Being a senior citizen has its upside and downside. On the upside, you’re retired, so no need to work and, if you saved cleverly, you have a disposable income that lasts you until you eventually meet your maker. On the downside, life can get pretty boring at that age.
The problem with being a senior citizen is that you’re too old to do the things that got you excited when you were young, and not many things apart from Bingo night and games evening are deemed senior-friendly. That was until now because we’ve assembled a list of 47 senior-friendly activities that you didn’t know you could do.
Become a Member of an Organization
We’re not sure whether it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but joining an organization can be rewarding as a senior citizen. That’s both literally and figuratively. Yes, it’s good to find interesting things and meet interesting people, but some organizations also reward with discounts and events.
Some of America’s best ones include AARP, started in 1956, and regarded as the biggest organization for over 50s with 40 million members. The next big one is the Red Hat Society, an international organization for women over 50. It’s a social club with member meetings for lunch regularly. The only requirement is that you wear purple or red.
Become An “Arm” Chair Enthusiast
Look, at retirement age, you’re not trying to become a bodybuilder. Unless, of course, your hero is Arnold Schwarzenegger, then you’ll want to pack on those weights and drink up those protein shakes. But for most, you just want to build some strength for day to day activities.
This is where chair exercises become important. Of course, you need to be careful to do the senior citizens’ option since there are some pretty challenging moves in the younger person’s option. This kind of exercise can still aid seniors by reducing chronic disease risk and increase life expectancy. Just make sure all the exercises happen in the chair.
Explore Your Culinary Options
A Routine is always good, and it’s nice to go to your favorite place for your favorite food. You also need to add some excitement to your culinary experiences, and there’s no better way to do that than by exploring different restaurants.
Whether you’re looking to try your favorite dish at a different establishment or want to try a type or style of food you’ve never had before, it’s always fun and often rewarding to try different restaurants. You can lessen your chances of disappointment by using an app like Yelp, Foursquare, Open Table, and Zomato to give you an idea of other diners’ experience at venues.
Bring The Movies Home
As a senior citizen, you remember what your dates were like. A trip to the drive-in or the cinema with a slushie and a box of oily popcorn to share with your date. Well, nothing has changed since then, except now there are 3D movies that are actually three-dimensional, and you can book your ticket before you get there.
You can also make a movie night right at home without heading out to rent. We all know about Netflix, whose original films are as good as watching something new at the cinema. There are other web options, including Hulu, YouTube premium, and Shudder, strictly for horror movies.
Get Back On The Market
So we don’t know what your situation is, but being alone as a senior citizen is never a nice thing. Plus, it’s never too late to get yourself back in the game, and these days there are plenty of ways to make that happen.
Of course, you can still head down to the bar or local grocer and chat someone up if you still have game. But these days, there are also options online. eHarmony is one of those apps, and it gives you viable dating options by answering a simple questionnaire that matches you up with potential partners. Plus, it’s safer than most other apps like it.
Make More Time For Family
Now that you’re retired and have so much free time on your hands, it’s a great opportunity to start seeing more of your family, i.e., kids and grandkids. Of course, It’s important to remember that you’re the one with the free time, not everyone else, so it’s important to schedule your time with them.
It’s also a good idea to maybe make it worth their while… you know so that it’s not like grandpa just drops in for no reason. Get a bottle of wine, or order some take out on Uber Eats. Better yet, organize a family get together over a barbecue on a day everyone is free.
Find Likeminded Friends
Not everyone is online looking for love. But as a senior citizen with a lot more time on your hands, you need more interests or interesting people to take up some of it. Well, there’s an app that’ll sort out both the interests and the interesting people.
That App is called Meetup, and it’s used to organize meetup events for people with similar interests. Obviously, who you meet and whether one thing leads to another is still an option, but the app’s purpose is to meet new people to discuss and debate your interests without the added pressure.
Do Some Nifty Thrifty Market Shopping
If you saved and invested smartly during your working days, then you have a sizeable nest egg stashed away for the remainder of your life. But now that you don’t have a steady income, you need to be smart about how you spend to avoid depleting the coffers.
