Author: Kirsten Veldman

As your retirement date is coming closer you perhaps feel mixed emotions. You can feel excited, scared, and terrified all at the same time. That is all normal because retirement is a major life change. Or maybe you’re already retired and find yourself in a negative spiral and you might wonder, what are the good things about being retired?

Well, as I retirement blogger I’ve done a lot of research and talked to many retirees about what they love about their retirement. And listed 14 good things about being retired in this article to help you out. After reading this article you will feel more excited about your retirement. So, let’s get started.

1) No Stress

Most jobs these days are stressful, so when you’re retired you leave the stress that came with the job at work. Which for most people is a very good thing. Although it can take a bit of time to adjust to a slower pace of life that is called retirement, once you experience this more relaxed feeling you’re going to love it. And you start to question yourself, why did I get so worked up about little things at work?

Also, for most people, a job is an obligation and a way to pay the bills and save up for retirement. If you’re one of them you know that even showing up at work is stressful. And that is because you work hard but you don’t love your job. It doesn’t fuel your soul. And that is a stressful thing. Soon, in retirement you have time to do something you love to do; even though you work hard on it, you don’t experience stress. And if you found that, you’ve found your retirement passion.

You’ll get a new perspective about life. At first, most of your life evolved around work. And in retirement, you start to experience that life goes on, even without you going to work. And you’ll see that there is a whole world to be explored. And to get stressed about;) The good kind of stress of course. The one that makes you excited and in love with life.

And if you’re stressed about your finances. Make sure to get professional help from a financial expert. You can find professionals via JustAnswer quickly.

2) No Traffic

Not having to commute to work and deal with traffic jams is probably one of the best things about being retired. It’s also the first positive change you’ll experience in the first days of your retirement. You can sleep in, enjoy your morning coffee at home and you can hit the road or travel with public transport at times it’s less busy. It’s the first sense of retirement feeling you’ll experience.

You can make appointments midday or around the traffic jam hours so you can avoid it as much as possible. Because why would you get stuck in traffic in retirement? It’s a waste of time.

A great way to make use of the extra time in your day (not commuting to work) you can follow a class. Many retirees like to apply for classes because keep learning at an older age is the best way to keep your brain healthy, prevent diseases, and stay happy in retirement. But what class should you follow? Well, let me give you a great tip!

You can follow 100+ different Masterclasses from the world’s greatest teachers in their field all from the comforts of your own home with one Membership to Masterclass. It’s just as easy as Netflix. But instead of lying on the couch wasting your hard-earned time in retirement binge-watching TV series. You can learn new skills, discover a new retirement hobby and find out all the secrets from your icons with online classes on Masterclass. It makes your retirement instantly a lot more interesting.

Here is a very small selection of classes that are available on Masterclass:
– Ron Finley Teaches Gardening
– Gordon Ramsay Teaches Cooking
– Reba McEntire Teaches Country Music
– Alicia Keys Teaches Songwriting and Producing
– Samuel L. Jackson Teaches Acting

But definitely check out the masterclass website to see what other classes are available that sparks your interest. There is something for everyone on the platform. From science, music, design, cooking to acting, business and so much more. They add new classes every month.

3) No Boss

In retirement you get to be your own boss. Or you’ll have a new one: your spouse ;).

Even if you loved your boss, not having one is a lot better. It means that you get to decide what, when, where, how, and why you do things. And that freedom is priceless.

4) Lots Of Time

When you retire you get a lot of free time to spend however you want to. You don’t get 25 years of retirement time wrapped in a nice present on your last day of work, but you get 8 hours a day that you don’t have to work anymore. And how you’re going to spend these 8 hours a day is the key to your retirement happiness.

Many retirees fill their time with their new retirement hobbies and wonder after a couple of years how they ever had time to work? This is because they’re so busy in their retirement with fun activities. It’s what both my father and father-in-law joked about when they were a few months into their retirement.

Also, many people underestimate retirement. They don’t know that it’s a process that takes time to get used to. A lot of people get excited about the abundance of time in retirement, but once they retire they have trouble structuring their retirement day. That is why it’s important to retire to something. Having a plan about what you’re going to do in retirement gives you a better start. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to have a strict schedule about what you’re going to do every day, but having an activity that keeps you busy goes a long way.

As I mentioned earlier, having a membership to Masterclass gives you something to hold on to and look forward to in retirement, as you fill out the rest of your time in retirement. It keeps things interesting and gives you an opportunity to explore new activities.

Did you know that the key to a successful retirement is the combination of physical, mental, and social activities? You can read more about it and so much more about finding happiness in retirement in my ebook: Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement.

5) New Possibilities

With more time there comes new possibilities. And now that you don’t have to focus on work anymore you can focus on other things. New things. Like a new exercising routine, a new hobby, new dreams etc.

As the old saying goes “When one door closes, another one opens”. And that is because a shift in your life creates a shift in perspective about life and room and a clear vision for new possibilities. It’s important to grab oppurtunities by the horns and chase your dreams in retirement. Because whenever is the time to do it?

A great way to create new possibilities is to create a retirement bucket list. It helps you to find out what you want most in life and go after it. With a bucket list, you create focus, direction, and purpose towards the things in life that are important to you.

6) Freedom

With retirement, a new unwritten chapter is about to start. The possibilities are endless, everything is open for consideration and there is unknown territory waiting to be explored. You’re an explorer and adventurer in your own life when you retire. You get the chance to rediscover yourself. Find out what you enjoy most in life, get to know yourself outside your job position, rekindle (old) relationships, create new structures and routines in your everyday life, discover a passion, choose a new lifestyle, chase your dreams: write the best chapter of your life.

That is something not to be scared of but to be excited about. And that’s a choice. Make sure to choose excitement for this part of your life, because only then you feel freedom.

“You will know when you feel completely done with something and give it up and feel freedom instead of loss” – Emily Maroutian

Especially the first couple of days of retirement that sense of freedom is intense. It can catch you off guard, but take it in. Knowing that anything and everything is possible is a price-less feeling that doesn’t happen very often in life. Don’t let anxiety get in the way.

“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom” – Seren Kierkegaard

And when anxiety sneaks up on you. Make sure to follow the Mindfulness and Meditation class on Masterclass by Jon Kabat-Zinn. He can reduce your stress, and soothe your thoughts with his class.

7) No Obligations

The best part about being retired is having (almost) no obligations. And that is a great feeling. No one is breathing down your neck. There are no deadlines. No expectations from other people. Unless you say yes to a lot favors.

Everyone knows that you’re retired. And knowing that you have “nothing to do” people will instantly will aks you for favors. And my advice is to say no to every request in the first weeks or months of your retirement. Even the request to watch your grandchildren a day in the week and here is why.

