The importance of maintaining good physical and mental health throughout one’s retirement years is something that everyone can agree on, after all, there’s a direct link between good health and quality of life. This is especially true of retirees, for due to their age they’re more susceptible to illness and injury, plus the recuperation times are generally longer because their bodies are unable to heal as quickly as they once did.

If you’re to enjoy a great retirement at the lifestyle village of your choosing, you need to keep fit and healthy and the only way to do that is to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Here are some helpful tips that will better enable you to enjoy great health for longer.

The Importance Of Diet and Exercise During Retirement

Eat Well – A Balanced Diet is Essential

A balanced diet doesn’t mean a boring diet, it simply means eating the right foods in the right amounts to maintain good health. As you get older you need to be more careful about what you eat and in addition to reducing your sugar intake, you also need to watch your salt intake as consuming too much salt puts you at risk of high blood pressure, which puts you at great risk of heart disease or a stroke. Here are some tips to help you enjoy a balanced diet while living it up in one of the friendly retirement villages across South Australia which have proven very popular with retirees of all ages.

  • Get enough protein – You need to make sure you get enough protein, but not too much. Eating red meat once a week is good as it gives you iron, as is eating fish at least twice a week. One of those fish portions should ideally be an oily fish like salmon, a fish that’s high in omega-3.
  • Fruits and vegetables – You should eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily. A good mix of colours, especially greens, is essential and make sure some starchy vegetables like potatoes are included in your diet, though don’t go overboard as they’re high in carbs.

Additionally, consume milk products daily for calcium and protein, but watch your fat intake.

Stay Active – Exercise Regularly

Staying active by exercising regularly is very important. As you get older your muscle tone drops, so you need to do some light strength training for your muscle tone, as well as for your bones and joints. Walking is excellent for people of all ages, so taking a stroll around your retirement home in the afternoons with friends when it’s nice and cool is not only good for your health, it’s also a social activity that helps you to enjoy a more fulfilling retirement.

So, there you have it. If you’re to enjoy a wonderful retirement and do all the things you’ve long wanted to do but never had the chance because work was always in the way, eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly will help you to enjoy the retirement that you want for yourself.