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As your retirement is coming closer, you’re probably wondering what to do in retirement. Perhaps you want to inspire younger generations by sharing your knowledge and experience as a teacher. And that is why you might wonder: can you retire and become a teacher?

You can become a teacher or have a teaching role in retirement. With a bachelor’s in any field, you can become a teacher after finishing a one-year state-approved alternative teacher certification program. With a master’s degree in any field, you can start teaching at private schools right away. Seniors can apply for teaching roles like mentoring, coaching, and substitute teaching without a degree.

Now that you’ve got the quick answer let find everything you need to know about how to become a teacher in retirement in this step-by-step guide.

Step-by-Step Guide To Become A Teacher In Retirement

Being a teacher gives your retirement more meaning. Being surrounded by younger people keeps you young at heart. And staying busy, socializing, and to keep learning are key ingredients to happiness in retirement.

The demand for teachers in the U.S. is high because of the enormous teacher shortage that is growing every year. This has led to states creating alternative paths for people to become aspiring public school teachers that are faster and very affordable. And makes the chances of you getting hired as a teacher in retirement much higher. So when you’re considering becoming a teacher in retirement, now is a perfect time.

But what requirements do you need to become a teacher in retirement? Well, to get started you need to be eligible to work in the U.S. but what to do next when you have a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or if you don’t have a degree? These questions are all answered below.

How To Become A Teacher In Retirement With A Bachelor’s Degree

The most traditional way to become a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is to get a master’s degree in Education. Either Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Education. But you’re probably not looking forward to committing your hard-earned time in retirement to a full-time study. Let alone the costs of graduate school. As I mentioned earlier there are alternative paths to become a licensed teacher that is much more affordable and faster, so you don’t have to.

There are a wide variety of state-approved alternative certification teacher programs available that are designed for people to become a licensed K-12 teacher in a public school. Becoming a K-12 teacher means educating children between Kindergarten and twelfth grades. That’s anywhere between the ages of five and eighteen.

Once you finished the program you can then apply for a teaching job with the Department of Education in your state. Also, when you take the alternative route you can be eligible for financial aid provided by the government. And you don’t need any working experience to get a teacher certification this way.

These teacher programs can be followed online or in a classroom, depending on the options in your area. Following an online course gives you the advantage of staying in charge of your own schedule. One of the perks of being retired. But on the other hand, going to a classroom makes it possible for you to meet other people, socialize and make new friends. One of the most important key factors to a happy retirement. You can read more about getting on the fast track to retirement and so much more in my ebook: Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement.

Now, let’s continue on how you can become a licensed teacher through this alternative path.

Step 1: Pass Required State Exams

Before you can enroll in a teacher certification program in your state you need to pass the required state exams. It’s important to read the state’s requirements before you start your journey. This saves you a lot of time and money. If you want to teach in another state you need to check the requirements of that state because they are different per state. You can check out Teacher Certification Requirements by State for more information.

Step 2: Enroll In An Alternative Teacher Certification Program

When you’ve decided in which state you want to teach you can enroll in a state-approved alternative teacher certification program. For example, the teacher certification program in Hawaii from Teachaway. It’s an online core curriculum to complete in 6 months (15 hours a week) plus a 450-hour clinical placement which you can complete concurrently or upon the program. Once you completed the program you’re eligible for teaching jobs in Hawaii. And some other states through interstate teacher certification reciprocity.

Step 3: Complete The Course

The duration of the core curriculum can vary from anywhere between 6 – 12 months but some programs also offer self-paced studies so you can study whenever and where ever you want. It takes the pressure off while you get to enjoy other activities in retirement. And finish whenever you’re ready. But if you can’t wait to become a teacher it’s best to stay in the momentum and keep studying. After a couple of months you’re done and ready to go.

If you postpone your coursework you’ll get less motivated to finish, and then that teacher job looks far away.

The program will make you classroom-ready and equip you with knowledge and skills and everything else you need to know to be a good teacher, aside from the subject matter. You’ll get tools and information from classroom management to basic pedagogical approaches. But the best way to learn is in the classroom where you get to experience and put everything you’ve learned into practice.

Step 4: Get Valuable Field Experience

After completing the theoretical part you need to finish a mandatory field placement. Where you decide to get field experience depends on the program and your wishes. It and can take anywhere from three to twelve months, depending on the requirements of the state and program.

Some programs require you to get field experience in the same state, but some online teacher certification programs allow you to complete your field experience wherever you are in the world. For example the teacher certificate program of Arizona.