You don’t want to go from a life full of obligations from work to a life filled with other obligations and tasks from other people. You haven’t retired to become a servant to someone else’s schedule again. Right? When you just got retired, give yourself the time to figure things out, because you need some time and space to adjust to retirement. And to discover how you want to spend your time. A full agenda doesn’t help you with that.

Once you know what you want to do in retirement, you can fill in the gabs of your agenda with favors and tasks from other people that you enjoy doing too.

8) Better Relationships

With more time on your hands, you have the opportunity to spend more quality time with your loved ones. It’s perhaps one of the things you look forward most to in retirement. And it’s one of the good things about being retired. It makes your relationships better and you a happier person.

Whether it’s your relationship with your spouse, friends, children, or grandchildren. It’s important to put time and effort into your social life because socializing is one of the key factors to a happy retired life. So make plans for romantic dinners, family game nights, and trips with your friends and grandchildren. Time is your greatest currency, so make sure you spend it with the ones you love.

When you retire you lose daily social interactions with coworkers that you need to fill in with other social interactions, such as your family members or friends. It’s vital for your health and happiness because loneliness and depression can sneak up on you when you don’t spend enough time with loving and positive people. It’s the biggest retirement risk no one knows about. But not to worry, in my ebook I’ll show you how to avoid depression and show you new ways to stay social and make new friends.  

9) A Lot Of Discounts

The biggest advantage of getting older and retiring is getting a lot of discounts. Saving money or having access to free stuff will put a smile on anyone’s face. Getting older isn’t fun, but at least you’ll have plenty of discounts to soothe the pain.

From restaurants, grocery stores, retails stores, prescriptions, travel bookings, to cell phone plans. They all have senior discount plans, so make sure you apply for a senior discount from your favorite store and restaurant. Or mention your age when you buy tickets. On average you’ll get a 10-20% discount.

10) Chance To A Lifestyle Change

Getting retired means you get to freshen up your life and style your life the way you want it. You’ll spend a lot more time at home in retirement, but some people even like to switch it up a notch and go for living the dream: RV life, boat life or moving to another state or country.

When you want to change your lifestyle dramatically a big piece of advice for you is to try it out for a couple of weeks, first. You can tiptoe into retirement by slowly reducing your working hours while you try out the new lifestyle during your off time. Or take some time off (a few weeks) before your retire to try out your retirement plan and see if it works for you before you make any major decision. This will save you a lot of time, negative energy, and life decisions you often can’t turn back quickly.

11) No Alarm clock

Yes, no more alarm clock. No more of that awful noise when you wake up in the morning. Now you don’t have to set an alarm. Only for enjoyable things. Then the sound of the alarm clock will make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.

Although the first couple of weeks in retirement it’s nice to sleep in. Especially when you work hard and had a stressful job you need time to rest, unwind and catch up on hours of sleep. But after being more well-rested it’s healthy to have more structure in your day. Having healthy sleep hygiene with more set hours when you wake up and go to bed will help you make the most of your retirement. Along with having a positive morning routine and other habits to structure your retirement day. You can learn more about this in my ebook: Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement.

12) Inspiring Others

With so many working years you’ve become an expert in your field. And because of your age, you have a lot of life experience. And you can put this to great use and share your wisdom and life lessons with other people. It’s what a lot of retirees love to do. Each person in their own unique way. Inspiring others is an honor and gives more life satisfaction.

You can consider doing volunteer work or get paid for your expertise. You can become a coach, consultant, mentor, or advisor and share your knowledge and inspire future generations.

Doing volunteer work gives more meaning to your life because helping others makes you happy and fulfilled. And when you need extra cash in retirement your knowledge (especially if it’s rare) is worth a lot of money. It can be of great value to companies.

13) Make Your Own Rules

Retirement is the time to make your own rules. You’re out of the working force system. It’s your game now.

Think outside of the box, go out of your comfort zone, and let no one stop you in the pursuit of your dreams. Even if they seem impossible. Make sure this chapter of your life is the best one yet.

14) No Pressure

The pressure is OFF. There is no rush, you can sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Paddleboarding has become a popular activity amongst seniors. It’s easy to learn and gliding through the water is a peaceful and fun activity that is great for strengthening muscles and reducing stress. So when you would like to start paddleboarding or you want a paddleboard upgrade you might wonder, what is the best paddle board for seniors?

The best paddleboard for seniors is the all-round inflatable Bluefin Cruise Paddleboard. It’s the most versatile and stable paddleboard on the market. It’s 6” thick and made of PVC laminate military-grade material that can hold up to 28 PSI, which makes it more rigid and stable than other paddleboards. The board is shaped for all-round use, a nice blend of speed with balance and is easy to paddle, prep, and pack.

Now that know you which paddle board is best, let’s dive in deeper into why it’s the best for seniors and everything else you need to know about paddle boards. So continue reading.

What Is The Best Paddle Board For Seniors?

Paddleboarding is one of the best activities for seniors. It’s not only fun, but it also has many health benefits. And it’s so easy to learn. You don’t have to be super athletic to paddleboard. Everyone can learn how to paddleboard very quickly. As a paddleboard enthusiast myself, I see many seniors out on the water paddle boarding having fun and that is why I did some research into which paddleboard is best for seniors. Because there are different types of paddleboards that are used for different purposes that you need to know about, which I’m going to explain later in this article. But as a senior, there a few extra criteria to look for in a paddleboard.

As a senior, you want a paddle board that is more stable than average, because as you age you lose your function to balance. Also because muscle mass and strength decline as you age you want a lightweight board and paddle to make things easy for yourself. Gliding through the water easily makes your experience more fun. And probably you want a board to is versatile and travel-friendly because your retirement is filled with all sorts of adventures and festivities. For example, to cruise down the river nearby your home, catch a few waves, relax in the sun, kayak, and enjoy paddle boarding together with grandchildren, friends, and family, etc.

When you look at these criteria you want a stable all-round paddle board. And that is why the all-round inflatable Bluefin Cruise Paddleboard is your best pick. It’s easy to paddle, easy to prep, and easy to pack.

