How To Stay Active in Retirement

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Retirement is a life-changer. It brings about significant adjustments in your daily life schedules and environment. It’s now time to relax, take a breather, enjoy the things you love, and spend time with your family. However, with retirement, you lose opportunities to stay active both physically and mentally. And this raises the question of how to stay active in retirement.

In the US, the average retirement age is 61 for women and 63 for men. At this age, it’s invaluable to keep your mind and body active to live fulfilling golden years. This lowers the risk of depression, improves social well-being and your strength and stamina. But what can you do to live a healthier, longer, and more active lifestyle in your retirement years? From learning new skills to keeping fit, keep reading to learn ways to stay healthy and active in retirement.

Create an Exercise Plan

One of the best ways you can stay active and healthy in your retirement is exercising. By exercising, you improve your health and can also live independently through the years.

Did you find your schedule too busy prior to retirement to exercise? With your schedule now freed up, there is no better time than now. Consider developing an exercise plan that fits your schedule.

Do you know it’s recommended to exercise at least 150 minutes per week? This way, you can enhance your balance, strength, and flexibility. Some of the exercising activities to engage in include cycling, hiking, walking, or swimming.

Also, exercising doesn’t mean that you have to go to the gym. You can come up with a home workout plan where you can do pushups, knee lifts, pelvic tilts, and stretches. Our walking trails, fitness centers, and clubs at our Ladera communities make staying active fun and easy.

Find the Right Environment

Did you know where you live impacts your quality of life? During retirement, find the kind of environment you’ve always dreamt of. This could be a relaxing and calm surrounding where you can garden, read favorite books, and find community with others enjoying retirement.

Have you thought about buying a retirement home? This can help you move away from the noisy and busy life in the city to enjoy the tranquility of the countryside or a quiet neighborhood.

Also, you can opt for a retirement community where you find new people and lots of fun activities. Remember, the right surrounding doesn’t have to be necessarily calm and relaxing; it’s the one to suit your preferred lifestyle.

Find a New Purpose

We always strive to have something to live for. You’ve been attached dearly to your career, but you have now transitioned into a new phase of life. In getting going and enjoying life, it’s imperative to find a new purpose.

Since your free time has increased, you can choose to volunteer and benefit other people while staying active. With so many people in need of help, it’s the right time to lend a hand. If you’ve been passionate about helping but have previously struggled with fitting it into your busy schedule, retirement offers you the chance.

One of the best ways to help is volunteering. If you’ve got useful skills like teaching special skills, childcare, or even mentoring young adults to guide them in choosing careers or programs to pursue.

Do you have experience in religion or counseling? Perhaps working with veterans could be the best way to spend time. If you love animals, volunteering at an animal shelter in your neighborhood might be the best idea.

Sometimes even just your availability and willingness to serve with different organizations can make all the difference. Doing what you love to find a new purpose can make you feel happier and healthier.

Stay Socially Connected

Regardless of age, staying connected to family and friends can contribute to your health. While creating or maintaining social connections might seem overwhelming, positive relationships are beneficial to your overall well-being.

After retiring, you are likely to lose contact with your network and work colleagues. However, you are not too old to make new and meaningful connections. You can stay socially connected by participating in retirement community activities.

Also, to socialize, consider joining a writing club, fitness club, dance club, or even a playgroup. Also, you’ve got ample time to visit family and friends living in other states. Don’t forget to connect and bond with your grandchildren.

While establishing new relationships, don’t forget to keep your current ones stronger. Play games, plan movie nights and do other social activities with your neighbors to strengthen the bond.

By staying socially connected, you can avoid various mental health issues, thus improving your quality of life.

Work Your Mind

Just because you have adjusted to a life of retirement does not me you have to lose your sharpness and focus as you age. It’s crucial to engage your mind in activities that can enhance your cognitive and reasoning abilities.

Without the daily mental workout you get from working, your mental performance can decrease. To maintain a sharp mind, play card games, arts and crafts, crosswords, and puzzles. Also, there are hundreds of other online games explicitly designed to keep your mind active.

Working your mind and keeping it active can help reduce the risk of suffering from dementia. In addition, it can have a positive impact on individuals who already have dementia.

To keep your mind active, you can also take a class. Discovering and learning new things can also help you maintain optimal memory performance.

Use the Above Tips on How to Stay Active in Retirement

As a retiree, maintaining good health is necessary to get the most out of your life. You need to keep your body and mind active to live to fulfill your golden years.

The best thing is, there are numerous and effective ways to stay active in retirement. Follow the above tips on how to stay active in retirement and stay healthy.

Are you looking for an active adult community in Texas? At Ladera, we got you covered. We are an active adult living community with a unique neighborhood where friends meet up for social events and activities.