New Year’s Resolutions Perfect for Seniors in Burlington

The New Year brings an opportunity to try new things and get more involved in your local community.

Why Should Seniors Stay Active and Try New Activities?

As you age, you may find yourself feeling stuck in your residence more often than you expected. This can lead to feeling socially isolated or lonely. Both of which can be detrimental to your health. They can increase feelings of depression or anxiety, which can then lead to many other negative impacts on your life.

On the other hand, there are many benefits to an active lifestyle, even as you are aging. An active lifestyle doesn’t just mean going for a short walk each day. While that is beneficial, when we talk about an active lifestyle, we mean participating in activities that are meaningful to you and benefit your overall health. Some benefits include:

• Less likely to develop certain health problems, such as dementia, heart disease, strokes, and some types of cancer.
• Increasing your lifespan, happiness and a sense of purpose have been linked to living longer
• Increased happiness and feeling less depressed
• Increased ability to cope, increasing your resilience
• Can lead to improvements in cognitive functioning

All of these can be very beneficial and emphasize the importance of seniors staying active. To aid in that, try one of the resolutions below.

Resolutions for Seniors

Visit Local Recreation Centers

The local YMCA of Alamance County offers several classes and senior-specific programs perfect for staying physically active. These classes focus on improving strength, balance, and mobility. With programs such as Silver Sneakers, FitOn Health, Renew Active, and Silver & Fit, there are many options for all levels of comfort.

Alamance County Community YMCA

Challenge Your Mind

Make it a new habit to try a new puzzle each day. Whether that’s a brainteaser book, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, card games, jigsaw puzzles, or something similar. Keeping your mind sharp is vital to preventing a declination of cognitive health.

Explore Local Senior-Accessible Parks

Another idea is to explore of what our local community has to offer in nature. While the winter may not be the best time to explore, when temperatures warm up try visiting one of our local senior-accessible parks.

Burlington Arboretum at Willowbrook Park

Burlington City Park Trail

For a more exhaustive list of parks in the area click here.

Stay Connected in Your Community

Visit local senior centers to stay connected and make new friends. The Kernodle Senior Center is open Monday – Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, with evening activities beginning at 6 pm daily. Activities include Bingo, movies, painting classes, card games, technology classes, health and wellness seminars, outdoor recreation activities, and more.

John Robert Kernodle Senior Center

How Can Griswold Help?

If you or a loved one is looking for in-home care or someone to accompany you with any of the above activities, give us a call. We service throughout the Burlington area and provide many different options for senior care, from veterans in-home care, respite care, companionship, and more. Call today to schedule a free in-home consultation. We will discuss care options and can put together a personalized care plan just for you. If you’re just looking for someone to attend events at your local recreation center, then our companionship care will be perfect for you.