Being old and retired in no way means that life should come to a halt. In fact, all elderly people, who have so much time on their hands, should do and learn things which they always wanted to, when they were young but were unable to, due to professional and personal commitments. So, if you always wanted to travel, if your health permits, go for it. If photography intrigued you, join a class, learn it and pursue this passion of yours. Likewise, depending upon your interests, make good use of your time, by taking up some fun hobbies. Writing By now, you must have seen many situations and events in your life, both good as well as bad. You must have seen your share of relationships, some working out and some don't. You have years of experience of working with people, living with a family and connecting to your children, grandchildren, friends and acquaintances. In short, you must have lots of stories to tell! So, why not take up writing? Write a diary in your leisure time or write an article for a local newspaper or magazine, if you have good command over your language. If you have grandchildren, you can even try writing some stories for them and then entertain them with these, whenever they visit. If nothing else, write about your own life, your struggles and successes, the turning points in your life, etc. Reminiscing and writing about your past is sure to keep you engaged for hours. Cooking One of the best hobbies for elderly women is to take up cooking. If you had been working throughout, you might not have actually got time to cook up some elaborate dishes or try your hands at international cuisines. So, now that you have all the time in the world to learn something new, try cuisines such as Chinese, Italian and Mexican. For holidays and Christmas, bake cookies and cakes for your friends and family and present them these in gift baskets. Or you can simply try making some healthy dishes, with minimal oil, fats and sugar, which will be very beneficial for you at this age. As you can see, there are so many things that you can do by taking up this hobby. Exercising Exercising is one hobby, which will make you healthy, strong, fit and happy. It is often seen that the elderly lead a sedentary lifestyle. With little physical activities, the incidence and possibility of diseases increases. So to avoid this, one should exercise every day for an hour. Going for a walk in the park, cycling, aerobics - anything can be taken up. A good idea here is to make exercise buddies. Form a group, if possible, with people of your age and go walking with them everyday. This will ensure that you don't break your exercise regimen, at the same time, get to socialize and share some laughs with, everyday! Gardening Being in the midst of nature, nurturing the plants, watering them, listening to the birds chirp - all these can be very therapeutic for the elderly. If you are one of those lucky few who have a garden, you can even make a small business with this hobby by growing some essential herbs, which have a huge market today, thanks to the bent of the people these days towards alternative therapies. Otherwise, keeping a few potted plants and nurturing them is equally satisfying and a great way to pass time for the elderly. Art and Craft You go to any craft store and you will find books and kits on a number of crafts, right from painting to block printing or jewelry making and knitting to woodworking, etc. So, choose any of these crafts for the elderly, depending upon your choice and start with it. Once you master it, you can surprise your friends and family, by making some gifts for them, using your craft skills. By taking up such hobbies, an elderly person gets to exercise his body and mind. He gives a new direction to his life and thus, does not feel left out or alone. Thus, in the end, it can be said that hobbies enhance their mood and gives them a purpose to live, and are thus, great for their health and peace of mind!