People who are prone to dementia have the following characteristics:^{※ 1}

• No purpose in life
• There are few opportunities for communication
• There are few opportunities to exercise

Having a hobby can help alleviate the above characteristics and is expected to be effective in preventing senility and dementia.
We will explain in detail the benefits and effects of enjoying hobbies other than preventing dementia, and how to choose hobbies for your retirement.

Benefits and effects other than preventing dementia

In addition to preventing dementia, hobbies in retirement have the following benefits and effects:

• More opportunities to go out
• It helps to alleviate lack of exercise
• Improved muscle strength and stamina
• More friends and acquaintances
• You will feel fulfilled
• It helps to combat depression

As people age, it becomes harder to move around, and they tend to stay indoors and become physically inactive. Increasing opportunities to go outside for hobbies is effective in resolving this lack of exercise and improving muscle strength and physical fitness. Some people have fewer social interactions after retirement, and their relationships become limited in old age, but with people who share the same hobby, there are many common topics to talk about and it is easy to deepen their connections. Filling your schedule with hobbies and working hard to improve your skills will bring a sense of fulfillment to your retirement life, where you will have more free time.

Hobbies can also help prevent a decline in physical function and social interaction, helping to prevent depression among the elderly.^{※ 2}

How to choose a hobby for retirement

When choosing a hobby for your retirement, keep the following three points in mind.^{※ 3}

• Can you continue without difficulty?
• Is it an area of ​​interest or concern?
• Can you continue even if your living environment changes?

When choosing a hobby for retirement, choose one that you can do without any physical or financial problems. It is important to prioritize your own interests and passions, as you may not enjoy a hobby that you choose simply because it is free or because you were invited.

Also, since there is a possibility that you may need to move into a facility or be hospitalized in old age, it is recommended that you choose a hobby that you can continue even if your living environment changes.

To prevent dementia in old age, activities that stimulate the brain, such as cooking, puzzles, and playing Go and Shogi, are recommended. For those who want to exercise or are concerned about lack of exercise, hobbies such as traveling, walking, gateball, and volunteering are good options. For those who want to spend their time relaxing, movies, listening to music, reading, crafts, and gardening are good options.

Here are 11 hobbies recommended for preventing dementia in old age.

Movies, music, reading

Watching movies is a recommended hobby for those who want to easily have an extraordinary experience, while listening to music is recommended for those seeking a relaxing effect. Reading is suitable for those who want to increase their knowledge. Both are hobbies that help activate the brain and are easy to continue even for those who are not confident in their physical strength.

Increasing your opportunities to go to cinemas, concert halls and libraries will also help improve your muscle strength and physical fitness.

Cuisine

Cooking is a hobby that stimulates the brain by using your hands while also using your brain. Cooking is also generally done standing up, and moving around the kitchen can be a form of light exercise. When you serve someone the food you've made, seeing their happy face can give you a sense of purpose in life.

If you are worried about cooking alone, we also recommend taking a cooking class where you can cook with multiple people under the guidance of an instructor.

Puzzle games

Puzzles and games are hobbies that require mental effort and are effective in stimulating the brain and maintaining cognitive function. Some nursing homes offer simple puzzles and games as part of brain training. It is a good idea to start with puzzles that have fewer pieces and are larger in size, and gradually increase the difficulty level.
We recommend card games and board games, as they will help improve your thinking skills as you learn the rules and come up with strategies.

Doing it with multiple people increases communication and leads to the expansion of human relationships.

Crafts and gardening

Crafts involve a lot of detailed work, and constantly moving your hands keeps your brain active. It's a hobby that even those who aren't confident in their physical strength can easily take up, and it's easy to continue even if your living environment changes. The sense of accomplishment you get when you finish a project and the joy of showing off your finished work are also appealing.

If you want to spend time in nature and grow flowers, try gardening. You'll have more opportunities to be outside and experience the changing seasons firsthand. Gardening, which is planned taking into account the weather and the time of year, is also effective in stimulating the brain.

Go and Shogi

Playing Go and Shogi stimulates the brain as you devise strategies, making them effective hobbies for preventing dementia. They also improve memory and concentration, and increase communication. If you don't have an opponent to play against or it's difficult to go out, we recommend using an app that lets you play remotely.