This is why smart shopping is essential, and that means forgoing the usual malls, department stores, and supermarkets in favor of outdoor flea markets, thrift stores, and consignment shops. Don’t be fooled; just because it’s cheap or second-hand doesn’t mean it’s inferior, and remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Go Nowhere Slowly
You know that old saying that goes, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. For a retired senior citizen, that should have new meaning considering the life stories they can tell. But now is also the time to create new memories and stories to tell.
There are also a few better ways to do that than by starting a road trip. Experience the lay of the land from your car as you cruise from spot to spot. Roadtrippers is an app that makes this easy by earmarking all of the spots, stops, and accommodation along the way to make your road trip more structured and streamlined.
Check Your Local Listings
Sometimes what you need to keep yourself busy is right under your nose. For instance, the local county senior centers are the best place to find senior citizens’ activities, right around the corner from you. Plus, it’s all just a click away from you.
You can find anything from local arts and crafts clubs to chess societies and even gardening groups. They also offer services and support as well as social events to meet interesting new people. There are constant listings, and if you visit the sites, you’ll open to public events.
Take Advantage Of Your Immediate Surroundings
It’s not necessary to go far to have a good time and experience new things. Sometimes there are things just around the corner that don’t cost much to enjoy. This is an easy and cost-effective way to keep yourself active and stimulated.
Whether it’s a trip to the beach or a trip to the lake. It could be a hike through the woods or even just a meander at your local park. There’s a world to discover that you may not have noticed until you took the time to look. You have lots of time for that now that you’re retired.
Find Your Events The Old School Way
The internet has made our lives pretty convenient. Now everything is at your fingertips, and you can literally set up an app on your phone so that it kicks up all sorts of interesting events and activities it believes you would like. But it’s still fallible and doesn’t find everything.
This is where the local newspaper comes in. Usually inexpensive, this is often where you’ll find things about your immediate vicinity. It’s also created by a person who put human thought into why each event is appealing and made certain to bring those strengths across. The local paper also knows how the community ticks better than any algorithm.
Become a Globetrotter
Now that there isn’t a job to keep you on a schedule and money is no object (well… kind of), you have the perfect opportunity to plan that long wanted overseas trip you wanted to plan. But where can you go and what is the best deal?
Well, you can leave that to travel sites like TripAdvisor, Expedia, and Kayak. These utilities not only find the best deals on flights and travel plans but also help you find accommodation, and while you’re there, book it all with a few simple clicks. Just remember to book a return date.
The Farmer Markets For Cheap and Healthy Food
So we have already touched on the idea of making every penny count since there is no active income. But visiting the farmers market is also a great way to get some organic fruit and veg, which is the healthier option for food.
With no human-made synthetic pesticides in them, you’ll be putting no unwanted chemicals into your body. This keeps you healthy and also can help to maintain longevity and keep away illness. Of course, farmers still use pesticides, but organic farmers will opt for natural ones to keep pests away from their wares.
Keep Yout Calories In Check
One of the strangest transitions of being a senior citizen is that, while you are at a frail age, you have the best opportunity to be more healthy and put to keep yourself alive for a little bit longer.
One thing that will help you do this is a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal. This app not only allows you to keep track of your exercise but has a built-in calorie counter that allows you to make wiser food choices. It does this by allowing you to check what the nutritional value of a food item is.
Try That New Diet That’s All The Rage
We’ve talked about trying new restaurants for a fresher experience. But what about trying out a whole new eating plan. You have enough time to turn back, plus, you are trying to live longer, and a new diet is a great place to start.
Of course, there are so many choices; there’s low carb high fat like banting or keto. Then there the low-fat, high protein diets like the Paleo Diet. There are also food-specific diets like vegetarian, vegan, whole food, and the Mediterranean diet, which is said to be key to Italian’s living a long time. It is, however, up to you to research and choose what suits you.
Hit The Gym, Without The Fees
You want to maintain your fitness. Hell, as we said earlier, maybe you have Schwarzenegger level goals. The best place to achieve your fitness goals is at the gym, although, between the fees and the jocks, it’s maybe not the best place for a senior citizen to try and lift heavy.
