Fun and Easy Hobbies for Older Women
One of the biggest benefits of aging is the amount of spare time we have. This means that we can now fill our spare time doing things that we are passionate about or are interested in learning more about. Finding a hobby that you love is important because it can keep your mind and body healthy, happy, and active. But I’ve heard from many of my readers that they don’t have a clue where to start to find something new. So many of us have spent our time working or caring for others that putting ourselves first is a foreign concept. After sharing that I recently started back knitting, I decided to see what other hobbies are out there for us. If you’ve been looking for something fun to try in your spare time, I’ve compiled a list of some fun and easy hobbies for older women to try.
Hobbies for Women over 50 and 60
Pickleball
Pickleball is a game that is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong that can be played as doubles or singles. It’s very popular as it’s easy to learn, and the equipment list is very short, as you only need a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. This game is slower paced than tennis, the short-handled paddle is easier to use, and the court has less ground to cover, making it easy for beginners to learn and, perhaps, excel quickly! It’s a great workout for your body and your brain since it gets your feet moving, it’s social, and puts your hand-eye coordination to work. We took a few pickleball classes when we first moved here, and it was a blast, so I may look into it again this spring.
Gardening
Whether you are just looking to beautify your landscaping or to grow your own food, the best part about gardening is that it can be whatever you’d like it to be. ..if you don’t have a black thumb as I do. Gardening encourages you to spend time in nature, which can be a major stress reliever! Plus, a busy day in the garden is just as tiring as a good workout session, and the creative aspect of designing your flower pots, beds, and window boxes is great mental stimulation. Please don’t forget your sunscreen and your hat to protect your skin from harmful UV rays! If you’re looking for more social interactions, join your local garden club, which often meets on a monthly or bi-weekly basis.
Golf
Spending a few hours golfing outdoors with some female companions is a wonderful way to combine a social and physical activity packaged into one fun-filled hobby! Golf requires mental focus and critical thinking while allowing you to reduce stress. If you are brand new to golfing, I recommend getting started with a few lessons at your local golf course or country club to help you learn the basics, like what clubs to use and when, and how to swing your clubs. Or if your husband plays, this could be a great bonding opportunity! Most courses have a practice putting green and a driving range so you can take your skills for a test drive before using them during an actual round on the course.
Needlepoint
If you decide to try this crafty hobby, you may get hooked on it. I used to pick up canvases on all our vacations to stitch up as souvenirs. Needlepoint is a great way to get creative and a hobby you can do while you’re cuddled up watching your favorite show, on a long car ride, or during the cold winter months when you’re stuck indoors. I like to do mine stretched and stapled to a frame which helps keep it straight. Here are a couple of beginner kits to get you started.
Exercise
While I don’t know if I would consider it a hobby, I do think filling your time with some form of exercise is important. While it could just be going on a 30 min walk each day, you can also get your body moving with an exercise class. It is wonderful for weight management, lowering your blood pressure while improving your heart health, and reducing your risk of disease. There are so many classes to choose from, including yoga, pilates, barre, water aerobics, line dancing, and more that are great for older women. You can of course, do these activities solo, but doing them in a class-style environment allows you to get out of the house, stay accountable, and make new friends. I’d suggest checking out your local community center, YMCA, or gym. I’ve also found some great classes you can take online.
Reading
Whether you like reading non-fiction to learn more about a topic or transporting yourself into an imaginary world via a juicy fictional novel, reading is so beneficial for your brain. I typically love reading with a real book in hand, but I also have a Kindle Paperwhite that is so nice to slip into my purse for traveling. Or if you prefer to listen to audiobooks, I would suggest joining Audible (Amazon’s Audiobook Store and Membership)! I’d love to hear what some of your favorite books you’ve read are in the comments below though.
Puzzles, Crosswords, and Sudoku
Preserve your brain function and memory skills by spending some of your spare time doing puzzles, crosswords, or sudoku. They also help improve concentration and thinking skills. It’s so easy to spend our spare time in the doctor’s office waiting room or drive thru waiting for our coffee to scroll through our phone, but what if we picked up a crossword or sudoku book instead?
Card and Dice Games/Bridge
Stay socially engaged and mentally challenged by joining a bridge game. If there aren’t any local to you, invite a few friends to learn the game with you. If you aren’t a fan of bridge, you could try bunco, spades, or even poker! We are avid card players in our family. My sister-in-law even travels with cards in her purse:).
Volunteering
If you’re looking for a hobby to promote personal growth and enrich your life, look no further than volunteering. Donating your time, energy, and resources to others is so fulfilling and rewarding.
