As you approach or enter retirement years, it seems justifiable to want to take it easy. It’s reasonable to want to slow down and enjoy leisure time after working hard and meeting a lifetime of obligations. From a physical and mental health standpoint, however, it is best to maintain an activity level that can contribute to making the senior years your best years. A multitude of studies have demonstrated the benefits of maintaining an active senior lifestyle in reducing the potential for acquiring various diseases – including Alzheimer’s, depression, and heart disease. There are no guarantees, but don’t you want the odds in your favor?
Physical & emotional fitness can easily be achieved by attending to a few key principles:
1. Participate in physical exercise such as walking, aerobics, swimming, yoga, or working out at a gym. If you’ve been sedentary, first check with your physician, and then ease into your chosen activities.
2. Have some non-physical hobbies or take a class to keep your mind active.
3. Stay in touch with younger people. For those who have children and grandchildren in the area, this is generally a no brainer, but others may have to seek out neighbors or younger colleagues or former colleagues. This can also be one of the beneficial byproducts of taking a class.
4. To the extent that it is possible, look for ways to reduce stress. This is a good time to rid yourself of stressful habits like getting upset if traffic is slow or if you are running late. If you decide to only get upset about important things, you may find that upsettingly important things don’t occur too often.
5. Eat healthy. You know what that means. Make certain that your diet includes fruits, vegetables, fish, grains, and olive oil. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you also know about the less healthy foods that should only be eaten in moderation. Also remember that you don’t have to have a weight problem to talk to your doctor about a personalized eating plan.
Finally, don’t fool yourself. Rocking in a rocking chair is not a form of physical exercise and potato chips do not count as one of your servings of vegetables for the day. If you buy into a fitness plan, you will be surprised at how easy and rewarding it is. After a while, it will become just one of those things that you do to proactively take charge of an exciting phase of life.
What do you think? I’d really enjoy hearing from you with additional suggestions or other thoughts on the subject. It would be especially nice to hear from someone who made a change to a healthier lifestyle.