25 Awesome Hobbies for Seniors With Limited Mobility (2021)

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If you have an elderly parent with limited mobility, you need to make sure that they don’t feel lonely or helpless. Seniors need love and attention from the people around them. While you can’t always be there for your old folks, it’s good enough that you assist them in finding awesome hobbies to keep them company while you’re away.

There are many awesome hobbies for seniors with limited mobility. Some of the best hobbies are horse riding, reading, playing music, and gardening. To ensure seniors stay happy and healthy from illnesses like obesity, heart disease, or depression, they must always be physically active.

Hobbies are essential in motivating seniors with limited mobility to face their current life with a purpose, be in control over certain things they do, and remind them that they are still strong to do things independently despite their condition. Seniors don’t always need to participate in activities that are energy draining — brain games are good, too. The following are 25 awesome hobbies we think seniors with limited mobility will enjoy.

Horse Riding

Studies have shown that horse riding can improve strength and balance for adults with physical disabilities. That means seniors with limited mobility can ride a horse and enjoy its benefits. Horse riding is therapeutic because the rider’s body moves rhythmically like a human gait, hence more flexibility, balance, and muscle strength.

Another reason why horse riding is excellent for seniors with limited mobility is it allows them to enjoy the outdoors. Older people with limited mobility deserve to feel happy, too. Horse riding can give them a sense of joy, peace, and freedom.

Visiting the Park

Seniors with limited mobility may feel lonely and isolated sometimes. For that reason, they should go out and take a walk. A park is a good place for seniors with limited mobility to hangout.

Family members should take their senior family members with limited mobility to the park whenever possible. Some seniors with limited mobility can walk to places on their own, with a walking stick. Seniors can relax at the park, socialize with people, maybe make new friends, and perhaps exercise.

Some seniors with limited mobility go to parks with their pet dogs. If the dogs are good at caring for older adults, that’s a plus. Older adults should be close to nature because nature helps improve their mental health, cognitive function, and social interaction with the people around them.

Reading

Reading is fun, and it is the perfect hobby for seniors with limited mobility. Some seniors with limited mobility find it tiring to engage in physically intense activities so that reading will be excellent for them. Reading doesn’t require them to use much of their energy. Reading can improve memory, reduce stress, and improve sleep quality.

It doesn’t matter whether the senior in your life prefers physical books, e-reader, or magazines — it’s good that they make reading a hobby. A good book will keep anyone company for hours, even days. Reading helps seniors with limited mobility enjoy their time with themselves.

Some seniors join book clubs to discuss the books or reading materials they read. Joining book clubs is excellent for seniors with limited mobility because they get to meet like-minded people and establish new friendships. Some seniors exchange books and invite each other over for group readings.

Exercise

Even seniors with limited mobility have to stay fit. There is no excuse for skipping exercises. What’s essential is seniors with limited mobility have to practice the right exercises for them.

Exercises do not need to be rigorous. For seniors with limited mobility, light exercises will do. Light exercises include strolling, dusting, seated exercises, and chair yoga routines. If chair yoga is of interest to you, you may want to read our other article: 19+ Chair Stretches for Seniors.

There are also exercises that seniors with limited mobility can do with the help of a walker. Exercise keeps seniors healthy and independent and improves their strength and balance.

Visual Art

Learning visual art is very good for seniors with limited mobility. That’s because visual art like painting, drawing, or water coloring doesn’t necessarily require seniors to get out of the house. Seniors can pick up this hobby and practice it at home.

Visual art is good for seniors because it helps seniors express themselves in images and colors. Often, art allows people to express things they find difficult to put into words. Seniors, especially with limited mobility, can reveal how they truly feel using their creativity.

Coloring offers positive effects not only to children but also to seniors. The art of color can relax the brain, reduce stress, and help seniors focus on the presence. Having limited mobility is often stressful, especially for older adults, so seniors with limited mobility need to engage in positive activities such as visual art.

Puzzles and Games

Remember when you were younger that you would play puzzles and board games with friends and family? Those days are not gone. People still enjoy puzzles and games, and they are especially perfect for seniors with limited mobility.

Puzzles and games are excellent choices for seniors with limited mobility because they are mobile — you can play them wherever you like. For example, card games are interactive, which means seniors can play them with their friends and family. Games like Sudoku, on the other hand, are single-player-friendly. Seniors with limited mobility can comfortably play them alone at home.

