Are You Healthy Enough For Retirement?
ARE YOU HEALTHY ENOUGH FOR RETIREMENT?
How is your health? When was the last time you had a thorough physical? Do you take care of yourself as well as you take care of your car? For your car, do you get regular oil changes? Rotate the tires? Do the 30,000, 60,000 and other mileage check-ups as recommended by the dealer? If so, great. Now, you need to do the same for yourself, and if you are not taking care of yourself, then you need to start right now.
Why is this important, especially since I have been ‘healthy’ all my life? Well, I will tell you. Like a car, the body wears out as we age. Oil has a certain ‘life expectancy.’ And as a car gets older, parts wear out. The car may have run great for years, then all of a sudden you are stuck by the side of the road. You don’t want to be stuck by the side of the road in your retirement years.
Retirement should be a grand time, an adventurous time when you can go, do, and enjoy every adventure, hobby, or activity that you have dreamed of or looked forward to after working. But here’s the rub – you cannot do any of this if you aren’t in good health. Just like those car parts, your body wears down throughout the years. If you have not taken care of yourself, you may find your body betraying you when you want to exercise, dance, go on vacation, swim, or just get outside and take a walk.
You can avoid body betrayal by taking care of yourself. First, take stock of your overall health. Let’s start with your Physical Health.
How well do you eat? Do you eat in moderation or to excess? Do you eat healthy food – like plenty of vegetables and grains – or do you consume too many sweet, sugary foods? Be honest with yourself, after all, you are trying to get as much mileage out of your physical plant as possible.
Now, what about your intake of water? Water is an amazing ‘food’ that has many benefits. Among them, water increases your energy levels. Why? Because the brain is mostly water and keeping it hydrated can also reduce fatigue and improve focus and concentration. Water also helps regulate your weight as it flushes out excess calories, toxins and promotes regularity. Drinking plenty of water daily also keeps your complexion smooth and moist, so with all of these benefits, why wouldn’t you drink water regularly?
What is a regular intake of water? There are many studies and several theories on how much water one should intake daily, but a good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. If you weigh 200 pounds, then you should drink 100 ounces of water daily. It sounds like a lot but if you drink 25% at breakfast, 25% around lunch, 25% midday, and the final 25% at dinner, you will hit your goal daily.
Another health consideration is how well you sleep? Do you get 7-8 hours of solid, REM sleep nightly? If so, you are on track. If not, you need to look at factors that might keep you from a good night’s sleep. Things like eating or drinking close to bedtime; irregular bedtimes; a hot room or heavy blankets; and excessive worry. Try to be more consistent in your nighttime habits and keep a table near your bed to write down things that cause you worry. You can deal with them the next day.
Do you exercise or stretch daily? If not, start slowly but surely and add 5-10 minutes of exercise each day, working up to the recommended 15-30 minutes of exercise daily. If you think exercise is a pain, ask your spouse to take a walk with you. Enjoy the outdoors and spend the time talking about things you want to do for fun. You will find that the time spent is not only healthy, but enjoyable for both of you.
A health checklist also includes doing a Mental Health check. Here are some things to consider regarding mental health:
- Do you take time for yourself?
- Do you take time to relax, read or meditate on a regular basis?
- Do you have enjoyable and fulfilling hobbies?
- Do you keep in touch with family and friends?
Two more areas to add to your checklist: Emotional Health and Spiritual Health. Things to consider are your attitude. Is it positive and encouraging? Do you give yourself credit for accomplishing things, no matter how small? Do you keep in touch with family and friends? Do you believe in a power greater than yourself? Do you have someone to turn to when you are seeking big life questions?
Congratulations on taking the time to evaluate your health. Your body, family and friends will thank you. But please do one more thing as you are contemplating retirement. Do a Life Expectancy check-up. This isn’t intended to sound morbid, but you should have some idea of your life span as you make retirement plans. You will need to not only budget your time but also your money. You want to have enough money to pay for the things you want to do in the time that you will spend in retirement.
There are many questions to ask when considering your life expectancy. Your family’s life and medical history, your own health, and many other issues that you may not have considered in the past. But in this case, knowing your past, and your family’s past, can help you figure out the time you can expect to spend in a happy and fulfilling retirement. Thankfully, there are many planning tools available to help you do your health checklist and the life expectancy check-up. They make your work easier and will prompt you on things to consider and do for yourself. Good luck and have a great check-up!
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Written by Diana Fuller
Written by Diana Fuller
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