Keeping Active As The Weather Turns

Keeping those living with dementia adequately active is always a challenge, but doing so in the colder months provides an extra layer of difficulty. Here are five activities to try to keep your loved one from feeling bored or isolated.

Seated Yoga Yoga is an incredibly versatile activity. It can be done standing, seated or even laying down. Individuals with dementia often enjoy seated yoga, which allows them to be comfortable while doing stretches and poses that they enjoy. Every pose can be modified to fit what they can do, making this a great activity regardless of physical abilities.

Kitchen disco We’ve all got good at this thanks to lockdown, but why not extend the activity and curate a playlist of favourite songs or those from a certain era. With Spotify it couldn’t be easier to pick a year and press play. Hopefully it will encourage even those who are wheelchair-bound to have a little boogie. For a bit of extra help why not visit Music for Dementia and use their internet radio station?

Zoom exercise classes Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire is offering virtual exercise classes via Zoom, and there are also videos to use if Zoom is not appropriate (or if the timings don’t work for you). Classes are up to an hour and are a great way to keep both the mind and the body stimulated while still in the safety of the home. Find out more here.

Indoor gardening Winter may limit gardening, but it doesn’t have to stop it. Bustling around a little collection of plants indoors can keep a loved one on their feet and active for a while. You can create an indoor garden with a number of smaller, easier to manage plants. Place them in a sunny area. It’s possible to grow many plants, even edibles, in the winter months. For those in the later stages of dementia, choose plants that don’t require much care, such as succulents. Activities such as removing dead leaves and watering are both enjoyable activities that keep the mind stimulated.

Carpet bowls/Beer pong Both great choices for some gentle fun while keeping movement going. Both can be played from a seated position if that is necessary, and both are games that are good to play with more than one player, so this introduces a social aspect too. You can buy cheap carpet bowls sets on Amazon here, and beer pong here.