Picture puzzles are great for older adults because they can help stimulate seniors’ brains. Seniors with limited mobility may not be able to go treasure hunting, but at least they get to solve puzzles. Solving puzzles is fun and rewarding.

Playing Music

Music is good for the brain. Listening to music or playing musical instruments can also boost one’s mood. Seniors with limited mobility may not be able to engage in physically challenging activities, but they can participate in activities that aren’t too stressful for the body, like playing music.

Sure, there are instances where musicians injure themselves from musical instruments they play at extreme levels. Still, for older adults who only want to play musical instruments slowly and gently, injuries are less likely to happen. Instead, picking up musical instruments can help seniors strengthen their hands, fingers, and legs. Music also stimulates the brain, hence a decrease in anxiety or stress.

Just like the indoor hobbies we’ve mentioned earlier, playing music is mobile, so seniors with limited mobility can play them from the comfort of their homes. Musical instruments suitable for seniors with limited mobility are the piano, guitar, ukulele, harmonica, bongos, or the flute.

These instruments share something in common: they don’t require you to stand up, which is excellent for seniors with limited mobility. Seniors with limited mobility can learn these instruments through private music classes or on the internet. You can find many free apps and websites that offer free music lessons — real good ones.

Learn a Foreign Language

Limited mobility shouldn’t stop anyone from learning a new language. Even if your senior adult isn’t traveling anytime soon (or ever at all), that doesn’t mean they cannot pick up a foreign language. Learning a foreign language can help seniors improve their brainpower and introduce them to new cultures.

Learning a foreign language can also help seniors improve concentration, hence more focus on the present. Seniors with limited mobility can also improve their memory — this will reduce the risk of dementia.

There are many language learning apps and websites available today, like Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, and more. Optionally, seniors can attend one-to-one classes with a language teacher in a classroom setting or at home.

Watch Educational Videos or Listening to Podcasts

We have access to all kinds of entertainment now. We can choose whatever we want to watch or listen to. We live in a digital age where we can learn many new things just sitting in front of our computer.

Seniors with limited mobility can benefit from technology, too. They don’t always have to go out to have fun, because sometimes staying at home is okay. If there is one thing 2020 has taught us, it’s that staying at home doesn’t have to be boring and lonely.

As long as there’s the internet, you can turn on your favorite YouTube channels to keep up with the latest updates or learn new skills like gardening, baking, and so on. We shouldn’t demonize all media because there is such a thing as good media. If we use our resources mindfully, we can thrive from them.

Seniors with limited mobility can use educational videos or podcasts to inspire them. There are many fantastic YouTube channels with great content, like Natashas Kitchen, Joshua Baker, and more.

Textile Arts

Many seniors engage in textile arts because the activity has a rewarding effect at the end of the process. Knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross-stitch, and weaving all take time to make. Such activities give seniors a sense of purpose.

Because textile arts like knitting or sewing are not heavy-duty, they make excellent hobbies for seniors with limited mobility. Seniors can slowly enjoy textile arts at their own pace because they’re not using their crafts to make money but to relax. Once they complete their projects, they can always contribute their works to local charities, orphanages, churches, or hospitals.

Cooking and Baking

Most of us love to eat, and we would go out sometimes to discover new food at restaurants or street stalls. Seniors with limited mobility don’t always have the luxury to go out; thus, many prefer to stay home and eat. Even so, that doesn’t mean seniors with limited mobility have to give up on their love for food.

Seniors with limited mobility can always try new recipes in their kitchen. There are grocery delivery services available today, so if seniors don’t feel like going out that day, they don’t have to. Optionally, you can help the seniors with limited mobility in your family get the cooking and baking ingredients they need.

As for cooking and baking recipes, there’s plenty of recipes available for free over the internet today — with some of them in videos. Cooking and baking, no matter how intimidating it seems at first, are learnable skills. Upon completing, seniors with limited mobility will feel good because cooking and baking, after all, can make you feel better.

Volunteering and Doing Charities

A senior who isn’t mobile should not hide away from people. Instead, they should continue to be part of the community. Volunteering and charities can give seniors with limited mobility a sense of purpose and connect them with their local communities.

