It’s never too late to get active. It is time to retire and now, you’re going to face a new chapter in life that comes with a new sense of purpose. Retirement means that you are done with the daily rat race, deadlines and extended working hours. What do you do, you may wonder? Let’s take a closer look at what others say and do.

Retiring means that it is time for you to stop rushing around, relax and spend more time with your family. Retirement does come with its own challenges to make it possible for you to live your golden years with fulfilment.

What Is Retirement?

In South Africa, the average retirement age is 60 and some people retire early at 55 years of age. While searching for information on retirement, you will quickly realize that finances and financial independence are the first topics to surface.

The concept of retirement revolves around the extension of life expectancy which in turn makes retirement plans and policies a hot topic. The biggest change is the seizing of your monthly income. 

It goes without saying that this is something you need to plan for from an early age, the quicker you start the better. The quality of your retirement is directly proportional to your financial independence.

But there are more than enough articles on the internet from all the different financial organizations that cover financial topics. The second most prominent topic and the one we will be exploring in this article is staying active.

Why is it important to stay active?

Due to the very natural process of ageing, your body adjusts relatively to the activities you perform. This is true for not only physical well being but also your mental health.

There are many advantages that come with staying active and the opposite applies to becoming passive. Becoming passive is easy as your work routines are disrupted and without a plan, you can quickly experience a loss of purpose.

That is the reason why you should stay active, discover your hidden talents, take on new hobbies, and create a new routine that suits your lifestyle and keeps you active at the same time.

Staying active in retirement benefits your physical and mental health and discovers some of your hidden skills, exciting hobbies, and talents that you might have. Staying active reduces heart disease, gives your immune system a boost, strengthens your bones and keeps you mentally attuned.

Ways to Stay Active in Retirement

Discover New Skills And Hobbies

Decision making and problem-solving made up a big part of your working years, which played a crucial part in your wellbeing. So it only makes sense to find suitable replacements for those activities. Find that mind-stimulating hobby or leisure activity that suits you. 

This way you keep your mind active and with the right activities, stay fit at the same time. The right hobby or activity stimulates brain activity and benefits your emotional health.   

Stay Connected Socially

In some cases, retirement means relocating to a different town or province even. That can be devastating to your social life, but whichever way, it is important to stay connected socially.

Your friends make up the support system that keeps you active on various levels. Being socially connected gives you not only the friends to talk to, but also partners for playing golf or going to the pub.

Ultimately, most retirees reach a point where their partners pass on. During those times you need friends to talk to and get emotional support.

Staying Physical Is The Same As Staying Young

Don’t let the aches and pains prevent you from physical activities. Staying fit and being physically active play a very important part in keeping your body healthy. Any form of physical activity is a good idea for retirees. At La Gratitude we offer many different group activities. Some of these are:

• Interactive Music.
• Weekly exercises for seniors.
• Pet therapy.
• Concerts and various fund-raising initiatives.
• Ongoing community involvement.

Newcastle offers many sightseeing and day trip opportunities suitable for the elderly. Other physical activities available include Aquacise at the swim school, 2 golf courses in the area and many museums and restaurants.

Make An Effort To Stay Healthy

Staying healthy these days is easier with the many devices available to help you keep track of your heart rate, blood sugar and glucose and more. Use them, and make an active decision to live a healthier lifestyle. 

Apart from deciding to live a healthier lifestyle, you have to actually do it. This means not only monitoring your health but adjusting your diet, controlling your alcohol consumption and getting more fresh air, you do have the time.

Get Active By Volunteering

Your life did not suddenly come to a halt because you decided to retire. In fact, the more you get out and about the better. This is where signing up as a volunteer is a perfect recipe for not only keeping busy but staying socially active. 

La Gratitude works closely with many different churches and educational institutions. There is always something happening and always room for volunteers to help at events. 

The best part of volunteering is the fact that you get to give some of your time to others who may depend on it. That satisfaction alone gives you enough reason to get up and go go go in the morning.

Sleep Enough And Sleep Well

It might sound out of place in a conversation about staying active, but resting is a big part of staying busy. They go hand in hand. As we grow older our bodies produce lower levels of growth hormone. This most likely will result in a decrease in deep sleep. 

Deep sleep is the more refreshing part of the sleep cycle and reduced deep sleep results in lower melatonin production. This means that you will wake up more times a night.

Physical and mental conditions can interfere with sleep. Some of the leading causes of lack of sleep include depression, anxiety, diabetes, heart disease and conditions that cause discomfort or pain like arthritis, according to the Sleep Foundation.

Once again, this should highlight the importance of staying active.

In Closure

Embrace the fact that there will be changes to your lifestyle, how positive or negative these are, is 100% up to you. Your decisions determine your happiness and the quality of your retired life.

If you are alone, find love, live in love and spend time with your partner. After all, this is what you worked for your whole life. Retirement holds the key to making your golden years the best part of your life.