Recreation Center Activities for Seniors
From youth basketball leagues to adult exercise classes, recreation centers cater to a wide variety of ages, providing exercise, leisure, and social opportunities for entire communities. Unfortunately, senior citizens are often unintentionally excluded from rec centers. According to the US Census Bureau, senior citizens (people over the age of 65) account for 14.6% of the US population. By catering activities solely to younger crowds, recreation centers miss out on a good percentage of the population and an opportunity for further community engagement. Sports Facilities Management offers some tips for attracting seniors to your recreation center.
Offer Senior Social Activities at your Recreation Center
To attract senior citizens to your recreation center, plan weekly social events that cater to an aging crowd. Such events may include bingo nights, bridge and poker tournaments, and adult education classes, such as computer and pottery classes. Additionally, offer your recreation center as a space to host senior-led community activities, such as quilting and book clubs. Finally, plan social activities that attract large crowds of senior-citizens, such as monthly dances. Dancing remains a popular activity with people over the age of 65, and hosting dances is a great way to introduce them to your recreation center and the activities you offer. For seniors with mobility problems, plan monthly movie nights that show classic Hollywood films. Offering these kinds of activities will attract seniors to your recreation center and boost your reputation with seniors in the community.
Offer Senior Fitness Activities at your Recreation Center
Exercise classes are one of the main components of recreation centers, but often times, exercise classes are too strenuous for senior citizens to participate. When planning senior fitness classes, focus on the exercise needs of an older crowd such as improving strength, mobility, and flexibility, while accounting for typical senior health-problems such as arthritis. For example, low-resistance classes such as aquatic aerobics and tai-chi are great ways to focus on mobility and flexibility without straining joints. Yoga is another great way to improve strength, balance, and flexibility. To cater yoga classes to an aging crowd, offer chair support for standing poses. Fitness activities can even be as simple as table-tennis tournaments or group walks and bike-rides. Exercising does not need to be made complicated as long as you create a welcoming, positive atmosphere where people feel comfortable working out.
Contact Sports Facilities Management
Sports Facilities Management specializes in managing, operating, and optimizing sports facilities and recreation centers. If you are considering opening a recreation center, Sports Facilities Management will assist you in staff recruitment, facility planning, monthly budget development, and more! If you are interested in developing recreation center programs that engage your community, contact Sports Facilities management today!
