Is your healthy retiring along with your job
- By Sahana Rajan
One of the main reasons for gaining weight after retirement is that we get confined to the comforts of the house and our schedules are physically less demanding than what they used to be. A recent study revealed that while some people tend to make most of their post-retirement time, most of us get glued to our couches with the television and bowl of chips. This results in radical weight gain within a few years. The lack of regular physical exercise, a factor which is missing even during the office lives of most people, also contributes greatly to putting on weight. Also, once you retire, your eating patterns tend to change. While going to office, you eat during the break and have a regular schedule for meals.
However, after retirement, you do not see the need to maintain such a regime and give up on it slowly. This leads to collapse of a balanced diet you might have had earlier. Did you know that once you hit the age of 40, it is time to reduce the amount of calories you consume by 5% every decade? If we continue to eat as we did earlier or sometimes, increase the quantity of food, then weight gain will be inevitable. Lifestyle changes are the major cause for weight gain after retirement.
Keep your body fit after retirement for a wonderful old age! Weight gain can be brought under control if you take steps to take care of your body. The ways we mention here are simple and do not need any activity independent of the way you live daily. These simply change the quality or quantity of the activities you perform daily.
A recent medical research kept an eye on over 2,500 people for 12 years. The participants were between the age of 45 and 65 years old. Every three years, they were asked to visit a clinic and submit their weights. Inquiry was also done as to, if anyone had retired during the past three years. IT was realized that women gained over 2 points every year after retirement. The factors included in the study were physical activity, race, age, and body mass index.
Firstly, get a customized diet chart from a physician. As you age, your body might start manifesting symptoms of nutrient deficiency that you could turn a blind eye to, believing that it is simply old age creeping in. Do not ignore any symptoms of abnormality in your body. Visit a physician and get a diet chart to suit your needs. Keep those packaged foods away and also prevent eating refined carbs like table sugar or white flour. Include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Secondly, maintain a regime of physical exercise. This does not mean that you have to take up vigorous exercises. Flip through a series of workout DVDs and choose a style you like. You cannot start building your body suddenly when you are 50, so if you are anywhere near it, now would be a good time to pick up weight training. This can be done at home too, once you get the basics right and the fundamentals are all available in the virtual workout series today.
Thirdly, cardio-training is a must for every person over 50. What is the best way to train your cardiovascular health? By getting home a dog! Dogs are wonderful companions who will teach you to walk and train your cardiovascular system.
Fourthly, sleep adequately: sleep for at least 8 to 10 hours every day. Remember that it is time to put your alarm clocks into the bin and give a good night's sleep a chance! Fifthly, make sure you read at least one book every month. This will make sure that your brain is active and doesn't wear out. Read something you like, so that you do not get bored and are engaged in it.
Moreover, you could do any activity that involves mental exercising: crossword puzzles, riddles, Sudoku and others. Lastly and most importantly, find something you love to do and dedicate yourself to it! If your job involved you doing something you love, then it is wonderful! You would have the opportunity to explore other passions and follow them. If you had a job you did not like, then make the most of the time you have in your hands! Volunteer at a children's hospital or orphanage. Explore who you are. Do something you love. This way, you will keep up your spirits and never wake up with an existential crisis in the morning.
