Introduction
Being a senior can be a major crossroads point in life and it can also be a very isolating time if you aren’t surrounded by supporting individuals.
For this reason, and especially if you have limited mobility, having a hobby is really important to keep you motivated, stimulated, and vibrant at the prospect of filling your days with creative joy.
Hobbies are the perfect outlet to help you flex your creativeness, tenacity, and social skills at gatherings or meetups for whatever it is you’re interested in.
With that said, it’s not always easy coming up with ideas of what to do on your own which is why we’ve handpicked fourteen hobbies for you to browse.
Limited Mobility Doesn’t Mean Limited Ambition: 14 Hobbies For Seniors With Limited Mobility
1. Audiobooks/Podcasts
Reading is a romantic hobby that offers the reader the ability to invest in imaginative and fantastical worlds through the power of words, or can even be a great tool to learn more about the realities of what goes on around us.
However, reading does require the use of your hands and in some cases, this may not be easy depending on your disposition.
For this reason, we recommend replacing real books with audiobooks as you’ll be able to sit back and listen to them without using any physical effort.
An audible subscription might come in handy for this if you want to browse a huge library of things to choose from.
2. Birdwatching
Sitting, gazing out the window all day has its advantages especially if you have a keen and observant eye.
Birdwatchers take being seated really seriously, especially if it means they’ll get to view a rare bird or hear a unique birdsong.
In fact, birdwatchers like to take note of their observations to form a sort of collection of things that they’ve been able to tick off from their list.
If you can’t write then you can use a text-to-speech service on your phone to make voice notes or recordings of what you’re seeing.
We do, however, recommend grabbing a pair of binoculars if you’re going to be speaking as it’s easy to spook the birds if you’re too close.
3. Learn the Harmonica
Harmonicas are the perfect instrument for folks with limited mobility, mainly because the instrument is portable and doesn’t require much use of your limbs.
They’re also extremely cheap meaning you can invest in one on even the lowest budgets and can get started pretty much straight away.
Playing the harmonica is mainly about special breathing techniques and involves sucking in the air just as much as it does blowing.
It’s really unique and takes a little time to get used to it but it can be a really fun learning experience.
4. Virtual Reality
Yes, we now live in a time where fiction is now a fact and we can travel to pretty much anywhere in the world from the comfort of a portable headset.
Virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Quest 2 make it extremely easy to visit exotic beaches, play in virtual worlds, and even ride your favorite rollercoasters whenever you feel like it.
Better yet, the Oculus Quest 2 doesn’t require you to be tethered to a dedicated computer or any other hardware, and it’s relatively cheap too.
This is one of the best hobby gifts to invest in if you really want to take your day-to-day living to the next level, especially when you have limited mobility.
5. Herb Growing
The great thing about growing herbs is that they don’t require you to be constantly mobile to influence their upkeep.
You can simply plant them and water them every now and again to stimulate their growth bit by bit every day.
Better yet, you can even use a hydroponics station to maintain their upkeep which will pretty much automate the full process of herb growing meaning you barely need to lift a finger to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
6. Meditation
To meditate is to give your mind time to rest and to allow yourself to reflect on the musings of the day.
It’s a great way to unwind and can really help you to untangle some thoughts that might be bothering you.
Better yet, meditation can be directed for you through online guided meditation videos on YouTube.
This helps ease you into the experience of meditation and will help shine a light on what it entails.
7. Video Games
Playing video games is one of the most accessible hobbies on the planet, even for people with impaired movement or mobility conditions.
Most games are designed with millions of people in mind which makes them so easy to get into, however, most of the hardware is also optimized to work for the large majority of people, even with disabilities.
The ways in which you can play games is evolving and increasing too — you don’t even need to use a traditional controller these days as you can simply play from them from the convenience of a smartphone or tablet.
Some games are also made specifically for people with mobility issues and can be optimized for text-to-speech commands that allow you to control the game easier.
8. Text-to-Speech Writing
If you have extremely limited mobility of your limbs it can be easy to feel like there’s nothing to do or that you have no way of expressing your creative side.
However, and much like the late, great Professor Stephen Hawking, text-to-speech is the perfect service to provide you with an outlet to talk about and write about whatever you want.
You could write a book or simply start blogging your thoughts and ideas through this type of service which will help you reconnect with the world in an easy way.
9. Watching Movies/TV Shows
This might not be the most adventurous hobby on the list but TV shows and movies are taken extremely seriously these days, especially in terms of character development and worldbuilding.
For this reason, you can be an enthusiast for learning all about the movies and TV shows by watching all the different episodes and behind-the-scenes footage that is presented after production.
Some of the most popular movies include those from the Marvel comic universe such as Spiderman and The Avengers, or other more novel hits such as the cult classic, American Psycho.
10. Collecting
With the advent of the internet, you no longer need to venture outdoors to build a really solid collection of something.
Some of the most popular collection hobbies include stamp collecting, coin collecting, and card collecting (Trading Card Games) which you’ll easily be able to order over the internet.
Better yet, you can even join the collecting Reddit forum for inspiration or advice about your collecting and to share pictures of your growing collections.
11. Singing
If you haven’t got the power of your arms or legs then singing can be the perfect instrument to train up and to use as an outlet for your creativity.
In fact, most people underestimate singing compared to playing an instrument, however, it’s actually very technical and probably just as hard as learning an instrument, especially if you want to do it effectively.
Plus, if you have limited mobility then you’ll easily be able to watch video tutorials through YouTube on your phone or tablet which you can follow along with without needing to move too much.
12. Photography
Photography is another mobility-friendly hobby in that it affords you plenty of time to get the shot you want without worrying about how fast you need to do it.
Cameras get better every year and can be a worthy investment, however, most people also have access to cameras in the form of their smartphones which can be a cost-effective way to do this hobby too.
If your mobility is really limited then we recommend getting started with macro photography (close-up shots) as it’ll allow you to take cool and creative pictures within a relatively short distance of where you are.
On the flipside, telescopic lens kits can make getting distant shots much easier without needing to travel too far.
13. Toy Voyaging
You might not be able to travel very easily but your toys certainly can.
Toy voyaging is a novel hobby and is something that may evoke laughter upon first learning about it, however, it’s actually an ingenious hobby for someone who can’t travel or move around easily but still wants to explore different places.
So what is toy voyaging then?
Well, in short, it’s an exchange of toys between you and another person where they’ll document and take photographs of where the toy has been for you and vice versa.
In a way, the toy becomes an extension of yourself and allows you to travel in spirit (using the toy as a conduit) to a variety of places around the world.
14. Pet Sitting
Being immobile or having limited mobility doesn’t mean you can’t have hobbies or jobs to keep you busy.
Pet sitting is one such hobby that is great for people with limited mobility as you can simply sit and watch the animal whilst in the comfort of a person’s home.
It’s also a great hobby for animal lovers as you’ll constantly be interacting with a variety of pets without any of the downsides that come with owning the pet yourself.
We should also add that dogs and cats are usually quite affectionate so it means you get to have cuddles whilst being helpful to others – what’s not to love?
Relevant Articles
- 50 Life-Expanding Hobbies for Men Over 50 (Broaden Your Horizons Now)
- 6 Reasons Why Life Doesn’t Have to Get Boring as You Get Older
- 21 Community Hobbies to Get You Involved With Others (Accomplish More Together)
- 22 of the Best Hobbies to Do at Home: Make the Most of Your Spare Time (Alone or With Family)
- Top 9 Hobbies You Can Do on a Laptop or PC For Fun or Money
Or you can simply browse our full list of hobbies.
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