But that could change if your gym was at home. Yes, it could become expensive, although if you check out local garage sales and keep an eye on online sources like Gumtree and Facebook’s Marketplace, you’ll often find secondhand gym equipment for way cheaper than it is in the store.
Mind Your Steps
Okay, so maybe you don’t want to look like the Governator. Maybe you’re just into the idea of keeping active so that you can stay fit and healthy. Perhaps you just want to take baby steps, and speaking of steps, maybe you just need to count your steps.
Keeping track of steps and setting step goals is a great way to maintain everyday fitness and shed a few pounds. Anything between 4,000 and 18,000 is a decent amount. All of this can be monitored with a Fitbit wristband that tracks your steps and records it so that you can access to monitor your consistency.
…Or Just Join The Gym
Okay, so maybe the home gym thing works for people who don’t like the gym environment’s competitive nature. But then, some thrive in it and the social aspect of being around like-minded people who are in it for the same thing.
The other benefit of hitting the gym is sharing expertise and also alternatively employing an expert to help you achieve your goals. Gyms have personal trainers in their employ who can help you achieve your goals while tailoring an exercise plan with your age in mind.
Learn To Be The Family Clown
If you’re a senior, then chances are you have young grandchildren that you would like to impress. What better way to do that than to learn to juggle. Not only is it a great way to entertain the kids, but according to studies, it’s actually good for you too.
It’s like an exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise, plus it helps with cognitive thinking and also sharpens focus, and has been proven to relieve stress. You can also impress the Grandkids by learning to make balloon animals, although we don’t know if there are any health benefits.
De-stress Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually
Yoga has become one of the leading low impact methods of exercising. Despite being about flexibility, it has amazing fitness, strength, and mobility benefits that have even seen elite soccer players such as Ryan Giggs and Zlatan Ibrahimovich extend their careers by years past the usual retirement age.
So imagine what a little downward dog and lotus pose can do for you, maybe even bring you out of retirement. Maybe not, but it will make your retirement more enjoyable, especially on the physical front. Yoga also has great benefits on blood pressure and anxiety, and there are so many studios around that if you throw a stick, you’ll hit one.
Become An Iron Man (or Woman)
Okay, so, before we rattle on about Governator muscles and getting to the chopper, there’s more to weight lifting than just building huge muscles where there shouldn’t be any muscles. But it’s benefits go beyond that and, if you don’t want the muscles, you can still lift without getting them.
There’s a particular benefit it has to weight loss and fat burning mechanisms. After weights sessions, the muscles continue to burn energy long after the workout finishes, meaning the weight loss continues after the workout is over. It’s also great for building strength and stability and also has a great impact on muscle fitness.
Keep Tabs On Your Health
Before the gym, yoga, and step counting, it’s important to know your health status. Of course, that can be done by going for regular check-ups at your doctor. But you can also keep tabs on your own health with some simple but effective devices.
One thing that’s free is checking your heart rate. Simply find a pulse in your neck or wrist and count the beats for six seconds, then multiply by ten, and you have it. For other vitals like blood pressure, oxygen levels, temperature, and weight, you can use devices to get readings such as scales, thermometers, and BP cuffs.
Walk The Walk
It has fitness benefits, opportunities to socialize, and maybe a chance to put your step counting efforts to the test. But one of the biggest reasons to do a community walk is that you can enter it and compete for a good cause.
If you have a cause in mind, there’s a good chance they have some community walks you can enter in their vain listed on their websites. You can even make it fun and collect friends and family to join you and help raise some funds for your cause of choice.
Just Regular Stretching
Yoga isn’t the only way to stretch. As a matter of fact, just the regular stretches you used to do in gym class can help increase your endurance, mobility, and flexibility. Plus, if you really want to, you can add a resistant band to your stretching routine.
This makes it even easier for you to fit in quickly stretched throughout the day. Whether it’s before your morning cup of tea, during a quick TV ad break, or while watching TV, fitting in a quick stretch is just the trick for maintaining your aging muscles and keeping them supple.
