An active senior lifestyle is about more than exercising regularly, though senior fitness is a part of active living. Being active means living well and enjoying good health in every area of life as an older adult.

We sponsor a lot of great activities and outings that keep our residents living well here at Marjorie P. Lee, and we’ve found that events that best help older adults stay active and independent have 3 key features in common:

1. Activity

To stay active you have to get your blood pumping every now and again. Some of the events and outings that are best-attended by the residents at Marjorie P. Lee have been those that have required a little physical exertion.

We always have a good crowd for our water fitness and yoga classes, and plenty of residents join our shopping trips for the opportunity to get a little exercise in by strolling through the shops and stores of Greater Cincinnati.

If you aren’t part of a community or center that offers wellness activities, you can implement your own plan for staying active.

Start an exercise program

Whether you join a senior fitness class at the local gym or walk a couple of laps at the mall every day, any activity that gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing can strengthen your bones and muscles, as well as help you maintain your independence.

You don’t even have to spend a lot of time on your feet to keep living well. There are plenty of exercises you can do from a seated position—from yoga to strengthening routines.

2. Friendship

Independent living doesn’t mean being alone.

At Marjorie P. Lee we’ve found that staying socially active does wonders for the mental wellness and general wellbeing of our residents. We’re always planning events that take us around Cincinnati as a group, but you can stay social even if you aren’t part of a senior living community.

Enjoy time with friends

Spending time with people who bring excitement to your life and make you forget your worries or help shoulder your problems can be one of the best medicines for troubled or lackluster senior living. You can even relive inside jokes and reminisce about the good old days by reconnecting with old friends and classmates through social media.

Become a volunteer.

If your family and good friends live in distant cities, volunteering can be a great way to form new friendships with people who share your interests. Volunteers from Marjorie P. Lee have been able to build lasting relationships within the Greater Cincinnati community.

3. Busyness

Spending days on end in your home or apartment is the perfect recipe for lethargy and depression. That’s why we keep our events calendar packed with plenty of day trips and community activities. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” as the old saying goes, and our Life Enrichment Directors make sure that our community calendar is full of activities to keep hands and minds active for residents who can’t be on their feet for very long or are forced to spend a rainy day indoors.

“There’s lot’s to do [at Marjorie P. Lee],” says longtime resident Claire Peters. “They always have activities going that can keep you busy every day, so if you feel bored, it’s your fault, not theirs.”

While we can’t bring our activities committee to you, we can certainly share some of our favorite activities to fill the hours—whether you live in the same house in which you raised your children or an independent living apartment at a retirement community.

Keep your brain active.

Keeping your brain active is an integral part of living well as an older adult, and brain fitness exercises are the perfect activity for a slow day at home.

• Put together a jigsaw puzzle
• Try your hand at the crossword in the local paper
• Play a numbers game like Sudoku
• Ramp up everyday activities like chores or hobbies

If you’re looking for more ways to pass the time and build your brain at the same time, check out our post on the everyday aspects of brain fitness.