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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

What products do seniors need? It’s a question you ask yourself as a senior or someone who’s helping out seniors with independent living. Finding helpful products to make everyday tasks easier is beneficial to stay independent and find more happiness as a senior. To help you out, I created this list of 20 products that seniors need. Let’s find out more! 

1) Personal Alarm System

Safety is important for all of us, especially when your aging. Suppose you’re alone in the house and unfortunately trip and fall. You’re not able to get up by yourself and don’t have your smartphone with you. Instead of waiting for your spouse to come home or family to visit, you can use your personal alarm system. If you wear the button as a necklace or bracelet, you always have it with you, and in situations when you need help, you just press the button, and someone is coming over to help you. 

MobileHelp is one of the best systems you can use as a personal alarm system. It’s a small device that you can use in and outside your home. MobileHelp is a personal alarm system with a built-in GPS tracker so that you can use it everywhere you go. The system connects with the MobileHelp emergency operators, who will connect you to the emergency responders closest to your location. 

MobileHelp is the perfect product for seniors when looking for a medical alarm system and more safety. Learn more about MobileHelp here.

2) Hearing Aids

Good hearing helps with staying socially active in retirement. Being able to have conversations with other seniors and people you meet improves your social contacts. For many seniors, their hearing declines when aging. Picking the right hearing aid is even more important because you miss out on the benefits when using a hearing aid that doesn’t fit right. 

Using Otofonix hearing aids might be the perfect match for every senior. Otofonix has over a decade of experience and helped more than 120 thousand Americans with better hearing. Learn more about Ortofonix here. 

3) Robotic Companion Pet

Many seniors experience loneliness. Maybe you one of them as well. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. The weird contradiction is that you’re not alone in this. A great product that seniors need if they want to fit loneliness is a companion robotic pet from Joy For All. This robotic pet has all the benefits of a regular pet, but you don’t have to worry about giving it food, take it for a walk, and other stuff. It’s the perfect product for a lonely senior who is in need of attention. Get a companion robotic pet here.

4) Smarthome Device

A smart home device makes your life even more accessible. It’s a product that everyone needs in their houses, especially seniors. With a smart home device, you can control your music and what to watch on TV. It’s possible to surf the internet, follow the news, and connect with friends and family. You can connect the device with a smart thermostat and control your temperature even when you not at home. You can also install a video doorbell so that you can easily see who is at your door without walking to the door. 

The most popular smart home hubs are Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, which are both voice-based, virtual assistants. It’s a personal choice which one you prefer. Most add-on products like thermostats and video doorbells can connect with both devices. Find out which smart home device is best for you.

5) Video Doorbell  

One of the best add ons for your smart home hub is a video doorbell. A video doorbell helps you see who is at the door, even when you’re not home. And when you are at home, you don’t have to walk up the door to see who is there. Most video doorbells even have a voice function, which allows you to speak to the person at your door. Amazon Ring Video Doorbell is a great option when you use Amazon Alexa as well, you can find out more on Amazon.

6) Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat is a product every senior needs to create an intelligent home with easy access. It’s a helpful device that controls the temperature in your house and has a built-in AI that remembers the periods when you want to turn on the heating or when you want to have a colder temperature. This way, you always have the perfect temperature in your house. You can even control the thermostat when you’re not at home. The Ecobee Smart Thermostat is a great option when you’re using Amazon Alexa as well.

7) Bedroom Temperature Control Device

Having good quality sleep is related to healthy aging. Your bedroom and mattrass temperature are one of the most important factors when it comes to quality sleep. The Ooler Sleep System of ChiliSleep controls the temperature of your mattress so that you can always sleep at an ideal temperature. It is allowing you to have deeper sleep cycles, which in turn result in better quality sleep. It’s an essential product for seniors who are having trouble sleeping.

8) Prescription Glasses

Aging often comes with general, minor problems. There is a good chance that as a senior you need glasses, either for reading, sight in general, or both. If you need glasses, you want to look good wearing them. Glasses need to be both functional and fashionable. Wearing glasses is an extension of how you look. You’ll feel better when you know that you look good. It can be challenging to find the glasses that fit you the best, but if you use the service of GlassesShop, you’ll have access to a wide selection of modern glasses so that you can pick the right model that fits you the best.

9) Automatic Pill Dispenser

Taking medicine and supplements on time is essential for many seniors. However, it can be challenging to remember when you need to take your pills. Of course, there are many tools available that help you remember when it’s time for your pills. You can set a daily alarm on your phone, for example. But what if I told you that you could automate this process? 

