active adult living – Page 6 – Retirement Media: Active Adult Living

When I retired, I got into walking. First at the Senior Center where Don, Lamont and I walked at 8am on MWF. It was great reason to get out of the house and get going. It was social walking as we talked most of the way. We met at Newtown Park’s walking trail which is a loop a little over one mile. We did three loops in about 50 to 60 minutes.

For the last two years I got into competitive race walking which at age 68 is challenging but very rewarding also.

Hiking or Walking: According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a steady routine of walking can greatly reduce the chances of disability at old age. Walking or hiking also helps prevent or manage certain conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure, and can be done with your friends or significant other in remote areas of nature.

So since I am such an experienced walker (isn’t everyone?) , for today’s posts I am going to list some benefits of walking.

Gets you out of the house
You get to see the sky, feel the weather and observe nature which makes you feel more alive.
You also observe other things you will never see from a car.
You can walk just about anywhere,but a neighbor park like we did was great or just in your neighborhood. Just stay away from busy roads.
If you walk with someone or in a small group, it is a great way to socialize.
Solo walking gives you time to clear your mind and think if you want to.
As you walk, waive or say Hello or Good Mornings to those who you see especially other walkers and running. Stop a moment to chat.
You will feel better.
You can challenge yourself after you have been walking for awhile to either go farther or faster or both.
Walking a few times a week or everyday gives you an activity to look forward to.
Lose weight and get heart healthy. This probably should be reason number one.
It’s cheap and easy to start.

Those are the benefits of walking I though of. Here are 12 Benefits of Walking from the Arthritis Foundation which lists some things I didn’t think of.

I will put my thinking cap on and come up with a future post about “How to Walk” and/or “Walking Tips”.

So get off that computer and go outside and walk!

What are the perks and benefits of living in a 55+ Active Adult Living Community as opposed to a regular suburban community?

Having lived in my suburban community for 21 years and then moving to a Del Webb Community about a year ago, gives me a perspective on that question. So here are my thoughts.

In my 55+ community, the people are friendlier. People wave and smile at you. They spend some time talking with you. Neighbors invite you over for dinner more often. Maybe we have more time for those things. Maybe there is an undeniable bond among us that we are in the same boat sailing the same seas.

In a 55+ community, there is definitely more things to do, opportunities to play games and enjoy activities. Thus the name active adult community!

In a 55+ community, there are more facilities and amenities, right here on site. We have bocce, pickleball and tennis courts. A lake to fish in. A wonderful clubhouse with indoor and outdoor pools, ballroom, demonstration kitchen, craft rooms, card rooms, library, exercise room, dog park, grand kids playground, walking trails, and wide sidewalks.

We have medical services nearby: a 100 bed hospital right next to our community and many medical buildings close by. I think most larger 55+ communities have the same.

So many interesting people live here! One of the unforeseen benefits is to meet so many talented and interesting people.

Living in a 55+ active adult community is fun! We have so many events every single month. All kinds of shows like the ventriloquist we saw this weekend, or the many bands who perform here. There are resident shows as well. Day trippers visit some interesting places. The travel club just got back from Ireland. All of the team sports are fun. Some people just love the card and table games. My wife and I just were saying that even though we have been here almost a year, it feels like we are on vacation and the place is new to us. No boring routines here!

Other benefits of 55+ Active Adult Living Communities:
Landscaping is included. No mowing!
Manned security gate.
Many restaurants give us a discount.
You can walk anywhere in the community or drive a golf cart.
Neighbors you can count on when you need them.
A safe community.
Energy efficient homes with great layouts and senior friendly.
A resort living feeling.

We feel very fortunate to live at an Active Adult Community. We moved here when I turned 67, why did I wait so long to do that?

Robert and Mary Ann live at Village at Deaton Creek, north of Atlanta Georgia.