Step 5: Apply for State License

Once you completed the coursework and fieldwork you can apply for a state teacher license at the Department of Education. And this is perhaps the most frustrating part of the journey to becoming a teacher as it requires a lot of patients due to the bureaucratic process. They’ll do background checks and it’s sometimes is a hassle to have all the required documents in place. After that, you’ll get a teaching certificate so you’re qualified to apply for teaching jobs.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, the requirements vary per state. As well as the fees. Normally a license costs you between $50-$200. The validation of the license is between one and five years and you need to renew it every couple of years.

Step 6: Apply for teaching job

Now with a license, you’ll eligible to apply for teaching positions throughout the state. As well as other states when you decide to relocate. It’s often possible to transfer teaching certificates between states. Many states have reciprocity agreements to make it easier for licensed teachers to become certified in another state.

Also, because of the teacher shortage, there will be a lot of schools in high demand of great teachers. There are looking for you. Especially with the years of working and life experience, you’re an ideal candidate. Also, it says a lot about you that you have the ambition to become a teacher after retirement. So you’re in a luxury position because you’ll have the advantage to choose. Therefore make sure you look around and apply at different schools, talk with other teachers to get a sense of the working culture and environment.

Your retirement should be a time where you’re in control and have fun. So choosing the right kind of working environment is important. Even if you need the extra paycheck, working can be fun too. So be picky and ask the right questions to be fully informed about what you can expect before you commit to a teaching job. You can even suggest trying out a day to really feel and experience if the school and the students are the right fit for you.

How To Become A Teacher In Retirement Without A Degree

Now, when you don’t have a degree you might wonder can you become a teacher in retirement without a degree?

Well, if you want to teach in a public school system you’ll need a teaching license. But there are some private or non-profit schools out there that don’t require a teaching degree because they don’t follow the same regulations as public schools. However, they do look for applicants that have either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in a certain field.

Not to worry. There are other ways to teach without certification and a degree.

For example, you can get a supporting teaching position in a school. Or you can volunteer for teaching roles. Or become a substitute teacher.

Substitute Teacher

Being a substitute teacher is an excellent way to get teaching experience without a degree because states do not regulate substitute teaching. Every district has its own substitute teacher requirements that vary tremendously. This is also because the job varies per school. One school needs substitute teachers just to look over a class for a couple of hours, while in other schools substitute teachers need to teach all kinds of different subjects to different grades. It can be a fun retirement job because you never know where and what you’re going to teach next.

It’s best to check out some schools in your area to see what requirements they have for substitute teachers. Perhaps there is a chance you can start very soon. And along the way, you can complete some courses and assignments to get better skilled and experienced in being a teacher.

Keep in mind that schools are very interested in you as a substitute teacher candidate because of your work experience in a particular field. Make sure to highlight this in the conversations you have with different schools in your area.

YouTube Teacher

And just to give you some inspiration to think more outside of the box. You can teach anything on Youtube. Whether it’s a school subject you’re passionate about for example geography or sharing your job experience or hobby secrets in different videos. The classroom is the world and you’re the one that decides how you give substance to your role as a teacher. Without a degree and a boss looking over your shoulder. It’s just an idea to put it out there.

In my ebook: Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement, I show you lots and lots of more ways to think outside of the box and how to chase your dreams even if they seem impossible.

How To Become A Teacher In Retirement With A Master’s Degree

When you have a master’s degree the route to find work as a teacher is easy. In most states, you can become a teacher without an education degree or alternative certificate. As I mentioned private schools (colleges and universities) are especially interested in candidates with a master’s degree and years of working experience in a certain industry. But also public colleges and universities want to hire you.

How Much Can Teachers Earn After Retirement?

Now that we’ve tackled how to become a teacher, it’s also nice to know what you can earn as a teacher. Whether you want to teach to makes ends meet in retirement or just for fun, getting paid for it is always rewarding.

The teacher salary varies per state. According to niche.com: “The national average starting teacher salary is $38,617, while the average teacher salary in America (non-starting) is $58,950. Montana has the lowest starting salary: $30,036, while D.C. has the highest starting salary: $51,359.”

A better way to check is at Teach.com. They have a very handy website where you can check the teacher requirements per state but also what the teacher salary is in secondary and elementary school per state. They present the salary information in a clear way that is collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Also, when you continue to work after retirement you can possibly delay the start of collecting your Social Security benefits. The longer you wait after your full retirement age, the more you’ll monthly receive. But before you start working make sure to check with your financial advisor what other consequences you can expect financially when you start or continue to work in retirement.

