Give Yourself the Gift of Active Retirement

By Alice Burron –

Retirement holds the promise to be a much earned time to enjoy life at a slower pace and renew your focus on activities you enjoy that you didn’t have time to do before.  If you’re like many, it also holds a hope to get in better shape and lose a little weight.

However, more often than not, retirees actually become less active, and gain weight!

A study called “The Effect of Retirement on Weight” followed almost 38,000 retirees and concluded that retirement contributed to weight gain.  Some of this weight gain was from less activity after retiring, not more – even though most had more available time to be active.  Unstructured meal times and eating out more often were also to blame.

Researchers also found that being overweight can shorten your life; for every 2.2 pounds gained after age eighteen, women’s odds of surviving past seventy dropped 5 percent.  Diseases to blame are cancer, heart disease, complications related to smoking and diabetes.

It is a fact that as we get older we need fewer calories to maintain our weight – about 5% less for every decade after 40.  To maintain weight we need at least one hour of moderate activity each day to keep the weight from sneaking on.  And even though physical decline is typically 36 percent between the ages of 60 and 90, if you exercise regularly you can cut the drop by 50 percent or more.

The positive news is that weight gain and physical deterioration don’t have to be a part of your retirement future.  Recognizing the potential to become less active and gain weight with retirement can be used to prod us into action, and create a plan.  What’s a retired girl to do?  Follow these eight tips and to fight the statistics:

1. Walk and talk.  If you are a multitasker extraordinaire like me, walking can be a great opportunity to catch up with friends or listen to a sermon on the ipod.  It can also be a great time to pray.  Wear a pedometer if you want to see how many steps you’ve taken and miles you’ve walked – it’s a great motivator!  Aim for 10,000 steps a day to keep off the pounds.  Start slowly and work your way up, if you haven’t been active recently.
2. Walking videos work! There are many videos available, but Leslie Sansone has great free videos ranging from 15 minutes to 50 minutes on You Tube.  Click here to see her walking introduction.
3. Get out of the chair regularly.  Standing for at least 10 minutes every hour, whether you’re watching television or on the computer, will keep your metabolism burning, and is better for your back, too.
4. Eat the good stuff.  Make your food choices mainly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.  Stay away from junk food, and order wisely when eating out.
5. Eat earlier.  If you can eat before 7pm, all the better for your body to digest the food before you go to bed.
6. Eat less calories.  Click here to calculate how many calories you need to maintain or lose weight.  To watch your portion sizes, try eating off of an eight inch plate, and forgo seconds.
7. Find someone to hold you accountable.  With a support buddy you’re less likely to slip up or miss a workout.
8. Find an activity that you like.  Try new things, keep your mind open.  Create an arsenal of ideas handy to turn to when you’re not sure what kind of exercise to do.

Although retirement is a time to enjoy some free time, don’t lose site on how important it is to take care of your spiritual and physical self.  It takes effort to make a plan, then follow it, but it’s much easier to prevent weight gain and physical ailments than to lose weight and treat health conditions.  Use retirement as a time for you to focus on your health.  Making a commitment every day will be well worth it!

Alice Burron is an Exercise Physiologist, personal trainer and authority in fitness and weight management.  She is an author of the book 4 Weeks to Fabulous Challenge, and committed to helping folks achieve their fitness and weight goals.  Learn more at www.2BFIT.net.