All Aboard
More than 70 years ago, Glenn Wiegand sat beneath his family’s Christmas tree, anxiously hoping he’d unwrap a model train set. To his surprise, the then 8-year-old got the present he’d been dreaming of, a Lionel freight train set, which launched a lifelong hobby that he’d invest thousands of hours into.
When he got a job as a paperboy for Cleveland’s Shopping News a few years later — delivering papers to 300 houses to earn $1.20 — he saved the cash to buy new parts for his train set. When he got married in ‘58 and eventually had six children, his trains moved from house to house with him. “As my family grew, so did my trains and my interest,” Wiegand says. “It’s something that gets in your blood.”
Today, the 83-year-old’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren visit his Seven Hills home to see grandpa’s decades-long project: an elaborate setup on six 3-by-8-foot tables with a dozen locomotives, lifelike trees and rivers, over 100 cars, and light up houses and shops — most of which he painted and built himself.
“When you get it done, people come over and walk out mesmerized,” Wiegand says. “It’s satisfying seeing somebody else’s enjoyment.”
That passion Wiegand has for trains is something each of us has within. Whether it’s painting, dancing or gardening for you, having a hobby can not only bring you joy but also boost your overall health.
“There’s an old notion that seniors only ever go to bingo, but there’s so much more you can do,” says Kathy Romito, the community outreach manager at Western Reserve Hospital. “Hobbies help people focus on something so they have a purpose to get up every day.”
Romito speaks to around 300 older adults at Western Reserve Hospital’s Senior Coalition Lunch and Learn, a monthly program that addresses health and entertainment at the Natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls. She shares how hobbies help make seniors happier and healthier.
Build Interests
With age comes a stronger understanding of ourselves, and ample opportunities, especially after retirement, to push the boundaries of self-discovery.
“I would encourage seniors to redefine the things they already do well,” Romito says. So those who love cooking can borrow a cookbook from the library and find a fresh recipe or go to the local farmers market and research how to cook with a new vegetable. Or those with a green thumb might perfect their horticulture skills with online tips or though clubs like Gardeners of Greater Akron.
“If the first thing you try doesn’t work, try something else,” she says. “Everyone has to start somewhere.”
If you’re not sure where to begin, try something new. For example, Akron holds a senior Soap Box Derby at Derby Downs every August. If racing a car down a hill isn’t your style, visit hobby stores like Hill Top Hobby Shop in Akron, or sign up for an art class at the Quirk Cultural Center in Cuyahoga Falls.
Get Active
Look for hobbies that can benefit your body. Physical activities don’t have to be completing a marathon. It can be a more laid-back exercise like biking or hiking.
“I often advise people that want to do physical exercise but aren’t necessarily looking to go run, tai chi is a great option — it’s easygoing,” Romito says. “It helps gentle joint movement and restlessness.”
Choosing these hobbies can help you do what you love longer. Partaking in physical activity reduces the risk of falling and fracturing bones, helps control joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis and lowers the chance of dying from coronary heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Tactile activities like Wiegand’s are great for your health in a different way. Building model trains or planes improves hand dexterity, and it’s a hobby that can be practiced all year since it doesn’t depend on weather. Wiegand spends the most time building during the winter months when life slows down.
“When you get snowed in, it becomes a good pastime,” Wiegand says. “I’ll spend hours at a time down there.”
A veggie stand he built for his train set took around 40 hours to complete. Wiegand hand-painted the letters and siding, as well as chopped up parsley and other items to look like fruits.
Stay Sharp
Exploring a new craft can make your mind stronger, too. And you can have some fun along the way.
“If you’re creating art, it improves creative thinking, ability to focus — and increases empathy and problem-solving skills,” Romito says. “Games like bridge and rummy also help with cognitive stimulation.”
Playing games, such as chess or sudoku, can enhance short-term memory, processing speed and decision-making, according to a 2016 International Psychogeriatrics study. Those benefits also come from creative activities like drawing and learning an instrument.
There are many Akron senior groups and classes you can join to engage in these hobbies, such as Meet Me at the Museum, a new monthly program at the Akron Art Museum in which participants partake in gallery discussions, paint, weave and do other creative activities to stimulate their brains.
Boost Confidence
Having a pastime gives you something to look forward to each day, whether it’s adding another row to a blanket you’re knitting or learning a new song on the guitar. And if you’re involved with a group, you can bond over a shared passion or engage in friendly competition.
“Working within groups can also help with shared experiences — you belong to something bigger than yourself,” Romito says. “And golf or tennis groups help keep endorphins alive by having a competitive edge.”
Wiegand finds community in attending train shows and linking up with local train builders he’s met over the years, but his favorite part of the hobby is the sense of accomplishment he feels after finishing a project — the beauty of a finished track or landscape he’s made with his own two hands.
“When you open these kits, it’s just a box of parts and you have to assemble all of them — I get a lot of enjoyment doing that,” Wiegand says. “I can look back and say, I built that from scratch. See all those little people along the tracks? I painted each one of these guys with a little brush. I built this from nothing — that’s satisfaction.”