Health and Wellness Gift Basket for Seniors

Topsking2010

Hi,


I am attending a weight loss convention for Senior Citizens and I am donating a gift basket for a fund raiser.

I could use some suggestions on what I should put in the basket. Specifically items to promote health and fitness.


Thanks

emergencytennis

Graded map of all the walks around the area? Years sub to a bird-watching/bowls/croquet club?

SRH7

My thoughts, based on what works for my mum, would be pedometers and free gym passes.

Pedometers are cheap and easy to use for senior citizens. My mum could climb mountains until her arthritis progressed. Now, whenever she's on the phone I get chapter and verse on how many steps she's walked each day. She struggles with hills but can walk for miles on the flat. The disease has also slowed down, in no small part, I'm sure due to her being so active.

She also goes to the local council/community gym (once a week with a physio, then twice more by herself). A simple weights routine or using the treadmill and bikes is possible for most senior citizens. Again, the improvement in her arthritis has been profound.

With food, fruit is the obvious choice. But I have to admit I prepared a fruit basket as a present for a group of diabetes patients a few years ago (under the advice of their consultant) and the only bits they ate were the grapes. I could see them looking around for the biscuits instead. If adding food to the basket I'd keep it simple and easy to eat (picking away at the grapes was perhaps easier than peeling an orange etc). Perhaps someone else has an idea of other healthy food that would work?

SRH7

Graded map of all the walks around the area? Years sub to a bird-watching/bowls/croquet club?

Ooooh, I like these! Bowls is a great idea.

Cr01502

Vodka and hard candy.

Or driving lessons.

maryannelk

Bands and an intro video

Topsking2010

Vodka and hard candy.

Or driving lessons.

Very funny!!

Topsking2010

All good ideas!!

barbaramitchell101

nothing with gluten

neandermagnon

a lot of elderly people have issues with food that they didn't have when they were young, so maybe things that are not food, the pedometers idea is a good one. what about vouchers to use on buses and taxis to get out and about more? in London elderly people get free bus passes, and I met this lady in her 90s and she didn't look a day older than 70 and she told me how she got out and about every day and just went to different places on the bus. I don't currently live in the UK, so I don't know if the elderly still get free bus passes, but that kind of thing can make a huge difference to someone's quality of life and general health. Or anything that enables them to access transportation more easily. Many elderly people don't have cars or are no longer able to drive for health reasons.

Topsking2010

A lot of good ideas!!!

Topsking2010

Anyone know any good exercise videos for Seniors?

trixiemou

Small cartons of juice or other health type drinks. nutrion bars, small boxes of cereals, dried fruits. Definitely some chocolate. My mam used to love dates, the sticky type - not dried. Voucher for the local store/health store.

Leslie Sansone walking video might be good

Hope this helps.

SRH7

a lot of elderly people have issues with food that they didn't have when they were young, so maybe things that are not food, the pedometers idea is a good one. what about vouchers to use on buses and taxis to get out and about more? in London elderly people get free bus passes, and I met this lady in her 90s and she didn't look a day older than 70 and she told me how she got out and about every day and just went to different places on the bus. I don't currently live in the UK, so I don't know if the elderly still get free bus passes, but that kind of thing can make a huge difference to someone's quality of life and general health. Or anything that enables them to access transportation more easily. Many elderly people don't have cars or are no longer able to drive for health reasons.

They do. My parents still drive but use public transport to get in and out of the city (Manchester) to get to the theatre etc. I also met a chap while running the other day who gets a bus to a neighbouring town then walks back home from that point to stay fit (he was having a flask of tea on a park bench when I ran past and got talking to him!).

With DVDs, the Leslie Sansone one sounds ideal. Never tried it myself (bit fitter than that!) but I've suggested it to my parents for when the weather is too bad to get out.

Probably out of budget but Wii Fit is proving quite popular with some older folk! In the UK they have them in some care homes. You could always see if a local store would give one for free in return for publicity.

Another freebie would be to see if a personal trainer would offer up a free hour as a prize, to tailor-make a routine for the winner.

1223345

Tai-chi for sure! Maybe even yoga? You could include a yoga strap, and blocks.

Topsking2010

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!!