Growing older isn’t the problem; forgetting how to have fun without taking yourself too seriously is.
There’s a unique kind of optimism that hits boomers on Friday evening.
They close their laptops, stretch their backs, and say something like, “Let’s do something fun this weekend. Let’s feel young again.”
And they mean it.
There’s something genuinely sweet about watching people in their 50s and 60s trying to reconnect with their younger selves. The enthusiasm is real, even if the execution sometimes isn’t. They’re not trying to be 25 again; they’re trying to remember what it felt like to be 25.
Still, somewhere between a brunch mimosa and a failed TikTok dance, reality sets in. Because while age is a mindset, sore knees are not.
So, here are seven weekend activities boomers love to do in the name of “feeling young” that, charmingly and hilariously, end up doing the opposite.
1. The music festival revival
Every summer, there’s a group of boomers who show up at a music festival with the energy of Woodstock and the hydration strategy of a 20-year-old. They come in floral shirts, denim shorts, and sun hats, clutching craft beer cans like it’s 1978 again.
They’re ready to relive the glory days. Except, the glory days didn’t include $15 water bottles, four-hour queues, or EDM.
They’ll power through the first few acts, bobbing their heads, maybe even dancing a little. But by mid-afternoon, they’re squinting at the stage, murmuring things like, “Do they have any real instruments?” or “I can’t hear the lyrics.”
Eventually, one will pull out a foldable chair, another will start scrolling through photos of their grandkids, and someone will say, “Honestly, we could’ve just watched this on YouTube.”
The thing is, they’re not wrong. It’s just funny how a day meant to make them feel young always ends with them doing something unmistakably adult: checking traffic to beat the crowd.
2. The spontaneous road trip
Boomers love the idea of spontaneity. They’ll announce on Saturday morning, “Let’s just drive. No plan. No GPS. Just like the old days.”
Except, ten minutes in, someone’s already searching for the nearest bathroom, and Google Maps is very much in use.
They’ll romanticize the “freedom of the open road,” but the drive now includes:
- Complaining about gas prices
- Commenting on how “these roads weren’t here before”
- And, my favorite, taking photos of rest stop coffee “for the memories”
I’ve seen this play out so many times on American highways. The plan starts with a spontaneous “Let’s go to Nashville!” and ends with a stop at Cracker Barrel and a nap in the car. Yet afterward, someone always says, “That was fun. We should do it again.”
That’s the thing about boomers—they’ll complain the whole way through, then plan their next trip immediately after.
3. The night out “like the old days”
You can always tell when a group of boomers is gearing up for a “wild night out.” It starts with a text that says, “Let’s hit the town tonight!” and ends with someone home by 10.
They’ll dress up, hair sprayed, shirts ironed, cologne applied generously. They’ll order a round of tequila shots “for old times’ sake,” chanting that they’re “not that old.”
For about thirty minutes, they’re unstoppable. Then, one starts yawning. Another quietly checks if there’s dessert on the menu. By 9:15, they’re asking if the music could be “turned down a little.”
And yet, you can’t help but find it adorable. There’s something so pure about watching people who’ve spent decades being responsible let loose, just for a moment, even if it ends with them falling asleep to Netflix by 11.
Because truthfully, the intention matters more than the stamina.
4. The yoga class takeover
Yoga has become the universal language of wellness, and boomers speak it fluently, sort of. They join classes for flexibility, peace, and “youthful energy,” but end up spending half the time side-eyeing the instructor.
You’ll hear things like, “What’s a vinyasa again?” or “Since when did yoga have music?”
They’ll roll their eyes at the spiritual affirmations and laugh when told to “breathe into the hips.” But when class ends, they’ll walk out glowing, sipping green smoothies, telling everyone how “amazing” they feel.
One woman I met after a community yoga session said, laughing, “I may not be young, but I’m still growing.” It stuck with me.
Because that’s what boomers often remind us of—growth doesn’t stop when youth does. It just changes its pace.
5. The “let’s start a podcast” phase
There’s a certain demographic of boomers who hit retirement and decide, “You know what the world needs? My opinions.”
And honestly, I respect it.
They buy microphones, ring lights, and spend hours researching “how to get on Spotify.” Their show titles are things like “Real Talk with Rick & Ron” or “Life Lessons Over Lattes.”
In theory, it’s great. In practice, it’s two men talking over each other for an hour about how “things were better back then.”
Their adult kids will try to help them edit, but they’ll insist, “No, I like it raw and unfiltered.” By episode three, one’s forgotten how to upload, and the other’s lost interest.
Still, I find it oddly endearing. Because beneath the rambling and nostalgia, there’s a genuine desire to connect, to stay part of the conversation in a world that’s constantly moving on without them.
And in a way, that’s what podcasting is about: being heard, even if no one’s really listening.
6. The TikTok adventure
This one deserves a standing ovation for sheer bravery.
Boomers on TikTok are both a gift and a mystery. They start by saying, “I just downloaded it to watch funny videos,” but within a week, they’ve posted their first lip-sync to Dua Lipa with the caption, “Just having fun!!!”
Their videos often begin with them saying, “Is this thing recording?” The camera angle is always from below. The lighting is blinding. The background is usually a messy living room with a barking dog.
And yet, some of them go viral. Because authenticity, even when unintentional, always shines through.
There’s something delightful about seeing someone completely free of self-consciousness dancing to “Uptown Funk.” They’re not performing for clout; they’re playing. And maybe that’s the most youthful thing of all.
7. The group fitness comeback
Nothing says “I’ve still got it” like joining a spin class full of twenty-somethings in neon leggings. They walk in confident, brand-new sneakers gleaming, smartwatch synced, ready to dominate.
The first five minutes are great. Then the instructor yells “Let’s sprint!” and suddenly, it’s survival mode.
By the end, half the class looks like they’ve seen the afterlife. But boomers? They smile proudly, wipe their sweat, and say, “That was incredible. Let’s do this every week.”
Do they ever go back? Sometimes. But what matters is that they tried.
And truthfully, that’s what makes them inspiring. They don’t let self-consciousness stop them. They just show up, and that’s something most of us struggle with, regardless of age.
Before we finish, let’s look a little deeper
It’s easy to laugh at these moments, and they are funny, but beneath the humor, there’s something tender happening. Boomers aren’t trying to compete with younger generations. They’re trying to stay connected to life itself.
When you’ve spent decades in routines, raising families, working long hours, it’s easy to forget the joy of trying new things. So when boomers take a dance class, post a TikTok, or plan a last-minute trip, they’re not chasing youth. They’re chasing aliveness.
And that’s something we could all learn from.
Because let’s be honest, most of us in our 20s and 30s are already complaining about back pain and preferring quiet nights in. Maybe the difference is that boomers don’t see those moments as decline. They see them as proof that they’ve earned the right to slow down and laugh at themselves.
Final thoughts
What I love most about boomers is their shameless enthusiasm. They’ve lived through decades of change, survived without Google, and raised generations who now mock their Facebook posts, and yet, they still keep showing up.
They try new things, even if it means being the joke sometimes. They laugh at themselves, and that, I think, is the truest sign of youth.
Maybe feeling young isn’t about keeping up with trends or mastering TikTok dances. Maybe it’s about staying curious, about still wanting to participate in the world instead of just watching it.
So yes, boomers might stumble through yoga, nap halfway through concerts, or misuse hashtags. But at least they’re still out there, doing, trying, and laughing.
And if that’s what getting older looks like, then honestly, it doesn’t seem so bad.
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