When we talk about aging gracefully and youthfully, people usually tend to mention initiatives such as a physical exercise routine, or quitting the consumption of substances such as tobacco and alcohol. However, one surprisingly beneficial activity that older adults can pick up, including your mother, is sewing. Chances are that your mother already knows how to sew, and retirement can be a great opportunity for her to brush up on this useful skill. Aging can be challenging for your mom, especially with the cognitive decline it can bring. Thankfully, sewing can bring her a variety of cognitive benefits, such as the following:
Maintains and Improves Motor Skills
Motor skills and cognitive skills are surprisingly, closely related to each other. While you may not think of sewing as a physically demanding activity at first glance, sewing can be a great way to help your loved one improve her physicality. Sewing naturally trains an older adult’s hand-eye coordination, regardless of the sewing method they’re using. This also indirectly helps to slow cognitive decline in older adults. By practicing motor abilities during retirement, your mother can enjoy other benefits such as improved cognition, as well as a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
Stimulates the Brain
Unfortunately, as people age, they naturally start to lose receptors and neurons in their brains, causing their senses to dull. This can affect their ability to accomplish executive functions, lowering their quality of life. Thankfully, sewing is a great way to combat these limitations in the later stages of life. In general, the act of sewing demands intense concentration from the user, especially for first-timers. Whether your loved one stitches fabrics by hand or is a whiz at using a sewing machine, sewing can help your mother to sharpen her focus.
Relieves Stress
Sewing is a great activity to simply relax and unwind, especially with all of the repetitive movement it incorporates. Furthermore, it’s easy for older adults to immerse themselves in the activity due to the amount of attention it demands, helping them to forget everything else and simply enjoy the moment. This activity also helps your mother to control her breathing, which is linked to feeling calmer and managing moods in adults. All of these benefits make sewing not just an effective stress reliever, but a healthy replacement for other more harmful sources of stress relief such as smoking and drinking.
Improves Self-esteem
There’s no other feeling like the satisfaction of finishing a project that you’ve spent what seems to be forever on. Sewing is a very hands-on activity for your mom to invest her time on, where she can immerse herself in the entire process from designing to the final touches. Furthermore, the more that your mother sews, the more confident she can feel about her improvement from one project to the next. Not to mention, sewing classes and groups can make great opportunities to improve communication skills.
If you’re looking for residential options to help your mom enjoy more active and engaging retirement life, consider our retirement community’s senior living options!
