In our old age we begin to think that we have to look and act the way society says, but this is changing. Senior divisions in marathons are drawing more participants as more people become better educated and proactive in their overall health and well being.
You’ve worked hard to get here. You went to the office, raised your kids, paid your bills, and now it’s time for you to travel and enjoy your life. You won’t be going anywhere though if you aren’t mentally and physically active enough to be a part of everything. You also don’t have to look at being active as work.
How Yoga can help Retirees
Whatever your age, yoga is a longstanding tradition that may be of benefit to you. It’s pretty common for people to see the different poses and positions and feel intimidated. Everyone’s a beginner at some point. Most yoga studios are even offering classes that are set up specifically for senior citizens with teachers who will work with you as an individual. Not only will yoga increase both your strength and flexibility, it will also drastically improve your balance and help to prevent falls which become a bigger risk as we get older. While you can watch videos and mimic the positions, it’s best to work with a trained instructor that will make sure that you don’t hurt yourself.
The Benefits of Walking
Walking has always been one of the easiest ways to stay both mentally and physically active no matter what your age. Even a short 15 minute walk each day can calm your mind and revitalize your body. Artists and writers will often use walks as a means of resting their bodies and minds so that when they return to their work they’ll feel more energetic and invigorated.
Walking is also known to prevent and/or manage conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure. On top of this, it’s been proven that walking lowers risk of stroke and improves blood circulation. Your balance and bone strength will also improve over time.
Why Senior Citizens Should Solve Puzzles
Like any other muscle, if you don’t use your brain then it’ll degrade over time. This is why daily puzzles of sudoku or some crossword will benefit the mind so greatly. Anyone who needs more options can look at the many puzzle and quiz based apps available on smartphones and tablets. Things like this are critical to preventing dementia, the risks of which continue to increase as we get older.
How Meditation Helps the Elderly
As with yoga, this is an often misunderstood practice that can often be confusing to first timers. It looks like people are just sitting around with their eyes closed. How could this have an affect on your health? Sitting in meditation for as little as three minutes per day can drastically improve your overall well being by giving you a chance to truly sit and center yourself. By doing this regularly some people find themselves more relaxed and have an easier time concentrating as the day goes on.
Though it’s typically associated with Buddhism, the act of meditation has no particular faith or religious requirements. Just like prayer is speaking to God, meditation is listening.
There are a couple things to keep in mind. First, your mind will fight it at first and simply sitting and focusing on your breath is a lot harder than it sounds. Like anything else you’ll need practice, so don’t get discouraged by this. Secondly, this state you enter while meditating is called your natural state, and it’s where you’ll be completely focused, calm, and aware. You meditate so that you can retain that state throughout your day.
Also note that once you understand the basics, it becomes easier to enter this state when you are engaging in other activities such as walking, knitting or fishing.
Why You Should Volunteer After You Retire
You may not even realize it, but you are a fountain of knowledge, and your insights could have a profound effect on the younger generations. By telling your stories you’ll also help keep them fresh in your mind. It’s also a great way to help avoid depression since it gives you an obligation and reason to go out and talk to people.
Even just giving a talk to the kids at a nearby middle school can have a major impact. Sure, the kids can read lessons from a book but it doesn’t compare to having someone there that lived through it. Not only are you giving back to the community in a positive way, you never know who in that classroom might take your words and wisdom to heart and be inspired in ways you never thought possible.
Why Senior Citizens need a Different Diet
You are what you eat, and this becomes even more important in your senior years. A healthy diet will mean not just a healthier and more active body, but mind as well. All those processed foods with tons of fat and sugar will harm your body, and exhaust your mind. Fresh foods and a diet high in vegetables and low in animal fats and proteins will give you the energy you need to make the most out of your free time now that you are retired.
Before you make such major changes though you should speak with your doctor, as they’ll have a better idea of whether or not there could be a risk in it. Remember to ask questions, and see if your doctor is able to guide you to planning a proper diet.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid junk food altogether, it’s fine to enjoy an extra piece of bacon from time to time. By all means, you’ve lived this long, you deserve to treat yourself to your favorite indulgences, and you should without feeling bad at all.
Changing your diet isn’t an overnight process, and that all or nothing attitude often prevents people from sticking with a healthy diet for the long term. Instead, focus on making small, subtle changes over time. Rather than eat three pieces of bacon you could eat two, or instead of pork bacon you could eat turkey bacon. Try going vegan for a day per week and then move up to two or three. You don’t have to give up steak, but you shouldn’t have it every day.
Dieting isn’t a punishment for your weight, it’s a chance to give your body the nutrients it needs to operate at its best. Even though it doesn’t seem fun showing self-control and moderation you’ll find the payoff is far more valuable.
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Why Senior Citizens need to try new Things
There was something for everyone that they wanted to do or be a part of but never was able to. In your retirement you’ll have the time to do it. Regardless of what you get into, playing golf, planting a garden, or learning a new language, it’s a great way for you to have something to focus on. Most seniors tend to get into a rut, and learning a new skill is a way to bring you back to a beginners mind and allows you to set goals for yourself. Since you no longer need to worry about getting a degree you can return to college to take the classes that you really wanted. You should make the most of your chance to learn just for the sake of learning.
Why Cooking is Important for the Elderly
Most people tend to view cooking as a chore that they have no other choice but to do from time to time and this is simply not the case. Cooking is an excellent way to exercise your body and mind while doing something relaxing. You don’t have to be a master chef to be able to cook a wonderful meal, and you don’t have to produce seven-course meals every night either. Start simple and small, perhaps only cooking once or twice a week.
How dogs can help After Retirement
While getting a puppy might not be the right fit, your local shelter certainly has more than a few older dogs that are not as energetic. Senior dogs are great, calm pets that are almost always already house broken.
Not only will your mind be stimulated, but the dog will give you a reason to go for a couple of walks a day. One good thing about looking for a senior dog is that, since they are often overlooked for puppies, there should always be one waiting for you. The other great thing about having a dog, even a small one, is that they are always paying attention and will let you know at the first sign that something isn’t right, as well if you live alone a barking dog will often cause would be criminals to choose another target.
Let’s stay Active and Healthy
Our senior years are not something to dread, and the old stereotypes of the elderly are outdated. 50 really is the new 30, and if you are proactive with your mental and physical health then you can have a much better quality of life than any other generation previously. Getting old doesn’t mean becoming a living corpse, and while not everyone is a marathon runner, putting in extra effort to your health will result in a great payout. By keeping an open mind you’ll be able to continue forward with the changes you need to make, even if they’re difficult. You worked hard to get here, so make the most of it.
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