The Rise Of Silver Sneakers
Remember when we said the gym may not be the best place for a senior citizen, and then turned around and said that maybe some seniors would prefer the gym. Well, the Silver Sneakers program is going to sort out our confusion once and for all.
The program offers access to 14,000 gyms across America, and if you don’t like the gym, they also do other outdoor programs and classes. It’s aimed at adults 65 and older and offers access to classes, meetups, and more. Best of all, it’s 100% free to seniors who are on medicare plans that partner with Silver Sneakers.
Become A Cyclist
The health benefits of cycling are clear to see: you get all of the fitness benefits of riding a bike without impacting the joints activities like running and weight lifting can have. Plus, you get to feel like a kid again, bombing down the street on your own steam.
You need to remember a few important things about taking up cycling: don’t break the bank unless you intend on becoming a pro, invest in a solid helmet, get a bike fit so that your posture is at its most optimum. Also, note that mountain bikes are fine on the road unless you want to go fast.
Swim At Your YMCA Or Community Pool
The next best thing to cycling when it comes to low impact exercise is swimming. Plus, swimming has the added benefit of introducing you to muscles you never knew you had. But jokes aside, it’s a lot of fun and is also good for you.
Plus, you can do all sorts of things, including water aerobics and swim laps. Never learned how to swim? Well, luckily, several YMCA and other public swimming pools offer programs where adults can come and learn to swim. They also offer various senior specials and discounts.
Bring The Personal Trainer Home
It’s all good working out at home with all your newly acquired lightly used gym equipment, but it’s going to be for nil if you don’t know what you’re doing. This is where an at-home personal trainer can come in handy.
There are hundreds of DVD’s out there with home workouts on them. Also, plenty of health and wellness magazines have content on their websites with tips and tricks for home workouts. The Silver Sneakers Program also has a bunch of home video workouts on YouTube, and if you’re into yoga, there a program called DDP Yoga run by former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page.
Be Held Accountable By Others
So you’ve been eyeing this goal for the longest time and thought that when you retire, you were going to get stuck into it. But you’ve been at this retirement game for a while now, and you still haven’t gotten to it. It’s probably time for a different approach.
One way of achieving a goal is by being held accountable for it. You can do that by joining an accountability group. These groups get together and share goals with one another, and the group as a collective helps each member achieve their goal through advice and motivation, and just good old keeping tabs and setting deadlines.
Spoil Yourself With Some TLC
If you ever choose to splurge a little bit of your hard-earned retirement funds on yourself, book a spa day, or even just a massage. It’s always good to unwind and de-stress a little bit, but it’s also worth your while for the health benefits of a good massage.
The benefits of massage go beyond relaxation, although that is an equally worthy benefit. It also reduces muscle tension and reduces stress hormones while also improving circulation and stimulates the lymphatic system. This leads to a healthier and happier you and may also leave you with an improved skin tone.
Become a Retirement Andre Agassi
When you watch your favorite tennis players on TV, it looks so easy and graceful. But just you try it yourself, and you’re hitting that ball everywhere accepts on the court. This is why tennis players are some of the greatest pure athletes on the planet.
Tennis is a sport of skill, technique, and hand-eye coordination. But it’s also a sport of great fitness, hence why it’s perfect for taking up in retirement. The skills you’ll learn will improve your focus, body coordination, and you’ll get fit without even knowing it. Plus, you can still pretend to be your favorite player on the court; you’re never too old.
Become an Umpire or Referee
Anyone who has played sports at an amateur level knows that there has been a shortage of referees and umpires in the game since 2018. This is mostly due to the fact that most of them are young and often can’t handle the abuse hurled at them by impassioned parents on the sideline.
But as a senior citizen, you will garner more respect from young parents, and you’ll also have the wherewithal to give a condescending parent a good talking to. Plus, you have the free time and the experience of age to aid your judgment, so help out junior sports and become a referee or umpire.
Take Up A Whole Day With Golf
Golf is the sport of choice for the mildly wealthy and people with a lot of time on their hands. So we guess that, as a person sho saved and invested well, and as a, well, retired person, you fit both descriptions perfectly.
