Participating in Activities You Enjoy—

More Than Just Fun and Games

Tips from the National Institute on Aging

There are many things you can do to help 

yourself age well: exercise and be physically 

active, make healthy food choices, and don’t 

smoke. But did you know that participating 

in activities you enjoy may also help 

support healthy aging? 

As people get older, they often find 

themselves spending more and more time 

at home alone. The isolation can lead to 

depression and is not good for your health. 

If you find yourself spending a lot of time 

alone, try adding a volunteer or social 

activity to your routine. 

Benefits of an Active Lifestyle 

Engaging in social and productive activities 

you enjoy, like taking an art class or 

becoming a volunteer in your community 

or at your place of worship, may help to 

maintain your well-being. 

Research tells us that older people with an 

active lifestyle: 

• Are less likely to develop certain diseases. 

Participating in hobbies and other social 

and leisure pursuits may lower risk for 

developing some health problems, 

including dementia. 

• Have a longer lifespan. One study showed 

that older adults who reported taking 

part in social activities (such as playing 

games, belonging to social groups, or 

traveling) or meaningful, productive 

activities (such as having a paid or unpaid 

job, or gardening) lived longer than people 

who did not. Researchers are further 

exploring this connection.

• Are more happy and less depressed. Studies 

suggest that older adults who participate 

in what they believe are meaningful activities, 

like volunteering in their communities, say 

they feel happier and more healthy. One 

study placed older adults from an urban 

community in their neighborhood public 

elementary schools to tutor children 

15 hours a week. Volunteers reported 

personal satisfaction from the experience. 

The researchers found it improved the 

volunteers’ cognitive and physical health, 

as well as the children’s school success. 

June feels great. She enjoys 

gardening, playing cards with friends 

on Tuesdays and Fridays at the senior 

center, and taking a water aerobics class at 

the county indoor pool. She turns 78 this 

year, but feels like she’s still in her 50s. 

Research shows that staying active can 

help older adults like June stay healthy.
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PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITES YOU ENJOY

Activities to Consider

Would you like to get more involved in your 

community or be more socially active? 

There are plenty of places to look for 

opportunities, depending on your interests. 

Here are some ideas: 

Get out and about

• Join a senior center and take part in its 

events and activities

• Play cards or other games with friends

• Go to the theater, a movie, or a sporting 

event

• Travel with a group of older adults, such 

as a retiree group

• Visit friends and family

• Try different restaurants 

• Join a group interested in a hobby like 

knitting, hiking, painting, or wood carving

Learn something new

• Take a cooking, art, or computer class

• Form or join a book club

• Try yoga, tai chi, or another new physical 

activity

• Learn (or relearn) how to play a musical 

instrument

Become more active in your community

• Serve meals or organize clothing 

donations at a place for homeless people

• Help an organization send care packages 

to soldiers stationed overseas

• Care for dogs and cats at an animal shelter

They think it might also have long-term 

benefits, lowering the older adults’ risk of 

developing disability, dependency, and 

dementia in later life. 

• Are better prepared to cope with loss. 

Studies suggest that volunteering can 

help with stress and depression from the 

death of a spouse. Among people who 

experienced a loss, those who took part 

in volunteer activities felt more positive 

about their own abilities (reported 

greater self-efficacy). 

• May be able to improve their thinking 

abilities. Another line of research is 

exploring how participating in creative 

arts might help people age well. For 

example, studies have shown that older 

adults’ memory, comprehension, 

creativity, and problem-solving abilities 

improved after an intensive, 4-week 

(8-session) acting course. Other studies 

are providing new information about 

ways that creative activities like music or 

dance can help older adults.

Melvin has not quite felt like himself 

since his retirement. He misses his 

customers and teaching new employees 

the trade. Linn used to care for her grandchildren while her daughter was at work. 

Now that her grandchildren are in school, 

she has a lot of extra time on her hands. 

