A Healthy Retiree is a Happy Retiree

You can see yourself taking a swim in the pool of a fancy Hawaiian resort, riding a bike through Central Park in New York or hiking in a beautiful national park.

The vision makes you feel wonderful and your retirement time is not so far away. But will you be strong enough and fit enough to do these things? Dr. James Hill, executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, says most people can make a list of their fitness goals and achieve many of them in a few months.

At the university, Dr. Hill knows they are seeing more and more retirees and pre-retirees who want to be able to hike, bike, swim and engage with other physically fit retirees.

Walking is still the most popular exercise because it’s convenient, can be done almost anywhere and doesn’t require special equipment. Many pre-retirees take exercise classes such as Zumba. Yoga is popular. And others want to continue playing tennis or even soccer or hockey.

Many of Dr. Hill’s clients are very interested in healthy eating and cooking, which is a popular activity for couples. The biggest mistake is trying to do too much too soon, especially among those who don’t want to be overweight anymore.