How to Stay Healthy After Retirement

They say youth is wasted on the young, but so is health. When we grow up, we don’t worry about what we eat and take risks that could cause bodily harm. It is all fun and games because your body is strong and fresh. As you age, you start to feel your mortality and realize that you must maintain your health in your golden years. Nothing is worse than retiring from a life of labour only to be unable to enjoy it because of sickness, injury or other afflictions.

Do you work on your body, mind, and spirit to retain youth? This idea is great, but knowing the best methods and strategies can be hard. Here’s how to stay healthy after retirement.

Retirement Homes

A retirement home is a great way for seniors to stay healthy. Everything we have covered above comes wrapped up in an amazing lifestyle at modern retirement residences. When looking for the next adventure in your life, a retirement home is the answer because it is designed for an active senior to flourish.

They provide private accommodations with everything you need just outside your front door. Independence is key here because you are not in some old folks’ homes but a vibrant community of like-minded individuals looking to stay healthy and active into their golden years. Make friends, learn new things, have an adventure, and get plenty of great food. This type of lifestyle rinses and repeats every day, so it’s like you are on a constant vacation!

Be Social

In our younger adult lives, we had kids to care for and jobs to go to, where there was lots of human connection every day. Add in family and friends, and your dance card was probably full. In retirement, you lose those work connections, and the kids have family commitments, often leading to isolation and loneliness.

Part of a healthy lifestyle is mental health, and you need to connect with people to share experiences and communicate with. Keep up with your social networks or start new ones by joining a club or class that interests you. You could even take a course, grab a loved one, and go on vacation. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are not doing it alone.

Get Lots of Sleep

There was a time when you lived on limited sleep and could still function well. Sleep is a time for the body to rest and restore its functions, and it is even more important when you are older.

Aim for 8 hours a night and hit the pillow by 10 p.m. Then, you can wake up early, fully rested and ready to take on the day with lots of energy.

Be Active

If you’re an avid sportsperson, you may get a regular workout when you hit retirement and beyond. Running around with kids and working a job can keep you strong and limber, but relaxing in retirement can take its toll, so you must get off the couch and move.

Active senior living is different for everyone, but it’s good to do something that will raise your heart rate. Take into consideration any mobility issues and pick an activity that you enjoy, like:

• Hiking
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Jogging
• Weight training
• Travelling

Walking is a good exercise that will grease the joints and improve your breathing, so start there and work your way up to more strenuous activities. Bottom line: Don’t be a couch potato just because you have time to sit on it during the day.

Eat Well

Another healthy habit that will benefit you in your retirement is eating well. We all know what is good and bad for you, but it takes discipline to make the right choices for what you consume. This doesn’t mean you can’t eat snacks and desserts, but they shouldn’t be a constant way to get sustenance.

If you leave these types of food for special occasions, they become more special. Then, spend most of your mealtime eating fresh fruits and veggies, high-quality protein, healthy fats and whole grains. Eating well keeps you fuelled, keeps you regular and keeps you young.

This is how to stay healthy after retirement. You have given lots to this life, so it is time you took a little. Go travelling, stop and smell the flowers, and fall in love with yourself as you create a healthy way of life for many more years.