Hobbies that can make you smarter include genealogy and family history research, cooking or baking new recipes, photography and photo editing, and debate clubs or discussion groups. Choosing something you enjoy in assisted living in Spartanburg, SC, is easy, as our community provides the services and amenities to support all hobbies.
A study by Mak et al., published in Nature Medicine, found that for seniors, having a hobby was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-reported health, happiness, and life satisfaction. This makes sense, as many older adults lose their sense of purpose and happiness after retirement.
For this reason, many move into assisted living in Spartanburg, SC. Here, they can focus on having quality golden years, where they can indulge in group hobbies that not only make them happier but also boost brain health.
What Hobbies Improve Brain Health?
Hobbies that challenge thinking, memory, and coordination are the best for improving your brain health.
Do you want to strengthen problem-solving and recall skills? Then try:
- Crossword puzzles
- Sudoku
- Chess
- Strategy games
Or you can learn new skills to stimulate neural growth and keep your brain adaptable. Creative hobbies can improve your brain health, as well as physical and social activities.
As you can see, there’s a wide range of choices. As long as you choose things that you genuinely enjoy, it’ll be easy to boost your cognitive health.
What Are Hobbies That Make You Smarter?
Cognitive enrichment is key in your later years, especially since many older adults find that they have too much free time on their hands. To live an excellent Spartanburg aging lifestyle while training your brain, consider the following group activities.
Genealogy and Family History Research
Tracing your family history can be a very powerful way to work out your brain. Genealogy combines:
- Research
- Critical thinking
- Memory recall
- Technology skills
As you research, you’ll have to analyze historical records, compare dates, interpret census data, or build a digital family tree.
This may all be challenging to do on your own, so it’s perfect to do with other seniors, as you can help each other out. Plus, you can share your progress and maybe even find surprising connections to one another!
What’s great is that if you uncover family stories, you can share them with your loved ones. This can help bridge intergenerational gaps.
Cooking or Baking New Recipes
Mental engagement in aging can be fun, especially if you get to be creative and then eat your creation too! Not only can you fill your kitchen with delicious smells, but you can also challenge your brain. You’ll have to:
- Plan
- Measure
- Time
- Sequence steps
- Adjust techniques on the fly
This is all great for hobby-based memory support since it doesn’t feel like you’re doing an exercise. But in reality, you’re strengthening your executive functioning and problem-solving skills.
If you find cooking/baking overwhelming to do on your own, then you can do it as a group activity. You’ll have some company, and you’ll have people to share the results with, too.
Photography and Photo Editing
Photography is an outstanding hobby since it encourages you to view the world with greater attention and creativity. When taking photos, you have to:
- Observe details
- Adjust the lighting
- Frame shots
- Make quick decisions about composition
You can make trips outside or even walk around the assisted living community with friends to get different images and perspectives about things.
Then, you can do photo editing to really make your pictures shine. You and other seniors can then share the final products and admire each other’s work.
Debate Clubs or Discussion Groups
A key part of brain health is senior social wellness, and luckily, there are many opportunities for socializing in a senior living community.
One of them is debate clubs or discussion groups. You’ll have to do the following when talking through anything from current events to books:
- Listen carefully
- Form opinions
- Recall facts
- Express ideas clearly
Friendly debates can also challenge you to consider new perspectives. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but this can improve cognitive flexibility and critical thinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Longevity-Boosting Hobbies?
Longevity-boosting hobbies are ones that support physical health, mental sharpness, emotional well-being, and social connection. These are all key factors for living longer and healthier lives.
For seniors, the idea is to combine gentle movement, cognitive stimulation, and meaningful engagement. Examples include:
- Walking groups
- Gardening
- Dancing
- Yoga
- Crafting
- Volunteering
- Learning a musical instrument
- Joining book clubs
Not only can these hobbies reduce stress and lower your blood pressure, but they can also prevent isolation. You’ll keep both your body and mind working.
How Do Hobbies Affect the Brain?
Hobbies stimulate your brain by encouraging learning, focus, creativity, and problem-solving. You form new neural connections, which help you maintain:
- Memory
- Concentration
- Cognitive flexibility
Over time, you may even get a lower risk of cognitive decline and conditions like dementia. Essentially, you’re exercising your brain by helping it stay strong, adaptable, and resilient.
What Is the Five Hobbies Rule?
The “Five Hobbies Rule” is a simple guideline that can help you maintain a balanced mix of activities to support different areas of life. If you follow this rule, then you can prevent boredom and isolation while promoting well-rounded health. You can also get structure and meaning in daily life, which is especially important after retirement when your routines may change.
The rule is to have one hobby for each of the following:
- Stay active
- Stay creating
- Keep learning
- Make money or contribute purposefully
- Build social connections
For example, a senior may have these hobbies:
- Walk or swim
- Paint or knit
- Take language classes
- Volunteer or mentor
- Attend a book club
Consider Assisted Living in Spartanburg, SC
Do you find the above hobbies appealing, but aren’t sure how to find a group to do them with? Then assisted living in Spartanburg, SC, is what you need.
We have a supportive environment where you’ll be surrounded by like-minded seniors. Plus, we have many amenities, activities, and events, so you’re bound to find ones that suit you.
At TerraBella Spartanburg, we have customized programming for health and fitness to ensure that every resident makes safe progress. Get in touch with us now to learn more about senior living in Spartanburg, SC.
