Seniors have a lot to gain from getting up and moving. So it's easy to see why staff members at Collinwood assisted living community are always encouraging residents to join in the daily activities. But you don't have to wait for your favorite scheduled event to pump up your activity level. There are numerous ways to get started, including six of our favorites below.
Bicycles are a common sight in Fort Collins. The city's FC Moves Department has made great strides in increasing safety for riders, earning recognition as a platinum-level bicycle-friendly community from the League of American Bicyclists.
Online and in-person classes are available to help you learn or brush up on safety rules and best practices. The city also offers maps and guides to the area's over 200 miles of bike lanes and 50 miles of marked routes, including the summer Bikeway Bingo challenge.
A bike buddy program was created for newcomers to bicycling. It's a great way to learn basic maintenance and gear tips from an insider. Your buddy can also teach you about the area's trails and the types of bicycles on the market, such as e-bikes and trikes, that can help you pedal over hills or maintain your balance.
A good pair of walking shoes and a pair of binoculars can transform a simple walk for exercise into an exploration. There are 520 bird species in Colorado. This makes it easy for those just starting out with bird-watching to quickly increase the number of types they've spotted in their lifetimes.
We're blessed to see birds on our 11-acre campus here in Fort Collins, CO. We're also just minutes from popular bird-watching areas such as Fossil Creek Park and the Prairie Dog Natural Area, where you can try to spot waterfowl, eagles and songbirds.
Getting involved in a group activity can help motivate you to stick with it. Several team sports are popular at the local senior center and around town, including:
If you're well-versed in a sport and love sharing your knowledge with others, you could sign up to help coach area youth. Helping them learn the ropes is a great way to get moving yourself.
Coaching is just one of the many ways to get physically active while helping others. In the same fashion as joining a team sport, volunteering can help motivate you to keep moving because you're doing something for another person. Many times, you can volunteer to do things you already love doing.
If you've got a green thumb, consider volunteering in a community garden or park. If you like handyman tasks, check out the ongoing projects of Habitat for Humanity.
Many of the organizations in Fort Collins rely on volunteers. Homeless and women's shelters need help cooking and cleaning, animal shelters need people to exercise the pets and community theaters need ushers and stage crew.
Research has shown that pet owners are more likely to be physically active. Taking your dog for a walk helps keep it happy and healthy, but it also helps you get your daily steps in. Similarly, owners of cats, birds and other animals need to play with, feed and groom their pets daily. While these activities typically aren't heart-pumping cardio workouts, the movement is beneficial.
Pets provide companionship, improve mood and reduce stress and pain levels. Feeling well makes it easier for pet owners to take part in other daily activities. For this reason, we encourage interested residents to keep a pet in their assisted living apartment or join in pet therapy events.
The introduction of motion sensors, cameras and virtual reality to the gaming world ended the days of video games being associated with inactivity. Collinwood residents can testify that one of the best ways to form a daily habit of exercising is to make it fun. Wii bowling tournaments are one of their favorite activities, and we enjoy seeing the turnout when we organize one.
One of the best things about video games is that there's no age limit for playing, making it an ideal way to engage with your peers, kids and grandkids alike.
You should speak with your doctors and caregivers before beginning any activity to find out what's safe for you. It's also important to begin slowly so your body can become accustomed to new activities. Your care team will be able to guide you through ways to increase your abilities over time.
