The Fun in Aging: How Art, Music & Movement Improve Senior Well-Being
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer John Becker
Aging gets such a bad rap, it’s sad. “You’re done once you retire.” “It’s all downhill after 60.” “Old people can’t keep up.” Such sentiments almost always dominate youth conversations whenever the topic of old age comes up. What’s worse, even some senior care centers have resigned to the fact that old age is more pills and less thrill.
This article aims to take the road less traveled: creative aging. Read on to learn more about how to add more shine to the golden (not the sunset) years.
Art: Not Solely Reserved for the Talented
Give a senior a brush and something magical instantly happens. No, not on the canvas. If recent studies are anything to go by, artistic indulges such as painting and drawing have been found to alleviate feelings of anxiety and stress as well as supercharge memory and coping skills. For senior citizens, all these are invaluable additions to an otherwise flat lifestyle.
The number of senior centers offering art therapy classes have more than doubled in the past decade. The reason for that is pretty simple: creating from scratch is capable of activating parts of the brain that may have become dormant due to old age. An old memory, a forgotten leisure activity, a buried purpose…you name it. Even the senior citizens deserve to enjoy life in its rawness—one brushstroke at a time.
Music: A Time Machine Like No Other
Want to see someone with proven memory loss remember every word from a 1950’s hit? Hit play on that jukebox. Time and again, research has shown music can stimulate sections of the brain tied to memory, emotion, and movement. In HBR’s own words, it “lights up nearly all of the brain.”vFor seniors with dementia in particular, music could be a literal lifeline.
This also explains why choirs encompassing all-senior members are on a meteoric rise today. Singing in harmony is more than a bonding experience. It’s a form of mental exercise, a way to relieve the 90’s all over again, and for some, a stage they never thought they’d see again.
Movement: More than the Steps
Walk into a senior care center today, and you’ll spot a handful of nurses holding seniors by their hand just so they remain upright. However, movement is a lot more than that.
Movement is the slow “boring” ballroom dancing, the calibrated tai chi in the garden, or the low-impact aerobics everyone undermines. Whatever it is, it’s capable of improving balance, cognitive function, and overall mood for older citizens. Besides, it’s way more fun than just another crossword.
The Bottomline
Care centers, listen up. Seniors should never, ever be thought of as a demographic to manage. They’re lives to be celebrated. Art, music, and movement just happen to be three of the best ways to do precisely that.
Written by:
John is a gifted writer and marketer.
A Connecticut native, John studied at UPenn, Middlebury, and UMass, and has worked in both corporate and nonprofit settings. Every day, he helps businesses improve how they sell, market, and communicate. He writes about finance, sales, investments & stocks, technology, psychology, marketing, SEO, leadership among other finance and tech-related topics.
John is passionate about sustainability, education, design, and teamwork. He enjoys building furniture, baking, swimming, and traveling with his family.
