Retiring can be socially isolating. Not only does it mean that you no longer interact with your coworkers on a daily basis, but you may not be able to get together with friends and family members who are still working. You need to make a plan to make new friends and have new adventures.
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Today’s seniors are living longer, are better educated and more physically active than past generations. They have more time and more options to stay socially active as they age. Some common ways older people engage socially are going to museums and the theater, participating in activities at a senior center or joining a card club. But, there are more ways to connect with others, too. Think outside the box to stay young and engaged. Try these ideas.

​Consider taking a community or university class to meet other people with similar interests. Pick subjects that you’ve always wanted to learn more about, such as biology, political science, history, psychology or foreign languages. Or take a class that can help you learn a new hobby or skill, such as photography, scrapbooking art or carpentry. Keep up with advances in technology by enrolling in computer or technology classes. Some universities have classes designed for seniors without tests or credits and may be offered for free. Check if a college near you offers this perk. 

​Some people start a second career or pick up new skills on the job. Try something new like becoming an Uber/Lyft driver or go back to school or launch a new business or foundation. 

​Get involved in special clubs with events like recreational vehicle groups, quilting clubs, fishing groups, religious study groups, travel groups, society or book clubs. Whether it’s a passion you’ve had your whole life or a newfound interest you want to try, exploring a hobby with a group can expose you to new ideas and adventures. 

​Volunteer your time at schools, churches, libraries, non-profit organizations and community centers. Find something you are passionate about. It is a great way to get together socially with others who have interests similar to yours and help those in need. It also gives purpose to life.

It’s important to stay physically active as you age. Check out groups that provide both physical and social activities, such as dance, yoga, charity walks, biking groups, swimming, golf, pickle ball or lawn bowling. You could even become a referee for your favorite sport.
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Some activities are open to all age groups, while others are for seniors only. Silver Sneakers is a program designed to keep adults 65 years and older healthy and moving. The program includes 13,000 participating facilities, such as YMCAs, across the U.S. It offers access to exclusive fitness classes, meetups and even Medicare health plans. As a member, you can attend any participating gyms at any time. 
Opportunities abound. It may take a step out of your comfort zone to try something new, but you won’t regret taking the leap. 

Regular exercise is just as -- if not more -- important for seniors as it is for younger people. 

However, many seniors don’t get anywhere near the amount of exercise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend (150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week plus at least two days of strength training).

If you’re struggling to find the right exercise program, you ought to consider yoga. Yoga is a great compliment to other forms of exercise, and it also provides the following health benefits for seniors. 

Falls are the leading cause of injury for seniors. One in four seniors falls each year, and one dies from fall-related injuries every 19 minutes. 

To decrease your risk of falls and the injuries that can accompany them, it’s important to work on your balance. Yoga is a great option to do this in a safe group environment. 

You can even look for yoga classes that are specifically designed for seniors. 

These classes often include props like chairs for extra support, and they typically move slower than traditional classes, so you’ll have the time you need to get situated in a pose before you have to transition to the next one.

Whether you suffer from arthritis-related pain or are in need of plantar fasciitis treatment, yoga can help. 

The movements practiced in yoga help to lubricate the joints, which improves mobility and flexibility. The more mobile you are, the less pain you’ll experience in your joints and muscles as you go about your day. 

Yoga can also improve your posture and make standing up straight much easier.

Yoga is considered a weight-bearing exercise, meaning that it requires you to stand on your feet (at least some of the time). When you’re standing, your bones and muscles have to work together to fight gravity and keep you standing upright. 

Exercises like walking, jogging, and playing tennis are also weight-bearing exercises. However, they can be too intense for some people, especially those who haven’t exercised in a long time. One of the many benefits of yoga for senior citizens is the fact that the movements are gentle on the joints.

Yoga is a great option for seniors who want to strengthen their muscles and bones in a low-impact way while also preventing fractures and conditions like osteoporosis. 

Weight-bearing exercises like yoga also help seniors manage their weight. This is a crucial step in preventing a number of conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis.  

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is known to contribute to heart disease and kidney disease. 

To combat the oxidative stress that causes high blood pressure, seniors can practice yoga regularly. 

Recent studies show that the calming aspects of a regular yoga practice can fight this stress by helping seniors strengthen their antioxidant defenses.

In addition to all the physical benefits of yoga, it also comes with a number of mental benefits that can’t be ignored. 

Yoga encourages mindfulness and naturally lowers the body’s fight-or-flight response, making it a useful tool for preventing anxiety. 

The calm, restorative nature of yoga -- coupled with the supportive classroom environment -- can also help ward off feelings of depression, something many seniors experience as they age.

Yoga is a great exercise option for seniors who want to feel better both physically and mentally. Check out a class near you today to start reaping all the benefits yoga has to offer.

