Category: Tips and Tricks

Are you wondering how a pet can help seniors and older people? For my research for this website, I talk to many retirees and older people. I noticed that older people with pets seemed to be happier. I listed the benefits of having a pet in this article. 

1) Older People With Pets Are More Active

Being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to healthy aging. The CDC has even very specific advice when it comes to physical activity for older adults. They recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity for people with a general health condition. Pets help older adults easily reach the minimum requirements of the CDC for physical activity.

Owning a dog, for example, helps an older adult to get outside. Dogs need to go out several times a day. So even if you don’t feel like it, you still need to go for a walk. 

2) A Pet Helps With Healthy Aging

A pet not only helps older people to stay active. There are many more health-related benefits when having a pet. According to this research on Harvard Health Publishing, dog owners have a reduced risk of heart disease. 

Pet ownership is also related to stress reduction and lowering blood pressure. According to this research, people with their pets presents even recovered faster from stressful events. 

3) Older People With A Pet Are Less Lonely

A pet is always with you. If you ever had a pet before, you’ll understand that pets help to fight loneliness. Loneliness is a major factor among older people. Often because the social circle of people who you’re involved in decreases with aging. A pet helps to fight the feeling of loneliness and is even able to comfort older people. 

4) Pets Create Companionship For Older People

Like I mentioned in the previous part, loneliness is a major factor for older people. So, avoiding loneliness is important for healthy aging. Pets offer companionship for older people. Every pet owner understands that. The bond between a pet and its owner is unique. Dogs and cats are the most well-known examples of pets that can create a unique bond with their owners. 

5) Owning A Pet Lowers Risk Of Heart Disease

It’s well known that pets help you to stay active. This research on Harvard Health Publishing mentions that dog owners have a lower chance of heart disease. Probably because of the extra physical exercise you get when walking with a dog multiple times a day. The 12-year Swedish study included 3+ million adults between the age of 40 and 80 years. Researchers found that dog owners had a lower risk of heart disease, and dogs ease stress, loneliness, and depression. All these things are related that pets help older adults. 

6) Having A Pet Increases Social Interaction

Let’s stick with having a dog for this example. Dogs are great pets that can help older people, for example, with social interaction. Older people tend to spend most of their time at home. However, when having a dog, you need to go outside.

While walking your dog in the park, you probably meet many other dog owners and people who are just enjoying a walk in the park. When walking with a dog, it’s often easier to talk with other people, which increases social interaction. Small talk ‘what a cute dog,’ can be the start of a unique friendship you never thought would happen. 

It’s important to interact with other people, also when you age. Social interaction fights loneliness, which, as I mentioned earlier, is a major factor among older adults. 

7) A Pet Helps With Daily Routine For Older People

A daily routine is essential to have a sense of purpose and get up in the morning. It helps older people to stay active. With a daily routine, you often feel happier. Older people often struggle with their daily routines simply because they don’t have much to do. 

Retirees, in particular, find it troublesome to create a new routine in their first period of retirement. Retirement is a major life-changing event, and for many people, it’s hard to replace a busy work schedule with much leisure time. In my ebook Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement, I share a step-by-step guide to create a daily routine. Creating a daily routine is one of the most important steps to find happiness in retirement. This ebook can be very helpful for you when struggling with creating routines and finding more happiness. You can learn more about the book here.

Taking care of a pet creates a daily routine. For example, when you have a dog. A dog needs to go out multiple times a day for a walk. But the dog also needs attention for playtime, food, washing it, and other things. It’s a daily task to take care of a dog, which creates a daily routine. 

8) Taking Care Of A Pet Gives Purpose To Older People

Having a purpose is essential to find happiness. Having a pet helps other people to find their (renewed) purpose. When your purpose is to take care of a pet, you have something to get up for in the morning. Your pet awaits to be taken care of. Many pets are known to give back in attention and appreciation. For example, when you have a dog, the dog will be happy to be with you if you take good care of him. 

According to Harvard Health Publishing, having a purpose in life is related to healthy aging and longevity. The research related to this article even mentions that older people with a purpose have better physical ability and strength.

So, when you’re struggling to find a purpose in your retirement, it might be time to get a pet! 

9) Owning A Pet Makes You Happy

Happiness is something we all pursue in life, and owning a pet can benefit more happiness. When we grow older, our social circle often declines. In turn, this often results in less action and social interaction in our lives, decreasing our feeling of happiness.

According to this article published on Psychology Today, different studies showed that pet owners and people with enough social interaction with friends are much happier than more isolated and lonely people. The research showed that this is related to the bond you create with your pet. 

This research available on Pubmed states that happiness and being aware of your happiness is related to longevity. Researchers found that higher levels of optimism are associated with a longer lifespan. 

10) Pets Help Older People To Have Fun

You can do all kinds of activities with your pet if your pet is big enough, of course. Doing fun activities with a fish is much more complicated than with a dog. A dog typically reacts to what you ask of him. For example, when you play a game of fetch, dogs love to run after a ball to catch it. However, most people will probably choose a dog or cat as spet. 

Doing fun activities with your pet is related to stress reduction and relaxation. According to this article on National Institutes of Health, pet interaction has many health benefits. For example, people suffering from stress-related symptoms can benefit highly from interacting with a dog or cat. 

11) Service Pets Can Help With Aging in Place

Service pets can help older adults with aging in place. Meaning that older adults can live longer independently when they can use a service pet to help with daily activities. Service pets are different than having a normal pet because they are trained differently.

