While it’s important to enjoy the lack of obligations, it’s just as important to make the most of your time with activities that get you moving and keep your mind sharp. Check out these ideas for healthy hobbies in your golden years.
Hobbies to Stay Active
You’ve most likely heard the phrase: A body in motion stays in motion. Finding activities you enjoy that keep you moving is integral to health and longevity. And your health can make or break your golden years. Good health improves quality of life and helps prevent expenses such as costly medical care – it can even help lower your life insurance quotes when you are over 50. Be sure to speak with your doctor before starting any new physical regimen!
Get Involved in Sports: The best aspect of getting involved in sports is that beyond keeping you active, it’s a great way to engage with friends and meet new people. Low-impact sports such as swimming or golfing will get your heart rate up and help keep you fit and active. Some other popular sports for seniors include squash and a sport called walking football. Cycling is another great way to keep active and even socialize a bit.
Start a Workout Routine: When approached correctly, strength training as a workout routine can do wonders for your fitness and stamina. Whether you hit the gym, establish an at-home routine, or take on the track at your local community center, even just a 30-minute workout lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. Stock up on resistance bands at home or work with a trainer in the gym.
Hobbies to Keep Your Mind Sharp
Mentally stimulating activities have been shown to reverse cognitive decline. Keeping your brain engaged not only gives you a boost of vitality, but it may also build your reserve of brain cells and keep your neural connections strong. This is especially true for picking up hobbies that you never had time for before.
Play Games: Did you know that video games are becoming increasingly more popular among those older than 50? Whether those games are played on a computer or smartphone, seniors are turning to tech to sharpen their minds. Games can improve motor skills and response times as well as be an entertainment option.
High-Powered Hobbies: Age-old hobbies are just as valuable as modern means of sharpening your mind. Reading improves brain connectivity, aids in sleep readiness, and prevents cognitive decline. Same goes for jigsaw puzzles, with the added benefit of improving your visual-spatial reasoning.
Learn New Skills: Pick up that instrument, discover new languages, even take on technology. Learning new skills has untold benefits to our brain and our moods. New skills can also introduce a new means of income. Social media is a great place to start learning new technology skills while keeping you connected to friends and family.
Enjoy Nature As A Hobby
Philosophers have long waxed poetic about the benefits of spending time in nature. Scientists, though, are just starting to understand the profound effects that smelling the roses has on our mood, health, and well-being. Even hospitals are starting to incorporate nature in their treatment programs for chronic illness.
Go the Mile: Hiking along the river, fishing on the lake, even RV camping are great ways to get outside and see the endless sky. Many of these activities may end up teaching you new skills, so you will get an added boost to your brain cells.
Close-to-Home: You don’t have to travel far to enjoy the great outdoors. Urban walks can often be just as cathartic as deep woods trekking. And if you want to stay real close to home, take up gardening. You’ll not only learn new facts about plants, you’ll get in a good workout, too!
Make Your Finances a Hobby
Ensuring your time is filled with fun hobbies is incredibly important to your quality of life. Yet, so are the items on your to-do list that may not seem as engaging. We’re talking about your financial situation. From saving money on everyday items to getting life insurance quotes online, turning money management into a hobby is a great way to keep your retirement account going strong.
You can start by taking on a very important aspect of your finances: life insurance quotes online. There are a few things to consider as you shop for life insurance quotes online, like determining what kind of coverage you need. Once you’re ready, though, you can visit us at americoseniorlife.com and in just a few clicks, get an affordable life insurance quote – even over 50 years old.
There’s no time like the present to find new ways to enjoy your free time. Start with Americo Senior Life today!