Here in the frozen tundra, cabin fever is real so I try to exercise both my body and my mind. I love doing jigsaw puzzles in the winter but my current project is a Diamond Art picture (just like paint by number but you’re using diamond shaped beads). I am also trying to learn a bit of Spanish for an upcoming trip, and am participating in a program to read the Bible in a year. I’m also contemplating learning to play the ukulele just for fun and trying to get the nerve to tackle 30 years of family photos! So many choices to keep our minds active!
Jennifer, thanks for this thoughtful message. In retirement, I’ve enjoyed a lot of these activities – golfing, knitting, Mahjong, Canasta, book club, gardening – and the benefits you mention are absolutely spot on. It’s so important to challenge our brains, exercise our bodies and enjoy socializing with ithers. Thanks for a great message.
Hi Jennifer! I started playing golf when I retired at 60. My friend talked me into trying it with her, and I am hooked! During warmer weather, I play with a couple of lady friends once a week, and we play with our husbands as a group on Fridays. I also play with my husband and our golf-fanatic son, who is a high school coach and a great teacher (and is also very patient with his mom!) I enjoy reading, usually on my Kindle, and doing Wordle and the New York Times spelling bee and crossword puzzles. I used to cross stitch quite a bit and was just thinking about finding a project to get me through the winter. I found when I made a few ornaments recently that I don’t see as well as I used to and require good lighting! I need to get motivated to spend some time on our treadmill, too. We get together with a small group of friends at least once a week for dinner and often play cards as well.
I love knitting! Though I now have Rheumatoid Arthritis, my physicians, which also include a hand surgeon, have promised to keep me knitting! I also enjoy reading either a real book or on my Kindle. However, spending time with my two incredible teenage grandchildren brings me the most joy! Whether it’s going for coffee together, cheering at their baseball games and tennis matches, or just chatting, it’s the best. I’m lucky that we are able to see each other several times a week, and we love making memories together!
Now that I am retired, I have time to read what I want to read (rather than student work). I also have time to work out more (at home since I don’t like a gym setting) – yoga, vibration plate, arms and upper body weights, low impact HIIT (AARP on youtube). I also love to bake and cook. I just started to bake and donate mini loaves to a local church. I baked 110 mini loaves. I am going to start on the next ones this week (freeze until I have 110 to donate.) I also knitted some hats for preemies in the NICU. I hope to do more mini loaves and hats. We also try to walk as often as we can.
My husband loves to do the outside work (gardening, landscaping, vegetable garden) so as the weather warms, he will be back outside. As the harvest comes in, I freeze and can.
None of my activities are social oriented, and I know I should get out more to meet new people. I am really not one to go out and find new friends. Just getting to know our neighbors (we are in a rural area so not a neighborhood.) We love having them over for dinner and conversation.
The days do seem to fly by, and we are busy most of the time. I do need to learn to take things slowly now that I am no longer working. It’s a hard habit to break.
Learning to slow down is harder than I imagined!
I’m surprised no one has mentioned “creating art”. I always loved to draw as a child, took a few art studio classes in college, but then for 20 years didn’t have time to touch any art materials. Started taking drawing and painting classes 20 years ago (when I quit full-time work). And have met many (mainly women) in those classes. Almost all were near-beginners at first. Although I no longer need classes from a technical/knowledge standpoint, I find that occasional classes let me see what others are choosing to work on and opens my eyes to possibilities.
I also garden, golf, read, cook.
I’d like to respectfully add learning to play a musical instrument. It is never too late! Adult learners have many advantages over children. I happen to be a private music instructor. Currently approximately half of my students are over the age of 60. Some are returning to music lessons after a long hiatus from lessons in their youth. Others are studying music for the very first time. I love working with my older students and seeing the pleasure they experience in making beautiful sounds.
Love this post, so many great ideas.
Yes! Playing a musical instrument is such a fulfilling pursuit, and is also a proven way to maintain a healthy brain: https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-blog/2017/january/playing-an-instrument-better-for-your-brain-than-just-listening. So grateful for my wonderful Steinway grand and the time to play all that music I never had time for!
Thank you Jennifer for the great ideas. I love Libby which is a digital book library linked to your account with a partnership with Amazon. I read avidly and it has saved so much money for me and l put bestsellers on the waiting list and think ahead as to what l want. Books l have loved are The Thursday Murder Club,Mrs .England by Stacey Halls and Lucy Foley. I am working on a quilt for my daughter and l am thinking of joining a walking club. My mother is in a local orchestra playing the flute at 89 as she played in her younger years and loves the interaction!
That’s fabulous! Your mom sounds amazing.
I have boxes of yarn I collected from thrift stores for pennies on the dollar over the years. As someone prone to overeat in the evenings, I enjoy occupying my hands with crochet projects that I create and then donate to shelters and hospitals. Projects can be small, medium, or as large as I want and are always appreciated.
