We’ve all been there—standing in a store aisle or scrolling through a website looking for that perfect gift for a friend or family member. Finding the right gift can be a challenge, but the reward of seeing the look on a loved one’s face when they unwrap it is well worth it.

For older adults, finding the right gift can be even harder. What gift do you get for someone who has everything? For someone who insists they don’t need anything?

When it comes to gift ideas for seniors, the best choices offer practicality and functionality. Read on for a few options for the special senior in your life!

The best holiday gifts for seniors

1. Private chef meal

   What gift is better for seniors than a personalized home-cooked meal? Hiring a private chef gives your loved one the unique chance to enjoy the company and wisdom of a local culinary master. Private chefs will shop for all the ingredients, cook them to perfection, and serve them up with a description of all the flavor elements.

   Want to give a great meal, but make it a little more personal? Check out one of the many meal kit companies that send you all the ingredients and recipes so your favorite senior can make a hands-on discovery of a new favorite dish.

2. Blanket

   Give the gift of comfort with a cozy blanket so your loved one can stay warm while they’re thinking of you. A blanket may strike you as an unimaginative gift for a senior loved one, but that couldn’t be further from the truth considering all the blanket options out there.

   Electric blankets, which plug in for an extra layer of warmth, and weighted blankets, which can help ease anxiety and stress, are perfect senior gift options. If you’re looking for a gift for a loved one that has Alzheimer’s or dementia, fidget blankets sew sensory activities right into the fabric for an excellent hands on gift.

3. Photo Memorabilia

   Capture the perfect gift with photo memorabilia like hanging picture collages, digital photo frames, and personalized coffee mugs. With large canvas prints, decorative photo albums, and laser-engraved 3D crystal photo frames (yes, you read that right), photo memorabilia is perfect for any senior in your life, but especially those who have homes in assisted living and may not have access to their own car. Photos are great for family members in memory care too as they can elicit feelings and memories.

   Bonus gift tip—If you like the blanket idea, be sure to check out customized blankets with family photos printed right on the fabric!

4. Window bird feeder

   One of the best gift ideas for seniors is a window bird feeder. These attachable feeders provide stimulation, entertainment, and a connection to the outdoors for the nature lover in your life. With plenty of sizes to choose from, bird feeders attract all kinds of local avians for up-close views. You can also couple this gift with a bird identification journal. Plus, your family member’s pet cat will love it too!

5. Shared experience gifts

   One of the great things about moving to a senior living community is that older adults get to meet new friends and make new connections, but seeing family members is still important. A shared experience gift is a great way to spend time with your loved one doing an activity they love or discovering something new.

   Check around your loved one’s local community to see what’s available like wine tastings at a vineyard, go for a river cruise, or visit a theater for a live show.

6. Subscription box

   Give a gift that keeps on giving with a subscription box.

   The sheer breadth of subscription box services means you can get just about any bundle of goodies delivered right to your senior’s door like curated japanese snacks, murder mystery games, knitting patterns, book clubs, and much, much more.

   This gives your loved one something they can look forward to all year long even if you can’t visit them in person as much as you’d like. Many services provide auto subscriptions so you know your gift will come on time every time for your loved one.

7. Diffuser

   Bring the aroma of a relaxing spa into your senior loved one’s home with a diffuser.

   The wide selection of diffuser oils come in fragrances like citrusy orange, calming lavender, soothing peppermint, and more. Diffusers can have calming effects for older adults with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The relaxing smells make a senior’s home environment feel like the respite they deserve.

   Diffusers come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and light up colors so they can fit the decor of any space.

8. Puzzle

   Puzzles are a classic gift that the older adult in your life can enjoy by themselves or with a friend. Pick a puzzle with their favorite painting or illustration, choose from the easier 250 piece puzzles to the challenging 4000 piece puzzles, or order a custom puzzle with a photograph of your family or a special pet.

   Puzzles are also an excellent gift for family members living with Alzheimer’s and dementia as it provides great mental stimulation.

