The golden years—especially if you’re retired—may be the best time of your life to pick up a new hobby.
Chances are you can find a little “you” time more easily than you could when you were focused on raising a family and making a living.
Not only that, at this stage in life you probably have a good idea of what new hobbies for seniors you might find especially rewarding or fun.
If you finally have a little time to spare, perhaps you’ll find yourself attracted to one of these five hobbies for seniors. Each one is sure to provide great physical, mental, or emotional benefits that can help keep you young!
Traveling
Recently we’ve recommended travel as a retirement activity, and now we’re going further and recommending it as a hobby for anyone who loves adventure. And why not? Travel—whether with your spouse, a friend or group, or on your own—provides as much stimulation as any other activity within your reach. Nothing gets you out of a rut better than seeing new places, meeting new people, and encountering new situations—and you do those things daily every time you travel.
The benefits of travel can kick in long before you hit the road—or the sky. If you’re game, why not brush up on a language you can practice in another country? Care to try out a little French in Montreal? You don’t even have to leave the USA to find yourself in situations where you may need more than English to get by—but if you’re tempted to travel abroad, don’t let anybody talk you out of it. Who says retirement is a time for being timid? Unfortunately, a lot seniors are hesitant to go far due to limits of their health coverage. Remember, though, with certain Medicare supplement plans you’re well covered on the road—even outside the USA—and don’t have to worry about traveling far from home.
Working out
You may think this suggestion addresses only your physical wellbeing. If so, think again. People who work out often comment that they feel a lot sharper upstairs than they did in the days before they started working out.
Even so, we’ll focus primarily here on the physical benefits of working out. For example, by doing cardio, strength, endurance, and stretching workouts—at home or at a gym—you’ll be doing your part to minimize the risk of conditions as serious as diabetes and cancer. Rather than accepting a decline in conditioning and energy as an inevitable sign of aging, you’ll have far more energy and be in a position to get a lot more enjoyment out of your golden years.
Is it better to work out at home or at a gym? Working out at home is great if you stick to it, but you’ve probably noticed what happens to some people who limit their workouts to what they can do at home. Often they set up exercise bikes in front of the TV. Before long they’re still sitting in front of the TV, but it isn’t on exercise bikes. For most people intent on working out and staying in shape, it’s probably better to go to the local gym, where you can find everything you need to build stamina, muscle tone, and endurance. Better yet, you’ll be out meeting people as committed as you are to staying in shape. You’ll have great fun, you’ll feel better, and—by keeping yourself in great condition—you’re likely to save considerably on your healthcare costs.