Congratulations are in order if you have finally reached your retirement age! After all those years spent on the job, now it’s time to relax and enjoy your golden years. Contrary to common belief, you don’t have to slow down and give up the fun. Enjoy life to the fullest and keep your body, mind and spirit in good shape.

Your golden age is the time to continue being active and healthy, and these are the ways you can do it.

Health check-up

Before you embark on your new adventures, make sure your health is in order. If you didn’t have a detailed medical check-up before you retired, now is the time to do it. Consult your doctor regarding any restrictions, medication or therapy they would recommend. It’s highly likely that you’ll get advice to take up regular physical exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling as a part of your health care regime and a way of dealing with conditions such as arthritis or diabetes on a daily basis.

Most retirees claim that having good health and lots of free time isn’t enough for them to feel happy and fulfilled. Many of them would rather choose to stay busy, whether as a volunteer, in a part-time job or a community group. The main reason is that it helps them stay both mentally and physically active for longer. They feel more purposeful and organised and have a stronger sense of self-worth and identity.

This social aspect of retirement should by no means be neglected. It gives the seniors an excellent way to spend time with their families and friends. And if they decide to become a part of a luxury retirement community, they will have great opportunities that may include doing arts and crafts, playing cards, bowling, dancing, yoga, tennis, aerobics, golf, snooker and even movie nights and BBQ parties.

The most important element here is the feeling of social support that helps lower levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, sleep quality improves and lifespan increases. To sum it up, there’s a clear connection between close social relationships and overall physical and mental well-being.

Exercise plan

The next goal is to come up with an individualised exercise plan. For seniors with a chronic condition, it’s recommended physical exercises of moderate intensity such as brisk walking, cycling or swimming for 30 minutes, five days a week. Strength training such as resistance exercises and moderate weight training should be practiced two or three times a week. These two types of activities will improve the cardiovascular health and improve muscle tone and bone density.

Exercises that should be done daily without exception are flexibility exercises, at least 10 minutes every morning. This would improve circulation and reduce the feeling or morning numbness or stiffness.

Activity plan

Making an activity plan is crucial in giving meaning to life in retirement, especially for those seniors who have had an active and busy lifestyle before. The same goes for those who had a sedentary life – now it’s time to adopt good habits that will keep them active and healthy for a long time.

One way to go is to spend as much time as possible outdoors reconnecting with nature. You can walk your dog, go cycling, do errands on foot, volunteer in the local community organisations, or explore parks and gardens and your city’s architecture and history. Become a gardener or get into home improvement and finish all that work that got put off for years.

In general, retirees should try their best to reduce sitting and inactive time in order to lower health risks. There are plenty of ways that can help in staying active throughout the day and the trick is finding the one the works for you.

Contributed by Zara Lewis.

Photo credits: Imgur