Reduced mobility can be a common contributor to poor physical fitness among the elderly. But while many senior citizens become increasingly sedentary as they advance in years, others maintain their youth and mobility by engaging in regular outdoor exercises and games. For best results, try a variety of games with your elderly friends and family to find out which activities they enjoy the most, and establish a weekly exercise routine.
Frisbee Target Toss
The ElderOneStop website recommends Frisbee target toss as a game for encouraging physical fitness in the elderly. Begin by setting up a net or clothesline with an item attached in the center to serve as a bull's-eye. Depending on the accuracy and age of your players, you can begin with a large target and gradually make it smaller over time as needed. Keep score of how many times each player hits the bull's-eye with the Frisbee, and take the winner out to lunch as a reward.
Modified Hide and Seek
Despite its childhood associations, hide and seek is a versatile exercise game that can be played by anyone. If traditional hide and seek is too strenuous for the players, try a less intensive variation that involves having one person hide while everyone else attempts to find that person. When another player discovers the hiding player, that person hides as well in the same spot, until everyone has found the hiding person. The last person to discover the group gets to hide the next game.
Horseshoe
This classic yard game offers a strengthening exercise for the upper body while stretching out muscles in the back, arms and hips. Hammer two stakes or poles in the ground 12 to 20 feet apart, and begin tossing horseshoes from one stake to the other. Aim your shots so that the inner curve of the horseshoe lands against the stake, landing directly around it on the ground. In addition to being fun and inexpensive, this game can be performed at practically any outdoor social situation.
Children and the Elderly
A study cited by the Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences suggests an alternative to traditional outdoor games for getting the elderly active. The study paired senior citizens with children for weekly play sessions at a playground. In addition to boosting the mood of the elderly participants, the study also found that the spontaneity of the children's games caused the seniors to engage in the physical exercise elements as if by accident, regularly engaging them on a physical, mental and emotional level. Try pairing a grandparent with a young child in the family for a weekly play session, or contact a local church or youth organization for volunteer opportunities with your elderly friends and family.
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