At Addington Place of Des Moines, we encourage seasonal activities and hobbies to keep our community active, happy, and healthy. Spring activities often occur outdoors and include nature walks, outdoor community events, and socializing. We also focus on indoor activities to escape springtime rains, with a particular lean toward physical health.
What's your favorite hobby, and how does it interact with the change of the seasons? According to El País, studies have shown that cultivating a hobby helps to improve the health of the elderly. But what happens when a new season brings new choices for your hobby?
Des Moines is the perfect city for seniors looking to adopt a new hobby. Our art-centric culture brings a vibrant scene of outdoor activities, food-focused events, and several world-class venues. Whether you're here for the presidential history or to enjoy our trail systems, we're proud to have you!
What sort of spring hobbies for seniors will help with your cognitive wellness? From indoor creative engagement to days out by the grill, there's always something new to adopt. Read on for a quick guide on brain health activities and cognitive wellness.
How do hobbies help beyond keeping you busy? Turns out, there are proven medical benefits to having a hobby!
According to UCLA Health, there are three primary proven health benefits to having a hobby. These include:
Having a hobby is more than just a way to pass the time. It'll keep you happy, healthy, and engaged with your community.
Now that we know more about why we want a hobby, how do we know what sort of hobbies to add? Here are some of our favorite categories of hobbies, as well as some examples of each to consider adding to your regimen.
Spring hobbies for seniors often focus on social engagement. That's not just for fun: like a hobby, socializing is proven to have health benefits.
Studies show that a large portion of seniors battle isolation and loneliness. According to a paper published in the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, about 1 out of every 3 seniors deals with these feelings.
Because of this, we like to encourage hobbies that focus on socialization. Some examples include:
Another great example is to become a foodie! Here at Addington Place of Des Moines, our dining amenities will help you chase down new and exciting dishes.
When it comes to brain health activities and cognitive wellness, creative engagement is paramount. But what is "creative engagement?"
Creative engagement focuses on using creativity and low-energy hobbies to encourage cognitive function. Oftentimes, these are simple, sedentary, and social.
A good example is reading, writing, and journaling. These are tasks nearly every senior can do regardless of mobility limitations, and they present us with the chance to exercise our minds. You may also love:
Were you in the gym when you were younger? Many of us begin to lose our focus on physical fitness as we age. Limitations to our physicality, as well as lower energy levels, make this exceptionally common.
But if you have the physical capability, there's never a reason to avoid physical hobbies. Your assisted living community has fitness-centric amenities that will provide you with the chance to get back to your peak shape!
Spring is a lovely season where the outdoors is pleasant in every way. The chill of winter has faded, but the scorching summers haven't yet come in. Because of this, many spring seasons are outside.
Gardening is one of the most common, but it also depends on plants being in season! The approaching summer heat and rain also make it so that many outdoor activities feel like they're on a "timer."
Many other hobbies aren't seasonal at all. Consider your indoor hobbies and how you'll make them last past spring!
Cognitive wellness often depends on creative engagement. Consider what activities leave you thinking long after you're done.
For us, our favorite cognitive activities include reading, writing, and puzzles. These are all great ways to keep every part of your mind engaged, while also being exciting enough to qualify as leisure. You can also do these regardless of most physical limitations!
The best part is that these hobbies can remain after spring, making them less seasonal. Still, we love spending our spring afternoons in a garden with our favorite book, while we can enjoy the outdoors.
Spring hobbies should be picked on a personalized level. Some seniors may have physical limitations that stop them from doing what others do. Others may find a pollen allergy forces them inside for spring afternoons!
Speak to your community about what sort of hobbies are supported and encouraged. That way, you can chase down something new rather than relaxing with old hobbies you're growing tired of.
Finding the right spring hobbies for seniors means customizing activities to match what you're able to safely and comfortably tackle. Focus on creative engagement for cognitive wellness, but don't discount the benefit of a physically active springtime hobby. When designing enrichment in assisted living, always take the time to see what your community offers.
At Addington Place of Des Moines, we understand there's more to enjoying the passing of the seasons than having a to-do list. We're proud to have been voted first in the Customer Satisfaction Among Assisted Living & Memory Care Communities in the 2025 J.D. Power U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study. Contact us today to see how we can help you add some shine to your golden years.