Leisure Activities to Suit Your Retirement Lifestyles

Leisure activities for the 60+

Many people are anxious about how they're going to keep themselves busy when they retire. They fear that they might get bored, lonely and frustrated when they've too much time on their hands.

Have no fear, my friends. You should thank your lucky stars that you have so much time to spend on your favourite activities.

Here are the leisure activities you can look forward to when you retire.  

Outdoor Activities

Outdoor activities help you keep in touch with nature.

• gardening, landscape design
• walking is a great exercise for the heart and the limbs. Join a club and go on walking holidays.
• golfing - this is a popular sporting activity for many retirees. Many enjoy taking golf trips and playing in golf courses all over the country.
• bird-watching - join a bird watching club or go on bird watching holidays with a few friends
• train-spotting
• fly-fishing - make fly fishing trips and enjoy some peace and quiet in the countryside
• attending horse trials like the Badminton Horse Trials and the Blenheim Horse Trials

Those who like outdoor activities, whether you're thinking of taking golf trips or walking holidays, generally enjoy a healthier lifestyle.. You will also socialise and interact with others who share similar interests as you.

Cultural Leisure Activities

Many people just love cultural leisure activities which include:

• visiting museums and art galleries. If you live in big cities like London, there are lots of interesting museums and art galleries and the admissions are generally free. If you live in the countryside, give yourself a treat and make special day trips to visit museums and galleries with your relatives and friends.
• theatre shows and concerts are also immensely popular. Musicals like Mamma Mia and Hairspray are lively and make you feel good.
• go on excursions and visit historical places, famous landmarks and places of natural beauty. Take your children and grandchildren with you and spend precious time with them.
• join social and entertainment clubs and go out wining and dining with club members. Eating out doesn't cost much these days as many restaurants offer buy one get one free vouchers.
• make arrangements with your relatives and friends to go on shopping sprees and have a great day out. Window shopping doesn't cost money.
• Pre-book free television tickets to attend shows as members of the studio audience.

Indoor Leisure Activities

When the weather is wet and cold, there are many indoor activities to keep you busy and entertained.

• organise a mahjong/bridge session at a place that is convenient to all parties and have a great time. Board and other card games are also popular.
• spend time on arts and crafts like painting, origami and flower arrangements;
• spend time on your hobbies such as stamp or coin collection;
• play computer games to strengthen your mental agility. There are many online games like crossword puzzles and sudoku;
• home maintenance - plumbing, electrical and carpentry work, cooking and baking. Invite your friends round for lunch or have a tea-party.
• Spend time with your pets.

Travelling

Travelling, whether it's a short vacation or a long holiday, is a favourite amongst many retirees.

• Travelling to visit relatives and friends you haven't seen for ages. It's a good time for some catching up and sharing old memories.
• Short vacations like spending a few days in London, Paris, New York or any city you've always wanted to visit. Take short breaks like theatre breaks or making golf trips to your favourite golf courses or walking holidays;
• fancy going on a cruise?
• travel to warmer countries and take a few weeks break from the cold winter; Spain and Portugal have popular resorts for retirees and they aren't expensive.
• Visit famous landmarks such as the Taj Mahal in India, the Sphinx in Egypt and the Great Wall of China.

Enroll on Self-Improvement Courses

Learning new skills during retirement is both physically and mentally satisfying.

• Learn to dance for health and enjoyment - ballroom, line, tap, salsa, ceroc;
• attend cooking classes and try out new ways of cooking and recipes;
• computer classes - learn how to use new software and applications;
• meditation classes help to unwind and help you focus your mind.
• public speaking classes help to boost your confidence and self esteem.
• go to the gym and attend keep fit classes for physical and mental fitness;

Volunteering Work

Leisure activities can also include volunteering work:

• Help in fundraising for a charity of your choice - e.g. sponsored walks/runs
• Do volunteering work in a charity shop.
• Helping schools to look after children on school outings and homework clubs;
• Provide voluntary service in you local hospital or old folks home.

Find your nearest Volunteer Centre

As you can see from the above, there are lots of leisure activities to keep you busy during your retirement, and many of them are for free. You may decide to try out a few activities initially on a trial and error basis. You can then switch to other activities later on until you find the activities and social groups that you like. Have fun!

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