Hobbies in the Elderly 1

Running Head: Hobbies in the Elderly

Hobbies and Good Health for the Elderly

Kyle C. Hoffmann
Glen Allen High School
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Abstract

This review examines how the elderly can maintain good health through hobbies.

With the Baby Boomer generation starting to grey and in an America where advanced

medical technology allows lifespans to lengthen, "senior citizens" are a class of people

that are growing and hardly going anywhere. Everyone becomes old, but to make the

most out of old age one must maintain a level of social, mental, and physical fitness that

will keep them feeling young. Here this review looks into how engaging in hobbies

provides the elderly with social, mental, and physical fitness. The first part of the review

will discuss the social and mental benefits of hobbies for the elderly, where researchers

found many measures that indicate how cognitive performance is enhanced through

hobbies most notably a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimers. Secondly, research

findings on the benefits of physical exercise will be examined, and specific hobbies that

improve physical fitness will be discussed. Finally, research will be discussed that looks

into what motivates the elderly to partake in hobbies as well as what keeps them from

doing so.
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Introduction

Americas elderly represents a large portion of the population, and just about everyone

has a relative that falls into the category of senior citizen. As a large segment of the population

approaches old age, their mental and physical capabilities naturally decline over time. Many old

people are searching for a way to slow this decline, and fortunately there is a natural efficient

way to do so hobbies. Hobbies and an active use of leisure time are the best ways to engage

the elderly in an active lifestyle that will keep them physically and mentally fit.

How Hobbies Help the Mind

Numerous studies have pointed to a conclusion that engaging in mentally stimulating

hobbies produces quantifiable improvements in mental capacity. A couple of studies noted

improvements in critical thinking and problem solving skills. Many others though observed that

a benefit of mentally-stimulating hobbies is their ability to stave off the onset of Alzheimers

disease and dementia in the elderly.

Perceptual Speed

A study on social participations effect on a phenomenon known as perceptual speed

found that the more elderly socially engage with others, the slower their perceptual speed

declines (Lovden, Ghisletta, et al., 2005). Perceptual speed is how quickly one can react to

patterns, pictures and such as they are being processed in the mind. An area of life where

perceptual speed is needed is driving, and by extension as the elderly engage socially they would

be able to drive better and keep our roads safe. Now not only can elderly participation in

hobbies benefit them, but can keep our roads safer as the elderly can slow the decline of their

perceptual speed.
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The study notes that perceptual speed measures generally have superior psychometric

properties such as reliability, as opposed to other measures of cognitive function (p. 424).

These researchers, in attempting to link an active lifestyle to better brain functioning, chose

perceptual speed as the dependent variable for this purpose.

Participants were between 70 to 103 years of age, with an average age of 85. All who

took part in the study came from randomly selected addresses in Berlin. The study analyzed 516

men and women across six age groups and administered tests to gauge how strong their sense of

perceptual speed was. The two tests, the Digit Letter test and the Identical Pictures test, together

measured the perceptual speed of the participants. Additionally, they asked the subjects about

how socially active they are through interviews and more assessments.

Concluding the study, researchers remarked that:

This study reveals that within the system of structural relations considered, higher
levels of social participation precede and predict 2-year positive deviations from the
averaged linear population decline in perceptual speedan effect more powerful than
that of level of perceptual speed on decrease in social participation. Clearly, this result
supports the notion that an engaged and active lifestyle in old and very old age may
mitigate decline in perceptual speed. (p. 430)

Dementia

One study noted that individuals participating at least twice a week in a leisure-time

physical activity had 50% lower odds of dementia compared with sedentary persons (Rovio,

Kareholt et al., 2005). Families of elderly individuals know that dementia is an ever-present risk

and engaging in leisure activities will help keep dementia at bay. The study also observed a

decreased risk of Alzheimers disease among elderly individuals who live an active lifestyle.
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The 2000 subjects the researchers conducted the study on were selected randomly and

were first interviewed for the study during their middle years, during the years of 1972, 1977,

1982, and 1987. They were administered questionnaires on how physically active they were, and

individuals who engaged in physical activity less than twice a week were labeled sedentary.

Researchers defined physical activity as any activity that lasts at least 2030mins and causes

breathlessness and sweating (p. 705). In 1998, 1450 of those original 2000 participated in the

re-examination at which point in addition to the questionnaires applied last time, they were

administered a study of their genes and completed a mental evaluation. Subjects that did not

reach a certain score in the mental evaluation were evaluated further, in areas including

neurological and cardiovascular examinations (p. 706).

Ultimately, the study found:

Individuals participating at least twice a week in a leisure-time physical activity had 50%
lower odds of dementia compared with sedentary persons. The association was somewhat
stronger for AD than for overall dementia; those in the active group had 60%lower odds of AD
compared to those in sedentary group, even after adjusting for a wide array of potential
confounding factors. (p. 709)

While these results make a strong case for the elderly engaging in hobbies, it

acknowledges arguments to the contrary found in other studies. Other studies have even

suggested an inverse relationship between physical activity and risk of dementia and

Alzheimers. However, the researchers that authored this study claimed that this study was one

of the first to investigate the long-term association between physical activity and risk of

dementia and Alzheimers (p. 709).

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Both studies support my thesis that the most effective vehicle for keeping one healthy is

through hobbies and the use of leisure time to keep one mentally active.

Emotions

Hobbies have been proven to improve emotional wellbeing. They are useful in lifting

ones spirits, not only in the short term but to create lasting happiness (Lane & Jarrett, 2005).

This effect of hobbies on the mind was illustrated in a study on aging amateur golfers.