​When is the best time to learn an instrument? 50 years ago. When is the second best time to learn an instrument? Right now! 

Perhaps you may feel as if you’ve missed the boat on the musical scene, but as you enjoy the extra time and freedom of retirement, you might be surprised to discover that picking up this new skill is not only ideal for your age group, but in certain aspects, can be even better! Don’t believe it? Read on. 

​One advantage the older generations have over the younger ones, is that you’ve heard countless forms of music come and go, filling your memory with decades of different songs and styles. This knowledge alone will help you recognize certain chord structures and natural melodic flows, much better than a child who’s recently picked up the same instrument as you. 

​Even if you believe that you don’t hold a musical bone in your body, you have still spent many professional years training yourself in problem solving and connecting life’s dots. Your brain is already hardwired to find the best approach at tackling obstacles, and unlike children, you are well-versed in the “practice makes perfect” methodology. 

​Music is all about the rules of sound, and the older you get, the easier you can delve into and analyze the abstracts behind the artform. Children may pick up skills much faster, but they have a tendency to learn in parrot fashion, whilst seniors have additional patience and curiosity to truly unravel the mysteries behind these scales and chords, which can become more valuable in the long run. 

​For some people, they only wish their parents had forced them to learn an instrument when they were younger. But you must remember that a large majority of young people unwillingly pushed towards a musical pastime, ended up loathing this after school activity, and tend to remember it as a time of labor rather than pleasure. Adults who pick up an instrument do so because they want to, and play music for music’s sake, finally fulfilling an interest that they had fantasized about their whole lives. 

​Playing an instrument not only gently removes you from reality, but has also been shown to improve your overall mood and sleep patterns, which works wonders for your stress levels and general mental health. As anyone can attest to, even just listening to the right music can calm you down whilst massaging any depression into a higher place of euphoria. So why not make some music of your own?

Ask a drummer and they will tell you: percussion performances are the same as a full body workout! Then there are wind instruments, which teach you how to breath properly and help expand your lungs, whilst the guitar is great for finger exercises. Just don’t forget to warm up and research how to strengthen your hand for maximum virtuoso results. 

​Like learning any new skill, playing music will challenge your mind to stay sharp and alert, which has been shown to increase your memory functions, and as a result, ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It also heightens your audio perception, as if training your nervous system to pay better attention to the world around you. 

​One of the primary reasons most people tend to seek out fresh hobbies in their retirement years, is to escape the tedious monotony of no longer having as much work to do. Picking up a new instrument skill is one of the best known methods of passing the time, by filling your house with the relaxing sounds of music, whilst progressing your art further with each and every practice. 

​Spending hours in front of your TV may be what you imagined retirement to be like, but this dull behavior can destroy your confidence, as you end each day with nothing of any value to show for it. Learning an instrument will not only grant your life additional meaning, but you can also accomplish it without even leaving the house if you don’t want to.

​Depending on your approach, you can even use your newfound passion to meet people. From visiting a tutor, to participating in group lessons, to having a topic of mutual interest with other musicians... there is no end to the links within the musical community. And who knows? Maybe you’ll even be performing with your band at next year's big social event! One step at a time.

The idea of pulling in a little extra income isn’t something that most people need to be sold on. But then there’s that pesky question of how — it’s not always easy to fit in another job opportunity outside of your usual grind. And when you do, that opportunity runs the risk of feeling like a drain on your precious free time. How to get around these pitfalls, you ask? Going to a magical land called Rover.com that will pay to you to hang out with four-legged furry friends.

​Rover, as you can probably guess, isn’t your average side gig. This pet-sitter network is knit together by the experienced pet sitters like you, pet owners who use Rover for a variety of coverage needs, and the trustworthy Rover specialists themselves who make sure the entire experience is marked by strong communication and clear expectations. As a pet sitter (once approved), you have the power to tailor your Rover profile in a way that best showcases your pet-sitting experience and passion for dogs and/or cats. 

​As a testament to their high quality standards, Rover’s sitter specialists approve about 20% of the folks who apply to become sitters. Applicants undergo a background check to ensure that all dogs and cats in the network are in trustworthy hands, plus Rover asks that you include testimonials on your profile that can speak to your sitting abilities. When approved and creating your bio on your sitter profile, you get the chance to tout your own experience and passion for pet care.

Rover sitting means that you work when you want, with whom you want, and how you want. You can watch dogs and cats for a weekend while their parents are away, provide drop-in visits for walks or general company, and so much more. The Rover profile also makes it easy to outline the kind of work you’re comfortable with and the animal breeds (and sizes) you have the most experience caring for. The Rover site gives you the agency to communicate with potential clients and get a feel for whether a job is right for you, so you never have to accept a job you don’t feel comfortable with or ready for. 

And as for the best part of being a Rover sitter, we don’t need to tell you. Four-legged friends are the best aspect of most things, after all — and this incredible side gig opportunity is no exception. 