If you need to take care of a senior parent, relative, or someone else, you might ask yourself what do seniors want most?

Seniors want to keep their independence when they age. Living at home independently, being part of a community, and creating financial independence is the most important to seniors. Avoiding loneliness and isolation is essential for seniors regarding healthy aging.

When we’re traveling around, I meet many seniors enjoying their retirement, and when we’re at home, we live with my parents, who both are seniors. I asked my parents, parents-in-law, and other seniors what they want most. I combined this knowledge and some exciting research and created this list of things seniors want most. Let’s find out more! 

Things Seniors Want Most

After interviewing both my parents, parents-in-law and other seniors living in a retirement community, I came up with this list of 9 things seniors want most. Independent living and healthy aging are known as the most important factors for seniors when their aging. However, there are many more important factors when it comes to creating a happy retired and senior life.

1) Financial Independence & Security

One of the most important things for seniors is having financial independence and security. Not to worry about their finances helps with the ability to enjoy their lives more. For many seniors, it’s just that simple. When they know that they have their finances secured, it’s easier to focus on other things to create happiness in their lives. 

That said, financial independence doesn’t create happiness. However, it is important to have a solid financial basis to focus on other things. Suppose that one of your parents is retiring soon, but they’re unsure about their financial situation. It’s probably that one thing where all their energy focuses on. So, having a solid financial plan, independence or security helps to focus on other things to find fulfillment in life.  

Most soon-to-be retirees and seniors have some financial plan for their retirement. Often this plan is a combination of personal savings, pension, and investments. However, many seniors don’t know that they can often save on their monthly payments. Lowering utility bills can save a lot of money that you can use to create more financial security. 

BillShark is a helpful tool that helps with the process of lowering your bills. They do all the hard work, and you’ll end up with more money you can spend on other things! Find out more here. 

2) To Stay Active

When it comes to aging, seniors all want the same thing. Healthy aging. One of the most important things someone can do when it comes to healthy aging is to stay active. According to the CDC, having regular physical activity is one of the most important things an older adult can do regarding their health. 

The CDC mentions a minimum of physical activity per week for older adults, which is actually very easy to reach. Their minimum requirements are at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise and two times muscle strengthen training a week for older adults. 

In my article, How Can I Stay Active In Retirement?, I’ll share many ideas to stay active as a senior. 

Staying active is also very important for my parents, who both are seniors. My dad loves being busy with different kinds of chores in and around the house, like gardening, maintaining his car, and things like that. He is in his early 70s and easily gets to the minimum physical activity requirements set by the CDC. He’s even getting much more exercise than required. Having enough things to do makes him feel happy. 

Staying active for my mom, who is half the age of 60, is much different because of her mobility issues. She can’t reach the minimum requirements of the CDC when it comes to physical activity. However, she is physically active and does the things that her condition allows her to do. She also found many other things to stay active, like staying mentally active with doing art and handcraft projects at home. Also, she loves to stay socially engaged with people that are closely related to her. 

It is essential to stay active for seniors, but staying active means much more than focusing on physical activity. Physical activity is just one part of the puzzle. Focusing on staying mentally and socially active is just as important. I’ll explain this in the next parts of this article because staying active it’s not only related to healthy aging. Staying active on all levels (physically, mentally, and socially) is also something seniors want most. 

3) To Learn New Things

In 2020 we couldn’t travel at all because of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. So we end up staying at home for the entire year, living with my parents. It was a great year, and funny enough, I learned a lot more about how my parents spent their time. They’re actually eager to learn new things all the time. Both my parents are interested in learning about using new technology to make their lives easier. Of course, we love to help them with that. 

They also keep themselves up to date with important developments in society to adjust their lifestyles if they feel they need to. It’s funny to see they actually live according to the famous saying ‘You Never Too Old To Learn.’

Healthy aging is one of the most important factors for seniors, and learning new things is a major part of this. According to Harvard Health Publishing, seniors need to focus on learning new things, challenge their brains, just like we challenge our muscles with physical activity. The article mentions when seniors learn new things, they can actually slow down cognitive aging! 

4) Meaningful Relationships

Socially engagement is also very important to stay active for seniors. Having meaningful relations helps with staying happy. In fact, seniors who have a wider social circle that is larger than the standard contacts of family and friends, are often more active. Researchers think this is because you actually need to get out of the house to meet up with other people. 

Staying active and having many social interactions is also related to slowing down cognitive aging. Mainly because with different interactions throughout the day, you keep challenging your brain, just like training your muscles. 

