Spending time with your grandchildren is a great chance to go outside and have some fun. If you are looking for some exciting activities that you can enjoy with your grandkids in Pondicherry, check out these ideas Puducherry Museum: This little museum is a great place to take your grandkids to. There are many artefacts that date back to the reigns of the Pallava and Chola dynasties. The major attraction of the museum isthe huge transportation system from yesteryears. There is a coach, a palanquin and a pousse. You also get a chance to sneak a peek into French culture as there are many pieces of furniture from the colonial era. Eat out: Puducherry is a melting pot of cultures and that is reflected in the city’s cuisine. You will find a wide range of savoury delicacies – from authentic French and Italian cuisine to Tamil cuisine. Visit churches: Although a small town, Puducherry is known for its churches that are nothing less than architectural marvels. Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Conception Cathedral are must-visit churches. The best part is that these churches are nearby so you and your grandkids can walk around the French Quarter and enjoy. Relax at the beach: With its pristine shoreline and natural beauty, some of the best beaches of Puducherry attract people from all over the world. If you are looking for a lazy weekend with your grandchildren, head to the beach. Auroville Beach, Paradise Beach and Serenity Beach are some of the most famous beaches where you can enjoy scenic views while having a good time with your grandchildren. Paradise Beach and Karaikal Beach are ideal for water sports. Go boating: If your grandchildren are too young for watersports, head to the Chunnambar Boathouse. You can book a boat ride and enjoy the stunning views. If you are lucky, you will also get to see some exotic birds in the area.

One of the objectives of Columbia Pacific Communities is to help our residents stay fitter and healthier – so that they can maintain their independence and ability to pursue their chosen retirement lifestyle. We have a holistic approach for health that rests on three pillars, namely – physical, psychological and social well-being. Over here we discuss the physical benefits of exercising regularly. Let’s take a brief look at some of the simple and fun exercises that help seniors improve their strength and balance: 1. Walking: “Walking is man’s best medicine”, said Hippocrates 2000 years ago – and a growing number of modern-day studies suggest that he wasn’t wrong. For seniors, walking has many benefits: it reduces their risk for coronary heart disease; it may help lower their blood sugar levels; and it eases joint pain. Also, walking brings big benefits for seniors who have weak ankles or knees or suffer from arthritis. At our retirement communities in India, we have senior-friendly walking and jogging tracks that have anti-skid tiles. These tracks are well-lit and promote safe and stable walking. 2. Yoga: More and more seniors are practicing yoga for the benefits it offers. With low-impact movements, yoga enhances flexibility, mobility, strength and balance. The good thing about yoga is that one doesn’t need to exert too much pressure on the joints. Also, yoga requires no prior fitness experience, and there are several easy beginners poses that are perfect for seniors who are just starting to learn yoga. At Columbia Pacific Communities, we offer various wellness programs that include daily stretching exercises, yoga and pranayama. All the fitness plans have been designed by our physiotherapists. 3. Swimming: Retirement homes in Columbia Pacific Communities have swimming pools so that seniors can regularly enjoy a swim and stay physically active. Swimming is a great form of aerobic exercise. It doesn’t exert pressure on the joints and builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. 4. Stationary cycling: Cycling has many health benefits for seniors. It strengthens their legs without exerting stress on the joints. Stationary cycling is a safe way to exercise as it reduces the risk of fall. Columbia Pacific Communities have fully equipped gyms that have stationary bicycles, treadmills and other senior-friendly exercise equipment, offering residents a safe and secure environment for daily workout.

With more time on hand and less to do, many retirees find it difficult to embrace their retirement lifestyle wholeheartedly. Over here we discuss a few simple changes in your lifestyle that can make your golden years count: 1. Don’t be shy to meet other retirees and make friends: Whether it is losing touch with colleagues or death of a partner – loneliness is a major issue after retirement. Loneliness can get worse if you don’t seek companionship. You can move to a retirement home where you can socialise with people your age, who share your interests. Also, living alongside like-minded people provides reassurance that there is always someone nearby to talk to. The best retirement homes in India like ours give you ample opportunities to make new friends. 2. Join a fitness club: Retirement is a time to shift focus from work to your overall well-being. To enjoy your golden years, it is important that you stay fit and healthy. Exercising is associated with good mental and physical well-being which is why we have trained physiotherapists who design age-appropriate exercises to help residents meet their fitness goals. We also have indoor and outdoor games to encourage seniors stay physically active and have fun at the same time. 3. Say goodbye to household chores: Housework like cleaning and cooking can often take the fun out of retirement years, leaving little room for leisure. The hassle of running errands can be difficult after a particular age. At our retirement homes in India, we have trained staff to take care of housekeeping and maintenance work. 4. Take up a new hobby: Be it photography, crocheting, quilting, gardening, singing or learning a new language, you can make your retirement phase as enjoyable as you wish. 5. Throw parties for friends and families: Retirement doesn’t have to be boring and dull. Look at it as the beginning of a new chapter in your life and celebrate each and every occasion with your loved ones. At Columbia Pacific Communities, you can host movie nights and games night for family and friends. You can also book our banquet hall to throw a party, no matter what the occasion is.

