Be social and live longer – 5 activities that let you connect with others and have fun in your golden years!

In recent years, there have been several articles attributing longevity to, amongst others, the importance of staying social and connected with others. My one friend says that the opposite of depression is not happiness, but connectivity.

After my father passed away and a period of mourning, my mother had to find her feet and social connection in a very different world both physically (having moved from a small karoo town) and emotionally (without a long-term life partner). Watching her embark bravely on this journey has been inspiring and I would love to share five of the activities she signed up to in this article.

1. Attend church in person

A church offers an opportunity to slot into a community and be welcomed as an outsider with relative ease. It does not matter what the religion, denomination or spiritual nature of the gathering is, but it would inevitably involve a physical gathering of persons with at least one common interest.

Nowadays it is possible to follow sermons on a radio or via the internet, but that is why I specify the need to attend in person. The benefits of connecting with a community sharing your beliefs in person is not limited to a once off gathering per week, but often involves other activities organised by the church. From fundraising to outreach or care programmes, it offers a variety of opportunities to meet others and form connections or friendships.

2. Join a book club

Book clubs are a fun way to interact and can take many forms. There are book clubs which are very “serious” like the one my mother-in-law belonged to in Pretoria. Here the members all read the same book and had to prepare a set of intricate / researched responses to questions posed by the member whose turn it was to suggest a particular book. Most members were from academia or were previously schoolteachers and enjoyed the intellectual stimulation offered by these monthly gatherings.

My mother’s book club involves a monthly get together where each member discusses the book they read in the past month. No coordinated reading effort. The club meets at a different member’s home each month and that member caters for dinner. The members enjoy a glass of wine, and my mother her kombucha and chats away long into the night.

3. Hiking clubs

In my previous article on hiking trails in Cape Town, I highlighted the benefits of joining a hiking club. Hiking clubs vary from those that focus on easy walks to more intricate mountain adventures.

They need not cost anything and could be found at your local church or community hall. Look out for sign boards at the local library where details are often posted. Staying healthy and connected is a win on all fronts!

4. Get moving and join a weekly Parkrun

You will find Parkruns organised across South Africa. It is a weekly community gathering where you either walk or run a five-kilometre route. The official Parkrun website will help you locate an event near you. Their logo says it all “”Free, For Everyone, Forever” 🙌

Parkruns take place early on Saturday mornings and is an ideal way to start your weekend. There are also opportunities to volunteer with the organisation of the event, which offers a further chance to meet and connect with others.

My mother is joined regularly on a Saturday morning by the friends she made at church and the hiking club. (She loves the real time statistics showing her where she ranked amongst the veterans completing a Parkrun – especially when she is nr 1 in her age group😊).

5. Start your own club – like a theatre club

Once you have met a few people through various other activities, it may inspire you to start a club of your own bringing together different people to unite around a mutual interest. Starting a club need not be difficult and could be as easy as starting a WhatsApp of Facebook group.

My mother has great love for the theatre. She barely misses a show. Sharing details of her theatre outings with her new circle of friends made her realise there was a lot of interest in attending shows jointly and sharing transport. She started a WhatsApp group where she merely shares details of an upcoming show and if there is interest amongst her friends, they ask her to book additional tickets and make arrangements to travel together.

It is never too late to make new connections

Most of the fun activities outlined in this article cost nothing and will connect you with others without undue social pressure. It is never too late to make new connections or to embark on new adventures.

If you decide to start or join a theatre or movie club, be sure to check out the pensioner discounts featured on our website. Often shows offer a pensioner discount if you click through to the ticket sale site, with added benefits such as free parking for pensioners.

In the true spirit of community, please do share with us activities that you have found helpful in slotting into a community or making new friends / connections. We would love to share these tried and tested proposals in a future article.

All the best

Lirette

Co-founder, PensionersPayLess!

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Lirette is a co-founder of PensionersPayLess! and the heart behind its mission to help South Africa's over-55s enjoy life to the fullest. Backed by a Doctorate of Law and two master’s degrees, she combines legal know-how with a passion for practical advice. Lirette writes about topics that she believes will appeal to a wide audience and which mostly relate back to her personal experiences, be it making plans for retirement with her parents, balancing a household budget or enjoying a good meal or holiday.