Finding the right gift for seniors

As with gifts for any age, when looking for the perfect gift for seniors, remember that it’s the thought that counts. Gift giving should always be fun and no matter what you get for your family member, they’ll love it. Looking for other great gift ideas for seniors? Download our Ebook for more inspiration!

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From political drama to the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s no doubt that the last year has been a stressful one. For older adults who may have spent months visiting with loved ones only through video chat, the impact can be even more pronounced.

We know living with chronic stress can negatively affect your health at any age. It contributes to diabetes, cardiac disease, weight gain, memory, digestive problems, and more. That’s where active relaxation can come in. It plays an important role in overcoming and managing stress.

Here’s what active relaxation is, along with some suggestions you can immediately work in to your day.

What Is Active Relaxation?

Unlike passive forms of relaxation, such as meditation, reading, or napping, active relaxation requires activity or movement. Those activities that bring you a sense of peace and centeredness are considered to be active relaxation methods. They can help with everything from reducing blood pressure to promoting better sleep and reducing stress levels.

One of the most common forms of active relaxation is progressive muscle relaxation. Begin by getting comfortable and taking some deep, cleansing breaths. Try to actively tense one part of your body, then release the tension. It’s usually easiest to begin with one foot. Let’s say you tense the muscles in your right foot. Hold for a count of ten, then let your right foot relax. Move to your left foot and follow the same procedure. Work your way up the body, muscle by muscle.

Senior-Friendly Forms of Relaxation

Other types of active relaxation older adults can explore include:

• Practice chair yoga
• Engage in Pilates
• Tend to your garden
• Go for a nature walk
• Swim or wade in the water
• Paint with watercolors
• Dance to favorite songs in the kitchen
• Play in an adult coloring book
• Bake some cookies
• Knit a scarf
• Create a gratitude journal
• Pet an animal
• Ride a bike
• Go bird-watching
• Call a friend
• Do a little housework
• Fold laundry
• Write your biography
• Declutter your closets
• Watch a comedy and laugh out loud
• Repot a houseplant
• Arrange a bouquet of fresh flowers

These are just a few of the many ways you can stay active while promoting calm and relaxation.

Live and Thrive at Five Star Senior Living

At Five Star Senior Living communities, we encourage residents to not just live, but thrive. And that includes keeping stress and anxiety at bay. Through our Lifestyle360 program, our residents can join a wide range of daily activities that reduce stress and nurture the five dimensions of wellness: intellectual, social, physical, emotional, and spiritual. You’ll find activities to meet every interest, from arts and crafts classes to card games to community movie nights.

But don’t just take our word for it. Visit us in person (or virtually) to see for yourself. Find a senior living community near you or Schedule a Tour.

It can make you stronger, more flexible and better balanced on your feet. It reduces stress. It helps ease chronic back pain and arthritis symptoms. It can lift your mood and boost your energy. It can even help you sleep better. All this, plus you already have the necessary equipment to start this amazingly simple (and enjoyable) fitness regimen: your body.

“It” is yoga, an ancient group of physical, mental and spiritual practices that in a busy, stressful world can do you a world of good. Yoga exercises are good for both body and mind—and, experts say, good for your spirit as well.

But wait. Isn’t yoga for the young? Don’t you already have to be in somewhat-good shape to do all those yoga poses, like sitting cross-legged on the floor (the lotus position) or the tree pose, where you stand on one foot with your arms raised over your head?

Benefits of yoga for seniors

Fear not. There are many varieties of yoga, ranging from gentle to vigorous and from using only your body to posing and moving with the aid of a chair or other props. (In fact, doing yoga while sitting, called seated or chair yoga, is a great option for those with limited mobility.) In short, older adults have many options when it comes to yoga. And the benefits are many, including being better able to enjoy an active lifestyle and connecting with a community of peers who, like you, are invested in improving their physical, mental and emotional health as they age.

We humans tend to lose muscle tone and our bones grow weaker as we age. Yet our bodies respond to exercise at any age, and even gentle yoga can help you build muscle and bone strength  Even if you haven’t been to the gym in ages, yoga can help you ease back into a fitness routine. Your brain and body have worked hard all these years. Now it’s time to repay them—and you—with the mind-body benefits of yoga.