Aging in place is important for many elderly. Because living longer independently in your own environment is related to healthy aging. It’s not only cheaper because you need less professional help, but more important elderly people will often experience more happiness when living longer in their own homes. How great when a service pet can help with this.

Most service pets are specific dog breeds, the best-known breed is a labrador. These dogs are friendly, responsible, and easier to train in a specific program how to take care of older adults for example.

There are many different service pets available. Sometimes service pets only help with daily tasks or to stick to a routine that can help to get more happiness. However, it’s also possible that a service pet has a larger role and is more therapeutic based to fight depression or other things. If you think you need a service pet it’s important to talk to your doctor and find professional help first.

How To Choose The Right Pet For An Older Adult?

So, owning a pet is helpful for healthy aging. We discussed that pets help seniors be more active, have more social interactions, and increase happiness. You probably are convinced that you need a pet, for example, a cat, as a senior , but still ask yourself how to choose the right pet that fits your lifestyle.. 

In the last part of this article, I’ll share some helpful tips to keep in mind when choosing a pet. 

Why Do You Want A Pet?

The first question you need to ask yourself is, why do you want a pet? What do you want to get out of it? If you want a pet because research says it’s good for your health, you might want to think again. 

You need to take care of the pet and really want to do this as well. Otherwise, owning a pet is getting more of a burden than something that is fun to deal with. When you’re not an animal lover, you probably don’t want to buy a pet.  

The Pet’s Activity Level

When you get a pet as a senior, take into consideration the activity level of a pet. For example, when you want to buy a dog, figure out how much time this particular breed needs to go outside. If the dog is very active, and you aren’t, you might want to find a breed that fits your lifestyle. 

Also, when you age, your activity level will probably decrease in the next few years. It’s still important to stay active, of course, and a pet can be very helpful with this. However, it might be more beneficial for you to find a dog that meets your activity level for the next years to come. 

Caring Costs

Pets cost you money. It’s just as simple as that. You need to take care of them, buy them food, go to a veterinarian. Most pet owners buy different toys for their pets so that they can play with them. It’s important to ask yourself if you can afford to own and taking care of a pet. Calculate before buying a pet. 

Many seniors love to get a dog as a pet. Some worry if they need to get a puppy or an older dog. Both can be a great fit, depending on your lifestyle. In my article, Why 70-Years-Old Should Get A Puppy, I’ll discuss the benefits of getting a puppy for seniors. 

As a 70-year-old, you might wonder, should I get a puppy? Having a dog as a senior can be fun but also beneficial. And here is why;

70-year-olds should get a puppy because it creates regular moments of exercising, spending time outdoors, and socializing, which benefits both mental and physical health. The companionship of a puppy can help 70-years-olds avoid loneliness, isolation and keep them active as they get older. Also, according to many studies, puppies reduce stress, doctor visits and relieve pain and anxiety.  

Now, let’s get more into detail about why it’s a great idea to get a puppy as a 70-year-old.

1) You Get Regular Exercise

Loneliness and lower physical activity are two major factors for declining health among seniors. According to the CDC, having enough physical activity is one of the most important things someone can do when it comes to healthy aging. The CDC advises older adults to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, many people fail to get enough physical activity when they age. We spend our time mostly at home, watching television, instead of going outside. 

Have a puppy can helps to get more physically active because you need to go for a walk multiple times a day. So you’re not only letting the dog out. The dog takes you out as well.

According to a British study in 2019, “Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog.”

2) You’ll Spend More Time Outdoors

Being outdoors to walk the dog improves not only your physical health but also your mental health. It improves your mood, helps you relax, and improves your confidence and self-esteem.

Also, when you’re being exposed to sunlight, your vitamin D levels in the body rise. According to Harvard Medical School, “this vitamin helps to fight certain conditions, from osteoporosis and cancer to depression and heart attacks.”

3) You’ll Have More Opportunities To Socialize

Walking the dog creates more opportunities for you to socialize. Walking your cute puppy makes you more approachable to other people. A puppy is a great conversation starter with strangers. And you’ll probably experience this yourself as well.

So having a puppy gives you more chances to interact with your neighbors, and it’s also a great way to make new friends as a senior. When you visit a dog park frequently, you’ll probably meet the same people that are always up for a chat which can turn into a friendship over time.

Researchers have found out that “Pet owners were significantly more likely to get to know people in their neighborhood than non-pet owners.” And “Around 40% of pet owners reported receiving one or more types of social support (i.e., emotional, informational, appraisal, instrumental) via people they met through their pet.”

4) Helps To Avoid Loneliness And Isolation

A puppy is a great companion. You take care of him or her, but he or she also takes care of you. According to a study, dogs can sense human emotions. So whenever you feel down or sad, your dog can sense that and perhaps will show you more affection than usual just to cheer you up.

According to the University of California San Franciso, more than 43 percent of seniors regularly experience loneliness which may predict serious health problems and even death. Did you know loneliness is as damaging to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?

And with a puppy, you’re not alone anymore. You’ll have someone around you that wants to please you and be your friend.

5) A Puppy Reduces Your Stress

A puppy lowers blood pressure, according to CDC.

Just petting a puppy that doesn’t even have to be your own puppy slows down your breathing and relaxes your muscles. According to Washington State University, petting a dog just for 10 minutes has an enormous impact. Their study proved that the cortisol levels (major stress hormone) of the participants in their study were reduced significantly after petting a dog.

6) A Puppy Makes You More Attractive

We all know now that a dog makes you more likeable and approachable. But a puppy also makes you more attractive and can help you to score a couple of dates.

