.

Knitting and other crafts

Besides being an enjoyable activity, knitting has been shown to have a few health benefits, such as lowering stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Knitting is one of those rare hobbies that does not require one’s undivided attention, and therefore allows for quiet contemplation, almost as if in a meditative state. Furthermore, knitting leads to a completed project, which can have a utilitarian purpose or a decorative one. 

Hobbies that lead to a completed, tangible result are often the most rewarding. Besides knitting, similar hobbies include building models, painting, puzzles, or other arts and crafts. With each of these hobbies, you can start with something simple and work your way up in skill level very easily. For example, for painting, you could buy a simple paint-by-numbers kit or perhaps a book on how to paint. From there, there are plenty of resources to support your improvement. 

Gardening

Gardening as an older adult, especially for women, has been shown to drastically improve endurance, dexterity, and brain function (see a full detail of one study here). Gardening can offer low-intensity exercise, which is good for your physical health, and it can also stimulate the mind. Just two 50-minute sessions of potting plants and watering flowers is enough to make a noticeable improvement. And it’s easy! Just pick up some pots, soil, seeds (or plants that have already started), find a sunny spot, and get to gardening!  

Lifelong learning

Making frequent learning your new hobby ensures that you’re almost always interested and engaged because everything is brand-new information. Plus, you have the added benefit of being able to choose what you learn about. It could be anything from more fun facts about bees to an entirely new skill, like how to fix basic car problems. You can choose something that is incredibly useful, or something that is just fun and interesting to you. For ideas on how and where you can start your learning adventure, check out this piece on lifelong learning. 

Something from your past?

Studies have shown that older adults who continue the same activities they enjoyed when they were younger, tend to be happier in old age. Naturally, continuing a hobby for your entire life is a difficult feat, as there are responsibilities that occupy a majority of the time: work, family, etc. But now that you have more time to yourself, maybe it’s time to get back into something you used to enjoy.

It’s never too late to start a new adventure. All of the options above are great ways to start a new and rewarding hobby, and each has the potential to improve your emotional, mental, and social health. No matter which hobby you decide to pursue, you’ll be sure to find a whole new world of fun. 

— Avery Tamura