Learning how to use smartphones and tablets may lead to new hobbies.

Gateball and Grand Golf

If you want to exercise or are looking for a hobby that can be enjoyed by multiple people, try gateball or grand golf. It's a fun way to strengthen your legs and hips, and it's also effective in reducing the risk of falling.

Gateball has been popular as a sport for improving health, but the rules can be complicated and difficult for some people, so an increasing number of elderly people are starting to play grand golf, which can be enjoyed even by beginners.

Travel and Walks

For those who have no problems walking and enjoy going outside, we recommend traveling or taking a walk. Walking while getting some sunlight can help maintain and improve your physical strength and muscle strength, and it also helps prevent osteoporosis, reducing the risk of becoming bedridden.^{※ 4}

In addition, researching your travel destination and following a schedule can help activate your brain and prevent dementia.

karaoke

Karaoke, where you sing along with the music while looking at the lyrics, activates the brain more than humming, making it effective in preventing senility and dementia.
It's a hobby you can enjoy on your own, but doing it in a group can help you socialize and overcome feelings of loneliness. Listening to a variety of music also stimulates the brain.

In addition, going to a karaoke bar increases your opportunities to go out and helps you get more exercise. If going out is difficult, we recommend installing karaoke equipment so you can enjoy it at home.

Watching sports

If you have a sport you're interested in or a team you support, watching sports might be a good hobby for you.
In recent years, there has been an increase in television broadcasts and internet streaming of various sports, allowing people to easily enjoy them from the comfort of their own homes.

Watching the game in person is not only a great way to get some exercise, but it also provides an opportunity to communicate with fellow fans who are cheering along with you.

Healthy Mahjong

Healthy Mahjong is a healthy form of mahjong that does not involve drinking, smoking, or gambling, and it helps stimulate the brain and reduce feelings of loneliness.^{※ 5}

It has become popular as a mental sport, and is sometimes used in events for the elderly organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Since it can be enjoyed while sitting down, it is a hobby that is easy for even elderly people who are feeling their physical strength declining to take up.

Volunteer participation

If you are looking for a purpose in life, I recommend volunteering.

You will feel joy when you can use your experience and skills to help others. It is also effective in improving your self-esteem and maintaining and expanding your connections with society. Volunteering involves a variety of activities, such as reading aloud at the library or cleaning up the local area, so you can use your skills in the field you are good at.

Having multiple hobbies and being able to enjoy them according to your mood increases the opportunities for your brain to be active, which helps prevent dementia.^{※ 6}

Here are two tips for continuing your hobbies in retirement to prevent dementia.

Have multiple hobbies

Having multiple hobbies that you can enjoy depending on your mood and physical condition makes it easier to continue without straining yourself, and is effective in preventing dementia.
Having more hobbies means more opportunities to stimulate your brain, which can be expected to keep you active. Also, having multiple communities will increase the number of people who share your hobbies, allowing you to spend your days more fulfillingly.

The key to continuing your favorite hobbies without forcing yourself is to pursue them at your own pace.

Becoming a teacher

When you become a teacher, your brain becomes more active, which helps prevent dementia.

Teaching your knowledge in a way that others can understand is difficult and requires some brainpower. It also requires creative ways of conveying information, which can increase communication. For instructors, it's a good idea to gather people who want to learn and give lectures on skills. Even for those with little experience, teaching tips and tricks to those who have just started the same hobby can be a new and rewarding experience.

Regardless of your level, we encourage you to offer advice if you have knowledge to share.

Having a hobby that you can be passionate about and that gives you a sense of purpose in your old age will help activate your brain and is effective in preventing dementia.

There are hobbies that can help alleviate the lack of exercise and loneliness that come with old age, so it's a good idea to actively try out areas that interest you. However, it's important to choose hobbies that you can do without straining yourself, taking into consideration your physical strength and financial situation. It's also important to consider whether you can continue the hobby even if your living environment changes.

If you are looking for a hobby to pursue in your retirement that will help prevent dementia, be sure to check out the 11 recommended hobbies introduced in this article.