According to an experiment on Domestic Dogs as Facilitators in Social Interaction showed that “a male confederate (with or without a dog) solicited young women in the street for their phone numbers. Results show that the presence of the dog was associated with a higher compliance with the request of the confederate”. 

7) A Puppy Makes You Happier

A Japanese study found out that just looking at your dog raises the level of oxytocin in your body. Oxytocin is the love hormone in the body that gives us a warm, fuzzy, and tranquil feeling. And it lowers pain, stress, and anxiety because oxytocin regulates our emotional response to things and people. And it’s addictive. The more you engage and interact with your puppy, the more oxytocin you get.

If you’re looking for ways to be happier I can highly recommend reading my ebook: Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement where I go more into detail about all the things you can do to be happier.

8) Some Dogs Can Help You To Stay Independent

Some dog breeds are known to be very helpful, so if you expect to need some kind of help with your daily tasks when you’re aging, you might consider taking a dog breed that can help you with these. There are specialized companies that can help you find a helping dog. 

Things You Should Know Before Getting A Puppy As A 70-Year-Old

Many people want to have a puppy, but it takes time and effort to raise a puppy. Most 70-year-olds and other seniors have one significant advantage, leisure time. 

There’s a good chance that as a senior, you’re currently retired and that you have enough time to invest in raising a puppy. You need to decide if you’re lifestyle allows you to have a puppy in your life. Socializing and housebreaking take time and training so that your puppy can comfortably live at your home. Also, going outside multiple times a day, every day is something you need to consider if you’re able to do that. 

Some essential things you need to consider before getting a puppy are the puppy’s activity level, lifespan, and caring costs.

Activity Level 

It’s important to learn more about the activity level of the dog you want. Many dogs are very active as a puppy, and when they grow older, they will slow down. However, specific breeds, huskies, for example, will always stay active during their life. 

As a senior 70-year-old, you need to consider what type of activity level fits your current and future lifestyle. With aging, we typically slow down as well, having a lower activity level. Of course, puppies and dogs help you to stay active. But there’s a big difference between going out with your puppy several times a day or having a dog with a high activity level that needs to be multiple hours of daily activity. Pick the right dog breed that fits perfectly into your lifestyle.

Lifespan Of A Dog

Most dog breeds have a lifespan between 10 and 18 years. Although many dogs are considered ‘seniors’ around the age of 7, you need to consider if getting a puppy is something you want as a 70-year-old. There’s a chance that the puppy will outlive you. That may sound harsh, but it’s the reality in life. 

So, before you get a puppy, ask yourself if you expect to be able to take care of a dog for another 10 to 18 years. According to the CDC, the average life expectancy (of a human) in the United States is 78.7 years old. 

This means, on average, you can take care of your dog for around 8.7 years. Of course, you never know what could happen. It’s different for everyone, but it’s something you need to consider when you’re aging. 

Questions you need to ask yourself about the lifespan of your puppy before getting one is; 

• What is the average lifespan of the specific breed?
• Am I able to take care of the puppy/ dog for this long?
• What will happen when I can’t take care of the dog anymore (for example, when your health decreases or when you pass away)?

Especially the last question can be important. You don’t want your dog to end up somewhere without good care. Maybe one of your children can take care of your dog when you cannot do this anymore. Perhaps you can find a good shelter for your dog and make arrangements for the time when you can’t take care of the dog anymore. 

When you don’t want to have a puppy that might outlive you or can’t find other people who can take of your dog when you cannot do so, you might want to consider getting an older dog. Older dogs are often easier to deal with if they are raised right. Their activity levels might be lower, and there’s a good chance you might outlive the dog (depending on the breed and age). 

Caring Costs

The costs of owning a dog can vary enormously. Depending on the place you live, food, leashes, toys, lifestyle, and specific needs of your dog. It’s hard to say how much you will spend precisely each month when it comes to caring costs. But it is important to make a budget for this before getting a puppy. 

According to The Spruce Pets, the monthly costs of a dog can vary between 125 USD – 825 USD. This wide range makes it hard to make budget planning. However, you can narrow this down when you decide what kind of dog breed you want as a puppy. 

Knowing the dog breed gives you much more information about the expected caring costs, on average. Thus it makes it easier to create a budget. 

The most important thing you need to consider is if these expected costs fit your current lifestyle budget. Simply askes, do you have enough money to take care of this puppy for the following years to come? If not, you probably want to reconsider getting a puppy or take a look at your other expenses so you can create a budget for getting a puppy. 

The Best Dog Training MasterClass

So, getting a puppy is not something you do every day. And when you finally decided on which puppy you want and can take it home, you need to invest time in training the puppy. You basically start raising the puppy and learning it to live in your home and to socialize with you and maybe other people you’re living with.

Training your puppy is important because this time is about getting the fundamental right. If you train the puppy in the right way from the start, you’ll benefit from this the whole lifespan. The best online course you can follow about dog training is Brandon McMillan’s MasterClass on the MasterClass platform.

The MasterClass Brandon McMillan Teaches Dog Training is described on the MasterClass platform as followed;

“The Emmy-winning host of “Lucky Dog,” Brandon McMillan, is an expert trainer dedicated to building relationships between humans and animals. In his MasterClass, Brandon shares his simple, effective training system to help you develop trust and control with your dog. From using commands like sit, stay, and down to fixing barking and digging, you’ll learn how to improve your dog’s behavior—and create a lifelong bond.”

