Healthy Retirement Is Rewarding In Many Ways
Many people picture retirement as years spent in an assisted living facility or growing old in their homes. The truth is that many retirees are living healthy, happy lives with improved relationships.
One couple traded city life for country life and spends more time with their grand kids than they ever did before the move.
He found that buying mountain bike and using it on his wooded property by the lake was fun. It is a great way to get around and he felt better too.
On their first visit, the grand kids were surprised that Grandpa was riding his schwinn mountain bike. They bring their bikes up every chance they get to cut new trails and camp with Gramps.
He has renewed his interest in cooking and mastering new recipes. He laughingly refers to his collection of meals as retirement recipes. His wife is planning her garden to provide fresh herbs and vegetables.
In the evening he breaks out the dreadnought acoustic guitar and makes another connection with the grandkids. Music pulls them together in new ways.
His wife has introduced the family to kayaking on the lake. She has been in the lake nearly every day since she shared a kayak course with neighbors. Now the family keeps several on the property.
They did not sit down with a plan to bike, paddle, garden, or cut brush to improve their physical health. They did not just change their life. They changed their lifestyle.
They are convinced that their lifestyle changes are allowing them to live a physically improved life. Unlike many of their peers they have a cupboard free of prescription medicines.
The move meant they might see less of their family but they were wrong. The healthiest benefit has been the visits from their relatives. Their country home is a destination that equals hours of fun and shared activities.
They are creating heartfelt mental scrapbooks over weekends and summer vacations. The grandparents recently installed a satellite internet hookup. They even have a blog where they both contribute.
They have downloaded recipes to try, gardening tips, and checked out groomed trails in the area for the mountain bikes.
They even joined a social site where they posted profiles and frequently add pictures of the lake and woods. It is purely a private shared smile when they look at the site where their grandchildren consider them to be friends.
Not everyone can retire to a postcard setting but all of us can try new hobbies. We can strive to be healthier and connect with our loved ones. That really is the healthiest retirement in the world.