Hobbies are an important part of life no matter what your age. But they become especially important when you retire. Not only do hobbies divert your attention and give you enjoyment, but they also offer a host of benefits both physically and mentally.
Most of you are already familiar with the traditional hobbies that retirees engage in including gardening, bird watching and shuffleboard. And while these are worthy hobbies to be sure, many retirees will find greater enjoyment going in an entirely different direction.
There are several retirement hobbies that will engage your mind, spirit and body. Of course, these aren’t traditional hobbies, but they are, nonetheless, both satisfying and unique.
New York Medicaid Consulting, your Medicaid trust service, offers hobbies that you should try when you retire.
Travel to a Unique Destination
You could spend your retirement years visiting places like Florida or Arizona, but that wouldn’t be as exciting and intense as visiting a wildlife refuge in Alaska.
Whether you like to travel alone, with your spouse or with friends and family, retirees will take great pleasure visiting places they have never seen and probably have never heard of before.
Martial Arts
It might take a lifetime to master a particular discipline, but you can still get a lot of enjoyment and benefits from taking a martial arts class when you retire.
In addition to the physical and mental benefits you get from engaging in Judo, Karate or Jiu-Jitsu, martial arts also provides retirees with meditative qualities and low-impact workouts.
The many benefits you get from these disciplines include flexibility, mental discipline and physical fitness. You can expect to feel better about yourself while engaged in this hobby, you will sleep better at night as well. It is also a great way to meet new people and form tight friendships.
Learn a New Language
By learning a new language during retirement, you are able to expand your mind and open up to new adventures and social interactions.
Perhaps you have an interest in pursuing your personal heritage. Maybe you are of French descent and you would totally love to speak the language. You might even have a trip all planned out once you have mastered the language. Whatever language you choose to learn, the possibilities are endless.
Chess
People have been playing chess for thousands of years to fine-tune their critical thinking skills, concentration and abstract reasoning. No kidding. There is no better way to pass the time on a Thursday afternoon than teaming with a close friend for an exciting game of chess.
If you don’t have a worthy opponent, you can get online and play any number of chess games. You can also get a chess app if you so desire.
Play the Guitar
Perhaps you picked up a guitar at the pawn shop back in the 60s, 70s or 80s and dreamed about forming a band and becoming the next Beatles, Rolling Stones or Poison. Some of you might have even dreamed about becoming the next Cannibal Corpse.
However, you never took your guitar lessons too seriously and soon the guitar was stashed in the back of your closet and left to gather dust for years and years.
But now you have a renewed interest in playing the guitar, and you are growing your hair in anticipation of being selected to play in a local band. So break out and clean up that old pawn shop guitar or go out and buy a new Gibson Flying V and start taking lessons again.
This time, you are older and wiser and have the patience to make it through your lessons and disciplined enough to focus on practicing.
Now all you have to do is come up with a killer band name.
Restore a Classic Car
Your very first ride was a sweet 1969 Chevy Nova with a 327 engine that purred like a kitten. You loved that car. But then you got married, had children and had to sell it off to make money for a minivan.
And then for the next 40 years, you owned and drove a long list of boring vehicles that lent you no excitement whatsoever.
But now that you are retired, you don’t have to worry about driving a practical car that gets good mileage and holds four kids. You can finally drive the car of your dreams.
Call New York Medicaid Consulting and ask about Medicaid planning and asset protection today.