Despite how easy it looks, it’s pretty taxing, especially since you can’t sit down anywhere, have to walk between shots, and that swing is hard on the hips and shoulders. You’re guaranteed to work up a sweat, and if you bring your Fitbit along, you’ll notice that you’ve also achieved your step goal for the day.
Become an Amateur Herbologist
Seeing as you’re cooking healthy and trying new things, why not kill two birds with one stone and start a new herb garden that also doubles as you healthy food flavor center. There are plenty of herbs you can grow that go perfect with a steak or in a stew.
From cilantro to parsley, rosemary, thyme, and lavender. Hell, if it’s legal in your state, you can grow marijuana, and if you have a cannabis oil extractor, you can extract your own healthy cannabis oils from your herbs. Bear in mind you’ll need to do some research on the cultivating and mixing process.
Actually Cook Something
So now that you’ve tried the new restaurants, decided to try a new diet, and have a lovely little herb garden growing in the back yard, it’s about time you start cooking something. If you don’t have any cookbooks, don’t sweat it because you have options.
Those options include buying any diet-specific cookbook on Amazon.com, and if you want to save some cash, there’s a nifty little site called thriftbooks.com, where you can pick up new and used books at discount prices. Alternatively, you can find some great recipes online from sites like food.com, countryliving.com, and even get some ideas on Pinterest.
Build Your Own Computer
It may seem daunting, but building up a computer is actually simple once you get past the jargon. You certainly don’t need to be an engineer to do it plus, with the right parts, you can build yourself a computer more powerful than what you find in the store.
The first thing you need to know is what you’re building it for: Is it for simple daily use, are you building a multimedia PC, or is it for gaming when the grandkids come over. Once this is determined, you can get the right components you need to build your computer. You can find guidelines on websites like PCmag.com and Wired.com.
Start Making An American Quilt
Quilting is for old people right, and there’s nothing wrong with that. So embrace your senior citizen status and join a quilting group, it’ll not only take up time, but it’ll open up your mind and get the creative juices going.
Plus, it’s been said that quilting has some great mental and emotional health benefits. It increases creative and cognitive thinking, improves problem-solving skills, and builds self-confidence. It’s also been known to cause an upturn in mood due to the material’s bright colors. Over and above this, quilting clubs are also a great place to socialize and meet new friends.
Sell The Drama
You may never get your chance at Hollywood stardom and red carpet sophistication, but you can still have a lot of fun on a stage with like-minded people. Besides all the fun you’re going to have, theatre acting is also said to be therapeutic.
It’s also a great way to meet new people and socialize. Another form of stage acting that is pretty popular is improv. If you want an idea of what improv is, look no further than the hit TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway. It’s a great form of expression and promotes quick thinking and self-expression. Plus, it also causes laughter, which is the best medicine.
You’re Not Too Old For Social Media
Social media has evolved over the years. What started out as a great way for college students to keep in touch and meet new people has become a way for everyone to keep in touch and meet new people. Even senior citizens. But social media has also become a place to find like-minded people.
Facebook is especially good for this with so many different groups catering to various interests. There is something for everyone there, from music to movies, gaming, and even arts and crafts. There is also Instagram for keeping up with the latest family portraits and Twitter to keep abreast of the day’s news and debate.
Create Memories Like A Troll
In the movie, Trolls, one of Princess Poppy’s favorite things to do is scrapbooking. She detailed the entire adventure in the movie in a scrapbook. So what is this wonderful pastime? Well, it’s a bit like putting together a story but in a fun, creative way.
You compile stories and memories by using photos, cutouts, and art and crafts, and creativity to do it. You paste, stick, fold, and paint your story in a book, using little to no words to tell the story. As a senior citizen, you have lots of stories and memories to share, so you should have a lot of fun scrapbooking away.
Get A New Best Friend
Sometimes we just want someone to adore us unconditionally. Unfortunately, people don’t really do well with that. But animals do, and that’s why it’s a good idea to get a pet. But instead of getting a newborn pet like a puppy or kitten, why not get a rescued animal.
That way, you can skip the tiring puppy phase and adopt a pet that already has the ins and out of domestic living down. You can get all of the information you need for the process on the ASPCA website. Adoptapet.com is a great utility for finding the breed and age of pet you would like to adopt.