How does yoga work, exactly?

Yoga increases flexibility and mental clarity through movement and meditation. Flexibility comes from various gentle stretching movements while focusing on breathing, which also enhances your physiological well-being. During yoga, while some muscles contract to allow movement, others are relaxing and lengthening to allow that movement. Stretching like this over a period of time allows the muscles to become more pliable and flexible, increasing movement patterns within your joints. Ultimately, stretching and breathing increase physical flexibility while improving overall health.

Now that you know more about how good for you yoga can be, here some basic yoga poses for seniors you can try right now:

Tree pose. Stand with legs together and your arms raised, palms folded together. Raise your right foot enough to touch your heel to your left ankle but with your toes still touching the ground. (Use a chair if needed.) Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat with your left foot. As you gain confidence holding your balance, try raising either foot off the ground enough to touch heel to the inside of the lower leg and hold for 20-30 seconds.

Leg climb. Sit on the floor with one side of your body against a wall. Lower your back so it is resting on the floor. Lift your legs up the wall, “climbing” until the backs of your legs are flat against the wall. If you can’t get them flat, try shifting your body away from the wall a few inches at a time. Hold for 30-60 seconds, then slowly lower your legs to the floor.

Cat-cow chair stretch. This pose gives you the benefits of the well-known cat-cow stretch without having to get down on the floor. Sitting straight up in a chair, inhale as you push your back against the back of the chair, drawing your navel toward your spine as you do so. (Think of a cat stretching.) Then, exhaling, push your stomach forward while arching your spine away from the back of the chair. Hold each pose for 10-15 seconds.

The other piece: meditation

Because your mind and body are so connected, yoga works on both. The practice of meditation or dhyana in yoga helps create mental stillness, allowing an individual to be at peace with their mind, body and spirit. There are several different ways to meditate in yoga, such as visualizing, gazing, breathing, or physical sensations (hot/cold temperatures):

• Visualizing requires one to picture in one’s mind a peaceful object or channel, such as a god or goddess, flower, or a particular chakra (energy center).
• Gazing is a different form of imagery that uses an open-eye focus on an object, such as a flower, candle flame or painting. (Gazing may be performed with both eyes open or one eye closed.)
• Breathing in meditation is performed by focusing on the rise and fall of one’s chest, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Physical sensation is similar to focusing deeply on breathing; however, it is redirected to a sensation such as the temperature of your lips or nose, strengthening in your spine, or even observing an emotion.

An easy way to combine poses and meditation is to remember to inhale and exhale, gently but deeply, as you maneuver into a pose or as you hold it. Try to keep to a steady rhythm of breathing in and breathing out. Before long, you won’t even notice you’re doing it—but your body will, and it will thank you by growing healthier.

Ready to give yoga a try? At Five Star Senior Living, we offer a holistic approach to wellness called Lifestyle360. Residents have opportunities every day to engage in activities that nurture the body, mind, and spirit. Many Five Star communities also feature onsite clinics offered by Ageility, our rehab and fitness training partner.

Either way, you’re sure to find programs geared toward your abilities and goals. Visit us in person to see for yourself. Find a senior community near you or schedule a tour.

Tips for Improving Muscle Tone for Seniors

April Fool’s Day has come and gone. But there’s nothing funny about what a year of lockdown has done to our physical shape. Many of us have gained weight, but for older adults there’s been another issue: not just weight gain, but loss of muscle tone.

Loss of muscle tone (or, medically speaking, muscle mass) in seniors will show up differently depending on the person. If you’re active, you may notice you get winded much more quickly than you did in years past. Or you may notice your parent now finds it harder to do even the simplest things, such as pushing the chair away from the table or rising from their seat. So although in spirit we’re all ready to spring back to all our previous activities, our bodies might not be ready.

Still, with spring in full bloom, now is a perfect time to get moving again. At Five Star Senior Living, with vaccinations continuing and reopening efforts under way, residents are now taking advantage of weekly reconditioning classes to get back in shape so they can return to the activities they love. But a word of caution: After so many months of reduced physical activity, it’s important to reengage with exercise gradually and not overdo.