It has been said the easiest instrument to play is the ukulele. It's not only easy, but it's one of those instruments that has a sound that can go from beautiful and classic, to fun and raucous. As will be seen by the seven easy ukulele songs included here for beginners to learn.

1. Oh My Darling, Clementine (Traditional) - G, D7, and C
2. Down in the Valley (Traditional) - C and G7
3. Skip to My Lou (American Traditional) - C and G
4. Amazing Grace (Traditional) - C, F, and G7
5. Happy Birthday (Traditional) - A, D, and G
6. Jambalaya (One the Bayou) by Hank Williams - C and G7
7. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd - D, C, and G

You can find more help at ukulele-lessons.com and anywhere on the internet look up "helpful ukulele tabs", but I prefer looking up the actual chords for easy ukulele songs, and then add 2 or 3 chords to your search.
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There are multiple benefits of learning an instrument as you age.

You develop your brain by using several parts that keep your mind sharp. As stated on the link above, playing an instrument does for your brain what circuit training does for your body. It incorporates various sections of the brain that need to function while playing and learning the instrument. These functions you need to keep the brain healthy as you age.
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You socialize with others who play instruments. What better way to find friends with similar interests? I have made more great friendships with fellow musicians than any other hobby. Get out and start "jamming" with others!

Each instrument brings out a part of your personality. Just because the ukulele is the easiest to begin playing, it doesn't mean you have to only play the ukulele. When I was young I learned the guitar. It made transitioning to the ukulele very easy, but from that instrument I went on to play piano, percussion and drums. It's like learning a new language. Once you learn one, you find the rest are easier to pick up on.
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As we age, its nice to know there is something that will make us feel both useful and capable. The ukulele, like any instrument, will give you a sense of self-esteem, especially if you are tackling it at a time everyone is telling you to slow down and just stop. Well this is the exact time you should start.

Whenever you play an instrument you are using fine motor skills. The ukulele stretches the fingers and bends the arms, incorporates the shoulders and muscles you don't usually use. Don't forget to use good posture, as well, whenever you play an instrument. Your body will thank you in the long run.
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There is no doubt listening to music builds the sense of hearing and brings all those parts of the senses you need to truly appreciate sound.

Sometimes, when you are alone there is something comforting about playing an instrument. Its what I call, "soul charge." An instrument will undoubtedly charge you when you're feeling down. It's one of the best cures for depression.

To tackle something after age 60 always makes us feel we're still learning and moving forward. That's always a good feeling. In fact, tackling any new task at any age is well worth the challenge.

As an old Danish proverb states, "Age may wrinkle the face, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."

So please, try these seven songs and enjoy learning something new!
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Here's to taking up an enthusiastic new hobby!

It’s a well known fact that many seniors like to travel when they retire. It makes perfect sense if you think about it. After all, you have the power to choose where it is you want to be, your children and grandchildren are busy with their own lives, and you have a lot of leisurely time on your hands. Traveling is the best way to spend your golden years.

A lot of boomers, seniors and retirees choose to go on cruise ships. It’s convenient, it’s not very expensive, you have everything you need on board, and you can have a lot of fun. Entertainment is not an issue. But have you ever thought of breaking out the mold a bit by doing something more exciting?

A trip to India is definitely something everyone should do at least once in their lives. It’s a spiritually rich country that has a lot to offer. Check out the 5 best destinations for retirees below, and get ready to pack a bag or two!

In Old Goa, you will find the beautiful Basilica of Bom Jesus. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site. The baroque architecture is just breathtaking. The destination has won a Traveler’s Choice Award in 2017, and it wasn’t for nothing. The sandy beaches will provide a quiet and relaxing place where you can enjoy some curry and drink some Kingfisher beer. You will come back with beautiful pictures and great memories. At Christmastime, the East and the West come together culturally, and you will be enjoying a wonderful religious ceremony.

In Old Goa, you will find the beautiful Basilica of Bom Jesus. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site. The baroque architecture is just breathtaking. The destination has won a Traveler’s Choice Award in 2017, and it wasn’t for nothing. The sandy beaches will provide a quiet and relaxing place where you can enjoy some curry and drink some Kingfisher beer. You will come back with beautiful pictures and great memories. At Christmastime, the East and the West come together culturally, and you will be enjoying a wonderful religious ceremony.

You can’t say you went to India without seeing the Taj Mahal. The whole trip is incomplete without it. It’s the biggest token of love known by man. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The beauty and the architecture of the palace are world famous, which is why it is considered one of the eight wonders of the world. In Agra, there are two other World Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO, the Fatehpur Sikri, and the sandstone Red Fort.