Best All-Round Paddle Board For Seniors: #1 Best Pick

The Bluefin Inlatable Cruise Paddle Board is the best paddle board for seniors, because of many reasons:

• It’s 6″ thick which makes the board extra stable, which is great for seniors because you have more trouble keeping your balance as you age.
• Its made of PVC laminate and pro weave drop stitch military-grade material which makes this paddle board more rigid than other paddle boards on the market. Therefore a great investment that you can enjoy your whole life.
• It can hold up to 28 PSI, which makes it an extremely stable paddleboard. Most paddle boards go up to 15 PSI.
• The ergonomic fiberglass paddle weighs 45% less than standard SUP paddles. That makes paddling a breeze.
• It can be converted into a kayak within seconds due to mounting rings on the board and a padded kayak seat included in the package. Which makes it a versatile board and a great accessory to bring on your planned retirement adventures.
• It’s inflatable so that you can bring it with you on every trip. And it’s inflated in just a couple of minutes with the double action pump that inflates the board while you pump both up and down. But when don’t like pumping you can get a portable electric sup air pump.
• It’s available in size 10’8″, 12′ and 15′. And if you want to know which size is best for you, continue reading or visit the detailed guide of Bluefin here.

Most Stable Paddle Board For Seniors

There is an even more stable paddle board out there. It’s the Bluefin Voyage Paddleboard that is 20% wider than standard paddle boards. It’s the sturdiest paddle board out there and is perfect for all kinds of activities and has some extra features that you can’t find on other paddle boards:

• It has stability side rails for better balance.
• A cooler box to keep food and beverages cool. Or to store your catch of the day.
• Two fishing mount rods when you love to fish.
• It’s 38″ wide. Standard boards are 30″ which makes this board very stable compared to all other paddleboards.

What Do I Need To Know Before Buying A Paddle board?

When you’re looking for a paddleboard you want a board that matches your skills, weight, height, and use of purpose. These factors are important to consider first before buying a paddleboard, because paddle boards come in all shapes and sizes, and are used for different purposes. And here is why…

Paddleboards come in different sizes because every human is different. There isn’t just one size fits all paddle board. A tall person needs a longer, wider, and sometimes thicker board to get the same comfort level of stability as a short person on a shorter board. Also, if you’re planning on paddling solo you need a different size board than when you want to paddle board in pairs or with your grandchildren.

Do you want to know which board size is the best for you?

The rule of thumb according to Bluefin is that if you’re planning on paddle solo most of the time a 10’8″ board is a perfect size. But if you’re taller than 6′ or if occasionally you want to take on an extra passenger on board you can best get a 12′ or 15′ paddle board. But you can get more in-depth information about it here.

Different Types of Paddle Boards

The shape of the board influences the performance of the paddleboard. When you’re looking for a paddle board to make long-distance trips you need a touring paddle board that is longer and narrower in shape. Speed is more important than stability with a touring paddle board. Then you have an activity paddle board that is has a more round shaped nose and is thicker and wider for better stability. This board is used especially for yoga or water-based fitness activities. Speeding or turning with an activity paddleboard is much harder compared to a touring paddle board.

And then you have the all-round paddle board where you’ll get the perfect blend between speed and balance and is great for versatile use. These boards have an oval shape nose for a great speed performance but are wider than touring boards, to experience comfort and stability for an easy-breezy ride and fun experience on the water. Most all-round paddle boards also have the feature to convert the board into a kayak with mounting points, a padded kayak seat and extra paddle piece for kayak paddling.

Is Paddle Boarding Healthy?

Paddle boarding is a very healthy activity. Especially for seniors. And here is why…

Physical Benefits Of Paddle Boarding

• Improves Your Balance – This helps you maintain independence as you age.
• Strengthens Your Entire Body – Gradually strengthens your arms, legs, back, and shoulders, and especially your core.
• Low Impact Work Out – The risk of injuries is low. And as you age recovery takes longer and therefore paddleboarding is a great exercise for seniors.
• Enhances Your Flexibility – Which is great when you have stiff joints.
• You Lose Weight – Paddleboarding is a full-body workout that helps you lose weight and builds lean muscle tone.
• Helps With Injury Recovery – Paddleboarding is often used as physiotherapy and therefore great exercise for recovery of injuries.
• It Helps Prevent Diseases – Paddleboarding is a moderate way of exercising, which keeps improving your cardiovascular health and prevents the risk of relatable diseases according to the University Of Michigan.
• Decreases Your Risk Of Falling – You improve your balance and coordination with paddle boarding, which makes the risk of falling lower. And help you to maintain your independence as you get older.
• Increases Your Bone Strength – Paddleboarding is a great strength exercising that increases your bone strength according to the National Institute of Health.
• Boosts Your Immune System – Exercising in the open air improves your overall immune system according to this study.

Mental Benefits Of Paddle Boarding For Older People

• It Makes You Happy – Being near water is proven to make you happier according to this best-selling book.
• It Reduces Stress – Exercising as well as being near water decrease the stress hormones in the body.
• Energy Booster – Surrounded by nature and exercising gives you a positive energy boost.
• Improves Your Cognitive Functioning – “Practicing a new and challenging activity is a good bet for building and maintaining cognitive skills.“ According to Harvard Medical School
• Nature Improves Your Mood – Due to negative ions in nature, you feel emotionally better. It stimulates the supply of oxygen to the brain.
• It’s A Way Of Meditating – Paddleboarding is a way of meditation. The concentration you need to stay in balance keeps you at the moment and brings you peace of mind. Also, the soothing environment makes you feel calmer.
• It Curbs And Prevents Depression – Paddleboarding can be used as a remedy to deal with depression.

When your retirement date is getting closer, you probably ask yourself, what is the real meaning of retirement? There are different concepts of retirement. In this article, I’ll explain them to you and what it means for you when you’re retiring. 

Traditionally, the real meaning of retirement is when someone has enough savings and can claim retirement benefits like their pension to stop working permanently. Today, the real meaning of retirement is more than having the financial freedom to stop working. Retirement refers to a lifestyle change where someone decides to chase their dreams and complete their bucket list. 

I’ll focus on the different concepts of retirement. First, we’ll look at the traditional retirement concept and essential things to keep in mind. In the second part of this article, I’ll tell you more about how you can prepare for the lifestyle change that retirement is. Ready to learn more? Let’s start! 

Traditional Meaning Of Retirement

The traditional meaning of retirement is based on the fact that someone is too old to work at a certain age. Signs of aging in the workforce are when someone often takes too many sick days, slows down the process, and takes up the spots of younger people. However, it was necessary to offer these aging people an income, so they didn’t need to worry about their living costs and could stop working.  

When someone is reaching the age of 65, it’s commonly known as the retirement age in western society. The concept of permanently leaving the workforce at this age is relatively new when we look at the history of modern society. National retirement programs with a pension paid for by the country is known since the end of the 19th century. 

Public pension first started in government industries. The police force, firefighters, teachers, and other municipal employees began to get a public pension at the age of 65 around the mid-1800s. However, it took several decades before private industries began to offer pension plans as well. 