I play Mahjongg with a group of friends every Wednesday and also play BUNCO once a month. I’m also a quilter, I make quilts for my family and a charity organization. When I retired years ago I did a handful of paint-by-number kits. I loved doing them as a child and it was really fun.
I learned how to quilt during retirement, sewing with my sewing machine different shapes to make lovely quilts . I joined a quilt group that makes quilts for ill, or people who are facing surgery. The group is social, we meet once a week, have lunch together and share ideas. Quilting is no problem for arthritic hands.
I read mostly fiction on my Kindle (read in low lighting and can change the font). I get free books from the library online. So easy to borrow and send back. I recently read Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis. I read it in 2 days.
Do any of you play Worlde? You get one word a day, and have 6 chances a day to guess the word. My husband and I always check to see who gets it in the least amount of tries.
I joined the local parks and recreation center, and use their gym and exercise equipment. They also offer many types of exercise classes, swimming classes, and over 50 classes if you want those. I like the bike and elliptical, so easy on joints . My husband goes with me when he is not playing golf.
My husband loves wordle.
Challenge yourself and try Quordle also! My sister and I solve Quordle and Wordle daily and text the results across the miles to each other. A fun way to keep in touch daily.
As a voracious reader and a frugal one, I read all my books on my Amazon Fire through my library. It is free and easy. I can read a book or get an audible version. Not often but a book may not be available, and I’ll turn to Amazon to purchase a book, but with patience a book on hold comes fairly soon to my in box & meanwhile I’m reading other fun offerings. I highly recommend your readers check into their own local library’s on-line offerings. It keeps me endlessly in marvelous books!
I have taken up quilting and it is not sewing, which I hate.
I truly love to put these angles and squares together to create something beautiful.
Also love puzzles and reading and do my best to get in exercise daily. All makes for a happy me. Need to try new things to keep our minds sharp.
I just found out about a serious community choir and joined it. They have weekly rehearsals with a bit of time to chat with others so the social aspect is there but limited. It is taking me a lot of time to learn my part during the week to prepare for rehearsal, but I love the challenge. There were no auditions (that was important!). In the spring, there will be a concert. It is very nice!
I like to read and garden. My choice for books is the public library. Purchasing books does get expensive although in some places there is a used bookstore that will pay you a pittance to purchase used books. That is why the public library is so beneficial to fixed or low income people. I joined a book club and serve as the secretary, since I have good computer skills. I also lead a support group. I enjoy fashion but I don’t have need for business clothes since retirement. I have noticed many of my friends no longer dress in current styles or trends and it ages them. Your column has me observing what people wear again like I did when employed.
Playing MahJongg is my favorite hobby! It is a challenging game, and it offers tons of opportunities for socializing with friends. I play several times a week in person, and I play every night online at RealMahJongg.com.
Reading (I belong to two book clubs) and volunteering (at a food cupboard and clothing closet) also take up my time. I must get back to a regular exercise routine, though!
Thanks for the reminder, Jennifer.
Yay for Mah Jongg. I suffered with Bridge but LOVE MJ!
I play on realmahjongg.com, too.
I can vouch for folding garden kneelers. I inherited a similar one from my mother, and find it very helpful for my hips and knees. I’m the age she was when she bought it.
Washable gripper gloves are essential, so I stock up every year. I wash them in cold water and hang them to dry. There are always a few clean pairs ready at the door. I managed to wear out four pairs this year. I have quite a few left leather gloves, because only the right ones wear out!
Sloggers last years for me, so I only need to replace them occasionally. A new pair is waiting for spring. The new ones are floral. The old ones had a cow print. Always fun to check out the new designs.
Gardening has been frustrating the past few years, due to wildfire smoke and drought. Nothing grows like it once did. Maybe it’s time to switch to lower-maintenance xeriscaping with perennials and add a new hobby to my repertoire.
Thank you for including Volunteering as a way to occupy those “extra” hours! Volunteerism is the best way to stay connected to, and to improve, the community in which you live. Many volunteer organizations do not expect large donations but could use our “elbow grease” to make an impact. Check out places like Assistance League (120 chapters nation wide), your local food bank, school district, or animal shelter for ways to pitch in! Whether you are distributing clothing to schools and emergency rooms, reading to classrooms, bagging groceries, walking dogs or lending your professional expertise (finance/governance/organization) to leadership positions in the organization, you will be enriched by the time you spend helping make your little corner of the world better!
Thanks for all the great ideas! I didn’t realize how many of those things that I do. My husband and I are obsessed with golf. We love playing together and can sometimes get competitive. We even plan our vacations around golf. Unfortunately we live in the NW so in the winter we walk everyday. I love to read and do word puzzles. I used to love to crossstitch but my arthritis won’t allow that anymore. I think pickleball sounds fun but we don’t seem to have it around here.