You’ve finally made it!
You’re retired, have more time on your hands than ever before, and you’re ready to tackle your bucket list.
No matter what your health history and physical fitness levels are before retirement, you are going to want to make sure that you stay active during retirement.
In this article, we dive into the importance of staying active in retirement & why it matters for a healthy, balanced life after your working years.
What Does It Mean To “Stay Active”?
Everyone is going to have different experiences with physical activity, keeping busy, and staying healthy. However, nobody can argue against the truth that we feel more alive when we have something to do.
Once you retire, the key is to not get stagnant.
Staying active in retirement could mean making more time for hobbies that keep you busy. Alternatively, it could also mean prioritizing your health and joining a gym.
Staying active can mean different things for different people, and that is 100% okay.
When you are active in your lifestyle, you will find that you’ll have more purpose. In addition, because you have a lot of time on your hands in retirement, you won’t get bored as easily.
The importance of this doesn’t only apply to our physical abilities. You also want to stay active mentally. When you retire and depending on the type of work that you did throughout your career, you will want to keep your mind sharp. This doesn’t mean that you have to go to graduate school in retirement or stimulate the same exact problem-solving skills on a daily basis (as you did while working). However, do what you can to keep exercising your mind as well as your body.
Why Staying Active Matters In Retirement
Staying active in retirement matters for several, very important reasons.
Potential Offset To Future Healthcare Needs
First off, if you stay active and improve your health, you are less likely to have major medical expenses throughout retirement. As we age, healthcare costs do increase. However, if you proactively make an effort to stay active, you can certainly offset health issues.
Have The Physical Ability To Enjoy Retirement
Second, you want to be able to enjoy life after work. You deserve it! By staying active, you are prolonging your health, longevity, and energy levels so that you can actually enjoy all of your free time. In addition, after all of the years of saving, it would be a shame if you couldn’t enjoy a nice, adventurous vacation because of the inability to endure some physical activities.
Enjoy More Time With Family
Finally, you may have family members that you want to enjoy more time with. This could be your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. By staying active, maintaining your mental & physical health, and keeping busy, you will be able to keep up with everyone younger than you.
Below are several ideas on how you can stay active in retirement:
Make it a habit to go on one walk per day around your neighborhood
Join a gym, fitness studio, or running club
Become a member of a golf or tennis club
Hire a personal trainer or nutrition coach
Find new hobbies to explore
Volunteer at a local non-profit
Offer to babysit your grandchildren or drive them to school (if they live nearby)
Financial planning is not just about managing investment portfolios. More importantly, it is about having someone you trust to guide you when the unexpected occurs and to make sure your family has a trusted resource to rely on.
At Abel Financial Management, we are local, family-oriented, and truly independent financial planners with a mission to help you make smart decisions with your money. If you or someone you know faces decisions like these, we invite you to have a conversation with us.