During the great depression, the economic crisis in the 1930s, the concept of forced retirement snowballed. With the high unemployment numbers among younger people, it was necessary to create more jobs for them. One of the solutions was to get older people to quit working. But for them to do that is was essential to pay them enough so they could stop working and had some financial freedom. 

Real Meaning Of Retirement Today

The meaning of retirement changed over the past years. Today retirement is more than the period where someone stops working and can claim retirement benefits. 

Retirement for most people is still something they reach after a period of lifelong working, between the age of 65 and 70 years old. However, with healthy aging increasing, retirement focuses now on a period where older people chase their dreams and live life to the fullest. 

Financial Freedom In Retirement

One of the most important factors that decide if someone can retire is their financial freedom at a certain point. Government pensions aren’t enough to establish financial freedom, mainly because we live longer. These savings are based on an older model where we didn’t get as old as today. 

So, with many more years to live, often healthily, it is important to focus on getting enough savings for this period. There are several ways someone can save money for retirement. Simply by saving money for retirement during the years you’re working, as well as investing money for retirement. The amount of retirement income you’ll need depends on how many years you expect to live in retirement and the lifestyle you want to have as a retiree. 

It is important to plan these savings in time and with the help of a professional financial advisor, so you can make sure you’ll make the right choices for later in life. You can find the best professional advisors quickly via JustAnswer.

Financial Independent Retiring Early (FIRE Movement)

In more recent years retiring before the age of 65 became more popular. It’s about people who didn’t want to work all their lives and wait for the retirement age of 65 to spend more time on the things they like doing. This movement is known as Financial Independent Retire Early, in short FIRE. 

It isn’t, as many people suspect, about getting as rich as possible. This lifestyle is based on creating enough money via savings, investing, or income streams to stop working as soon as possible and focus on things that you find truly important. Originally the FIRE movement was all about creating the highest income possible so that you could stop working. 

However, for a few years, the focus shifted to a more lifestyle orientated approach. The minimalistic lifestyle approach and FIRE movement combined became very popular, such as how we set up our lives. We focus on things we find most important, like spending as much time as possible with our son and as a family together. We still work but can decide our working schedules. We cut our spendings and living costs back to a minimum to afford to live without a lot of money. 

Purpose Of Retirement

The purpose of retirement is different, depending on which perspective you look at it. Because I specifically write for you as a (soon to be) retiree, I want to focus in this part on the purpose of retirement for retirees. But it is also important to take a short look at the perspective of the employer/ company. 

The purpose of retirement for a company is to make sure an aging employee stops working before getting too old to do the job. It’s to avoid the employee is having too much sick days, taking up the spots of younger employees urging to jump in, and protecting the employee from working a lifetime. In every country, there are laws to protect employees from getting forced into retirement too early. However, specific rules can also vary per industry. 

The purpose of retirement from a retiree’s point of view is different. It’s often a time where someone is living up to for years. Many retirees look at their actual retirement as the start of a new chapter in their lives. Purpose in retirement also means what someones want to reach in their retirement. Being retired doesn’t mean that someone doesn’t need any goals. In fact, most retirees create a lifestyle plan and have many goals of things they want to do in retirement. 

Having retirement goals is the first step to create a lifestyle in retirement and to make sure that you’ll reach happiness in retirement. 

Lifestyle In Retirement

Most people retire around the age of 65 after working for 30 years or even longer. Being retired after having worked for so long means a lifestyle change. So it is important to prepare for a lifestyle in retirement. 

So, it is not only important to prepare financially for retirement, like we discussed earlier, but also about how you want to spend your retirement days. It’s important to create goals for things you want to do in retirement. 

Did you know that older adults, at the age of 65+, spend most of their time watching television? It’s probably not something you would think of when thinking about your retirement lifestyle. However, according to a recent study of the US Bureau Of Labor Statistics (BLS), watching television is good for 4.5 hours a day of leisure time! 

There is actually so much more to do in retirement. It is essential to focus on staying active because that’s related to healthy aging and probably makes you much happier as well. 

However, retirement is a significant lifestyle change, and you need to prepare for it to get the most out of it. You just read the different meanings of retirement and why it’s important to prepare for your retirement. If you want to prepare in the best way possible for this upcoming lifestyle change, I recommend reading my Ebook Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement. With this book, you get yourself on the fast-track to happiness, and you discover how to find happiness and fulfillment in retirement that others take years to find.

Gardening has many benefits, it’s an activity that is recommended for seniors, but you probably ask yourself, why is gardening good for seniors? Let me tell you more. 

As a whole, gardening has many benefits for seniors. Gardening is the perfect activity for getting regular exercise, strengthening mobility, coördination, reducing stress, and increasing social interactions. Research shows that gardening increases problem-solving, which helps maintain the brain’s cognitive functions—seniors who are actively gardening reported benefits like better physical and mental health. 

In this article, I’ll tell you more about the different benefits of gardening for seniors. I’ll share exciting results from various studies worldwide, expert tips from seniors who are actively gardening, and more interesting facts about why gardening is good for seniors. Ready to learn more? Let’s start! 

1) Gardening Keeps You Active

When it comes to healthy aging, it’s important to stay active. The CDC in the United States mentions physical activity as one of the most important things someone can do when it comes to healthy aging. According to the CDC, the minimum requirements for physical activity for seniors are at least 150 minutes of low-intensity aerobic workouts and two times muscle-strengthening workouts a week. 

This means 30 minutes of low-intensity aerobic workouts five days a week. Gardening is an activity where you easily reach these minimum requirements. 

My father, who is 71, is very active in gardening in our garden. He uses a Fitbit activity tracker to track his daily exercise. When he is gardening for a few hours a day, he quickly gets over the 10000 steps and burns many calories. Activities like spading, lifting, raking, and trimming are all physical activities. It’s the perfect combination of low-intensity aerobic workouts and muscle strengthening training. 

2) Gardening Decreases Risks Of Dementia and Alzheimers

My father also mentions gardening as an activity where he needs to stay sharp and clear his mind. It’s something confirmed by many official studies. 

According to Dr. Cyrus Raji, From the University of California, Los Angeles, “Physical activities that burn calories, like gardening, are associated with more grey matter in the brain. More grey matter means a healthier brain is associated with the reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Sure, after a day of work in the garden, my father is physically tired. Still, he says he has an incredible feeling of fulfillment at the end of the day.

Gardening often means unexpected problem-solving. Like when a plant is not growing as it should be or how to deal with pests. Problem-solving means learning new things all the time. According to this article on Harvard Health Publishing, learning new things slows cognitive aging. It’s important to stimulate our brains, just like when we focus on getting enough physical activity. 