Mr. Subramanium, a retired teacher aged 65, lives with his wife in Bangalore. Their only son moved to Canada 3 years ago and was the one that introduced them to the benefits of social media. The aged couple found their old friends on social channels and were extremely happy to reconnect with them. They exchanged personal details with them and kept in touch with their old friends. They would occasionally email their friends asking about their wellbeing. One day they received an email from Mrs. Kumar, one of their old friends, asking for money because she was in some sort of a financial bind. She particularly told them not to talk about it to other friends. The couple was worried about her and transferred the money. They were taken aback when one of their friends called them and asked whether they received an email from Mrs. Kumar asking for money. They were shocked when they heard that someone impersonating Mrs. Kumar was asking for money from all her friends. Like Mr. and Mrs. Subramanium, there are many seniors in India who fall prey to such financial scams online. Many of them lead lonely lives as their kids have settled abroad or live in a different city. They aren’t generally comfortable with technology and are less likely to react to SMSes sent by their banks informing them of transactions done by them or by someone on behalf of them. At Columbia Pacific Communities, the largest senior living community operators in India, we understand how difficult it can be for the elderly to navigate different online channels. Here we discuss a few useful tips to help you stay safe online – Be extremely careful of emails offering free vacations or gifts. These are tricks designed to get personal information from you so that scammers can steal your identity or money. Don’t use the same password for every site and app you use. Don’t share your personal information like name, address, location, age, phone number, birthday, email address, bank account details and insurance policy numbers online. Remember most organizations such as banks and charities don’t ask for your personal information over email. Don’t open attachments or click on links from unknown senders. If you get an email from your bank asking you to download an attachment, it’s better to call the bank and confirm whether they sent the email or not. There is a very common scam, called phishing, where you are asked to open a link of what looks like a legitimate website. But in reality, is a scam website designed to steal your personal information. One quick way to determine the safety of a website is to check whether the URL begins with “https://.” Also, look for a padlock icon next to the website’s URL. Clicking on it will notify you that your connection is secure. Don’t respond to messages where the email appears to come from people you know but the sender plays the secrecy card; for example, “don’t tell my son” or “don’t tell our friends”. If you want to respond to such an email, always get in touch with the sender or his/her family even if he/she has specifically told you not to.If you shop online, check your bank statements regularly.

Fun and recreational activities are an important aspect of the new-age senior living communities. With more and more seniors wanting to live life independently and actively, senior living communities   in India are coming up with innovative and stimulating activities. From group exercises and art classes to swimming and meditation classes – the best senior citizen homes in India like ours offer plenty of opportunities for seniors to enjoy a healthy and exciting lifestyle.   Here are a few fun activities that senior citizen homes can organise –   Dance class: Dancing is a universal form of human expression that’s known to relieve stress. It is also a great cardiovascular exercise. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that frequent dancing improves cognitive skills. At Columbia Pacific Communities, dance classes conducted for residents help reduce feelings of isolation and boost happiness. Swimming: For active retirees, swimming is an ideal exercise. It’s not only relaxing but also has numerous health benefits. A 2016 study found that swimming can improve lung capacity. It’s also good for cardiovascular health. Research conducted on seniors suffering from insomnia found that swimming improves sleep and quality of life. Indoor games: Indoor games are fun and social ways to improve flexibility and balance. Our retirement communities have activity centers that are always buzzing with games and sporting events. Reading: Reading helps seniors stay mentally alert and in touch with the world. Our retirement homes have well-stocked libraries and reading clubs where residents can discuss and share their opinions with others. Yoga: The health benefits of yoga are numerous. It improves balance and stability and has a calming effect on the mind.  Yoga also relieves pain caused from stiff joints. At Columbia Pacific Communities, residents actively take part in yoga/pranayama exercises to improve their flexibility and overall mindset. For many residents, these classes are also a great way to make new friends. Art classes: From watercolor and acrylic painting to sketching – pursuing art can open one’s eyes to unseen possibilities. It also helps seniors improve their fine motor skills. Many senior citizen homes in India conduct regular art classes where residents create  art in a group and find an enjoyable way to connect with others.