9 Hobbies That Help You Age Better and Live Longer, According to Longevity Experts
Hobbies are good for more than preventing boredom: Research shows that leisurely activities can also help reduce stress, foster personal growth, and strengthen social connections. And if you pick the right hobbies, they may even help you live longer.
“When choosing a hobby, the most important thing is to choose something that you're interested in and that you'll enjoy doing,” says Jennifer Timmons, MD, a longevity expert and founder and medical director of Timmons Wellness in California. “But other aspects to consider are things that stimulate you in multiple ways,” she says. Think about activities that can be physically, mentally, or socially stimulating, all of which are important for longevity, she says.
Feeling calm and finding a sense of purpose are two other important attributes people often overlook, says Emily Linder, a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC) based in Ohio. “Hobbies that involve rhythm, repetition, tactile engagement, or a flow state actively lower cortisol and help shift your nervous system out of that chronic low-grade fight-or-flight mode that so many of us live in,” she says.
Need some inspiration? Here are a few expert-recommended ideas:
Tennis
Physical activity is vital for living a long, healthy life because it helps prevent cardiovascular disease and keep your heart and brain healthy, explains Timmons. "If we could put that in a pill and bottle it up, it would be a bestseller,” she says. Tennis is a great leisurely activity because it gets you moving, engages your brain, and keeps you social, Timmons says
Dancing
“This is honestly one of the most complete longevity hobby a person can pick up,” Linder says. “It checks almost every box at once.” Dancing helps maintain physical traits that are important with age, such as balance, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness, she explains. Mentally, learning choreography and improvising requires real-time decision-making, spatial awareness, and memory. Plus, it’s a social, emotionally expressive activity, she says. “And it's fun, which means people actually stick with it, “ Linder says.
Tai Chi
If you’re unfamiliar with the practice, Tai Chi, which originated as an ancient martial art in China, involves slow, gentle movements and controlled breathing. And research shows that the practice may help prevent falls in older adults, which is crucial for maintaining independence and quality of life, says Turner Osler, M.D., professor emeritus in the department of surgery at the University of Vermont. “Physically, it builds leg and core strength and improves posture and balance,” Osler says
“Mentally, Tai Chi asks you to pay close attention, remember sequences, and coordinate breathing with movement. Clinical studies have found improvements in thinking, memory, and mood in regular practitioners,” he explains.
Crossword Puzzles and Word Games
These are an accessible choice for cognitive performance because you can find options for any age and ability level, says Linder. “They engage verbal memory, pattern recognition, and retrieval, which is basically a workout for the parts of your brain involved in language processing and recall,” she says. Bonus: You get a sense of satisfaction every time you finish one. “That matters more than people realize, because that small dopamine reward is what keeps you coming back, and consistency over years is where the real cognitive benefit lives,” she says.
Jigsaw Puzzles
These work your brain a bit differently from word puzzles, explains Linder. “They engage visuospatial reasoning, fine motor skills, and sustained attention, all of which are important for long-term cognitive health,” she says. Additionally, jigsaw puzzles can be meditative for many people because scanning for pieces can put you in a mild flow state that naturally lowers stress. “For people who find traditional mindfulness frustrating or boring, puzzles often accomplish something similar through the back door,” she says. “And working on a puzzle with someone else creates a really lovely kind of low-pressure companionship—you're together without the demand of constant conversation, which is restorative in its own right,” Linder says.
Knitting
This is especially great if you can combine it with a social setting, Timmons says. "It helps keep you mentally sharp and can also be a therapeutic and relaxing activity that activates your parasympathetic nervous system through its repetitive nature,” she explains.
Learn Another Language
“Learning a language is one of the most cognitively demanding hobbies you can take on, and that's exactly what makes it so valuable,” Linder says. Practicing new vocab engages memory, attention, executive function, cognitive flexibility, and auditory processing, she explains. “The learning curve can be frustrating, but that productive struggle is actually part of what makes it so good for your brain,” she says. Outside of the brain-boosting benefits, learning a new language also opens you up to new social connections, cultures, and travel, which keeps people engaged with life, Linder says.
Ceramics
“Making ceramics or other hands-on art taps into something that I think modern life has largely stripped away, which is the experience of making something physical with your hands,” Linder says. Clay is particularly sensory, offers immediate feedback, and you can't check your phone while working, which means you have to be present. Being mindful helps regulate your nervous system, which makes ceramics a stress-relieving activity. “Art-making more broadly also provides an emotional outlet that doesn't require verbal processing, which is valuable for people who feel talked out or who process things more through doing than through discussing,” Linder says.
Gardening
Gardening is often touted as a top longevity activity—and for good reason. “It gets your heart rate up, engages your muscles, and challenges your mobility when you’re bending and kneeling,” Timmons says. And you get out in the sun and greenery, which is good for your physical and mental health.