3) Gardening Increases Serotonin – The Happiness Hormone

Happiness is something we strive for in the modern-day world. But when busy striving for happiness, we often forget to be in the present moment. We look for things outside ourselves to be happy, but actually, the solution is right in front of us. 

Gardening is not only helping you stay in the present moment, but it also triggers the release of serotonin, known as the happiness hormone. Double luck, I would say! 

According to this article on Science Daily, soil contains a specific fat or bacteria that is responsible for stress reduction and triggers the body to release serotonin.  It’s called mycobacterium vaccae. If you get in contact with this bacteria your serotonin levels rise and cortisol levels decrease. When you’re busy gardening, you’ll touch soil and dirt a lot, so good chance that you’ll benefit from this fact! 

4) Gardening Helps With Mobility

When you’re aging, your mobility decreases, but gardening helps to stay mobile and flexible. Gardening has a lot of different movements like doing squats, lifting, and walking. These movements are known as exercises that keep you flexible. Also, when you’re busily spading, raking, moving soil, you’re doing muscle-strengthening activities. Weeding or trimming helps with hand-eye coordination and balance. You’re whole body benefits from gardening activities. 

5) Gardening Improves Social Interactions

Having a strong social life is associated with many health benefits, like a lower risk of depression and longevity. According to this study, having a large group of social contacts is even linked to more significant health benefits. People with many connections outside the regular social circle of family and friends mentioned being happier, having fewer negative feelings, and getting more physical activity. 

Many seniors are gardening in groups, often in community gardens. When you’re gardening in a community garden, you’ll get in contact with a lot of their people outside your regular social circle, which increases your social interactions. It’s an excellent opportunity to engage with others, discuss different subjects, and even make new friends. 

6) Gardening Gets You Outside

Something strange is happening with how we spend our time. It’s happening in all age groups, but I’ll focus on people in the age of 64 and older for this article, which means seniors and retirees, so that you can easily relate to this. According to the BLS Time Use Survey, we spent 4,5 hours watching television a day! 

We’re getting lazy. We just don’t move enough and are spending way much time inside our homes. Of course, it’s relaxing and comforting to chill on the couch watching television shows. However, like we started this article, getting enough physical activity is one of the most important things we can do when it comes to healthy aging. 

Gardening is one of the solutions. It simply gets you outside. And being outside is essential for your well-being. Spending enough time outdoors means you’ll get enough vitamin D exposure from the sun. It means you are more active (less time watching TV). It makes you happier and improves concentration. 

7) Gardening Helps To Improve Your Diet

Okay, let’s be honest here. We all can change some things in our diet that will make us healthier. But really changing our diet isn’t a simple task. We are used to the convenience of fast food and pre-cooked meals. 

However, when you’re growing fresh vegetables in your garden, you automatically create a new opportunity to eat healthier. It’s not only that you’re busy growing your own vegetables, but also because you know what type of soil and fertilizer you used to grow your vegetables and greens that make it a more nutritious option. Good chance that you go for the biological and most natural way possible to grow your vegetables. This means your homegrown vegetables are probably much healthier than you find in the grocery store. 

According to Dr. Helen Delichatsios, an internist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, gardening inspires you to make better choices on what you put on your plate. In this article on Harvard Health Publishing, she says, “When you grew your own food, you enjoy it a lot more because of the effort it took to grow the food.” 

8) Gardening Boosts Self-Esteem

Seniors who are regularly gardening have higher self-esteem. According to this research, gardeners have a higher body appreciation than non-gardeners. This sounds logical to me when you look at all the benefits gardening has. 

Gardening simply makes you feel better. Your body gets stronger, balance and coordination increase, and you work on your mental health while gardening. These are all factors that improve your feeling of happiness. And we all know, when you’re feeling happy, you often feel very self-confident as well. 

9) Gardening Helps You Relax More

Gardening is a mindful activity, and isn’t that something we are all looking for nowadays? Even when we’re aging and retired, we still have many daily choices to make and a lot on our plates. Sometimes life can even be stressful when you’re a senior. 

Meditation and Yoga are very popular activities among seniors when it comes to being more relaxed and mindful. However, gardening is also a beneficial activity to find more relaxation and work on your mental health. 

As we discussed earlier, gardening helps you to stay in the present moment. The activities you’re doing while gardening doesn’t allow you to be busy with something else; it needs your full attention. Also, gardening is known that it has a positive effect on the hormone serotonin. The release of this hormone is triggered when you touch the soil or when you eat fresh vegetables from your garden. Serotonin is the happiness hormone and the opposite of dopamine, the stress hormone. So, gardening not only increases your happiness but also reduces your stress hormones. 

10) Gardening Keeps You Busy

Having an active lifestyle and broad social interactions are related to healthy aging. As we can read in this article, seniors with many contacts outside their regular social circle are often happier and have a better mood. 

When you’re gardening, you often meet other people, especially when you’re active in a community garden. So, as I mentioned before, it improves your social interactions. But that’s not all. 

Gardening is also an activity that keeps you literally busy. You can’t start with gardening, ignore it, and expect it to grow itself. Unless you want to grow weed, but this isn’t really gardening, is it? So, gardening keeps you busy, because there’s always something to do in your garden to get the best results. 

11) Gardening Boosts Your Immune System

Ever heard of earthing or grounding? It’s a way of connecting with the ground that is related to reducing inflammation, a perfect and easy activity you can do for prevention. The health benefits of grounding are enormous. Grounding or earthing is nothing more than simply being directly in contact with the earth, barefoot, or with your hands. It’s something you do when gardening.

How To Start Gardening? 

When you’re inexperienced with gardening, you probably wonder how to start. It isn’t that difficult, but it depends on the opportunities you have at home. When they start with gardening, the first step for many people is simply growing some herb plants at home. It’s easy to grow herbs like basil, parsley, and mint. Or vegetables like tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers.

It’s important that you learn what you can plant when. Each time of the year is good for planting different plants, herbs, vegetables. I found two recourses that are very helpful as a planting calendar. This free online calendar on Almanac is very useful. If you prefer to use a book, I recommend buying the Old Farmer’s Almanac Calendar on Amazon. 

Another great way to take your first steps as a gardener is by following a gardening class. The class that I recommend for you to follow is the MasterClass from Ron Finley, the LA-based fashion designer, and renowned urban gardener. Ron Finley is famous for his simple approach to gardening. He teaches people living in large cities how to make their city greener and start their gardens. Learn more about Ron Finley’s MasterClass here. 

How To Safely Stay Outside While Gardening?

While writing this, I feel like this might be too simple for a recommendation. It sounds so logical to me that you need to pay attention when going outside. However, sometimes we just forget to take the basic precautions necessary when we get a lot of sun hours. 

