Making New Friends: 11 Fun Hobbies Retirees Engage to Avoid Being Lonely

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By Julia Jones

Are you looking for ways to make new friends during your golden years? Boredom, isolation, and loneliness are some of the biggest concerns for retirees. So, people must find hobbies that involve social interaction in retirement. Here are some popular hobbies that help retirees find companionship and fun.

1. Start Volunteering

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Volunteering is an excellent way to make like-minded friends who appreciate the value of helping others. From volunteering at the local food bank to lending services to local churches, there are numerous ways to dedicate your time to helping others while forming new friendships.

2. Join a Book Club

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Join a book club! Not only is reading a fantastic way to make friends, but it also keeps your brain active, improves memory and concentration, and enhances creativity and knowledge. Multiple studies have demonstrated that reading and participating in hobbies can help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in adults.

3. Join a Board Game Group

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If playing Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, Battleship, and other popular board games brings you joy, try joining a board gaming group. Online platforms like Board Game Arena are fun for entertaining boredom and loneliness at home. Alternatively, retirees use Meetup to find physical groups to play with people face-to-face.

4. Take a Yoga Class

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Taking a Yoga class is another way retirees meet people. Yoga has many incredible health benefits, including stress reduction, cardiovascular health, improved sleep, and posture. Yoga involves stretching, so beginning your day with a Yoga class is a great way to reduce neck, back, and hip pain throughout your day. I cannot recommend Yoga enough for seniors experiencing stiffness, sore joints, aching muscles, limited mobility, and agility.

5. Take a Cooking or Baking Class

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A popular hobby that produces delicious rewards is taking baking and cooking classes. A baking or cooking class can help you develop your culinary skills while making new friends in retirement. Search “cooking classes for seniors near me” to find local opportunities to connect with other retirees and reduce loneliness.

6. Join a Choir

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Joining a choir is another way retirees are beating boredom and loneliness in retirement. If singing is your passion, being in a choir is the perfect hobby for entertaining overall happiness and building lasting friendships. People frequently join local church choirs. However, you may also find opportunities searching “join a choir near me.”

7. Join an Improv Group for Seniors

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Improv is a powerful way to work together with others and create a story together through listening and team building. Joining an improv group for seniors is a practical way to find an artistic and expressive outlet for creative retirees. Again, Meetup is a website that allows people to find local improv groups easily. 

8. Play a Recreational Sport

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Participating in recreational sports for seniors can add physical activity and exercise into your routine. Some of these sports include bowling, golf, swimming, cycling, badminton, and walking football. Working together as a team is an excellent way to form meaningful and lasting friendships.

9. Join a Senior Travel Group

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Joining senior travel groups combines seeing and exploring new things, meeting new people, and entertaining new friendships. Guided tours are a fantastic way for seniors to explore together. Group travel often includes hotels, restaurants, historic sites, and other traveling discounts.

10. Take a Dance Class

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Dancing classes are a sure-fire way to meet new people while burning calories and the night away. Swing dance is a popular class for retirees. However, salsa and other traditional ballroom dance styles are also fun. Ballroom dance classes are a free hobby for many seniors. Search “free ballroom dancing classes for seniors near me” to discover local opportunities.

11. Take an Arts or Craft Class

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Creative retirees have loads of fun taking arts and crafts classes. There are countless ways to indulge creativity with your new friends, from painting to pottery, drawing, and stained glass classes. They are an incredible way to make beautiful art and find camaraderie with other creative seniors.

 

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