In only three hours, you can complete this MasterClass, which contains 15 video lessons. I really like the MasterClass platform because, with the annual membership, you get access to all the different courses available on the platform. Currently, there are over 100+ classes available.

Are you wondering if you can become a writer later in life? There’s a good chance that becoming a writer is something you’ve always dreamed of. As a retiree, this might be the perfect time to become a writer.

You can become a (successful) writer later in life because as you age you have grown wiser, collected life experiences, met a lot of people with different stories, and developed new perspectives on life that are excellent requirements for storytelling. Many successful writers started late in life like J.R.R. Tolkien, JK Rowling, etc. And because writing takes time, retirement is the perfect time to become a writer.

Now that you know that you can become a writer later in life, let’s get started with how to become a writer later in life. Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in! 

How To Become A Writer Later In Life

There isn’t a specific description of what it means to be a writer. Some people say you can only call yourself a writer when you published a book. For others, it’s when you’re writing articles on a website or for a magazine. To refer to yourself as “I am a writer,” the most important thing is that you’re writing and publishing original content. It doesn’t matter about what you write and where you publish it. Or if you can make a living out of it. As long as you are happy with your writing and can reach the goals you have in mind, you can call yourself a successful writer. 

As a retiree, you probably have enough time to start with writing. So, retirement might be the best time to start writing and become a writer. I never thought I would become a writer myself. Today I write articles for this website daily. Since I started writing, I published over 150 articles and a helpful ebook titled Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement. The book is a helpful guide for (new) retirees to transform into their new lifestyle. You can find out more about the book here. 

My biggest lesson about becoming a writer was that you need to stay focused and keep on writing. Just let the words flow and write as if you’re talking to a friend or neighbor. This way, it’s getting easier to write a story. Once you’ve created a way that works for you, you want to fine-tune your approach to get more successful. 

The most successful approach is different for every writer. However, there are a few similar things for everyone, like focusing on one topic and researching.

For some writers, it works best if they create an outline for their book or article first. This way, they basically know what they want to write. Others just start writing their stories and later edit them for readability. What works best for you is only something you’ll figure out by doing it. Just start writing stories using different techniques to see what works best. 

Researching your topic is also an essential aspect of writing. Depending on your subject, you might have to spend a lot of time researching. It’s important to stay aware that you don’t get stuck in researching and forgetting to write your stories. When I’m writing articles, for example, I always need to do my research first. However, as a general rule, I use the time I spend on research equally when writing that article. So, if I’m researching for one hour, I also use a minimum of one hour for writing. 

Improve Your Writing Skills

Many people who want to become a writer are doubting about their writing skills. But like I mentioned before, the most important thing you can do to become a writer is to start writing.

The tips and tricks I share with you in this article help you become a writer yourself. For me, it was also very helpful to follow different writing courses from professional and worldwide successful writers. When I wanted to improve my writing skills, I looked for an online course that I could easily follow. The platform MasterClass is very beneficial to follow courses from the most successful people in the world. 

On the MasterClass platform, you can find 20 different courses related to writing. There are classes about writing poetry, screenwriting for movies, mystery writing, fiction, researching, etc. The teachers happen to be the best writers in the world. A few examples of writing classes currently available on the MasterClass platform are; 

• Malcolm Gladwell teaches writing
• Billy Collins teaches reading and writing poetry
• Roxane Gay teaches writing for social change

The best thing about the MasterClass platform is that you can buy an annual membership, which has all-access, and costs you a little less than 17 USD a month. So with the annual membership, you can follow all the MasterClasses available on the platform. Currently, there are over 150+ classes available in 11 different categories. 

A MasterClass membership is not only perfect for improving your writing skills but also for learning more about other things that are fun and beneficial.  

Choose A Topic To Write About

If you want to write a book, it’s helpful if you already have a topic in mind you want to write about. This makes the writing process much more manageable. Of course, you can also write about things, but staying focused on one topic at a time makes it easier to finish your book. 

Let’s say you’ve worked as a director at a company and want to share your managing skills with future generations. Focusing on the different skills you want to share helps you to create an outline and your story. 

Sometimes it can also be helpful just to start writing down your thoughts and see where it leads you to. Maybe you’ll find a topic to write about you didn’t even think of before. 

It’s also possible that you have many different topics you want to write about. I found it helpful just to focus on one topic first. And when I finished writing an article or book, I then head on to a different topic. This approach helped me to focus. 

Use Writing Tools

Writing courses are helpful to become a successful writer and improve your writing skills. When you’re actually writing, it is beneficial to use writing tools like Grammarly. I always write my articles in the Grammarly editor because it’s so helpful to quickly improve my grammar and fix typos. 

I also like the build-in tool with suggestions on how a sentence can be more engaging and easier to read for a general audience. 

When you’re serious about writing and want to sell or publish your books or articles, using a tool like Grammarly is a must. You instantly create a more professional way of writing for yourself. 

Grammarly has a free plan, which gives you basic writing suggestions. However, I recommend using the premium plan, which has many more options and helpful tips like clarity, engagement, and a style guide. You can sign up for your Grammarly Premium account here. 

Stay Focused On Your Writing Goals

Staying focused on your writing goals is one of the most important things you can do to become a successful writer. For example, when I’m writing an article, I make sure I only focus on writing at that moment. 

I set a timer for like two hours and only focus on writing for that time. I don’t use my phone or browse to another website online during my writing because then I will lose my focus. 

