Benefits Of Maintaining Physical Fitness In Retirement
I have a good friend who has been ice skating since she was a teenager. Recently, I had the pleasure and privilege of being invited by her to an ice skating practice she attends a few times a week at a rink in Clearwater, Florida. I met an extraordinary group of women and men who have been ice skating for a good part of their lives. However, most became more active in their 50s, taking lessons and competing. The men were initially involved in ice hockey and the women in competitive ice dancing.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, they gather to practice their ice dancing skills, take lessons, teach each other, and just have fun. The rink is in the middle of the mall so it draws much attention, which the skaters enjoy. These men and women provide a wonderful role model for how we could continue to remain vibrant, energetic, positive, and goal-oriented as we move into our later years. Their ages range from 65 to 82 years old. Most are retired from traditional work but a few are still working part-time doing something they enjoy doing. It was fun to watch them skate to music from Abba to more classical music.
The Interview
I interviewed the ladies and one of the gentlemen after their practice to learn more about their attitudes and feelings regarding the physical, emotional, psychological, and social benefits of their weekly gatherings at the rink. Here’s what they had to say:
Physical benefits: “Keep active and keep moving” was the advice they all gave. Skating provides them with balance, coordination, cardio, muscle tone, flexibility, endurance, weight management, stress relief, and mental agility. Each member of this group has skated on some kind of synchronized team in their adult years. As they’ve aged, however, they chose to practice primarily for the exercise and also for the fun and freedom of the sport.
They willingly acknowledge that their skating comes with some risks. Most of them have sustained broken bones and sprains over the years. In their younger years, they skated more aggressively and were willing to brave the risk but that was then and this is now. Although they all skated gracefully, I didn’t see them attempt maneuvers they would have routinely done in their younger years. To further minimize their risks, most of them do other exercise to enhance their skating ability like yoga, walking, golf, biking, dancing, and stretching-just to name a few.
Emotional and psychological benefits: All of the skaters were extremely positive, proud, and candid about how important skating has been in their lives. They all said that skating provided the emotional benefits of remaining positive, enthusiastic, and goal-oriented. They were excited about continuing the sport and said that although they have sustained injuries, they didn’t want to give up skating. In order to skate safely, they were setting reasonable goals for themselves. Like most of us, these men and women had experienced some serious challenges in their personal lives, but the gift of skating and the comradery of their group have offered them the support they needed.
One of the skaters is going through cancer treatment and is on an experimental drug. He is skating weekly, working at a golf course, and helping take care of his grandchildren. Having played competitive hockey, his speed was impressive, but what inspired me the most was his extremely positive, hopeful attitude. He is living his life in spite of his unfortunate diagnosis. Skating gives him a sense of purpose and he also enjoys being with the ladies who have been very encouraging. He’s a real trooper!
Social benefits: One of the biggest attractions for these skaters is the social interaction they enjoy. They look forward to seeing each other and, after every session, they gather for coffee or tea and a piece of the cake made by one of the ladies who loves to bake. Because several of them have been on teams in the past, they work hard to maintain their connection. They welcomed my friend with open arms when she moved to Clearwater and joined them last fall. This group also goes to movies together, play cards, and share various other aspects of their lives and families together. Being socially engaged is a wonderful benefit of sharing activities together.
Advice And Wisdom
During our discussion, I asked them what advice they would give to those embarking on retirement for staying physically fit. They offered the following advice and wisdom:
- Stay physically active and socially engaged. Build new friendships and maintain current friendships.
- If you want to begin any sport, make sure you take lessons before you get started.
- Choose an activity you enjoy and that will provide the benefits listed above.
- Enjoy the freedom to do what you want to do in retirement. Find balance in your life.
- Find activities that can also serve as a support group when life challenges and losses occur. The biggest challenge for several of them was being alone, after having lost a spouse or friend.
Bringing It All Together
I think the message here is that we all have a choice in life to maintain our physical fitness and general health. What activities, physical fitness programs, weight loss programs, and maintenance of chronic health problems should you be attending to in your life? Wouldn’t you like to be as vibrant and energetic as these skaters are in your later years? Find something new or be consistent in what you are already doing.
Having a healthy body and attitude will add to the quality of your retirement career and help you make the very best of the rest of your life.
Dee
Dee Cascio
Author, speaker, Licensed Psychotherapist, Certified Life Coach, Retirement Lifestyle/ReCareer Coach, and Life and Work Transitions Strategies Coach.
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