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. 

June feels great. She enjoys gardening, 

playing cards with friends 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.

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 happier 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 healthier. 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. 
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PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY

Researchers 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 or other loved one. 

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 

grand-children 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 happier 

and less depressed than other people.

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

• Visit 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, birdwatching, painting, or 

wood carving

• Reconnect with old friends through your 

high school or college alumni association

• Visit local museums. Many offer free 

group tours.

Learn something new

• Take a cooking, art, dance, language, or 

computer class. Get in touch with your 

local community college. Many offer free 

or discounted courses for older adults.

• Form or join a book or film club

• Try yoga, tai chi, or another new physical 

activity

• Learn (or relearn) how to play a musical 

instrument
TIPS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING

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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.

Become more active in your community

• Serve meals or organize clothing 

donations for people in need

• Help an organization send care packages 

to soldiers stationed overseas

• Care for dogs and cats at an animal shelter

• 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, museum, 

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

• Rediscover a favorite childhood pastime 

or teach it to a new generation—

embroidery, photography, building 

models, chess, baking, woodworking, 

calligraphy, or quilting

Be physically active

• Garden or do yard work

• Take an exercise class or do exercises 

at home

• Go dancing

• Join a sports group for older adults, like a 

bowling club or bocce league

• Walk or bicycle with a friend or neighbor

• Take a swimming class

• Join a local hiking or mountain biking 

group. Try rowing, canoeing, or 

kayaking at a nearby lake or river.

• Start a weekly basketball or tennis game 

with friends

• Join a mall-walking group

• Play with your grandchildren. Teach 

them a game or dance you remember 

from childhood.

For more information about physical 

activity, check out Go4Life®. This exercise 

and physical activity campaign from the 

National Institute on Aging has exercises 

and free videos and print materials at 

www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life.

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 dominoes 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.
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

Corporation for National and 

Community Service

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

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

info@cns.gov

www.nationalservice.gov

www.serve.gov

Experience Corps

AARP Foundation

1-202-434-6400

experiencecorps@aarp.org

www.experiencecorps.org

VolunteerMatch

1-415-241-6868

www.volunteermatch.org

For more information about health and aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging Information Center

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

niaic@nia.nih.gov

www.nia.nih.gov

Visit www.nia.nih.gov/health to find more health and aging information from NIA and 

subscribe to email alerts. Visit https://order.nia.nih.gov to order free print publications.

PARTICIPATING IN ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY

OCTOBER 2017

NIH PUBLICATION NO. 17-AG-7411