Retirement is a well-deserved time in one’s life where retirees can take time off to relax after a life of hard work. However, it is just as important to keep the brain active as it is to maintain physical fitness and strength in older age.
Additionally, our brains play a vital role in our happiness, and as we get older, mental health is a key factor in our ability to maintain an independent lifestyle in retirement.
Keeping your brain active in retirement can be incredibly fun and easy to do as well.
Arts & Crafts
Arts and crafts are a great activity for retirees with many benefits. Not only is it a great way to keep the creative juices flowing and your imagination busy, but it also helps maintain dexterity in the hands and fingers. This contributes to maintaining independence.
Arts and crafts is also an ideal activity to do with friends, creating social opportunities which prevent loneliness, and depression.
Word Puzzles
Word puzzles are an excellent challenge that does well to exercise the brain and has the added benefit of coming in varying degrees of difficulty. The beauty in doing word puzzles is that not every puzzle has to be solved – just the process of trying to work out the solution, working with teammates or amongst friends and putting in the effort exercises the brain.
Bingo
Bingo is an already very popular game among retirees but few know exactly how beneficial it can be. The game is a fun and easy activity to play in both large or small groups and in any setting. Bingo is an excellent brain activity as it stimulates the three key senses: hearing when numbers are called out, touch when players use pens to dab and hold cards, and sight to check numbers. Additionally, it is also excellent for socialising which reduces loneliness and increases a sense of wellbeing.
Logic Puzzles
Logic puzzles are designed to test one’s ability to use information that is in front of them in order to form a logical answer or solution. This activity enables individuals to think outside the box, consider all the options, come up with new solutions and can also help solidify memories. For retirees, logic puzzles are excellent activity options as they encourage lateral thinking and can help kick start neural pathways that may have become dormant or sedentary since retiring.
If you’re planning for your retirement, De Plattekloof Lifestyle Estate offers a variety of full-title ownership luxury retirement properties:
Contact our sales consultants to find out more.
References:
- “Brain games for the elderly that improve mental health and memory” (blog Supercarers.com) https://supercarers.com/blog/games-for-elderly/
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