Aging is a natural process everyone must go through. After a certain age, many people find they can’t do the same things they once did in their youth. As muscles weaken, it may frustrate you to be unable to do the same things you once enjoyed. Fortunately, there are ways to prolong this effect. Check out these different ways seniors can improve motor function with some easy, lightweight activities. These aren’t strenuous and improve cognition and strength.

Hand exercises

You don’t need to limit exercise to running, weightlifting, sports, or other intense physical activities. One way that seniors can improve their physical mobility is through basic hand exercises. Playdough and weighted stress balls are great tools for this. They provide added resistance for older people to mold, shape, and flex their hands to buildup hand strength. While they may not seem like much, even smaller exercises like these provide physical stimulation to weakening muscle fibers.

Outdoor activities

There are many outdoor activities seniors can do to improve their motor function as well. Whether they’re doing exercise movements, riding a bike, walking, or tending to an outdoor garden, outdoor activities will keep you active and engaged. Going outside also exposes you to Vitamin D, which helps boost cognition and helps further regulate calcium in the body. This strengthens bones, teeth, and muscles. Even bird-watching or feeding helps build motor function, as it keeps you physically and mentally engaged.

Arts and crafts

Of course, while indoor or outdoor exercise is one of the best ways seniors can improve motor function, arts and crafts help build stability and improve one’s motor cortex, too. Quilting, knitting, crochet, painting, drawing, or even just coloring improves hand-eye coordination. Additionally, these activities require patience, dedication, and physical mobility. So, doing them will improve your physical capabilities.

Cooking and baking

Lastly, like the other activities on this list, baking and cooking also require some level of physical engagement. After all, you must measure, add, and prepare ingredients to achieve the desired dishes or baked goods. Lifting and removing heavy pans or pots helps strengthen muscles while measuring and converting the ingredients in recipes builds cognition and memory. No matter which activity you do, you’ll improve your motor function.