Gardening is good for your health, but it would be unlucky when you get sunburned all the time when gardening. So, please remember to put on sunscreen, wear a hat, and drink enough water when you are actively gardening.

Useful Gardening Tools For Seniors

When we’re aging, our mobility decreases. So some gardening activities are getting harder to accomplish. Sure, when you’re actively gardening, activities like doing a squat are getting easier when you do them enough. But luckily, there are also many helpful gardening tools available to make your life as a senior gardener much easier. For example, this kneeler bench which is available on Amazon, helps you get lower to the ground and protect your knees when gardening. 

Gardening Is #1 Activity For Seniors

Gardening is a popular activity among seniors. There’s a certain magic to it, being outdoors, growing flowers, vegetables, and plants. Seniors highly benefit from gardening because it’s an activity with moderate physical intensity and helps you be in the present moment. This means that it reduces stress, improves the brain’s cognitive function, and strengthens the body. 

These benefits are the main reason gardening is one of the most popular activities among people living in the world’s blue zones. Blue zones residents are known to reach a much higher age than average, often referred to as centenarians, because many are healthily reaching the respectable age of 100+. 

Like we discussed earlier, gardening is also a great way to improve your social interactions. If you want to increase your social circle, I recommend looking for a community garden. You’ll get in touch with new people and can learn how to garden so that you can benefit from it both ways. Just look online for community gardens close to the place you live, contact them and ask them to join. 

Gardening Benefits For Caregivers

As a caregiver taking care of seniors it can be difficult to find a way to start gardening with clients. If you are a professional or just taking care of family or a friend, in both situations it can be challenging to find the best gardening activities that suit your client or clients. You can easily adjust the gardening activities to everyone’s needs. 

For example, avoid repetitive bending and squatting when there are mobility issues. You can use the gardening bench that we mentioned above. Or start with vertical gardening to make it easier. Using raised gardens or elevated garden beds can also be very helpful, so it’s easier to reach. 

Make sure you offer protection from sun exposure and dehydration by following the tips we mentioned above.

Paddleboarding has become very popular over the last few years. When you see people gliding through the water it looks like a relaxing and fun activity. Perhaps you would like to join in on all the fun and you might wonder, can older people paddleboard?

Paddleboarding is a perfect activity for older people because it’s easy to learn and has many health benefits. It’s a low-impact full-body workout that improves strength, flexibility, and balance. And it’s a mindfulness exercise that reduces stress and improves your mood. You can learn at your own pace from first sitting (on your knees) to standing up. The risk of injuries is low and the only requirement is knowing how to swim.

As I paddleboard enthusiast I see many older people paddle boarding and having fun on the water. And that is why I’ve done some research into why paddleboarding is great for older people. In this article, I share in-depth information on all the benefits of paddleboarding at an older age, which paddleboard is best for seniors and tips for beginners. So continue reading. But first, some proof. Here is a vlog video of a senior paddle boarding for the first time. Make sure to continue reading below and find out why paddle boarding is one of the best exercises for older people.

Why Paddle Boarding Is Great For Older People

At first sight, paddle boarding perhaps looks like a sport for young people. But as I briefly stated above, it’s actually perfect for older people. It has become very popular amongst seniors and retirees. And that’s mostly because you don’t have to be superfit and athletic to be able to paddleboard. Anyone and everyone can do it. It’s easy to learn and this form of exercise doesn’t exhaust you, and it will gradually strengthen your body as the soothing environment of the water will make you feel relaxed too.

Retirees love to bring an inflatable paddleboard wherever they go on their retirement trips. Also, according to experts, paddleboarding is probably one of the best exercises for seniors because of the many health benefits and low risks involved. And I’m here to tell you all about it.

As you get older staying active is extremely important for your health. Learning new things and being physically and mentally active on a daily basis all contribute to a healthy and happy life. Did you know that the key ingredients for a successful retirement are the combination of daily physical, mental, and social activities? So you wanting to paddleboard at an older age is only bringing you good things in the future.

Physical Benefits Of Paddle Boarding For Older People

• Improves Balance – The main goal of paddleboarding is staying on the paddleboard. And standing on a board with the instability of the water is an exercise that will improve your balance. You might fall a couple of times in the water on your first attempt, but you quickly will learn how to keep your balance. And having a better balance and coordination helps you maintain independence as you age.

• Increases Strength – Stand-up paddleboarding is a great exercise that gradually increases your strenght. Trying to keep your balance builds abdominal and core strength quickly and paddling through the water strengthens your arms, legs, back, and shoulders. Regular strength training for older adults plays a vital role in healthy aging and preventing and treating chronic diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis, according to CDC.

• Low Impact Full Body Work Out – Paddleboarding is a fun exercising activity that gives you a total body workout at a low impact level. Every muscle in your body from head to toe is needed to stay on the board while you move through the water. The low-impact part means that you can’t do any serious damage to your body. And that’s one of the great reasons why it’s a perfect activity for older people. The risk of injuries is very low while you enhance your overall strength and performance.

• Enhances Flexibility – As you age your joints become stiffer. Paddleboarding enhances your joint support and overall flexibility.

• Weight Loss – The human body changes as we age. Even when you’re healthy your metabolism slows down and your body fat increases as you get older. And a full-body workout such as paddleboarding helps you lose weight and builds lean muscle tone. You especially strengthen the abdominal muscles and that’s usually the area with the most body fat. The dream of getting that six-pack maybe becomes true after all.

• Helps With Recovery Of Injuries – Paddleboarding is often used as physiotherapy. Many runners with an injury use paddleboarding to recover from their injury because the muscles needed for paddleboarding are similar to physiotherapy exercises. So when you’re suffering from an injury, ask your physiotherapist about paddleboarding.

• Prevents Diseases – According to the University Of Michigan, “Physical activity is one of the best things you can do to help prevent a heart attack and stroke.” It keeps your heart and blood vessels healthy and lowers blood pressure and controls blood sugar. They suggest doing 2,5 hours of moderate exercising per week helps you to get and stay heart-healthy. Paddleboarding is a moderate way of exercising and that will help you improve your cardiovascular health and prevent the risk of relatable diseases.

• Decrease Risk Of Falling – As your balance and coordination improve with paddleboarding, the risk of falling decreases. And as you become older recovering from an injury takes much longer and is often harder as well. Not falling helps you maintain your health but also your independence as you get older.

• Increased Bone Strength – Your bones become weaker and brittle as you age. Exercising and doing strengthing activities such as paddleboarding increases bone strength and overall health according to the National Institute of Health.