Thirty-four golfers, all male with a mean age just shy of 70, took a survey to gauge their

mood before and after playing eighteen holes of golf. The survey, known as the Brunel Mood

Scale, assesses the mood states of anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigour.

By taking a survey that only looks at negative emotions, participants were able to give more

accurate responses. Feelings like joy, or peace of mind, or contentment were not surveyed

because any negative situation prior to playing the round of golf could have reduced scores on

those feelings. Any encounter with a bad driver or a belligerent coworker would put a damper on

ones day, but a small disruption like that would not make a large change in a score for emotions

like depression or fatigue. In addition to the survey, distance walked per game was

measured using a pedometer. Distance walked was measured to observe how physically taxing

the round of golf was.

The round of golf played by the participants was noted to be a meaningful exercise

session due to the amount of distance walked by each golfer just over ten kilometers.

Afterward, scores reflected that golfers experienced an increase in pleasant mood states, which

confirms the effect on emotional wellbeing that golf had for these elderly men.
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Though the study was limited in scope due to its selection of only men and golf as its

only hobby measured, the results are very applicable to any hobby. These elderly golfers, all of

which were regulars at the club where the study was conducted, felt a better mood after the round

of golf. Each of these men played golf more than once a week at the club, and as such engage in

this hobby frequently. If their mood improved once after a round of golf, their mood would

steadily be a pleasant one after playing a few times a week. Thus follows that when one

consistently participates in a hobby they enjoy, they will become a happier individual.

How Hobbies Help the Body

Tai Chi Study

Some studies have given examples of productive hobbies that can improve one's body

composition. While studies in the previous section have linked physically active hobbies like

dancing or golf to mental and social benefits, the following provide examples of how one's body

can function better with a hobby. A study of elderly students of Tai Chi produced interesting

results regarding this phenomenon. Researchers observe ninety men and ninety women who

practice Tai Chi and do resistance training as part of their workout routine and measured changes

in their bone mineral density. While in men they could not find a correlation, they discovered

that compared to the average elderly women, women who practiced Tai Chi lost bone mineral

density at a lower rate (Woo, Hong, et al., 2007). Physical activity in the elderly can stave off the

process of ones bones becoming brittle, but the physical benefits of a physically stimulating

hobby take a back seat to the much more important issues of mental health and preventing the

onset of degenerative diseases in the brain.

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Bone mineral density, the dependent variable in this study, is a measure of the amount of

calcium in bones. Throughout the study, at the beginning, six months in, and at the end of the

twelve-month interval during which the study took place, the bone mineral density of the

participants was measured. Researchers employed an X-ray machine and took measurements at

the hip and spine of the subjects.

Another measure of physical health that the researchers documented was muscular

strength. To measure this, they used an instrument known as a handgrip dynamometer. The

loss of muscle strength with age declined slower in those that were physically active.

Tennis Study

In addition to documenting a slower decline in bone mineral density and muscular

strength like the Tai Chi study did, a study on elderly tennis players illustrated that physically

active hobbies improve cardiovascular health and reduce body fat in the elderly (Pluim, Staal, et

al., 2007).

This study, unlike the many profiled so far, employed a wide age range its participants

were all fifty years of age or older and it discovered that physically active hobbies provide

significant health benefits to those who practice them. The study remarks that:

The resting heart rates (RHR in beats/min) of this middle aged tennis sample
also reflected an endurance trained state (men: 54 beats/min; women: 61 beats/min)
as opposed to a sedentary value of 75 to 90 beats/min. (p. 471)

Better cardiovascular fitness well known to be associated with a lower risk of heart

disease, stroke, and osteoarthritis. It would follow that due to the decreased risk of these

ailments, one would find a longer life expectancy among these physically active individuals.
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Then, in terms of improving body fat content, the study also acknowledged that physical

activity in sufficient dose improves the lipid profile independently of other lifestyle changes such

as dietary modification and cessation of smoking (p. 472). The better lipid profile results in

improved cholesterol and decreased susceptibility to coronary artery disease. There have been

quantitative results that demonstrate how hobbies improve the physical condition of the elderly.

Participation Rate of Hobbies in the Elderly

While the elderly feeling young at heart by engaging their minds and bodies in fun

hobbies will lengthen the lifespan of Americas senior citizens and will keep them sharp and in

shape, a struggle exists in getting the elderly out and actually participating.

One study observed a peculiar catch-22 in hobby participation in the elderly. They

observed that 80% of individuals they profiled participated in hobbies for health promotion

(Hirvensalo, Laminen, et al., 1998). However, the most widely reported reason for

nonparticipation was poor health. The issue in encouraging the elderly to participate in hobbies

is that the elderly must reach a certain point in healthiness before they find a hobby to keep their

health up. Whether this barrier to participation is merely in the minds of the individuals profiled,

or if these individuals are really physically unable to partake in hobbies the study does not

specify.

Another study measured the rate of change in the elderly populations participation in

hobbies over time. They found that in Canada the proportion of people over 65 enjoying

physical activity regularly rose from 50% to 64% between 1976 and 1981 (Losier, Bourque,

et al., 1993). Despite the fact that this study was not conducted in the United States, it provides a

picture of the shape of things to come for elderly leisure participation in the US. Canada is
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farther ahead in life expectancy than our country, and as such the trends in elderly leisure

participation they experienced years ago took longer to occur in the United States.

Conclusion

These studies have illustrated the link between hobbies and physical and mental fitness.

They observed that ones decline in perceptual speed can be slowed by social engagement and

that onset of dementia and Alzheimers can be staved off. Bone mineral density can also be

improved by engaging in hobbies. Lastly, participation is increasing by and large in the elderly

but that many are disinclined to participate because of poor health. Hobbies are an effective way

for keeping the elderly feeling young at heart.

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