Staying active in retirement

For over 25 years, residents of the Carinity Shalom retirement village have used indoor bowls as a way to stay active, build friendships and enjoy some social competition.

“Indoor bowls has been a regular activity at Shalom since 1994 when the community hall was built,” says Graham Harvey, Shalom Retirement Village Manager.

“The indoor bowls community is always keen to welcome new residents into their group, whether they’ve bowled before or are looking to learn. The bowlers keep score and regularly change around who they play with.

“Games are played for enjoyment and participation and everyone goes home happy for the outing. So everyone is a winner, regardless of whether they have won or lost on that particular day.”

Indoor bowls is just one of the ways that residents keep active, stay social and enjoy friendly rivalry across Carinity’s retirement communities. From building strength to improving flexibility, mobility and circulation, the physical benefits of staying active as we age are significant.

Staying active doesn’t just help physically though – there is significant evidence of increased emotional and mental wellbeing associated with regular exercise.

The Department of Health recognises the importance of staying active and recommends we all get 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

If daily movement is not part of your current routine, that’s okay! It’s never too late to join or start an exercise group.

Here are some ideas to get active in retirement:

› Map out your weekly activities
› Review the retirement village social and activity calendar
› Book in to attend the village activities you would like to participate in
› Start with 20 minutes of gentle exercise three times a week and gradually increase to 30 minutes of activity each day
› If your preferred activity is not on offer at your village of interest, residents have the freedom to contact local instructors and set up a new activity