Charities and voluntary works are very rewarding, so seniors who participate in them are often happy and healthy. Seniors with limited mobility should donate to charity because the art of giving can improve their physical and emotional well-being. Many organizations take charitable items, like clothing, knitting or crocheting blankets, and bags.

Gardening

Limited mobility can be frustrating for seniors who have always enjoyed doing physical gardening like weeding or pruning but can no longer do that due to their condition. But there are ways to combat the barrier. Seniors with limited mobility can always create a senior-friendly garden space.

Seniors can raise their garden beds to their waist level, so they don’t necessarily have to bend down. They can also create wider garden paths so that they don’t have to walk in tight spaces (which can be stressful to both the mind and the body) or move around the garden with a wheelchair if needed.

Also, all gardening tools have to stay at easy-to-reach places to avoid injuries — and prevent seniors from feeling stressed out when they cannot locate their equipment.

Seniors can also do indoor gardening. Planting herbs and having them grow in the kitchens is an excellent alternative to gardening for seniors with limited mobility. If your senior’s limited mobility worsens and gardening becomes too difficult, watching birds, bees, and flowers in the garden isn’t so bad after all.

Play Video Games

We often hear people say that video games are bad or video games are a waste of time. But that’s not always true. If video games don’t get in between us and our responsibilities, there’s no reason to loathe video games.

Recent studies have shown that some video games can improve children’s problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. The best approach when dealing with video games is to play them in moderation. If kids can benefit from video games, seniors can, too.

According to Dr. Jason Allaire, there is a link between gaming and better well-being and emotional functioning. Some games offer mental benefits, while others provide merely fun. Whatever it is, video games can keep seniors with limited mobility company.

In 2020, Animal Crossing New Horizon became one of the best-selling games. People who played the game were both young and old. This old lady spent over 3,000 hours on the game:

Organizing Gatherings for Friends and Family

Limited mobility seniors usually don’t spend a lot of time outdoors because their bodies aren’t always fit. Still, they can always invite friends and family to come over for coffee. And if they pick up new cooking and baking recipes, they can share the food they make with guests.

Create Beautiful Photo Albums

One of the best things about technology is it helps us capture moments and keep them cherished years down the road. Companies like PhotoBook have made it possible for people to design their photo albums from their computers. If your senior has many beautiful memories, why not encourage them to compile those memories into several photo albums?

Reminiscing over old memories is very sentimental. Seniors with limited mobility would enjoy this hobby because it brings them down memory lane. Creating beautiful photo albums takes time – selecting photos (especially if there are many in your collection) and decorating photo albums can be time-consuming.

But once the task is complete, it can give seniors a sense of accomplishment. Seniors with limited mobility will find this encouraging and therefore move on to their next album. In the long run, they can sit down and flip through every page in which they have invested.

Mindfulness Meditation

Another great hobby for seniors with limited mobility is the practice of mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is suitable for people of all age groups, and it is especially beneficial to older adults. Seniors with limited mobility will find mindfulness meditation appealing because it’s a therapeutic activity that gives the body positive energies.

Mindfulness meditation doesn’t require much movement. Seniors with limited mobility only need to sit or lie in a quiet place, inhale and exhale, and focus on physical sensations. These simple movements are enough to give seniors better focus, reduce their stress level, promote calmness, and improve sleep.

Some of the most popular meditation apps are:

The Mindfulness app
Calm
Waking Up

Study Genealogy

Seniors with limited mobility can also study genealogy, exploring the internet to help them explore family history. Learning complicated family trees isn’t going to be easy, which is why it is going to be perfect for seniors with limited mobility. The hobby is undoubtedly going to keep them company.

With genealogy studies, seniors with limited mobility can gain satisfaction upon completing their research. The activity can also boost their confidence in using the internet. And knowing one’s family history is beneficial to one’s well-being.

Adopting Pets

Many seniors like having animals as companions. That’s because animals can provide therapeutic effects to older adults. In particular, it can prove beneficial for seniors to have animals such as dogs and cats keep them company.

Pets offer a healing power to seniors. Research has shown that animals can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and promote social interaction. It is advisable to adopt animals, not buy them.

Many pets need adoption. Seniors with limited mobility who love having animals around can benefit from adopting unwanted animals. These animals offer seniors companionship while seniors devote their time and attention to the animals, creating a long-lasting bond.