Melvin and Linn miss waking up with a 

feeling of purpose. They think joining a 

volunteer group might help. Research 

shows that people who are sociable, 

generous, and goal-oriented may feel 

more happy and less depressed than 

other people.
TIPS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING

3

• Volunteer to run errands for people with 

disabilities

• Join a committee or volunteer for an 

activity at your place of worship 

• Volunteer at a school, library, or hospital

• Help with gardening at a community 

garden or park 

• Organize a park clean-up through your 

local recreation center or community 

association

• Sing in a community choral group, or 

play in a local band or orchestra

• Take part in a local theater troupe

• Get a part-time job

Be physically active

• Garden or do yard work

• Take an exercise class or do exercises 

at home

• Go dancing

• Walk or bicycle with a friend or neighbor

• Swim or take a swimming class

• Play with your grandchildren

For more information about physical 

activity, check out Go4Life®. This exercise 

and physical activity campaign from the 

National Institute on Aging has exercises, 

success stories, and free video and print 

materials at www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life.

Find the Right Balance

Everyone has different limits to the amount 

of time they can spend on social or other 

activities. What is perfect for one person 

might be too much for another. Be careful 

not to take on too much at once.

You might start by adding one or two 

activities to your routine and see how you 

feel. You can always add more. 

Remember—participating in activities you 

enjoy should be fun, not stressful.

For More Information About 

Participating in Activities

America’s Natural and Cultural Resources 

Volunteer Portal

www.volunteer.gov

A Federal website to help people find 

volunteer opportunities in State parks and 

other areas with natural and cultural 

resources. You can search by location and 

type of activity such as “tour guide” or 

“botany.”

When Maria was younger, she took 

part in rallies for local issues and even 

went to Washington, D.C., to hear Martin 

Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech. 

Recently, she has been learning about 

problems with the environment and wants 

to get involved in finding a solution. She 

thinks it will be a good way to volunteer 

her time.

Two years ago, Ted began volunteering 

at his senior center, then he started 

some clubs at the center. Now he volunteers 

3 days a week, leads the center’s theater 

group, and plays in a weekly poker game. 

He also recently joined a committee for his 

apartment building that meets twice a 

month. Ted is rushing all the time and thinks 

he might need to cut back.
To sign up for regular email alerts about new publications and other information from the NIA, go to:

www.nia.nih.gov/health

Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the 

National Library of Medicine. This website has health and wellness information for older adults. Special 

features make it simple to use. For example, you can click on a button to make the type larger.

For more information about health and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging Information Center

P.O. Box 8057 • Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057

1-800-222-2225 (toll-free) • 1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free)

www.nia.nih.gov • www.nia.nih.gov/espanol

APRIL 2015

NIH PUBLICATION NO. 15-7411

Corporation for National and 

Community Service

www.nationalservice.gov

1-800-942-2677 (toll-free)

1-800-833-3722 (TTY/toll-free)

info@cns.gov (email)

A Federal agency aimed at improving lives, 

strengthening communities, and fostering 

civic engagement through service and 

volunteering. Learn about volunteer 

programs and research initiatives.

Experience Corps

AARP Foundation

www.experiencecorps.org

1-202-434-6400

experiencecorps@aarp.org (email)

Members tutor and mentor children in cities 

across the country and provide literacy 

coaching, homework help, and consistent 

role models, as well as committed, caring 

attention. Find a program near you and read 

about how the program has made a 

difference in the lives of the volunteers, 

children, and children’s families.

Senior Corps

www.getinvolved.gov

1-800-942-2677 (toll-free)

1-800-833-3722 (TTY/toll-free)

A program of the Corporation for National 

and Community Service that works with 

thousands of nonprofit organizations and local 

agencies—both secular and faith-based—to 

promote service opportunities for older 

Americans. Learn how to get involved in a 

variety of volunteer activities near you.

United We Serve

www.serve.gov

1-800-942-2677 (toll-free)

1-800-833-3722 (TTY/toll-free)

Part of the Federal Government’s nationwide 

service initiative, this online resource helps 

you find volunteer opportunities in your 

community. You can also find out how to 

create your own volunteer opportunity and 

register it on the website.

VolunteerMatch

www.volunteermatch.org

1-415-241-6868

A nonprofit organization that helps people find 

volunteer opportunities that fit their interests 

and needs. You can learn how to get started 

and register on their website for email alerts.

PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITES YOU ENJOY