Stay Mobile and Limber

One of the best ways to stay healthy as a retiree is to keep moving. As you get older, your joints and bones begin to wear away. Without proper care, you can easily sprain and break bones while doing regular tasks. To avoid these injuries, it's essential to keep up a normal standard of exercise. Of course, you don't have to be hitting the gym and pumping iron, but you should be walking around and using your muscles daily. If you can, joining a water aerobics class will help you stay limber in a fun way. Even something as simple as going for a walk with your dog or chasing around your grandkids can help you keep moving after you retire.

In addition to moving regularly, it's also essential to make adaptations where necessary. Unfortunately, you won't be able to do everything you could when you were younger. By learning to bend and adapt, you can keep your body and mind healthy moving forward. For instance, it may be worth it to downsize your home to something with an open floor plan. If your joints can't handle stairs anymore, moving to a house without them is a good idea. Using an online home's value estimator will help you narrow down what you can afford in your area without unnecessary hassle. By continuing to move even after you retire, you can stay healthy and strong.

Keep Up Socially

Another way to maintain your health is by keeping up socially. When you retire, it's easy to hide away in your home and never talk to anyone. Isolating, unfortunately, can have consequences on your mental health and brain development. When you're alone, it can damage your cognition and worsen preexisting neurologic conditions like Alzheimer's. Even if your mind is strong, cutting yourself off from people will lead to eventual loneliness and mental illness. By keeping up with your usual social interaction, you can avoid these issues going into your retirement. 

If you live alone and are unsure how to prevent isolation, getting active in your community is the solution. Organizations like soup kitchens, animal shelters, and food banks are always looking for volunteers like you. If you want to get out of your house, asking the recruiting department of one of these organizations about volunteering is a great way to give back to the community while preventing isolation. The nice thing about volunteering is that you aren't legally bound to show up daily. If you're feeling sick or exhausted one day, you can stay home and rest. By keeping your social standards up, you can stay mentally and physically healthy as a retiree.

Continue Preventative Care

Finally, staying healthy as a retiree must include regular visits to your doctor. As you age, you're more susceptible to issues like liver and kidney failure, heart disease, osteoporosis, and arthritis. While some of these diseases are unavoidable, going to regular doctor's appointments will help manage them. Even if you don't have conditions like these, it's essential to attend regular health screenings to monitor your overall well-being. 

It's no secret that going to a doctor has become expensive. If you don't have insurance, many communities have certain weekends of the year where doctors provide basic health screenings for seniors at a discounted price. Even if your financial state can't handle a full clinic visit, attending one of these screenings can help monitor you for health issues. By staying in close contact with your doctor, you can stay healthy long into your golden years.

Overall, retirement should be enjoyable. With these tips, you can stay healthy and energized during this time.

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