Dogs, for example, are very loyal creatures. No wonder dogs are man’s best friend. Some dogs even guide seniors— they help people live without boundaries.

Seniors with limited mobility can get a guide dog to accompany them or help them do specific tasks. Dogs can also provide emotional support. Here’s a video of a dog helping its owner with dirty dishes:

Going on Trips

Seniors with limited mobility can still go for trips to museums, local markets, spas, charity events, festivals, and nature preserves. If the limited mobility isn’t severe, a short getaway won’t hurt. Seniors can enjoy their surroundings, talk to people, and create memories, even if it’s only for a short while.

There is an old folk home in Thailand where the staff take the seniors out for trips to elephant sanctuaries, engage them in singing and dancing sessions, and more. Seniors love going on trips, even if they have limited mobility. So it’s important to encourage them to explore local places, maybe have them visit the school where they grew up.

Taking Videos and Photographs

Seniors can have better memories when they learn photography. That’s because when seniors commit to photography, they engage with a new camera, software, even Photoshop. All those skills improve their memory and cognitive ability within months.

Learning something new is mentally challenging. Photography is not easy to understand. When seniors engage in photography for the first time, they deal with something unfamiliar, which is good for their brains.

Seniors with limited mobility can also learn how to film. Videography may seem more intimidating than photography, but it shouldn’t stop seniors from learning how to film. Taking videos and editing them into a complete artwork is not easy and time-consuming, but seniors can benefit from the sense of accomplishment videography can give once it finishes.

Watching beautiful pictures or videos on your TV screen can give you incredible, romantic feelings. Seniors with limited mobility can always turn on the photos and videos they have prepared and watch them repeatedly. Reminiscing good memories are lovely, so why not?

Fishing

Another great hobby for seniors with limited mobility is fishing. Some places allow free fishing while others don’t. If you cannot find a free fishing place, you can find fishing ponds that let you fish at a flat rate.

Seniors with limited mobility can fish safely as long as they plan. However, accidents can happen like fishing rod holders getting stuck in a wheelchair. So seniors with limited mobility must be careful with their accessories.

Some find it very difficult to get out of the house on their own. If that’s the case, they’ll need their loved ones or a nurse to guide them to the fishing place they want to go. Seniors with limited mobility who have never tried fishing independently should have someone they can trust with them.

Wheelchair Bowling

Traditional bowling may not be suitable for seniors with limited mobility, but wheelchair bowling uses plastic balls and pins. Wheelchair bowling is just as fun as conventional bowling. Seniors with limited mobility can rest assured that bowling is still available for them.

Wheelchair bowling is gaining popularity now, and it is an excellent hobby for seniors with limited mobility. Seniors with limited mobility can always invite their friends for weekly tournaments, where exciting prizes await them. Wheelchair bowling can encourage competitiveness among seniors, which is good for their overall well-being.

Water Aerobics

With limited mobility, seniors can still move independently (although slowly) and hence can engage in sports like water aerobics. Water aerobics is a great hobby to have, as it is a form of exercise that can help seniors move their bodies and improve their stamina. Water aerobics are popular among people who suffer joints pain or lack of balance.

Water aerobics increases the heart rate and strengthens muscles safely. Seniors with limited mobility can sign up for water aerobics specifically devoted to their needs. Water aerobics classes are generally fun, with fun music to keep everyone moving in the water.

Writing to PenPals

Writing to PenPals might seem a little old-fashioned, but it is still a thing. There’s nothing wrong with dropping some ink on a piece of paper and sharing words with someone you don’t know across the world. Seniors with limited mobility will find writing to PenPals enjoyable as it may bring back good, old memories — like the era before social media.

Seniors with limited mobility will also like writing to their PenPals because writing with pen and paper stimulates their brains. When they’re writing, they’re even exercising their muscles. Let’s not ignore that writing to PenPals can be time-consuming — it requires deep thinking because sometimes you don’t know what to say.

Alternatively, seniors can also exchange messages with their PenPals via emails, like snail mail.

Final Thoughts

Seniors with limited mobility need hobbies that stimulate them mentally, physically, and emotionally. As seniors grow older, they become more sensitive to boredom and isolation. That said, it is essential that seniors, especially those with limited mobility, engage in activities that give them a sense of purpose while also letting them have fun in the process.

25 Awesome Hobbies for Seniors With Limited Mobility