Indoor Activities for Cold Winter Months
Too cold? Too snowy? Too icy? Too windy? Brrr… when it’s wintry outside, it’s handy to have a list of things to do indoors. Here are 20 of our favorite indoor activities for seniors:
1. Work It Out
Get moving at home with an online fitness class. You’ll burn off some calories, increase your strength and stamina, and increase your feeling of well-being.
2. Sweat in Place
If you enjoy working out and want to take it up a notch, turn a corner of your home into a workout space. High-end equipment such as the Peloton Bike or Hydrow will link you to a motivational fitness community with classes, instructors and other athletes.
3. Take the Plunge
A heated indoor pool is a blessing in the cold months. Swimming laps puts minimal stress on bones and joints, and the heat and buoyancy can be soothing to arthritis.
4. Stretch Yourself
Our yoga classes provide low-impact and socially distanced activity that improve balance and flexibility. Not a Trillium Woods resident? Yoga with Adriene is online, free and highly enjoyable.
5. Learn to Breathe
Teach yourself to meditate and you’ll lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and become more resilient and happier. Just a few minutes a day can make all the difference. Try Headspace or Calm for free and useful how-tos.
6. Get a Massage
A relaxing way to destress and soothe aching muscles and joints. Regular massages do wonders for your health, relieving headaches, digestive disorders and helping you sleep better.
7. Deal Them In
Set up a regular card-playing group with friends when it’s safe to do so. If you’re playing games that everyone is familiar with, try competing for small prizes to make it more interesting.
8. Get on Board
Feeling “board” with Monopoly and backgammon? Inventive new board games are released every year. These games keep minds sharp and thinking “outside the box.” Don your mask and meet your friends to play a game such as Mysterium or Cathedral.
9. Grab a Cup
Why not set up a regular coffee or tea date with a friend or group of friends? Plan an activity for each date, such as each person bringing a batch of cookies or favorite beverage to share. Make sure everyone is healthy before extending an invitation.
10. Listen to Live Music
Live or prerecorded concerts, operas and recitals are available online. Check websites such as the Minnesota Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera or Boston Symphony Orchestra for a schedule for livestreamed events.
11. Watch a Good Movie
Get the popcorn ready and settle down for an evening of movie watching. Whether you choose to revisit the classics or seek out the latest indie hits from the Sundance Film Festival, movie watching never gets old.
12. Do Jigsaw Puzzles
Meditative and greatly affordable, solving jigsaw puzzles challenges your powers of observation, memory and fine motor skills. Here are tips on how to choose the right puzzle and what to do with it once completed.
13. Try Online Dating
Whether you’re interested in going out on a romantic virtual date or simply finding someone to chat with, choose a reputable dating app such as eHarmony or Match.com to start meeting other seniors.
14. Design Family Time
Family trips and reunions take effort to schedule and plan. Start gathering information online, researching where to go and what to do, so you’ll be ready when the time is right.
15. Improve Your Nutrition
Learn the science behind the new diets and decide if any of them are right for you. Some of the more popular include Paleo, Whole30 and intermittent fasting.
16. Learn a Party Trick
Dazzle your grandchildren during a Zoom call, with skills such as juggling and magic. Juggling improves your hand-eye coordination and motor skills, and it’s fun and challenging to learn.
17. Become an Umpire
If a grandchild plays a sport such as baseball or softball, consider learning how to become an umpire or scorekeeper. You’ll help the team and be there for those all-star moments when the season resumes.
18. Grow an Herb Garden
Fresh herbs make all the difference in a home-cooked meal. Find a sunny spot for a pot of soil with herbs or try hydroponic indoor gardening.
19. Build a Video Game Machine
Need a new woodworking challenge? Premade plans and a Raspberry Pi make it possible to build a video game cabinet, and assemble the hardware and components yourself.
20. Start Quilting
Dust off your sewing machine and dig out some scraps of fabric. Quilting benefits mental and emotional health, unplugging us from the modern world as we create with color, shape and texture. Look for a basic pattern to get started.
Venture inside the walls of Trillium Woods, and you’ll find a thriving community. Whatever your hobbies, interests and goals, our array of indoor activities for seniors offers you safe and socially distanced ways to keep busy no matter the season. Contact us to learn more about our friendly and engaging lifestyle.