You’ve spent a long time saving for and planning your retirement, so when it finally arrives, it’s likely that you want to be in good health for as long as possible to enjoy this next chapter.
While people are now living longer than ever, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, longer lifespans may also bring increased risk of cognitive impairments.
Fortunately, some research suggests that brain function can be maintained and improved as you age.
So, here are 10 ways to not only improve your quality of life in retirement, but also help boost your brain power and keep you mentally healthy for longer.
1. Chess
Playing strategy-based games like chess could improve your working memory. As you have to think several moves ahead and anticipate your opponent’s counterattacks, you may build focus, resilience under pressure, and the ability to read the other player.
Plus, the social element of strategy-based games makes boosting your brain power fun.
2. Puzzles and jigsaws
As different puzzles engage different parts of your brain, doing a variety of these is essential to experience the full range of benefits.
For example, crossword puzzles can be especially beneficial for people with memory problems and have been shown to improve cognition and vocabulary, the New England Journal of Medicine has found.
Numerical puzzles like Sudoku, on the other hand, test your memory skills, while jigsaws challenge your visual and spatial accuracy.
3. Learning a new language
Learning a new language can take some time, but it’s worth the effort; it could enable you to communicate with different people, have a richer experience when travelling, and introduce you to a world of foreign-language books, films, and music.
What’s more, according to numerous studies, bilingualism is said to contribute to better memory, improved visual-spatial skills, and higher levels of creativity.
4. Listening to more music or learning a new instrument
We know this instinctively, but according to Plos One research, listening to feel-good music boosts creativity and brain power, helping to generate more constructive and innovative ideas and solutions.
It’s not just listening to tunes that can be a real brain booster too – the International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease says that playing a musical instrument could offer some protection against dementia later in life.
5. Meditation
Whether your meditation takes a more structured form, perhaps guided by an instructor or app, or is just a stolen five minutes in the day to close your eyes and reflect on your thoughts, it can carry many positives.
Meditation can calm your body, slow your breathing, and reduce stress and anxiety, as well as improving your attention span and concentration levels.
6. Learning to dance
Regular moderate exercise has many upsides, one of which is increasing the volume of select brain regions responsible for memory, NBC News reports.
To reap even more rewards from the exercise you do, you could try dancing, in order to increase your brain’s processing speed and memory.
Whether you prefer tap, ballroom, or even line dancing, practising this fun new skill in a social setting could improve your health while also boosting your brain power due to its demands on your balance, coordination, and memory.
7. Gardening
From tending to your flower beds to mowing the lawn or growing your own fruit and vegetables, time spent in the garden is well known to offer a range of physical and mental health benefits. It can keep you physically fit, motivated, and socially engaged and you can take pride in your hard work each time you look out of the window.
According to a report in The British Psychological Society, gardening can reduce stress, anger, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, giving your brain a positive boost. Plus, the social and physical health advantages of community gardening have also been shown to delay dementia symptoms.
8. Regular game nights with family or friends
Good conversation with family and old friends can stimulate your memory, and Harvard Health Publishing suggests this may reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
While playing board games or video games with family or friends might feel like frivolous fun, your brain is getting a workout by using your language skills, vision, and hearing, and in the games themselves, you’ll be flexing your problem-solving muscles too.
9. Joining a book club
Book clubs are a great way to boost your brain power.
They encourage you to read more widely, improve your vocabulary, and give you a chance to socialise with new people. Not only that, but book clubs also expose you to new authors, books, and ideas, and encourage critical thinking and engagement with the books, which could all help keep your mind sharp.
10. Joining a pub quiz team
Spending an evening in the pub with friends is great for maintaining your wellbeing in retirement, but joining and attending regular quiz nights could boost more than just your social life.
Trivia quizzes give your frontal cortex a good workout, testing your memory, improving your general knowledge and attention span, and increasing your auditory and visual processing speed.
Get in touch
As well as taking good care of your health, it’s also vital to plan your finances effectively to ensure you can achieve your retirement goals. This is something we can help with, so please get in touch if you’d like to learn more.
You can contact us by emailing financial@barwells-wealth.co.uk or calling 01273 086 311.
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