Your mom doesn’t do much all day. Since retirement, she putters around the house doing a little bit of gardening, some housework, but mostly she sits and reads books or watches movies. You know she needs to be more active, how can you help her do so?

Join Her

Would your mom become more active if she had her family there for moral support? If you join her on a walk in a natural area, she may find it more appealing than walking on a treadmill in her home. She’ll enjoy your company and see it more like time with family than an exercise routine.

You could take her to the beach and walk in the tide. Go to an outdoor attraction like a historic home/site and explore the buildings and grounds. Take her to try something new like paddle boarding, white river rafting on an easy course, or orienteering. All of these activities get her to exercise while having fun with you.

Explore New Hobbies

Explore different hobbies and see if anything appeals to your mom. She may not want to knit or crochet, but the thought of making stained glass suncatchers or handmade paper may be appealing.

If you find a hobby that appeals to her, purchase the basic supplies or sign her up for a class at a local community college or art school. Don’t invest in more than the basics until you know she loves it.

Get Her to Volunteer

Don’t focus on exercise. Your mom may find that volunteering gets her up and active. She could donate her time selling items in the hospital gift shop. She could volunteer at a local art museum helping visitors find their way around.

Find volunteer opportunities by calling around and asking. You could also visit a site like AARP’s Volunteer Portal to find opportunities that interest her.

Make Sure She Has Support While Exercising

If she is going to exercise at home, make sure she has the support she needs when it happens. She may not want someone watching, but it may give her peace of mind knowing someone is nearby if she injures herself.

Caregivers can be tidying the kitchen while she works through her muscle toning exercises. If she prefers, she could have caregivers giving her step-by-step instructions while she completes different exercises.

Have you considered having caregivers visiting her each week? If caregivers could inspire her to get up and get active, it’s worth it. Make arrangements to have caregivers join your mom on walks, encourage her to engage in hobbies, and be active. Call our home care agency and schedule caregivers for her.

For Caregiver Services in Millington TN, please contact the caring staff at Personal Care Services MidSouth today!