Seniors, What Types of Outdoor Activities Do You Enjoy?

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
We've been going on daily walks for years now in the park, very good exercise and beneficial for mind and body. We also like to get away from time to time, and do some camping, simply unplug and become one with nature.

We like boating (have a canoe), fishing, hiking, swimming (at the beach or ocean) and some amateur bird and wildlife watching/photography. What kind of outdoor activities do you enjoy??

:shark:
 

Happyflowerlady, it makes me sad to hear how active and full of life you have been but now have such a hard time. At the same time I'm glad you were able to have such adventures, I bet you have some great happy memories to share. Your poor tired heart is in my prayers tonite.

I'm not having health problems, besides getting older & slower...but I do miss the days when I had the umph to get up and go like I used to. I remind myself how lucky I have been, slow down my activities and let the youngn's have a turn. Sometimes lately, having too much fun is a lot of work

As for outdoor activities, I can't wait to get my hands dirty & start the vegetable garden. For now I"m hauling bucketfuls of seaweed from the beach and poop from the neighbors chicken yard. The ground's still froze but I want to be ready! There's always wood to bring in, water to haul and pretty soon the salmon will be in, wild greens & herbs will be up and the real fun work begins. My whole life pretty much involves outdoor activities from April until I'm ready for winter again. When winter arrives there's nothing left to do but eat the food, burn the wood and play with the grandkids.




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I am very restricted in my movements due to a very bad back, knees and an ankle that needs fusing,and crook hip joints, if i don't have my walker i use the shopping trolley.
So frustrated as i used to love dancing and would go to the club and boogie my heart away, it kept me slim i believe, i did my knee and a simple arthroscopy that was stuffed up ruined it for me i haven't been able to dance since and i miss it so much.
One thing that really annoys me is the fact that surgeons won't guarantee their operations, all other things are why not operations. :kissmy:
 

Lonelynorthwind, your life is full of outdoor activities, many necessary and some just plain fun. I know that there's a lot of work involved in your lifestyle, but I'm sure it's well-worth it for you and your family. The area where you live is absolutely beautiful, and life there must be very satisfying and invigorating, has to keep you young when it's not wearing you down. :)

Jilly, my heart goes out to you. Folks like myself don't realize how good we have it, not to have any major pain or ailments. I agree, operations should be guaranteed, with all the money spent and pain to go through them. Always thinking of you and sending warm thoughts, you're not alone. :love_heart:
 
I have always been an active, outdoors kind of person, at least until the heart failure kicked in a few years ago. I lived in the country, rode horses, fished, and went camping, and used to take my dog for 3-4 mile walks every nite after work.
Now, I need to hang on to the shopping cart, just to walk from the car into the store; so most of what I have enjoyed is no longer possible.
I do still enjoy gardening and yard work, and do as much of that as possible when the weather permits. I have to rest more than I work, but as long as I am able to go outside and enjoy my yard and garden, I am content.
Walks are also just around the yard, or with my "walker" when shopping at the store.
I love swimming, and do that when I can in the summer, as well. I used to have a little kayak and would go paddling around with my friend, who also had one, but that is off the list now, too.

I hope you continue to get great enjoyment out of your gardening and your screen name is most apt after reading this.

So hard to accept the loss of the enjoyable activities we once enjoyed but at least in your case you've found something that gives you pleasure.
You might, however, be able to do some theraputic swimming if you have access to a place that has such a thing. Here is an example of it in the UK:

http://www.patient.co.uk/support/Halliwick-Association-of-Swimming-Therapy.htm

Me, I never was big on the outdoor exercise, more the inside. Now because of the accident and subsequent surgeries I underwent I just do a moderate amount of exercise indoors with weights. I also walk in this town which is great exercise as it's a very hilly town so you get a good cardio work out with it.

When I first arrived even before the accident I found it to be challenging. Now from walking more here it's not. You feel it in your legs and you get your heart pumping.
 
I am very restricted in my movements due to a very bad back, knees and an ankle that needs fusing,and crook hip joints, if i don't have my walker i use the shopping trolley.
So frustrated as i used to love dancing and would go to the club and boogie my heart away, it kept me slim i believe, i did my knee and a simple arthroscopy that was stuffed up ruined it for me i haven't been able to dance since and i miss it so much.
One thing that really annoys me is the fact that surgeons won't guarantee their operations, all other things are why not operations. :kissmy:

So sorry you have these restrictions, Jill. Particularly hard for someone who enjoyed dancing as you have.

