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Outdoor Activities in Miami Dade County for Seniors
Miami-Dade is one of the biggest urban counties in America, but it was built around many parks and nature trails making outdoor activities accessible to any age.
This county offers a number of options for senior citizens to explore the outdoors: walking, biking, meditation, yoga, golf, and tennis, just to name a few.
According to the National Institutes of Health, spending time outside can help lower the risk of some medical conditions we experience as we age like stress, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease.
No matter where you are in Miami, there is a place for you to venture and explore.
In Miami Beach, you can take a 90-minute Art Deco walking tour with Miami Design Preservation League in the heart of the Architectural Historic District.
If you’re visiting North Miami, go on a nature walk at Oleta River State Park and look at the beautiful Mangroves and Wild Lantana flowers.
Afterwards head over to Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves look for alligators and finish your day with a picnic at Key Biscayne National Park.
If you’re in the Homestead area, visit Everglades National Park Bobcat Boardwalk and look at all the wildlife South Florida has to offer.
If you’re more of a social person and are looking for outdoor activities with a group visit Coral Gate Park, Kinloch Park, and Charles Hadley Park; they have multiple outdoor senior programs available.
Miami-Dade County focuses on having great senior centers and created the Active Older Adults Program.
If you’re over the age of 54 you can sign up for recreational programs like Zumba, sewing, adaptive aquatics, fitness, and much more.
Studies have shown that socialization can help with lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, lowering blood pressure, and lessening the risk of mental health issues.
Different classes and programs are held at:
- Miami Gardens Senior Focal Point Center
- South Dade Park, The Arcola Lakes Senior Center
- Gwen Cherry Park
- Continental Park, Goulds Park
- Westwind Lakes Park, Deerwood Bonita Lakes
- Gesu Senior Citizen Center
- Senior Citizens Activities Center of Homestead
- North Miami Foundation for Senior Citizens.
You can also visit our four most popular shopping areas: The Aventura Mall, Bal Harbour Shops, Lincoln Road in South Miami, and the Dolphin Mall in Miami.
If you’re looking to use your senior citizen discount visit Jungle Island, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and Zoo Miami. Wear your walking shoes because there is a lot to see!
You can also enjoy a fun game of dominoes in Maximo Gomez Park in the famous Calle Ocho.
Restaurants and Bars in Miami Dade County for Seniors
The mouth-watering food in Miami-Dade is endless. From hole-in-the-wall restaurants to 5-star dining, this county has you covered. Make sure to eat at Miami’s staples, Versailles Restaurant and Joe’s Stone Crab.
If you consider yourself a foodie visit Eatery.com to stay up to date with new restaurants that are coming to Miami on a daily basis. Here are some food dishes you must try when you’re in Miami-Dade.
- Cuban Hamburger in West Miami
- Ceviche in South Miami
- Peruvian and Korean cuisines in West Kendall
- Tableside Ham carvings in Doralera
- Croquetas in Coral Gables
- Empanadas and Arepas in Miami Beach
- Pastelitos and Tres Leches in Miami
- Gator Bites in Homestead
Cultural Activities in Miami Dade County for Seniors
Miami-Dade has a unique culture that is different from all other counties in Florida. People are proud of the culture they created, which is why so many retirees are moving here.
If you live in Miami and you’re over the age of 61, make sure to sign up for the Golden Ticket program which allows you to go to all the cultural events for free, as well as get free rides on the transit system.
With the Golden Ticket Program, you can visit Miami-Dade’s many museums, which includes the Perez Art Museum, History Miami Museum, and the Frost Museum.
Perez Art Museum
You can also attend numerous plays and watch live music. Take a drive to Little Haiti and have lunch with new friends at the Haitian American Senior Center.
You can also check out the Jack Orr Senior Center and participate in many cultural activities they run on a daily basis.
Make sure to visit Freedom Tower, Miami’s most famous historical landmark, which is also a contemporary art museum.
If you need some help getting around Miami Dade County or if you’re looking for an amazing social experience, visit joinpapa.com and request a college student to show you around town.