Sometimes I write for 5 to 6 hours a day, and then I just plan some breaks in between where I can do other things. I feel like it’s important to focus on something different for a few minutes to keep a fresh mind when I’m writing for a longer time. However, the other things I’ll do during my breaks are off-topic. I just go for a walk or drink a cup of coffee or something. To create new energy and refocus on my writing topics. 

Find out what works best for you, as long as you focus on our topic and just start writing. 

As a senior, you might be wondering, is hiking good for seniors? I love to go hiking myself. I meet a lot of seniors enjoying beautiful nature along different hiking trails. It made me curious about if hiking is good for seniors, so I researched this question for you and found some interesting information.

In general, hiking is a good activity for seniors. Going for a hike helps to reach the minimum physical activity requirements for older adults. Hiking is related to lower stress levels in the body because it takes place in natural environments. But seniors need to be aware of the difficulty levels when choosing a hiking trail. They should choose a trail that meets their current level of fitness. 

In this article, I’ll explain why hiking is good for seniors in detail. So, you’ll learn more about the benefits of hiking. Also, I’ll guide you with a list of tips on how you can prepare for hiking as a senior in the best way possible. Ready for a hike? Let’s dig in!

Just a heads up, this post contains some affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Purchases you make through these links may earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Why Hiking For Seniors Is Recommended

Hiking is a relatively easy and low-impact activity that seniors can do. The level of difficulty varies depending on the trail you’ll follow. The fact that hiking is a low-impact activity makes it perfect for seniors.

The US Central For Disease and Control (CDC) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity and two times muscle strengthening training for seniors weekly regarding healthy aging. One of their examples of activities is hiking or brisk walking for seniors. To meet these minimum recommendations, you only have to go for a short hike of 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week! However, hiking for longer periods and more often is even more beneficial.

According to the CDC, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for healthy aging. When you’re in moderate or average physical condition, they even recommend focusing on multicomponent physical activity for more significant benefits. Meaning combining both cardio and muscle-strengthening workouts at once. It’s recommended to check with your doctor or a professional to figure out what level of training is recommended for you. However, hiking is the perfect activity that combines both cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening activities.

Benefits Of Hiking For Seniors

The benefits of hiking include much more than only working on your physical fitness. In general, hiking includes all the essential benefits for seniors when it comes to staying active. When you regularly go on a hike, you work both on your physical and mental activity. You’ll also be socially active because you’ll hike in a group or with a friend most of the time.

Let me explain these different benefits of hiking for seniors more in detail and backed up by science.

Physical Benefits of Hiking For Seniors

Earlier in this article, I mentioned the importance of physical activity for healthy aging. According to the CDC, it’s even one of the most important things you can do for healthy aging. But what are actually the benefits of physical activity for seniors, and more importantly, how will hiking help you achieve these benefits? I’m not a physician or doctor, but I’m interested in these benefits, just like many others. I researched this subject for hours and noticed that sometimes it’s difficult to understand. So, I’ll try to explain it most easy to understand. Here’s what you can expect for the physical benefits of hiking for seniors.

Hiking Lowers The Risk Of Heart Disease

Because hiking is a low-impact cardio workout, you’ll get many benefits and have a low chance of injuries. It’s important to work on your cardiovascular health. Workouts that focus on cardiovascular health help to lower blood pressure, which is related to healthier heart conditions. However, to really lower the risk of heart disease, you need to take much more elements into account. It’s important to talk to your doctor if you want to learn more about this.

Hiking Strengthen Your Muscles

When we age, our strength is declining. But with hiking, you can easily train important muscles. You’ll strengthen your legs, improve your core stability and balance with hiking. Which eventually helps you to move easier and improve your chances of healthy aging.

Hiking Is Good For Your Bones & Joints

Many people refer to hiking as a weight-bearing exercise that improves bone density or reduces osteoporosis (they both mean the same). This is important simply because a weight-bearing exercise like hiking strengthens your bones and muscles around it.

When we age, our bones and muscles lose their strength. Also, the chances we fall increase, and so will the chances of a bone fracture. However, when we regularly exercise, we can reduce these accidents simply because we help our bodies stay stronger.

Not only your bones and muscles will benefit when you’re actively hiking. As a senior, it’s important to focus on keeping your body healthy. Many seniors have issues with their joints. Hiking is an activity that helps your joints to be both flexible and strong. This way you can easily enjoy and fulfill your everyday activities without having knee pain for example. 

So, having a fit and strong body overall helps with fighting common issues that come with age, like arthritis, issues with your joints, knee pain, and so on. If you feel you have any issues at the time of reading this, I recommend you to visit a professional doctor. This article is no medical advice, but for informational purposes only. 

Mentally & Social Benefits Of Hiking For Seniors

Hiking helps you to slow down. It improves your mental health simply because it lowers your stress levels. There’s actually nothing stress-related when it comes to hiking (ok, maybe when you forgot your hiking shoes, but that won’t happen that much, right? And by the way, walking barefoot is also related to many health benefits. But more on that later).

Hiking For Seniors Can Decrease Depression

Earlier I explained that physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for healthy aging. However, staying mentally and socially active is equally important. According to this article on Harvard Health Publishing, you must train your brain just like you train your muscles to keep it healthy. To train your brain effectively, you must get out of your comfort zone.

With hiking, you both work on staying mentally and socially active. You must prepare for your hiking trail to know what to expect regarding terrain, difficulty level, weather conditions, etc., making it a challenging activity for your brain. But more important being active with mentally challenging activities like hiking can help to fight depression. 

