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3 Ways to Make Your Retirement Healthy and Happy

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3 ways to make your retirement healthy and happy

Retirement should be the most relaxing time in your life, but it’s hard to stay peaceful if your health begins to deteriorate. Too many times retirees stop working, stop moving and stop taking care of their well-being. Happily, there are ways, many of them quite simple, to maintain a healthy lifestyle well into retirement.

These aren’t drastic procedures or harsh and unrealistic diets, merely minor adjustments to habits and lifestyle that everyone can do to slow or even halt the onset of aging related issues.

  1. Eating Right

Healthy eating is important for people of all ages, but there are many special considerations for the diets of retirees that most mainstream diets ignore. Assisted living facilities provide nutritious meals three times a day, but for those who reside at home, you can experiment by trying new healthy foods or relying on services such as Meals on Wheels if food preparation becomes too much.

When we get older, our nutritional needs change, and our diets have to change with them. For example, the microbiome of the large intestine shrinks drastically in size as we get older. This shrinking means there are a lot less helpful bacteria in our guts, which is necessary for maintaining muscle mass and general health. Adding probiotics and prebiotics (dietary fiber) to your diet can keep your microbiome thriving.

Stomach acid production also takes a sharp downturn when we get older. A lack of stomach acid in the stomach can cause us to absorb fewer nutrients and weaken our bodies. Low-sodium fermented vegetables, bitter drinks, medications and supplements are all possible solutions.

  1. Eliminating Stress

Stress may seem like just an inconvenience sometimes, but it can have tangible and severe consequences for your health and state of mind. Stress is a factor in many of the most common medical problems retirees have. Getting rid of stress can prolong your life and make it more enjoyable.

Yoga and meditation are active ways you can reduce your stress and entail only as much physical activity as you want. Passively, you can increase participation in social circles or join new ones in your community. Coping comes easier when you aren’t alone.

  1. Stay Active

Maintaining a fitness regimen doesn’t have to mean exhausting yourself at the gym. Stay physically fit and flexible by doing simple things like walking the dog, swimming or any other activity that promotes your cardiovascular health. It can literally add years to your life.

Staying mentally active is almost just as important. Stimulate your mind with games and puzzles to keep your brain sharp and functioning at peak performance.

Make the Change

Don’t let retirement slow you down. Use the extra time to make positive changes in your life, and you might just enjoy it more than ever before.