Tell Your Story Online for Everyone
You’ve been on this earth for a long time and lived an eventful life. You have tons of memories to share and lots of stories to tell, but if scrapbooking is too over the top for you, maybe telling your story in words is more your thing. Maybe you should start a blog.
There are plenty of ways you can start your blog. With free utilities like WordPress, Wix, and Boxmode, you can create a microsite to host your blog. If you prefer verbalizing your story and aren’t camera-shy, you can start a vlog on YouTube, and then everyone can see your expression as you tell that embarrassing story plus.
Join A Band
Do you know how you’ve always wanted to learn to play that guitar gathering dust in the garage? Well, now is the perfect time to do it. It’ll be easier, too, since you have experience listening to music and the patience and hand-eye coordination to learn faster than you would have when you were young.
Face to face lessons are best, but if you have some basic knowledge, you can pick up lessons online on YouTube and with phone apps like Guitar Pro and Ultimate Guitar. There are also great online teachers, Like Tom Hess, who does email correspondence and also does mass lessons at venues all over America.
Go Fish
Nothing beats the feeling of the great outdoors. What makes it even better is baiting up a fishing line and casting it into the lake or ocean. And it gets even better because then there’s the exhilaration of getting a bite on your line and pulling in a nice fish to save for later.
You should take some time out to learn the rules of fishing. This includes which fish you can keep and which you should let go, as well as where the best fishing spots are and what the best gear is to use. Apps like FishVerify and Fishbrain go a long way in helping with this.
Collect Items Older Than You Are
Well, it’s needless to say that you have come a long way in years, and you don’t mind being called old. It’s just nice to know that there are some things out there that are older than you are. This is just one reason why antiquing is a great hobby to take up.
But there is a lot more to this than just finding old things. It’s about finding something that’s a bit like you: A rare piece with an authentic story to tell and a history of ownership that could involve a celebrity or a rivered manufacturer. It’s finding what makes a piece stand out. That’s what makes antiquing fun.
MYOB (Make Your Own Beer)
Although you’re leaving the chugging and downing of beer to the younger generation, you still don’t mind enjoying a cold one. You can make that even sweeter by brewing your own beer and chilling it for later. Plus, like building a computer, it’s not as complicated as it seems.
First of all, you can buy a homebrewing kit, instructions, and all, on Amazon.com or from craftabrew.com, among others. You can also find recipes for all kinds of craft beers online, and you can really have some fun by creating your own label to put onto your bottles. Great for bragging rights when you organize that family get together.
Find Yourself A Modern Pen Pal
In the modern age of email, instant messaging, social media, and online dating sites, you would think that the pen pal concept would have gone the same way as its carrier Pidgeon the snail mail. But instead, it seems to have found a second wind.
This is mostly down to websites like Interpals, Penpal World, and Global Penfriends, which allow people to find plutonic friends worldwide while using on-site message boxes to communicate. This is especially a great option if you’re also taking time out to learn a new language and need a language buddy to help you learn.
Take A Road Trip Where The Stopping Is Easy
We’ve already touched on the idea of taking a road trip and making it about the journey, not the destination. Well, here’s a way of doing it that takes care of one of the main bits of admin that goes with organizing a road trip… the accommodation.
But getting a motorhome makes the trip much easier and allows it to be more about sightseeing. If you can’t afford to buy a motorhome, you can rent one from cruiseamerica.com or motorhomerepublic.com. Don’t know where to stop? Well, you can park at any Walmart parking lot and spend the night before continuing your journey in the morning.
D.I.Y. Projects
We know it’s tempting to spend that hard-earned and saved pension on that expensive table rustic chair. But why not save your money and take up a new hobby at the same time by starting a DIY project. Plus, you can rope in the grandkids and make it a great bonding experience.
If there’s nothing pressing that you need to make, you can find some great ideas as well as guidelines online. Pinterest is arguably the best social media platform to find inspiration for a DIY project. Alternatively, you can order a ready to assemble item of furniture or homeware from Ikea.