Team University of Dayton Engineering & Safety Lab No. 22: More than Fun and Games!

Physical activity, exercise, and making healthy food choices are the cornerstones for healthy aging. But emerging research also indicates that engaging in social and productive activities you enjoy may also help maintain your well-being.

A number of early studies found that people who are involved in hobbies and other social and leisure pursuits may be at lower risk for (and less likely to develop) some health problems, including dementia. They might even live longer.  Older adults who reported participating in social activities or meaningful, productive activities lived longer than people who did not. Researchers are exploring if participation in these kinds of activities can be the direct cause of positive health outcomes.

According to researchers, older adults who participate in what they believe are meaningful activities, like volunteering in their communities, say they feel healthier and happier. For example, older adult volunteers from an urban community worked approximately 15 hours a week in their neighborhood public elementary schools, in a special program designed to improve children’s school success. The older volunteers increased their cognitive, social, and physical activity levels. Over the long term the participants may have decreased their risk for disability, dependency, and dementia in later life.