Staying physically active as you age can help you prevent health problems, maintain mental agility and control chronic illnesses. However, spending hours in the gym on a treadmill can get boring fast. While there are several activities to help you stay active and healthy in the gym, you might want to consider alternative activities that allow you to stay fit and healthy with an element of social interaction.
Some of the activities include:
Pickle Ball
Pickle ball combines the best of tennis, badminton and ping pong, but requires less running making it suitable for players with injuries or joint problems. The game allows for two or four players: with several tournaments to accommodate the more competitive players. Pickle ball has a slower pace allowing you to enjoy the game and the added health benefits as you socialize with others.
Disc Golf
While many boomers enjoy golf as a retirement game, there are several boomers who may not have the patience and money required to play golf. Disc golf offers a suitable alternative; instead of using golf balls and clubs, players throw a golf disc or Frisbee to a target area. The objective is to have the Frisbee land in the target area with the least number of throws. The game is open to players across all ages, making it a good option for family outings especially with the kids. It also encourages movement and keeps the brain active as it requires high concentration levels.
Extreme Sports
Boomers love adventure, with many of them engaging in extreme sports such as sky diving or paragliding. Boomers looking to stay and feel young should frequent extreme sporting events, scheduling their vacations around major sporting events around the world. Through extreme sports, you can stay healthy, keep up with the younger generations, and travel to scenic sports around the globe.
Yoga
Yoga helps you build your flexibility, strength and balance. It is beneficial to all conditions, including aching joints, arthritis and old injuries. Yoga offers a cost effective way to keep fit; you only need a mat, with the option to customize the moves and options to suit your skill and fitness levels. Yoga also offers therapeutic benefits, allowing you to regulate your cardiac rhythm.
Walking Basketball
Just like the name suggests, walking basketball follows all the rules of a regular basketball while allowing players to walk instead of run. You get a chance to enjoy a basketball game without straining your joints and risking injury, while also socializing with fellow players during the game. Depending on the crowd, you can improvise the rules to accommodate players with different skills levels.
While it may seem like your options for sports are limited as you mature, there are multiple opportunities for you to improvise and enjoy a healthy sporting activity with friends and loved ones. Proceed with caution especially with extreme sporting activities, and consult your physician immediately you feel any form of pain or unusual discomfort.