Many seniors and older adults struggle with depression later in life. There are tons of reasons why someone can be depressed. And if you have any depressed feelings it’s important to talk to your doctor about this. However, the fact that hiking takes place outside, away from urban areas but in nature helps to let go of negative feelings and fight depression. Being outside in nature is related to many health benefits.

Hiking Group

It’s always recommended to go on a hike with someone else or in a group. Especially when you are out in nature away from urban areas. Hiking together with others makes it a social activity. If you want to start hiking regularly, finding a hiking buddy outside your regular social circle might be a good idea. Harvard Health Publishing mentions that seniors with a large network of social interactions outside their standard contacts of friends and family are often more active. Probably because you really need to go outside to get in touch.

The fact that staying active benefits your health and healthy aging is fascinating! I’m especially mindblown by the lifestyle of people living in the blue zones. Areas in the world where people get much older than average, in a healthy way! One of the things they have in common is that seniors stay active until a very high age. I share more interesting tips and tricks to stay active as a senior in my article How Can I Stay Active In Retirement?

Hiking in a group helps to fight loneliness, something many seniors have trouble with. Seniors struggle with isolation because they don’t come outside that often and for many their social circle decreases while aging. Being part of a hiking group can help to fight these issues and also help with making new friends. 

It’s great to go on treks, which are often longer hikes of multiple days with friends of your hiking group. A friend of mine who is actively hiking and running with a group told me the other day that her hiking buddies really helped her when she’s was struggling with some family issues. They helped her talk about her feelings and with being together with others in nature she discovered she wasn’t alone. 

Difference between Hiking and Brisk Walking

A clear understanding of what ‘hiking’ actually means because many people refer to it differently.

In general, when we talk about hiking, we mean following walking trails in nature. For example, this can be in natural parks, larger city parks, or alongside the coast. Of course, depending on what your location is. Brisk walking is a walking exercise at a higher speed, around 100 steps a minute, and in an urban environment.

Hiking Pace

Hiking is typically an activity that’s taking place in nature. However, brisk walking is an activity that’s similar to hiking but often takes place in a more urban environment. Also, when we talk about brisk walking, instead of walking, we refer to the walking speed that applies, or in other words the hiking pace. Brisk walking means walking faster, typically around 3mph or 100 steps a minute for a healthy adult. The hiking pace can be as fast as you prefer. Some people like to have a higher pace when they go for a hike. The pace you hike also depends on your hiking group, the hiking trail, and your physical condition

When you go for a brisk walk, you don’t need specific gear. You can just start by going outside, maybe put on your shoes first, and start with a brisk walk for like half an hour in your neighborhood. However, when you start hiking, it’s essential you get the right equipment, hiking gear and prepare in the right way.

How To Prepare For Hiking As A Senior

So, it’s essential to prepare for hiking because it’s an activity that often takes place in nature where not many people are coming. You need to know what to expect before you go on a hike.

When you start preparing for a hike, you must answer questions like;

• How long is the trail you’ll follow?
• What is the difficulty level of the trail?
• What are the weather predictions?
• Do you have cellphone coverage?

These questions are the most important to answer when preparing for a hike. When you know this essential information, you can start creating a packing list before your hike begins.

You must never go alone for a hike for safety reasons when hiking in a quiet or abandoned nature park. In case you need help, it’s always good to be with a hiking buddy. Also, it’s recommended to let other people know where you’re going. Especially when you can’t get a cellular signal. This way, other people can warn the authorities when you’re not coming back in time. It may sound serious, which it is, but these safety reasons are just precautions.

Hiking, in general, is a very safe and easy activity to do. Still, taking these precautions makes it even more, safer for everyone.

Essential Hiking Gear For Seniors

Some hiking gear belongs to the basic kit for every hiker. Let me share the essential hiking gear and equipment for seniors. 

Hiking Shoes

Is this obvious? Maybe, but some people don’t realize that it’s important to have a perfect-fitting hiking shoe. Not only to avoid blisters. Also for damping (for ankles and knees), grip, and weather protection.

So, when looking for a hiking shoe, you need to consider the shoe’s weight, stiffness, sole, and water resistance. 

It’s recommended to go to a specialist when searching for a hiking shoe. The best specialists can make a short film of how you walk and stand. They basically measure your foot and the way you walk, and then they recommend a shoe that perfectly fits. 

Of course, when you already know which hiking shoe you need, you can easily buy one only on Amazon.

Hiking Barefoot

Some love to go hiking barefoot. I wouldn’t personally recommend walking barefoot for a long hike if you have never done this. However, connecting with nature, also known as earthing is the easiest when walking barefoot. The most important thing is that you are really on natural grounds. So the health benefits of earthing or walking barefoot are limited when you walk on concrete or asphalt for example.

Hiking Clothing

When you prepare for a hike, you prepare for different weather conditions. So it’s important to have the right clothing for every weather condition. And of course, these hiking clothes need to be lightweight and easy to fit because you’ll take them with you during your hike. 

The best hiking clothing is multifunctional, for example, this shirt is available on Amazon. Which has UV protection, is lightweight, and dries quickly. 

Rain Gear

Many people that start with hiking buy complete rain-protecting suits. Which, of course, can be handy. However, when hiking, you want to pack light as possible, so I recommend using a rain poncho instead. A poncho is lightweight, and when you don’t use it, you can easily fold it into a small package, which fits in your backpack.