Beyond Bingo: 14 Activities for Elderly People That Aren’t Boring
The days when bingo and birthday celebrations were the social highlight for seniors in assisted living, thankfully have long since passed. Many communities nowadays offer a well-rounded menu of activities that can keep seniors engaged and stimulated, no matter how diverse the interests and abilities. Here’s a rundown of just some of the activities for elderly people that you can find in senior living communities and beyond.
1. Group Exercise Classes
Group exercises, like yoga, Tai Chi or Feldenkrais, are fun and social ways to improve flexibility and balance, key to helping prevent falls in older adults. Some communities offer chair exercise classes, and others, water aerobics programs, which can appeal to seniors living with arthritis.
2.Wii Sports
The elder in your life may not be able to shoot baskets anymore, but Nintendo’s Wii interactive computer games, where you move your body instead of pressing buttons or using a joystick, offer a nice alternative. There are a variety of games the sports-minded senior can play, including bowling, tennis and golf and the aforementioned basketball.
3. Walking Clubs
Walking around the community is an easy way for a senior to keep active, and when done with others it’s a good avenue to making friends. Some communities even arrange transportation so that club members can walk in a nearby park or walking path.
4. Gardening Clubs
Gardening is a super way to get outdoors and stay active and connected to others. Digging in the dirt and planting and weeding can help seniors relax and unwind; not only that, they get to reap the benefits of their labor: beautiful flowers or tasty veggies.
5. Book Clubs
If the elder in your life is an avid reader, then chances are they’d love the opportunity to share their opinion about a book with others. Not only do book clubs support seniors in staying sharp, mentally alert and in touch with the world, they also have a huge social element.
6. Life Story Exercises
There may be no more meaningful activity for elders than capturing their own unique life story, either in written form or by gathering their photos and mementos together in a scrapbook — not only do they preserve a slice of history, they get the chance to reflect on their own life experiences.
7. Lectures and Continuing Ed Classes
Expanding one’s knowledge base is a sure-fire way to keep mentally alert and engaged. To facilitate this, some communities provide on-site lectures or continuing ed classes while others arrange for residents to take advantage of the academic and cultural offerings of nearby colleges.
8. Art Classes
For seniors who have worked hard all their lives just to make a living, retirement can open the door to a newfound creativity. Watercolor and acrylic painting as well as drawing and sketching are all high on the list of artistic expression, and making art in a group can be an enjoyable way to engage with others.
9. Pottery/Ceramics Classes
Crafts like pottery or ceramics are also high on the activity agenda of assisted living communities. Shaping wet clay into allows seniors an outlet for their creativity and provides a stimulating hands-on learning opportunity that can be perfect for those with low vision.
10. Jewelry Making
Making necklaces or bracelets is another fun craft that can help seniors improve fine motor skills and provide an outlet for creativity — plus participants get the bonus of wearing, gifting, or even selling the beautiful items they create.
11. Music
What can be more rejuvenating for an older adult than making or listening to music? Senior living communities incorporate music into the lives of residents in many ways. Not only do they bring in musicians for on-site concerts, they encourage seniors to make their own music through singalongs or karaoke.
12. Music Therapy
Music has an undeniable healing power, but especially for those who live with dementia. Some assisted living communities, in particular those devoted to memory care, bring in trained music therapists to entertain and provide small-group cognitive stimulation. In some communities, seniors with a history of musicianship can even participate to provide entertainment or music therapy activities for their friends and neighbors.
13. Pet Therapy
Rubbing a dog’s belly can make many of us feel all warm and fuzzy, and it’s particularly comforting to those who gave up pets when they moved into assisted living. Pet therapy programs which bring dogs to snuggle with seniors can fill the gap.
14. Outings
Although there’s plenty to do inside a senior living community, many seniors love the chance to attend events in the greater community. To accommodate this, assisted livings take seniors on day trips to museums, concerts and sports games as well as planning seasonal trips like viewing holiday lights before Christmas.