Everyone knows exercise benefits physical health and boosts longevity. So as the thermostat heats up this summer, you be may wondering, how do older adults stay active during the warmest months of the year in one of the hottest states in the country?

The Challenges of Florida Summers and Extreme Heat

Like our nickname implies, the Sunshine State averages 240 days of sunshine a year! Coupled with our mild winters and 825 miles of beaches, Florida is among the most popular and desirable retirement destinations for seniors looking for an active outdoor lifestyle. Yet during the summer months, excessive heat and humidity can stress the heart and kidneys as the body tries to cool itself down.

Plus, during the summer, heat stroke is a very real concern for older adults. The heat can even worsen some chronic conditions, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Still, many Floridians like to stay active despite what the thermometer says. That’s why many of them look for “cooler” ways to enjoy life, which means taking advantage of indoor options such as those found in senior living.

Thriving Indoors: The Benefits of Daily Indoor Activities

If you’re like many people who retreat inside to the comfort of air conditioning in June and July, don’t fret. In Florida, there’s plenty of opportunities in senior living communities to stay active and engaged in activities you love.

Senior living communities, including assisted living and memory care, typically have fitness experts on staff to help you develop a program to maintain your overall health. A “cool” alternative to outdoor recreation and sports, indoor activities in senior living comprise a daily menu of scheduled activities, classes and other services and amenities to help older adults stay active. Plus, being indoors provides an added measure of safety and helps reduce your risk of heat-related health conditions like sunburn, dehydration and heat stroke.

Tailored Fitness Programs in Assisted Living

Assisted living communities in Florida offer structured routines to help maintain and even improve your health and wellness. Programs—such as those found at Sonata by AgeWell Solvere Living communities—are supervised by trained fitness professionals to ensure every resident can participate in activities and fitness classes that support their physical abilities while reducing the risk of injury.

These indoor activities are not only about maintaining muscle strength and cardiovascular health, but also incorporate cognitive fitness into wellness programming. Memory-enhancing games, problem-solving activities and group classes that stimulate intellectual engagement provide an additional layer of mental fitness that contributes to overall well-being.

Social Opportunities, Games and Friendship

Group activities in senior living are another good way to stay active during the hot summer in Florida. Sharing a game of trivia, bowling, or poker, or challenging a friend to a match of Monopoly or other board games, is good for mental fitness! Plus, daily access to social opportunities make indoor activities so much more fun!

Senior living improves access to an invigorating social ecosystem that many seniors haven’t experienced since their school days or workplace. Communities like Sonata Lake Mary, Sonata East at Viera and Sonata Delray Beach offer an enticing blend of socialization opportunities, wellness services and activities—the three cornerstones of healthy aging.

Learn how games improve senior health!

Discover New Passions and Reignite Old Hobbies

Did you know people who lead an active lifestyle and engage in hobbies they enjoy are less likely to develop chronic diseases and more likely to live longer? Senior living communities provide countless opportunities to learn new skills and rekindle old passions. They provide an outlet for lifelong learning, hobbies, and activities such as arts and crafts, painting, dancing, piano lessons, fitness classes and much more.

There is truly no limit to the ways older adults can stay active indoors in a senior living community like Sonata by AgeWell Solvere Living!

Engaging Indoor Activities For Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care

If you or a loved one are struggling with symptoms related to dementia and memory loss, indoor activities take on an even more significant role. While memory care community residents can do as much or as little as they want, having the opportunity to participate in activities like arts, crafts, and music therapy are vital tools to maintaining mood and cognition. They also play an indispensable role in slowing cognitive decline and improving overall quality of life.

Just like assisted living communities, memory care communities in Florida typically have specially trained staff and dementia-certified caregivers to create individualized programs based on each residents preferences and tastes and to offer guidance and assistance to those who need it.

For example, at Serenades Memory Care, an innovative program called Montessori Mornings helps residents with memory challenges engage in activities while providing assistance and support. Whether it be setting the table for dinner, folding napkins, or clearing dishes, tasks and activities give residents with memory loss a sense of purpose and improve self-confidence.

Indoor Activities for Healthy Aging

Events, classes, seminars, activities—they all add up to an engaging lifestyle that supports healthy aging. Residents of Sonata assisted living communities lead an active and purpose-filled lifestyle with more choices and a wide variety of convenient wellness services.

Residents enjoy a wide range of activities from music concerts and cooking classes to art lessons and seminars along with innovative technology and upscale, resort-style amenities. We also provide concierge and hospitality services that make retirement living easier and enjoyable.

All Sonata communities incorporate features that seniors love most, including wellness centers and spas; outdoor recreational spaces and walking paths; bars and bistros and chef-inspired dining. By choosing one of our senior living communities in Florida, you’ll discover that each day offers new opportunities to make friends and enjoy life to the fullest.

Staying Happy Means Keeping Up Indoor Activities in Assisted Living

Beyond just being fun, indoor activities in senior living communities provide a safe and comfortable environment for seniors to maintain their health and happiness, even during Florida’s hot and humid summers, not to mention creating more opportunities to stay active and thrive year-round.

If you are exploring senior living in Florida for yourself or a loved one, learn more about the advantages of renting in retirement.