If you are in your golden years, you have probably worked hard all your
life, taking care of your family and keeping up with the demands of
daily life. Because you were constantly on the go it was easier for you
to stay in shape at the same time. Now that you are in your golden years
and no longer have most of these responsibilities to keep you going,
you need to find other ways to motivate yourself to exercise.
It is important to your body and mind to exercise daily. It
increases circulation throughout your body and helps keep your energy
levels up. Find exercises that you enjoy and are appropriate to your
current level of fitness without over-exerting yourself. You are not
competing with anyone here, so build up slowly, challenging yourself a
little more each day; you will soon see encouraging results. If you make
it too hard, you might give up and that would not achieve anything.
Here are some activities that other seniors enjoy.
Take some time everyday to go out for a walk. A walk in the park can
clear the mind. Fresh air is good for the lungs, and the physical act
of walking is beneficial to your cardiovascular system. Going on a walk
is also good for you socially. It is a good way to stay in touch with
your neighbors, and it will give you a sense of belonging in your
community.
A little friendly competition is good for the spirit, so if you have
a sport that you like, play a friendly game with someone. Perhaps you
can find a senior's club or league in certain organized sports in your
area. When you compete, you are driven to do your best and that drive is
good for your self-confidence. It is not the winning that is important,
but how you feel about yourself while you are playing, competing and
interacting with others.
Studies have found that having contact with others is important to a
person's mental well-being. When you have a partner, you will always
know that there is someone for you when you need a little company or
are not well. If you live alone, make sure that you have someone in your
life that you can spend time with regularly, to have a laugh with,
share sad times, to be a listener for and to listen to you. A problem
shared can be a problem halved, as the old saying goes.
A sense of community is important after you retire, just as it was
in earlier years. When you were still working, your natural community
was your workplace. After you retire, you should find a group that
shares some of your common interests because this helps you keep a sense
of belonging.
Over your life, you will have accumulated a lot of wisdom and
experience and your retirement years are a great time for you to share
it. When you teach someone else, you get a feeling of satisfaction and
fulfillment in knowing that others will benefit and grow from what you
teach them. Teaching is very rewarding in that sense and as you teach,
you also learn from your students. Maybe not about the topic you are
teaching, but about other things that they know and you may not, such as
other countries, cultures, books to read, hobbies to try. Always keep
an open mind; you are never too old to learn and learning new things
keeps the brain active.
Other good activities for seniors are yoga or Tai Chi; they are
wonderful in helping your body stay flexible. The slow movements
encourage meditation, which is also good for both the mind and the body.
Swimming is another very good recreational activity you can do. It
is not only excellent for the cardiovascular system, but is a low-impact
activity that is easy on your joints, which might have become stiff
over the years. Swimming also helps you maintain your flexibility.
Gardening can be a relaxing pastime that also doubles as a form of
exercise. The physical motion of digging, pulling weeds and pruning
branches can give you a good workout without you realizing it. In
addition, you will get a great sense of accomplishment when you see your
plants grow into beautiful blooms or food for the table.
For a fun way to get some exercise, go dancing. What better way to
move your body around than to dance to your favorite music? For even
more fun, get together with a few friends and go dancing regularly. This
is a superb way to keep yourself feeling young.
No matter what activities you choose, try to find something that
gets your body moving around. You will feel more energetic and have the
satisfaction of knowing you are doing the best thing for your own health
as any type of physical activity is beneficial to your heart, body and
mind.
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