Retirement should be relaxing, not boring. In fact, taking on new hobbies can keep one’s mind sharp and body vital as one ages. Here are five ways to stay active in one’s golden years:
1. Join a gym: Joining a gym is one of the easiest ways to ensure one performs a mix of strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Doing both will help keep one’s bones and muscles strong and one’s heart and lungs fully functional. Don’t forget to add in yoga and stretching to promote balance and agility. If a gym is out of reach, see what other nearby opportunities are available for working up a sweat. Many towns and cities offer free and budget-friendly, community-based exercise programming.
2. Play music: There are numerous cognitive and emotional benefits associated with playing music. Whether one is a beginner just looking to pick up the basics or a seasoned musician with the hopes of performing in public, one can equip oneself to sound amazing with a high-quality instruments.
3. Start a book club: It’s always more fun to read books when one can discuss them with friends. From tackling the classics, to diving into non-fiction works that will challenge one’s perspective, to enjoying some easy, breezy beach reads, it’s important that the other members of the group have the same reading goals as oneself. So do a little leg work in advance to ensure everyone is on the same page.
4. Number crunch: One doesn’t have to be in school to take up math as a hobby. There are plenty of recreational mathematicians of all ages who enjoy crunching numbers to work puzzles, compete in games, and uncover patterns in the real world.
5. Learn a language: Learning a new language not only creates new neural pathways in the brain, it can be just the motivational ticket one needs to finally visit that bucket list destination one has been dreaming of. While formal lessons are great, one can help ensure your skills truly progress through conversation.
By taking on new hobbies and expanding one’s interests, one can carve out a retirement that is active, adventurous and good for one’s body, mind and soul.