With the Hero Pill Dispenser, you only need to add your pills every 90 days. You can set the program with the helpful smartphone app, and your pills will be ready for you every day at the same time. The only thing you need to do is take them. The Hero Pill Dispenser is an essential product for every senior with a wide variety of daily medicine. Learn more here. 

10) Vitamins & Health Checks

Taking the right vitamin supplements and using health checks are essential for seniors. Vitamin supplements help with aging and feeling fit and strong. Health checks are important to learn if you need to change something to the way your life or need to take other vitamins or change your diet. When using the service of LifeExtension, you can do health checks and get advice on the vitamins you should take all in once. It’s a beneficial product for many seniors.

11) Kitchen Opening Tool

A kitchen opening tool is something you need in every kitchen. Honestly, I use this tool myself frequently because it’s just easier to open cans and jars with it. However, many seniors mention that the strength in their hands declines with aging. So, a kitchen opening tool will be an extra helpful accessory in your kitchen. There are many different tools available, but I always like to keep it as simple as possible. For example, this easy jar opener is available on Amazon.

12) Grab Bars

When you have trouble standing up from the toilet seat or walking into the shower cabin, it’s time to install some grab bars. These handy tools help you to keep your balance when you need to take a higher step. Or stand up or sit down at a lower seat like the toilet. 

13) Grabber Reacher Tool

Sometimes I use this grabber reacher tool that my mom uses all the time. I think it’s super-handy for me when something is out of reach. For example, when a toy is under the couch. But when you have trouble with bending to reach something on the floor, this grabber reacher tool is the ideal accessory you need at home. You can buy them on Amazon. 

14) Vacuum Cleaning Robot 

Are you tired from vacuum cleaning your home? It’s something you don’t want to spend your time on, right? So, why not use a robot cleaner!? It’s the perfect way to make your life easier. It saves you time and helps keep your house clean! Learn more about the best vacuum cleaners here. 

15) Power Lift Recliner Chair

A power lift recliner chair is a perfect chair when you have trouble standing up. My mother has mobility issues and difficulty getting up out of her chair. Since she has a power lift recliner chair, she can get up much easier. The chair lifts you to a height you’re almost standing, so you can easily walk away. It’s a chair I would recommend for every senior! Learn more here. 

16) Stair Lift

When you’re getting older, it’s probably more difficult to walk up the stairs, which can become a problem if your life in a house with multi-level flooring. Living at home independently as long as possible is something you probably strive for as a senior. So, installing a stairlift is helpful and maybe a necessary product if you want to live at home and have trouble walking up the stairs. Learn more about stairlifts here. 

17) Walkers

Not only walking up the stairs but regular walking can also become more challenging when you get older. You might have difficulty keeping your balance when walking outside or at home. Using a walker can be beneficial. A walker is a helpful product that helps you to keep your mobility. You’re still able to get outside and go for a nice walk in the park using a walker.

18) Mobility Scooter

When you have trouble walking long distances at once, maybe it’s time for a mobility scooter. My mother uses one because she has difficulty walking. For her, the mobility scooter is like riding a bicycle for me. It gets her everywhere she wants. This electric scooter is comfortable and can go for long distances. It’s the perfect product if you like to go for longer trips outside.

19) Key Turner

Opening your door is essential to get inside your house. But what if you have trouble holding and turning your key. It’s something you might not think of right away, but many seniors have trouble with it. For example, when you have health issues like arthritis, it can be difficult to hold things. This easy key turner is a helpful product that helps you hold and turn your key much easier.

20) Gardening Seat

When you’ve read some of my articles about staying fit as a senior and in retirement, you probably remember that gardening is one of the best activities you can do when you get older. When you’re busy gardening, you use all your muscles, so it improves your strength. Gardening also is a mindful activity that challenges you mentally. 

However, when you find it challenging to sit on your knees and getting up multiple times in a row, you probably want to use a helpful tool. This gardening seat is perfect for that! It helps you sit low to the ground, so you can easily reach the plants and herbs, and it allows you to do your gardening activities. Get it here. 

Medicare Coverage For Senior Products

You probably ask yourself, does Medicare cover these additional products? I found this interesting and helpful article on Healthline.com that describes the different coverages in Medicare plans. They use the example of coverage for hearing aids. 

In short, Medicare parts A & B don’t cover additional products like hearing aids, vision (glasses), or dental services. Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. Medicare Part B is medical insurance covering doctor services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventive services. Sometimes when there’s a medical reason for it, Medicare Part B can cover the use of medical products, which depends on your individual situation. 

Learn more about the Medicare coverage on the official Medicare site of the US government here.