Hiking Poles

Hiking poles or walking sticks are an essential part of your hiking outfit. Especially when you go hiking as a senior, you can use the extra balance that these walking sticks offer. Every self-respected hiker uses these walking sticks. They’re very convenient, for example, when walking on uneven terrain. The best hiking poles are lightweight and easily foldable to click on your backpack when not using them.

 

Hiking Backpack

A hiking backpack is also lightweight, fits easily on your back, and has enough storage for your hiking gear. The best backpacks also have storage for a hydration pack where you can click on a straw so that you don’t have to bring an extra bottle. Bringing enough water is essential when you go on a hike.

One of the best and most well-known brands for hiking backpacks is Deuter, trusted by many hikers worldwide. You can find the latest Deuter hiking backpacks on Amazon here. 

Also, this hydration pack from Deuter (available on Amazon) fits easily in most hiking backpacks. 

Sunscreen

For obvious reasons, it’s important to bring sunscreen and protect your skin against sunburns. It’s recommended to put on sunscreen multiple times a day when you’re outside in the sun. However, don’t overdo it, because sunscreen also blocks the absorption of Vitamin D, which is an important vitamin that you can only get from getting enough sunscreen.

Outdoor Survival and Emergency Kit

Like we discussed earlier, it’s essential to be prepared when going on a hike. This outdoor survival and emergency kit is your hiking safety kit. You probably won’t need it when nothing is happening, but when you do need it, you’re happy you have this kit with you. This kit contains everything you need for emergencies.

As a senior and retiree, you’re always looking for new and fun activities to do. You just learned that hiking is the perfect activity for seniors. However, many other hobbies and activities are fun to do for seniors and retirees.

Retirement is a life-changing event, and preparing and planning for this stage in your life can be difficult for many retirees and seniors. We help you with this. Learn more about in our helpful ebook Five Steps To Happiness In Retirement.

As a grandparent, you want to create a special relationship with your grandchildren and that is why you might wonder, how can I be a fun grandparent?

To be a fun grandparent you need to make your grandchildren laugh, forget about rules from time to time, submerge yourself in their (imaginary) world, do fun activities together you both enjoy, show interest in their everyday life, discover new things together, tell amazing stories, be silly, take life not too seriously, give undivided attention, let things get messy and show your love abundantly.

All these things will help you to become the most fun grandparent out there. But I have more to share. My grandparents are the best examples. They are the definition of a fun grandparent and in this article, I will share all their secrets and tips with you. So continue reading.

16 Tips To Be A Fun Grandparent

1) Make Them Laugh

This first tip is obvious: laugh together. Make effort to make your grandchildren laugh and you’ll have the most fun time. You can tell funny jokes, act out funny characters, make funny sounds when you read a book, chase each other around the room, etc. My grandfather always had a couple of jokes in his pocket to tell us. And my grandmother was great at making fun of my grandfather. So that’s always good too to get a few laughs.

When you can put a smile on their face you can almost forget about the rest of these tips below. You instantly become the fun grandparent in their eyes. And for some fresh joke material, you can get the book: Silly Jokes For Kids.

2) Be Relaxed

In order to be fun, you need to be relaxed. Nobody is a fun person to hang around with if they’re tense and stressed out. Your grandchildren need to feel comfortable around you and you can only be authentic when you’re relaxed. You don’t want to force being fun. When you’re relaxed, you can be yourself, and that the fun you will come out naturally. So whenever you plan on seeing your grandchildren, try to be relaxed as you can be.

Try to schedule as little as possible so you don’t have to rush. And when you’re stressed out try to do an activity that helps you to get more relaxed. This can be doing a workout, walk around the park, do a meditation session or treat yourself to a spa day.

3) Forget About Rules

You can be the fun getaway for your grandchildren where a lot of the rules from at home and school don’t apply. This instantly makes you more fun than any other person in their life. And this sometimes a necessary break for your grandchildren too when their life is a bit hard.

You can invent Yes-day where you have to say yes to all their requests. Or only have 3 simple rules for the time that you’re together.

Make sure to inform or discuss this with their parents to avoid conflicts or uncomfortable conversations. To stay in harmony with the rest of the family you’re desire to be a fun grandparent should benefit everyone in the family.

A fun idea is to hang up this Grandparents House Rules Sign:

4) Submerge Yourself In Their Imaginary World

Kids have the wildest imagination. As we get older and life gets more serious we lose this type of imagination that can make the world a lot more fun. Why not submerge yourself into their world and let them guide you, instead of you guiding them through the real world.

And that requires for you to not be afraid and let loose. Let go of what in our world is applicable and be open to their view on things.

My grandparents even invented an imaginary world for us. There was a kid playground near their house, but my grandfather always used the word native American village. Just to give it that extra magic. And he had different names for the routes to the playground: narrow paths were named monkey trails and bigger paths were the elephant trails. So a playground visit was never boring. It was always one big adventure, just because our grandparents made up this imaginary world where we could go all out.

Often we try to correct kids to make them more suited for our world. But try to delay this as much as possible. Let them be children and keep their imagination alive. Enjoy this magical time together for as long as possible. When you follow their rules in play you will instantly set yourself apart from all the other adults in their lives. Your grandchildren know that you’re fun because you join in on all their fun.

5) Do Fun Things Together

Create a fun time together with your grandchildren by doing a fun activity. This can be playing a fun board game, bake cookies, do a science project, read a book together, do puzzles, go to a fun movie, plan a special date, do art and craft projects, dance, or teach your grandchildren your secret family recipe.

Try to seek if you have a shared interest and have fun together. Later in this article, I share a list of fun ideas to entertain your grandchildren.