I'm putting up a new thread with info about exercises for seniors who deal with physical restrictions. Maybe something in it will be helpful.:love_heart:
 
I can't do anywhere what I used to, now that I have 2 tin knees, a bone-on-bone hip & arthritis just about every other place possible, but don't feel sorry for me. I got all that stuff hiking, climbing, falling down slopes etc, wonderful memories. I am still a swimming addict & swim outdoors all summer & at health clubs in winter. I love to be outside & we have a beautiful nature center here on the Rio Grande & am a member there. Loads of hummingbirds in season, migratory water fowl. Senior orgs here have some great trips to various state & national preserves & other outdoor adventures that I go on. Great one to Bosque del Apache a few yrs ago, actually saw a whooping crane from a distance.
 
I use to do a lot of walking in the summer at the beach but recent surgeries of melanoma made me stop.
There is only so much skin you can cover up without looking like an idiot at the beach so Im now into lap swimmimg at the YMCA and outdoor pools on cloudy days.
Doc says its better then walking in the sun.
 
I use to do a lot of walking in the summer at the beach but recent surgeries of melanoma made me stop.
There is only so much skin you can cover up without looking like an idiot at the beach so Im now into lap swimmimg at the YMCA and outdoor pools on cloudy days.
Doc says its better then walking in the sun.

Good man; you perservered.
 
We love to walk and hike but in the summer nothing beats our little "boat". Only built for the two of us and we have a blast with it!
 

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I've never really been the outdoors type; however, I do enjoy walking. Also, now that I have my mother (going on 94) living near me, I have her come sit outside her apartment building when we can.
 
I enjoy my farming activities, hunting and fishing and cutting wood, hiking (just short walks mostly now) horseback riding. I just like being outside.
 
Walking is something I really enjoy.....
Every morning around 7 or a bit later in winter you'll find me pounding the pavement
for at least 30 minutes just as I've been doing for years.
I put in my headphones to listen to some music and off I go.:woohoo1:

Even though I do have a problem with my painful hip and leg, I persevere.....if I stop exercising
I think I'd probably be worse off.....
 
Surfing is the only life. The only life for me.

Boogie-boarding in Hawaii was the closest thing I came to surfing, lots of fun, bobbing up and down on those huge waves, and riding a few in was awesome! Of course I was lying down on the board, not standing at all...still was great!
 
I'm glad you're getting out and walking Casper, despite the pain in your hip and leg. You're wise to do so, better to keep moving. :cool:
 
Boogie-boarding in Hawaii was the closest thing I came to surfing, lots of fun, bobbing up and down on those huge waves, and riding a few in was awesome! Of course I was lying down on the board, not standing at all...still was great!

Longboard, shortboard, no board; stand-up, sit-down, lie-down. It's ALL riding waves! AHWOOOO, SeaBreeze. The ride of your life!!!
 
Surfing is the only life. The only life for me.

Ahh, well a quote for you:

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Thank you, Gael. Stepping into liquid, riding good waves alone, away from all the insanity on shore gives me perspective. No matter how dangerous or scary, I feel at home and comfortable with what's happening. I understand it and give myself to it. Back on land? Forget it.
 
Thank you, Gael. Stepping into liquid, riding good waves alone, away from all the insanity on shore gives me perspective. No matter how dangerous or scary, I feel at home and comfortable with what's happening. I understand it and give myself to it. Back on land? Forget it.

Wonderful that you found this for yourself. We all need a place or activity that releases us. I had a sister-in-law who lost a son to suicide. The only time she could find peace was when she was on their boat out in the sea.

Me, the sea doesn't do it for me and yet ironically I wind up living by the sea. In the US it was the Atlantic, here it's the Irish Sea. I like mountains and forests. And we live by the sea but the mountains sweep down to meet the sea here, so I'm happy.

I've observed those that love the sea really need to be near it or they're not happy.
 
I try to walk each morning as the sun is coming up. It's nice to greet the new day each morning. It's very hard for me to do much outside any more because of severe allergies. I have them real bad. I do notice when we go to the beach, the allergies subside for awhile. Maybe it's the salt air.

When I was stationed in CA, we would go to Pismo Beach or Morro Bay and rent body boards. That Guy is right on when he says it's a different world out there. Great fun and we tried to go every weekend. If I remember correctly, we would try to catch every 7th wave, which would be the largest. Good times.
 


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