26
MARCH/APRIL 2014
Regular Recreation
Benefits Seniors
Engaging in meaningful activity can
generate positive feelings
by Lisa M. Petsche, Staff Writer
When we think about recreational
activities, such as playing card
games and bowling, we tend
to consider their contribution to
our well-being primarily in terms
of their enjoyment value. While
having fun should not be underrated, the potential benefits of
recreation programming extend
much further.
Emotional Benefits
The opportunity to engage in
meaningful activity can generate
positive feelings not only during the activity but also during
the time leading up to it. Such
experiences help reduce stress that
may arise from health or other
concerns or from looking after a
frail relative.
Regardless of the degree of
physical or mental disability a
person may have, many recreation
activities can be adapted to enable
participation (for example, seated
bowling). When people who have
experienced a disability or health
setback are able to participate
in activities they enjoyed previously, their sense of identity is
reinforced and positive memories are stimulated. Successfully
engaging in activities – especially
when they require some degree of
skill or creativity – also fosters a
sense of competence, enhancing
self-esteem.
Organized activities typically
are communal and the resulting contact with other people,
whether it’s through cooperation,
competition or working individually in the company of others, is
validating and enriching. Being
in group settings can also help
maintain or enhance social skills.
Sharing experiences also creates
a common bond among participants that decreases feelings of
loneliness and isolation. In some
cases, special relationships may
develop and extend beyond the
recreational setting.
Cognitive Benefits
Recreational activities that involve
creativity (sculpting, for example),
strategic thinking (playing cards
or board games, for instance) or
learning new information or skills
provide mental stimulation to
participants. These mental exercises can help ward off cognitive
impairment.
For those with some degree of
impairment, targeted recreation
activities can help improve selfexpression, sensory awareness,
attention span, memory and
decision-making abilities.
Physical Benefits
Not all activities need to have a
fitness focus in order to benefit
seniors physically. Depending on
the particular activity, physical
benefits may include maintenance
or enhancement of one’s physical
endurance and energy level; range
of motion of joints; eye-hand coordination; fine and gross motor
skills; and flexibility and strength.
An increase in activity may help
improve appetite, sleep and mood
and, in the case of people with dementia, decrease agitation, anxiety
and other behaviors considered
challenging (noise making and
wandering, for example).
In long-term-care settings, the
desire to participate in activities
may motivate some residents to
get out of bed on a regular basis.
This can lead to an increase in
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Living here has its advantages.
“Thanks to The Willows at Hamburg, my son, Lowell, and I are able to
remain under one roof. I can maintain an independent lifestyle, while
my son receives the care he needs. This is the nicest place we have
ever lived in. It has been a joy, and I have not one negative thing to
say. Only loving, caring people are found here. I prayed and prayed
for Lowell and I to find a place where we could both live together, and
the good Lord brought us here.”
Liz and Lowell Pennington
Residents of The Willows at Hamburg
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