Skip to content

Active Living

The benefits of staying active and pursuing interests

Staying active and having a purpose will benefit the mental health of a person with dementia. It will boost mood and make the person feel happier and more fulfilled. According to the Mental Health Foundation, physical activity can also be an alternative treatment for depression.

The Department of Health recommends that we be active every day and complete two and a half hours of moderate activity per week, such as walking, cycling, or gardening. This can be more challenging for a person with dementia, as mood and energy levels can vary. However, it doesn’t have to be a huge amount in one go for the person to benefit. Even a small amount of regular exercise will help.

See the planner

Create an online care plan

Login
Find out more
Conversations

Create an online care plan 2

Find out more
See the planner

Create an online care plan 3

Find out more

The mental health benefits of being active

Whether it’s taking regular exercise or pursuing a hobby (or both), an active lifestyle will help to…

  • Boost the person’s confidence and self-esteem

  • Give them a sense of purpose

  • Improve the person’s mood and reduce the risk of anxiety and depression

  • Give them a sense of identity that sets them apart from having dementia

The physical health benefits of being active

  • Improve the person’s heart health, reducing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease

  • Improve bone and muscle strength, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and falls

  • Improve the person’s balance and coordination, which can both be affected in a person with dementia

  • Improve blood supply to the brain, which will help the person be more alert

  • Reduce the risk of stroke and certain cancers

Keeping up hobbies

If the person has been active all their life, encourage them to keep pursuing their favourite sport or hobby if they have one. If not, they may be open to going out for walks at first or joining a local exercise class. Search online to find out what groups or activities are available in their area.

Getting out in the fresh air can make a person feel happier. It’s also better for their physical health than sitting down all day. Regular walks or stretches, even simply standing up and moving around the room every hour or two, will help with the person's overall wellbeing.

 

BOX OUT

Indoor activities

If the person doesn’t want to venture out but you want to keep them active, there are various things they can do at home to keep them mobile:

  • Light housework such as dusting

  • Marching on the spot

  • Walking up and down the stairs

  • Standing up from their chair every hour and stretching

  • General movement around the house will benefit their mood and health rather than sitting still all day.

Other mood-boosting activities for a person with dementia

  • Arts and crafts – painting, drawing, knitting, beading

  • Music – listening to music, singing and dancing can all improve the person’s mood

  • Baking – it can be enjoyable and rewarding, and it could be something you can both do together

  • Visiting garden centres – looking at plants and flowers can improve mood and stimulate the brain

  • Visiting a cat café – if the person loves cats, they may enjoy having coffee and a cake at a cat café where they can also spend time with the cats. An animal farm or sanctuary may also be a good idea. Interaction with animals doesn’t rely on conversation or memory, so it can be very therapeutic for a person with dementia.

 

Sources:

Mental Health Foundation

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-look-after-your-mental-health-using-exercise#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20there%20is,participating%20in%20daily%20physical%20activity.