• Boosts The Immune System – As you age your immune system becomes weaker. Exercising is the best cure to improves your overall immune system. But exercising outdoors boosts your immune system even greater. Exposed to sunlight you get your much-needed dose of vitamin D that is essential for a well-functioning body. It prevents osteoporosis, and it reduces inflammation according to this study.

Mental Benefits Of Paddle Boarding For Older People

• Makes You Happier – Being near water is proven to make you happier according to the best-selling book: Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being near, in, on, or under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.

• Reduces Stress – Just as being around water decrease the stress hormones in the body, exercising reduces the stress levels of the body’s stress hormones as well. Also, the body releases endorphins during exercising, which are the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters.

• Boosts Your Energy – Breathing in fresh air and exercising gives you an energy boost that ten cups of coffee can’t do. When you want to get rid of some negative energy, go paddleboarding. The fresh air and the water alone will help you get rid of your negative attitude.

• Improves Cognitive Functioning – According to Harvard Medical School “Practicing a new and challenging activity is a good bet for building and maintaining cognitive skills.“ It even lowers the lower risk of dementia.

• Nature Improves Your Mood – You feel better emotionally after being in nature. And that is because of negative ions that are present in the mountains, at sea, lakes, and in forests. They stimulate the supply of oxygen to the brain and activating the mind and the body as well as bringing more mental energy.

• Optimal Environment For Meditation – The soothing environment of the water and the focus you need while paddleboarding is a great environment for meditation. The concentration and awareness that are needed to stay in balance will get you in a “flow” state of mind where your mind is only occupied with the present moment. It takes you away from your thought and feelings which makes you feel calmer and brings you peace of mind.

• Curbs And Prevents Depression – The combination of being outdoors, surrounded by water, exercising, and your mind occupied in the present moment are all ingredients that help to curb and prevent depression. As you get older loneliness and depression can sneak up on you and paddleboarding is a great remedy that keeps you in a positive spirit and staying socially connected.

What Is The Best Paddleboard For Seniors?

Paddleboards come in all shapes and sizes, so you probably wonder which paddleboard is best for you.

When you’re going to buy a SUP board (stand up paddleboard) there are a couple of things you need to consider first:

1. What is the primary purpose of your paddleboard?
2. What’s your height and weight?

Types Of Paddleboards Explained

You have three different types of paddleboards. The all-around paddleboards are more oval in shape and give you a combination of good balance and speed and are great for beginners and versatile use. Touring paddleboards are longer and narrower and have a sharper nose and are used when you want to go faster and make long touring trips. These boards are mostly used by more experienced paddleboarders. And there are activity paddleboards that are wider, thicker, and have a round-shaped nose for more stability which are great for yoga or other water-based fitness on your paddleboard. And when you’re looking for a paddleboard to enjoy together with your whole family, there are 10-person paddleboards available too. So knowing the primary purpose of your paddleboard helps you to select the perfect shape of your paddleboard.

What Size Paddle Board Do You Need?

When it comes to choosing the right paddleboard, size does matter. As you might understand keeping your balance as a big person is much harder when you’re on a short and narrow paddleboard. A lot of people make this mistake. They think that there is a one size fits all paddleboard. But it doesn’t work that way. You’ll have a bad experience which spoils all the fun. Depending on your size and height you can pick out a paddleboard that is between 10′ and 11′ feet and between 30″-“32 wide and 6” thick. The longer, wider, and thicker the board the more stability you’ll experience.

If you want to have more background information about how to choose the right paddleboard I recommend visiting Bluefin Website. They build award-winning paddleboards and can thoroughly explain the difference between paddleboards and guide you step-by-step in choosing the right paddleboard for you.

Best All-round Paddleboard For Older People

The best paddleboard for older people and beginners is this all-around inflatable Bluefin Cruise Paddleboard. It’s the most stable and versatile paddleboard on the market which makes it the most perfect paddleboard for older people. It’s even #1 voted as the most stable paddleboard out there. So if you worry about keeping your balance, this board makes paddleboarding a breeze especially if you’re older. This way you only have to worry about enjoy the ride as much as possible. And the 10’8″ size has a maximum capacity of 330 lbs, but with the 12′ size paddle board you have 385 lbs of maximum capacity, which makes it possible to paddleboard with your friend or partner and your dog at the same time.

Bluefin makes their paddleboards from 1000 Denier Exo Surface Laminate PVC & Pro Weave Drop Stitch which makes their paddleboards the most rigid and durable paddleboards on the market. Also, the paddle is made of ergonomic fiberglass and weighs 45% less than standard paddles, which makes paddling easier.

This paddleboard package comes with a portable and travel-friendly backpack, 2-piece paddle, center fin, leash, and a double-action pump, which means that on both you inflate the board with pumping up and down. And a padded kayak seat so you can turn the paddleboard into a kayak within seconds. And the board has an integrated GoPro mount on the nose so you can capture all your paddleboard adventures with your action camera. Want to know more about this paddleboard, click here.

Paddleboard Beginners Tips

To get you started the right way check out this video that shows you how easy it is to paddle board.

https://youtu.be/8RNPewqloNw

Is learning a new language on your bucket list? Then as a senior, you might be wondering, can seniors learn a new language?

Seniors can learn a new language because they benefit from their large vocabulary. It makes learning words in a new language easier. The learning process is longer because of slowed-down neurons in the brain. Mental and physical exercise can increase the ability to learn. Being physically active nurtures the growth of new brain cells. And mental challenges increase cognitive abilities.

Now that we’ve established that you’re never too old to learn new things. Let’s dig in a bit deeper into why you can easily learn at an older age and the best way to learn a new language as a senior. So continue reading!

Scientific Proof That Seniors Can Learn A New Language Easily

The public opinion is that learning is hard at an older age. Perhaps you’re convinced that it is impossible to learn a new language even though you dream about speaking a couple of words of Spanish, French, or another language. Maybe you’ve experienced that learning is more difficult compared to when you’re were younger. Perhaps that’s why you’re reading my article right now. Well, let me prove you otherwise.

We all know that kids are like sponges and that learning becomes easy for them, which is very true. Only that doesn’t mean that learning at an older age is impossible. The reason why kids are easy at learning is that they learn every day.

As we get older we often stop learning because we dedicate our time elsewhere. Kids spend their whole childhood at school learning new things and skills. And because life is new to them, they even continue learning outside school. For them, the whole world is filled with new discoveries. And they’re eager to discover everything. This is the key to their success. Learning is easy for them because they keep learning.

