The value of staying active throughout life is well-established. Mental and physical health benefit from remaining active and engaging in activities that bring pleasure, a sense of accomplishment, or both. At Buckner Retirement Services, we know that staying active in retirement is a key goal for our residents, and we offer senior recreational programs to encourage full engagement and vitality within our community.
If you are eager for your parents to stay active in retirement, call us today at 214.227.7182 to learn about all the ways we will make it easy for them to remain involved in fun, interesting activities and be mentally and physically challenged. When you entrust them to us, keeping your senior parents active becomes one of our highest priorities.
Benefits of Staying Active in Retirement
Some of the positives of remaining active and engaged throughout the retirement years may seem intuitive, but you may be surprised by some of the proven benefits. Below is a list of positive reasons for your parents to stay active in retirement.
- Mental health – Recreational activities in a retirement setting are key for seniors to maintain their mental health. Depression can result from feeling isolated and lonely, but when seniors are active and become involved in a range of recreational activities, these outcomes are minimized.
- Cognition – Another mental benefit of being active is remaining mentally flexible and cognitively sharp. Activities that involve problem-solving, strategy, and stimulating discussion activate different parts of the brain (e.g., the brain responds to hearing music, creating or building something, discussing ideas, and looking at works of art using different areas).
- Physical health – Physical activity is fundamental to remaining healthy throughout life. Regular exercise, even at moderate levels, can reduce symptoms of or prevent conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or cardiovascular disease. Activities that work the body can also promote balance and flexibility, which help prevent injury and allow aging seniors to stay optimally independent.
These benefits, in turn, lead to greater satisfaction, optimism, and quality of life. Developing and maintaining meaningful relationships, having something to look forward to, feeling connected to others and the world—all of those hard-to-measure outcomes have to do with increased dopamine and other feel-good chemicals made by the brain, and the decrease in stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which accelerate aging and can lead to chronic anxiety.
How to Keep Your Aging Parents Active
Keeping your senior parents active is one of our specialties at Buckner Retirement Services. Our core principles are fully supported by our recreational program. Remaining active and mentally and physically engaged helps our residents:
- Feel connected to others and to their interests
- Stay independent by maintaining physical, mental, and cognitive health
- Keep a sense of purpose by pursuing activities that have meaning to them
- Remain safe due to being mentally and physically fit
The right senior living community can help your parents stay active in retirement. Buckner has six senior living communities in Texas, each with its unique atmosphere and programs. We are proud to provide a faith-based environment and offer a variety of activities that promote socialization, physical fitness, and mental stimulation.
Keeping Your Senior Parents Active at Buckner
Some of the recreational activities offered at Buckner include:
- Excursions – We provide transportation for planned outings and to help our residents pursue their own interests outside the community. These could be museums, movies, concerts, walks and hikes, or shopping and dining.
- Educational opportunities – Being a lifelong learner is one way to stay mentally sharp and maintain a sense of purpose and curiosity.
- Artistic pursuits – Whether your parent has always been artistically inclined or would like to try an arts and crafts hobby for the first time, there are art opportunities available to enhance creativity and support dexterity.
- Book clubs and libraries – Buckner communities have fully stocked libraries, and many of our residents are big readers and form book clubs to share and discuss books.
- Clubs and committees – Social engagement and a sense of meaningful purpose are both enhanced when our seniors belong to clubs or join committees that pertain to our community.
- Fitness – Water aerobics, walking, or fitness classes are ways to stay physically fit while engaging with like-minded others.
The opportunities to stay active are numerous at all our Buckner Retirement Services locations.
Call Buckner Retirement Services Today
We will answer all your questions about staying active in retirement. Let our staff walk you through the many options for activities at our locations, as well as how we can expedite outings so your parents can access activities that interest them out in the community.
Reach out today to connect with one of our staff. It’s easy. Just submit this form or call 214.227.7182.