Actively enjoying their retirement years is a reward most people eagerly anticipate following decades of hard work and taking care of others. Sadly, when they finally have the time to focus on themselves, millions of Americans are too unhealthy or isolated to reap the fruits of their labor.
That’s why the healthy living experts at Life Time, a healthy lifestyle brand, compiled a list of seven practical tips to help older adults enjoy their lives to the fullest.
“It’s never too late to make changes to improve your own health and happiness,” says Renee Main, senior vice president of healthy aging for Life Time. “The key to success is often finding others to participate in healthy lifestyle activities with you. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you belong to a supportive community.”
Here are Seven Tips for Healthy Aging
- Expand Your Social Circle: Research shows that people who are more connected to family, friends, and the community are happier, healthier, and live longer than people who are less connected.
- Pick Up a Pickleball Paddle: Want to live longer—and happier? Studies show that people who play racket sports regularly live nearly 10 years longer than others. And researchers believe the “social” aspect of racket sports has a lot to do with that.
- Dance, Dance, Dance: Have you ever noticed how happy, agile, and flexible older adults who dance seem to be? That’s no accident. Grab a partner and take some dance lessons. It’s good for your heart in more ways than one.
- Make a Splash: Do you worry that exercise might take too much of a toll on your body? If so, then jump (or ease yourself) into a pool and join others for some low impact moves. You don’t even need to know how to swim, and the music will make you smile.
- Find the Right Coach: Don’t know how to get started on an exercise routine? A personal trainer or group fitness instructor can help. But not just any coach will do. Find one who is certified to train active, older adults. These trainers have extensive knowledge in common injuries, surgeries, medications, and more to customize your training experience.
- Join a Community of Like-Minded Adults: You’re not the only one who wants to make the most of their Golden Years. If you know that remaining active and social are key to your happiness, then go places where others feel the same way. A health club is a great place to find support and make new friends.
- Get Down on the Ground: If you want to play with your grandchildren, instead of just watching them play, then do what you can to improve your flexibility and mobility. It’s amazing what a little stretching – or a yoga class – each morning can do.
“At Life Time, we know that being social is a key component to happiness,” says Main. “That’s why we developed ARORA, a wide variety of social, exercise and educational activities designed for older adults who want to remain healthy, active, and social. From pickleball to aqua and dance classes to coffee clubs, monthly social events, and educational workshops, ARORA is a community within Life Time that benefits your body and mind, increasing the odds that the most enjoyable years of your life are yet to come.”