“I tell my clients, ‘You’re a different person now,’” says Jessica Lime, a personal trainer with Ageility, Five Star Senior Living’s rehabilitation and fitness training partner. Compared to a year ago, Jessica warns, “We’re not as flexible as we were and our bodies are probably not as efficient, causing us to fatigue quickly.”

With that in mind—and whether your plan is to start going for longer walks, jogging, running, cycling, taking yoga or some other spring shape-up regimen—here are some tips from the experts at Ageility.

How to make reconditioning and regaining muscle tone as rewarding as possible for you:

1. Be honest with yourself. Look back over the year and admit if you developed what John Wheeler, a physical therapist and Ageility’s fitness director, calls “COVID habits.” Did you sit in front of the TV and snack away? Stop exercising because your gym closed or you just didn’t feel like it? Be honest, but don’t despair. And don’t feel guilty. You were definitely not alone!
2. Write it down. Put your goals on paper. “Make small, attainable goals,” Jessica advises. As you work toward your goals, note your progress. Did you go from ten touch-toes to twenty? One-mile walk to two? Great! Write it down. “The point is to celebrate little victories that motivate you to keep on going,” Jessica adds.

Here’s another great tip to help reach your goals. “Come up with a motivational word for the week,” says Jessica, words like “energized,” “stronger” or “grandkids.” Post that word on your refrigerator door. “Then use that word in a sentence each day,” says Jessica, noting that doing so makes the word—and your goal—more real. And more likely.

3. Ease into it. Don’t overdo. Consider starting with gentle chair exercises such as sitting and stretching to your toes. Try this: Sit up straight in a chair, feet firmly on the floor, and gently roll your head clockwise in a circle several times. Keep your shoulders down. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Gently switch directions, rolling your head counterclockwise for a few circles.
4. Listen to your body. Your body is very good at telling you when it’s had enough. Heed one of the golden rules of physical therapy and if you feel pain, stop. Better, Jessica says, to increase exercise activity slowly, steadily and in moderation. Muscle soreness, not pain, is normal. If you experience muscle soreness, let your muscles rest two or three days before resuming your routine.

Kathryn Cunningham, Fitness Programming and Training Specialist at Ageility, adds, “For people who have been inactive, nothing is going to feel as fluid as it was. Be mindful if you’re feeling stiff or lack flexibility. Especially if you’ve had surgery or rehab and haven’t seen a health professional in a while, consider getting a reevaluation from your physician or physical therapist.”

5. Remember to hydrate. “Always keep a bottle of water nearby when you work out,” Jessica says. “Hydration is key and often overlooked.” In fact, the human body loses water all day long, and perspiration and breathing harder during exercise only accelerate that loss. According to the Cleveland Clinic, losing even 1.5% of your body’s fluids can lead to dehydration, with symptoms ranging from a simple headache to life-threatening heat stroke.
6. Don’t bounce! Stretching to touch one’s toes is a great, simple exercise to build flexibility—but if you bounce your fingertips while trying to touch the tips of your toes, you can do more damage than good. “Better to stretch down as far as you comfortably can and hold, then stand back up,” Jessica says, adding that bouncing can actually damage muscle tissue.
7. Give it time. Both Jessica and Kathryn stress that a new you doesn’t happen overnight. A good reconditioning protocol can take two to three months to yield results. That’s actually a fraction of the time we’ve all spent in lockdown. Undoing all that stiffness and lack of energy in just 60 days after a year of shelter-in-place can seem like a bargain.

And the payoffs are worth it! You drop a pant size. You can look forward to joining a walking club again. You can lift your grandchild when you see them. All because you set some goals, eased into an exercise routine, took precautions, listened to your body, and didn’t rush things. Sounds like a good deal.

Throughout April, all Five Star locations are offering reconditioning classes, created by Ageility, to help our residents get their bodies back in action again. Do you know someone who could benefit from a lifestyle that includes regular reconditioning?

• Find a Five Star Senior Living community near you
• Or find an Ageility clinic and ask about personal fitness services with an Ageility trainer