Retirement should be about taking a well-earned rest up from a lifetime of work. Ideally, retirement is the time to visit new places, take up new hobbies, and spend time with family and loved ones. In order to really enjoy these things, you have to stay healthy. Planning a strategy for good health in your golden years is as important as making financial plans. Here are five ideas to kickstart a health strategy so you can make the most of your days in retirement.
1. Stay Active
This simple piece of advice could be the most important for staying healthy throughout retirement. If you’re just starting out with exercise, be sure to talk with a doctor before establishing a new program. If you already exercise regularly, now might be the time to consider shaking things up with a new routine.
It doesn’t take much to stay active, and what is perfect for one person may not be right for another. Evidence suggests we get the most benefit from doing things we enjoy. Whether you preferred to walk or jog, swim or play racquetball, cycle or ride horses, the right activity for you is the one you love and will stick with for the long haul.
2. Make Your Home Safe
One of the biggest threats to health for people of retirement age are accidents around the home. Slip and fall accidents are much more common among older people than among the young, in part because as humans age, reflexes get a bit slower It’s hard to keep up the same physical fitness we enjoyed in our youth.
A few simple changes around the house could make all the difference. Now might be the time to put in a handicap bathroom that makes it easy to move around and has plenty of safety features. Another smart adjustment could be to move cabinets lower. That way, they’re easier to access and thus less likely to create an accident in the kitchen.
3. Give Back
Throughout your career, you’ve learned a lot about how to work with people, make smart decisions, and just live life well. Give back by passing on some of your wisdom and you’ll benefit others while you help yourself.
This could be a casual adjustment, like taking it upon yourself to mentor younger people you already know. If you enjoy it, you could make it more formal by teaching part-time in a community center. Community centers have plenty of volunteer opportunities, too, and as you engage with people regularly you see what they need and how you can help.
4. Don’t Get In A Rut
Young people are naturally spontaneous. As we begin to age, we lose some of that spontaneity and curiosity about the world around us. This is a normal part of aging, but it’s also something you can actively fight against.
Cultivate that sense of freedom however you can. Don’t plan out every moment of every day; instead, leave some time free to do whatever seems right in the moment. Enjoy an unexpected beachside barbecue, a long walk, or a road trip. Keeping out of a rut is a great way to stretch the brain and stay healthy.
5. Prioritize your health
Unfortunately, good health is not as much of a given in our retirement as it was in our youth. To stay healthy, you have to make it a priority. This certainly involves exercising and eating well, but it also involves preparing financially and medically for a healthy retirement.
Acquiring good health insurance means refusing to neglect an essential health need because you’re worried about costs. Make sure you have the best health insurance before retiring. Compare health funds with iSelect today so you’re prepared in every way for tomorrow.