If you want to have beautiful spiritual experiences, then Rishikesh is the place to go. It is located at the base of the Himalayas, and it is a very important cultural and spiritual location for the Hindus there. Sacred rivers are flowing through the mountains, and the yoga spots look as if someone cut them from a magazine. The Beatles went there in 1968 to get in touch with their Eastern spiritual side and wrote several songs at a local ashram.

Bengaluru is also known as “The Silicon Valley of India.” It is a geek’s paradise but is also know for its cultural riches. You can visit plenty of gardens, museums, palaces, and temples. The natural features of the city are absolutely stunning. You can go to Cubbon Park and Ulsoor Lake of Bangalore. You will love the boating facilities. Also, Bengaluru has a lot to offer regarding music. It is one of India’s classical music and dance centers. There a lot of concerts you will surely enjoy.

Keep in mind that these 5 locations represent only a small portion of what India has to offer, but they are all worth visiting and are very popular with retirees. You’ll go back home with wonderful memories and stories to tell your grandchildren. You will also feel enriched in every possible way. Namaste!

Retired Brains is not a travel service, and does not offer direct travel support assistance. The purpose of this blog article is to provide helpful information on some popular locations in India should you choose to travel there. As with any international travel you undertake, we recommend researching local customs and other demographic data to ensure you are prepared for cultural immersion. You may also want to contact a travelers bureau in your area to find out about any international circumstances or situations, including safety concerns, that might affect your decision to travel abroad. 

Here at Retired Brains, we love helping you find activities that add value to your life. This includes leisurely pursuits that keep you socially active and mentally sharp. In this spirit, we are going to discuss the benefits of playing bridge, in order to help you decide if bridge might be a good activity to partake in. Some of the many benefits of playing bridge include:

Now, it is no secret that playing bridge is akin to mental gymnastics. In this regard, stimulating your brain regularly is believed to be an important component in warding off diseases including Alzheimer’s and Dementia. However, boosting immunity to ward off illness was not necessarily considered to be one of the benefits of playing bridge until the early 2000’s, when Professor Marian Diamond (no pun intended!) undertook an experiment at the University of California Berkeley with 12 ladies in their 70’s and 80’s.

​Professor Diamond began by taking a blood sample from each lady, and then had the group play bridge for 90 minutes. After that, she took blood samples again. She found that 8 of the 12 ladies had increased levels of T Cells in their bodies as a result of play. T Cells, of course, are used by the human body to fight infection. Professor Diamond’s hypothesis, that using the dorsolateral cortex of the brain by playing bridge can boost the immune system, was proven correct. Isn’t that neat? What is more, advances in modern technology mean you do not even need to leave the comfort of your home to enjoy the benefits of playing bridge!

Bridge is a natural game of choice for retirees, because retirement allows you to have more time on your hands to enjoy leisurely pursuits. For example, duplicate bridge typically allows for 7-8 minutes per hand, with anywhere from 22-26 hands per session. This means one session can take almost 3.5 hours to complete! Some people enjoy leaving the house to play bridge in community clubs.

• However, retirees who enjoy surfing the internet, or those who have disabilities that make going out for extended periods of time difficult, can play online bridge from the comfort and safety of their homes.

If you choose to play online bridge, you can rest assured that your mental sharpness will still benefit from the strategy, deduction, concentration and visualization required. Furthermore, many online bridge sites have a ‘chat’ function, which means you are able to communicate with your partner and other players in live-time. This allows you to experience meaningful social interactions, and even make some new friends in the process. Another benefit, should you choose to play online bridge, is that many platforms are open for play 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So unlike a community hall with set hours of play, if you choose to play online bridge, you can do so whenever you wish!

Retired Brains has found a fun, interactive and easy-to-use online bridge platform called Funbridge. Funbridge is an established bridge site that connects bridge players from all over the world. Funbridge has individual games, as well as many different kinds of tournaments you can participate in.

To use Funbridge, you need to sign up for an account and download their free, easy-to-use application program for your desktop computer, laptop or mobile device. Once you sign up, you will automatically receive 100 free ‘deals’. You can use these free deals to help you decide if playing online bridge is the right fit for you. If you decide that it indeed is, you can purchase monthly packages, including unlimited play. Please visit the Funbridge website to learn more, and to see if their platform is right for you.

No matter what leisurely pursuits you choose to partake in, we hope this article helps you find stimulating, meaningful activities that are right for you...and that add tremendous value to your retirement years!

*The purpose of this article is to provide helpful information that allows you to make an informed decision as to whether or not playing online bridge is right for you. As with any online or in-person gaming platform, you should always do your research to make sure you understand the terms, conditions, costs and any other stipulations associated with membership. If you have any questions about the Funbridge platform specifically, we recommend contacting them directly.

Image Credit: The image of British nobility playing bridge is used with the permission of Creative Commons licensing, and is courtesy of the MCAD Library. The image was originally created by Charles Dana Gibson in 1903 for Collier’s Weekly.