The work aims to apply the embodied cognition theory to explore design strategies for aging friendly cultural and recreational facilities, optimize the availability of intelligent cultural and recreational facilities, and enhance the experience of elderly users based on the social background of aging population in combination with the development orientation of smart communities. The research status, theoretical concepts of embodied cognition, and advantages of applying aging friendly design were analyzed through literature databases. With intelligent cultural and recreational facilities as the design carrier, user research methods such as in-depth interviews and field research were used to draw a user experience map of intelligent cultural and recreational facilities for the elderly population, sort out the pain points of the elderly population's needs, construct an aging friendly design strategy model for cultural and recreational facilities in smart communities from three levels of design instinct, behavior, and reflection, propose a design path for aging friendly design of intelligent cultural and recreational facilities, and carry out design practice. In conclusion, experience, mental state, and the interaction between the body and the environment are important factors that affect cognition. The combination of the embodied cognition theory and smart cultural and recreational facility design meets the safety, ease of use, and emotional needs of the elderly population. It provides a feasible strategy for improving the user experience of smart cultural and recreational facilities for the elderly population and provides a reference for the aging friendly design of smart communities.