According to this research, 60-year-olds and older participants were challenged to learn at least three new skills simultaneously for 3 months. “Learning multiple skills simultaneously increased cognitive abilities in older adults by the midpoint of the intervention, to levels similar to performance in a separate sample of middle-aged adults, 30 years younger.” To sum it up: your brain will function younger when challenged thoroughly enough. Therefore learning becomes easier as you challenge yourself mentally regularly.

Also, according to a study, 60-year-olds often underestimate the power of their brain memory and ability to learn. The lack of confidence keeps them from pursuing learning new things. Then it becomes a downward spiral. Seniors don’t challenge their brains frequently, which will result in learning becoming harder. And then the confidence goes down… etc. Up to the point that you’re convinced that you can’t learn anything after 60.

To make learning easy at 60 is to keep learning as you age. Learning rewires the brain and optimizes the brain through a process called myelination, no matter the age. It’s the process where you experience becoming better at a skill with time and practice.

Best Method To Learn A New Language As A Senior

When you want to learn a new language as a senior, it’s important to choose a language that you feel related to. If something has your genuine interest, it becomes easier to spend time on this subject and learn that particular language. For example, when you have a high interest in Spanish culture, you might want to start learning to speak Spanish as well. 

There are many ways how you can learn a new language. The easiest and most straightforward way to start is by using a language learning application. Busuu is an application that’s perfect for learning a new language. Busuu was named the #1 language learning application in 2020. 

I like using an application like Busuu because you can set your learning program and schedule. When you follow the courses, you decide which is ideal for having a busy life with all the fun things to do as a retiree. You can start using the Busuu application for free. Still, when you genuinely want to become fluent in a language, I recommend using a premium membership. It will only cost you around 6 dollars a month and has many extras, like; 

• It allows you to learn up to 12 different languages, 
• Get certified with official McGraw Hill tests, 
• Learn in offline mode, and many more benefits. 

Get your Busuu premium subscription here. 

Benefit From Your Learning Skills and Experience

Using a language application like Busuu is a beneficial tool to learn a new language. But as a senior, you can benefit from much more tools and experiences you probably didn’t think of. Over the years, you’ve probably constantly been busy learning new things. You became a learning expert! There’s a good chance you’ve created a way of learning that works best for you. So, when you start learning a new language, it’s time to use this knowledge. 

Combine your learning skills and learning experience with a premium membership of Busuu, and you’ve created your own best personal growth program. 

Maybe you quickly learn by repeating words over and over again or by watching videos of others speaking that particular language. It doesn’t matter which way you choose, as long as the way of learning works best for you. 

Set out a plan for yourself. You can save your personal learning plan in the Busuu application when using the premium program. 

Another significant aspect of being a senior and learning a new language is that you’ve acquired an excellent knowledge of your native language over the years. Maybe you’re even fluent in a second language as well. Most people can speak two languages nowadays. Either way, having this knowledge about languages means you know many different words, sentences, and even things about grammar and other language-related things. 

Using this language knowledge helps you to learn a new language more easily. Learning a new language as a senior may take longer because the brain’s adaptive function decreases over time. But on the other hand, you can speed up learning by using your experience and knowledge. So, good chance that you can learn a new language as fast as a younger person, and maybe even faster! 

Stick To What Works Best For You

Choose the learning curve that works best for you. It is that simple when you want to learn new things and succeed quickly. When you’ve set your mind to learning something new, stick with it. Don’t give it. This is not different than when learning a new language. However, it is essential that you choose the learning curve that works best for you. Because when you follow a program of someone else, you probably have more difficulty to become fluent in that language and succeed. 

You have learned best what works for you (well, that’s a funny sentence now I think of it!). For example, when I start learning new things, it works best for me by simply doing it. My mind is somehow more focused on practical things, so when learning a new language, I learn the best way by speaking that language. That’s how I learned to speak Spanish, English, and French. 

My husband is more theoretical-focused. He learns best by first learning different words, grammar rules and then speaking the language. See how two people can become fluent in a language when following a different learning curve? The most important thing is that you stick to the way of learning that works best for you. Using a language application like Busuu can help you to stay focused on this learning curve. Find out more about the premium Busuu program here. 

Benefits Of Learning A New Language As A Senior

So, as a senior, you can easily learn a new language. As long as you stay determined and focused on the way you learn best. Learning a new language is not only a fun activity, but there are many health-related benefits as well.

It’s important to keep learning new things because it helps to keep your mind sharp and fit. Just like focusing on physical activity to train your muscles, you must similarly train your brain. According to this article on Harvard Health Publishing, learning new skills can slow cognitive aging. 

But just learning a few words in a different language for fun doesn’t cut it. If you really want to get the most out of these health benefits, you must get out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself, and genuinely start learning a new language. Focus on becoming fluent in that language. 

A study published on Psychological Science compared two groups of people between the age of 60 and 90. One group was assigned to learning complex activities, like learning a new language. And the other group focused on doing simple mental activities. 

The group that learned more complex activities showed more improvement in overall memory than the group that did simple activities. 

Increase Social Interactions And Activity

Learning new things often benefits your social interactions as well. When you start learning new things you often go somewhere to actually follow a course, where you’ll meet other like-minded people. Even when you’re learning from home, you probably interact with other people via online chats or video calls. 

Having enough social interactions is also related to healthy aging. According to this article, older adults with more social interactions outside their regular social circle of family and friends show fewer signs of depression and are more active. The reason for this is that people need to leave their house to meet with other people. 

Having an active lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do to prevent issues that come with age. Like we just learned, it’s just as important to focus on getting enough physical activity and brain activity when it comes to healthy aging. 

Tips For Making Learning A New Language More Easily

We covered many important things about learning a new language as a senior. One of the most important things you need to remember is that you’re never too old to learn. Learning new things like learning a new language has many health benefits, and it’s a fun activity to do! 

If you focus on the learning curve that works best for you, you probably will learn a new language effortlessly. Also, using the language learning application Busuu helps you speed up the process and become fluent in the language you want to learn. 

When you already have a basic knowledge of a language, you can start reading books in that language, which helps to speed up the learning process as well. When you read books in a different language, you pick up more about specific cultural sayings and humor. 

Some people choose to focus on total immersion, meaning that they change their lifestyle and focus on becoming fluent in a specific language. They do so by moving to that country, creating social interactions with locals, and so on. Total immersion is known as one of the best ways to become fluent in a few months. It’s something you can focus on as a senior and when you’re retired. Maybe it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, living in a different country for a while. So why not combine it with learning a new language as well?

Starting to learn a new language as a senior is a great thing you can do! I researched the benefits of learning a new language and wrote several articles about it. You might find these articles interesting to read as well; 

• 5 Essential Tips To Learn A Language At 60 or Older
• 10 Benefits Of Learning A Second Language At An Older Age