6) Show Interest In Their Everyday Life

Kids want to be loved but also want to be heard. Feeling that they have a voice will boost their self-esteem and makes your relationship extra special. They know you’re there for them when they need you, and that their voice is evenly as important as adults.

Try to ask open-ended questions about whatever interests them or whatever goes on in their life as it comes to sports, school, friends, etc. Showing interest on a regular basis forms a foundation for greater conversations in the future. They know that you listen so next time they will open even more when you talk to each other.

7) Discover New Things Together

The best way to bond is to discover or learn new things together. It strengthens any relationship and creates new memories that can be cherished for a lifetime.

You can learn something new together like a new game, language, art project, or you can go on a trip together and visit a park, museum, or place you have both never been to.

8) Tell Great Stories

My grandfather was the best storyteller. He told amazing and adventurous stories that we always got the impression that he actually experienced them all. But no, he just had a great imagination. When the four grandchildren stayed the night over he always started our bedtime story with, “the robbers sat around the fire…” and then he continued. Later on, as we became older, he said to us that we’ve always asked to please continue the story where he left off the last time. But he couldn’t remember which random adventurous story he told the last time so he just made something up. We never noticed it.

Now you probably have a couple of great stories to tell about all the things you’ve experienced in life. And kids really are interested to know. I was always interested in how things went when my grandparents were young. I loved those stories.

And when you would like to get better at storytelling you could check out this book: Long Story Short: The Only Storytelling Guide You’ll Ever Need.

9) Be Silly

Kids are silly, so when you want to connect with them you need to be silly too. It’s the only way to get on the same page and to speak the same language. You have to get to their level instead of the other way around. So don’t worry about what other people think. Be silly with your grandchildren. It’s the direct gateway to having fun and being the fun grandparent you desired to be.

When we had a sleep-over at my grandparent’s house, the tradition was always to sneak into their bed and push my grandpa out of bed with the help of my grandmother. It was a silly tradition and they played along with it every time.

This Try Not to Laugh Challenge’s – Would Your Rather? will guarantee you laughs and giggles.

10) Take Life Not Too Seriously

The opposite of fun is seriousness. And that is why it’s a great idea to take life not too seriously when you want to be a fun grandparent. Show them that there is a positive to every negative. Laugh at something bad or sad. Accepting things as they are is a great lesson to teach grandchildren. It’s one of the most important rules to live a happy life. It makes it less stressful, anxious, and more fun. And it helps your grandchildren to cope with stress and problems in a better way in the future.

11) Give Undivided Attention

Which adult or teacher do you remember from your childhood that made a good impression on you? It’s probably a person that gave you undivided attention.

Even as an adult you like the people the most that really listen to you, respect your opinion and show you that they enjoy your company. This is the feeling you want to give your grandchildren too. Even if you’re not the funniest person in the world. If you show them that you care the most, then you ultimately become their favorite grandparent.

So put down your phone, turn off the computer or TV and listen to what they have to say, and do activities together without any other distractions.

12) Let Things Get Messy

Kids are messy, so let them be messy. Get messy with them. They will love it. They can be free to explore all sorts of possibilities for themselves. And freedom is joy. So have a bit of a food fight when you bake cookies, get into a water balloon fight on a hot day, etc.

13) Show Your Love

The best way to connect with your grandchildren and be that fun grandparent is to create a safe and comfortable environment. And the only way to get there is to show them you love them. Don’t think you can spoil them with love. You can never give too much love.

If you don’t know how to show your love, you can start by reading together this kid’s book: I Love You to the Moon and Back.

14) Get Creative To Be Original

When you have some competition from other grandparents you need to get a bit creative to become the funniest grandparent. You need to be original to stand out from the other grandparents.

Therefore get online to see what fun activities you can do nearby, which fun games are out there and what is hot and trendy nowadays. For example, a nature walk gets a lot more fun with a Nature Explorer Kit. A sleep-over gets a lot more fun with a movie marathon, have breakfast for dinner, have an indoor picnic, organize a fancy tea party, pitch a tent in the basement or on the lawn, print out your old family photos and have your grandchildren caption them or guess who it is.

15) Be Non-Judgmental

To create a comfortable and safe space to have fun, it’s important for kids to express themselves without being judged. When you listen without judgment your grandchildren will be more likely to come back to you whenever they’re struggling with something. It gives you the opportunity to help them. And when they know that they can be vulnerable around you, they also are more likely to come to you for fun times. Because when a grandchild enjoys your company, they will do everything to maintain that special bond.

Accepting your grandchildren for who they are, allows them to be free and will be able to accept themselves too. And that is the best base for having great fun.

16) Take Enough Rest

Nobody is fun to be around when they’re tired. So in order to be a fun grandparent, make sure you get enough rest to have the energy to be fun and do fun activities with your grandchildren. They have a lot of energy to release, get in the best shape to keep up with them.

Fun Ideas For Entertaining Your Grandchildren

Now that I’ve shared how to be a fun grandparent, let’s get practical. Below I share fun ideas to entertain your grandchildren.

• Have A Pillow Fight
• Wear Pajama’s All Day
• Dance In The Rain
• Dye Eggs
• Have A Pet Show With Stuffed Animals
• Make A Blanket Fort
• Have A Scavenger Hunt
• Have A Blindfolded Food Tasting
• Talk With An Accent For One Day
• Create Recyclable Art
• Teach Them Your Hobby Or Skill
• Do A Science Project
• Grow A Vegetable Garden
• Create Pavement Art