Seniors are most scared of loneliness and social isolation. According to the CDC, it is even linked to serious health conditions. The CDC mentions that loneliness and social isolation are associated with a 50% increase in dementia and other medical conditions. Knowing this, it is even more important for seniors to have enough meaningful relationships. 

5) To Be Part Of A Community

An excellent way for seniors to create meaningful relationships is to be part of a community. However, that’s not the only reason why seniors want to be part of a community. 

My parents-in-law live in a retirement community in The Netherlands. When I asked them why they decided to move into the retirement community, they told me it was because of the many contacts with people of the same age. 

They love that they live closely with people of the same generation and with the same interests. Doing activities together with their community members keeps them fit, active and gives them renewed energy. 

6) Stay Independent

Seniors want to stay independent. It’s something we all want, right? Next to becoming lonely, seniors are most afraid of losing their independence. But later, more on that. 

It’s important for seniors to keep their independence when it comes to daily activities. For some, even simple daily activities like grocery shopping becoming difficult when they’re aging. 

There are ways for seniors to stay independent as long as possible. It all starts with creating an active and healthy lifestyle. However, health is declining with age, and sometimes things just happen without reason. You just can’t influence everything, right? Still, for seniors, it’s important to stay independent as long as possible. It gives them a sense of worthiness. 

7) To Have A Daily Routine

Having a daily routine is important to create some structure in our lives. For seniors, it’s extra important to have a daily routine. With structure and repeating activities, it’s easier to keep their independence for a longer period. Also, when we’re retiring at some point, it’s for most seniors and retirees difficult to create structure during their day. 

Life is changing when you’re retiring and also when you’re aging. When you stop working, you don’t have the daily activities from heading to work and all the other social events that are work-related. You basically need to re-invent yourself. In my ebook Five Steps To Happiness in Retirement, I help you create a new daily structure and many other challenges retirement has. 

8) To Be Treated With Respect

Suppose that you’re aging and still are fit and healthy. However, people treat you like if you need help with everything, and even your opinion doesn’t matter anymore. You probably don’t like that, right? 

It is what happens to many seniors, though. Often seniors are treated differently. However, if we treat seniors with respect, we probably help them much more. Seniors do matter. They want to be treated with respect. 

Let’s look at people living in the blue zones globally—areas where people get much older than average. Most centenarians, people that reach the age of 100+ healthily, live in the blue zones. Apart from a healthy diet and active lifestyle, they are also treated with respect within their community. They are part of the daily activities and often have specific tasks within the community. 

9) Healthy Aging

Healthy aging, it might sound logical. Isn’t that something we all want? Still, it’s what most seniors want in their lives—aging without major problems, both in health and with daily activities. We do get older on average, so we have a longer period to live as a senior. However, most seniors have some decline in their health status when they’re aging. Healthy aging is different for everyone. Most important is that as a senior, you do things that are beneficial when it comes to healthy aging. Like staying active, have a healthy diet, and create enough social contacts. 

Things That Seniors Fear The Most

Seniors want to live a happy life while aging. However, aging comes with different struggles in life. Like health declining, loss of independence, leaving their homes, and loneliness. Unfortunately for many seniors, these things are more common than we like. 

According to this study from AARP, 3 out of 4 seniors in the age of 50+ want to stay at home when they’re aging. They even want to invest in home modification if this helps them to stay at home independently longer. Most of them aren’t able to stay at their homes while aging. Often because of health declining. 

Loneliness and loss of independence are the things seniors fear the most. The same study from AARP mentions that 3 out of 10 seniors report feeling left out or isolated from others. Loneliness occurs much more often when we’re aging because the social circle of friends and family is declining with age. However, according to the CDC, loneliness is mentioned as a serious health issue. It’s associated with things like dementia and other major medical issues. Therefore, seniors need to keep up with their social contacts and create more contacts and relationships next to the standard circle of friends & family. 

Loss of independence is something seniors are often afraid of because you can’t do anything about it. When health is declining, it sometimes is inevitable to create some sort of assisted living for seniors. However, many seniors can still live independently with the right tools and products, even when their health is declining. 

For example, they can use a product like MobileHelp. An alarm system seniors can use to call for help when they fall. It gives them much more freedom to get around, knowing there’s always a way to ask for help when they need it. You can get the MobileHelp device here.

In my article What Products Do Seniors Need, you can find a list of helpful items that seniors can use to stay independent for as long as possible. 

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.