There are plenty of smart retirement planning tips that are focused on how to save for retirement. Of course, those smart retirement planning tips are vital, but let’s say you have done the financial work, what’s next?
All the smart retirement tips that give you the tools to prepare financially for retirement are great, but there are other smart retirement tips that you need to follow to ensure all that hard financial work pays off.
Nothing Is More Valuable Than Good Health
If you are getting ready for retirement, one of the best ways, to go into retirement is as a healthy person. As we age unexpected health problems tend to crop up, one of the best ways to avoid those problems is to make your health a priority.
Today, the number one killer of Americans is lifestyle. Stress, poor nutrition, chronic illnesses like diabetes, and high blood pressure can really take a toll on your body. Getting your physical health in order can be more important than your financial health.
Today is the day you can put into motion smart retirement planning tips that will put you on the path to wellness. Making a few simple lifestyle changes can really have a tremendous impact on your health. Following these smart retirement tips will help you be prepared to fully enjoy your retirement.
Start With an Evaluation of Your Current Condition
All of the smart retirement tips that are focused on your financial health start by advising to take a look at your current financial standing. That is exactly what you should do to improve your physical health.
Make a doctor’s appointment with your primary care provider, and get all of the diagnostic testings out of the way. Anyone over the age of 50 should have these diagnostic tests done:
- Colonoscopy or you can talk to your doctor about the mail-in service.
- Regular blood work to check to monitor cholesterol, sugar levels, and more.
- Women should continue to have PAP testing, mammograms, and men should have prostate checks.
Partnering with your doctor to get regular health checks and necessary diagnostic testing can help to keep you healthy as you age so you can enjoy your retirement years in good health. The first of the smart retirement planning tips is to get a baseline for your health, and then work with your doctor to come up with a plan to improve your health if necessary.
When you are planning for retirement your health needs to become a priority. Lifestyle changes, a focus on nutrition, and working closely with your doctors can help you to get your health on track.
Those Lifestyle Changes
Now is the time to stop some bad habits and maybe adopt some healthy habits. The human body is an amazing machine, if you fuel it right, it can make incredible changes. There cannot be enough said about the power of nutrition and its effect on our health.
What you put in your body for fuel undeniably affects how your body performs. The old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, may not be the only thing you need to do to keep the doctor away, but it does point to how important nutrition is tied to good health.
Smart retirement planning tips to help you get into the best possible health start with making some dietary changes. As we age, we need fewer calories, but we need those calories to be nutrient-dense. Planning meals wisely to include healthy options that are chockful of the nutrients your body needs can help to:
- Lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack.
- Reverse the effects of Type II diabetes.
- Keep your cholesterol down and reduce the risk of stroke.
Nutrition plays a key role in how you will age. A diet that is rich in brain foods can help to keep you out of dementia care services, foods that are meant to keep your digestive system healthy that can help you to control GERD and other gastrointestinal problems, the list goes on and on when it comes to how nutrition can ward off illness and disease.
If you have not been paying attention to your weight and the food you eat, now is the time to start. You can reverse many conditions by simply changing your diet and taking nutrition seriously. There are experts in the medical field that believe food can be medicine and be curative.
Connect With a Professional To Change Your Diet
A lot of retirement age people appreciate the smart retirement planning tips that are centered around improving their lifestyle to improve their health but are unsure of where to start. It can be tempting to adopt one of the fad diets that are out there. One of the best smart retirement planning tips when it comes to your good health is to connect with professionals to get some guidance.
There is no blanket approach when it comes to which diet is best for you. Diet and nutrition should be customized to the individual and the best way to do that is to meet with a nutritionist that can create a diet plan that fits your lifestyle and your needs.
Changing your diet does not mean that you have to miss out on your favorite foods it means you have to change portions, and when you eat, and of course find the balance. You will not have to give up your favorite Mexican food distribution brand, but you will have to tweak how much of your favorite foods you eat.
One of the benefits that are not really ever talked about when talking about the importance of nutrition is the cost savings. That is right, by eating right, you can save. Consider how beneficial good nutrition is to your health which means fewer pharmacy costs, fewer doctors visits with co-pays, and cost shares, the savings can really start to add up. Being healthy is the less expensive way to live.
Get Moving
A body in motion stays in motion. You saved up for this moment, you do not want to spend it sitting on the couch. You want to finally be able to do all the things you wanted to do but couldn’t because work got in the way. There is no better time than right now to fit more exercise into your life.
If you have knee problems or hip problems that are keeping you on the couch than consider making an appointment with some talented orthopedic doctors that can fix the problem. A brand new knee or a hip can be the right solution to get you back up and out. You do not want to start retirement in pain and unable to do the things you want to do. You have to be able to get some exercise to get healthy and stay healthy.
Addressing joint issues with your orthopedic doctor may not seem it is part of smart retirement planning tips but consider how important mobility is during retirement and you will be able to see the connection. You have to be proactive when it comes to your health, your diet, and your exercise regime to truly be able to enjoy retirement.
Mental Wellness
Enjoying retirement does not only depend on being physically and financially healthy, but it also depends on being mentally healthy. Transitions can be scary and stressful which is why it is so important to plan out every detail. The more you plan the less stress you will feel and the less scary the transition will be.
Smart retirement planning tips also include preparing for your personal security like considering which home alarm systems you should have for your home. You hopefully will be traveling more now that you are retired but that means your home will be left without anyone home more often. Something as simple as having a home alarm system installed can give you the peace of mind to enjoy travel without worrying about the security of your home.
Get your will in order so you can check that off the things you worry about list. Meet with a will lawyer and get it out of the way. No one likes to think about when they will not be here any longer, but we do think about it a lot as we age. Having a will in place can help you to think about it less and focus more on having fun during your retirement.
Other things that you may want to consider having a lawyer draw up for you include:
- A living will.
- A health care power of attorney.
- A trust
Getting all your documents in order just in case there is a point in time when you cannot communicate your wishes is a good idea. It will ease your worry and ensure that you stay in control of your own life. A lawyer that specializes in wills and trusts can help.
Mental wellness might also be organizing your home to better move around and keep things in the correct place. If you happen to have a garage, investing in garage door repairs can help you better protect important documents, old keepsakes, and decorations that you simply don’t need anymore. Storing these items in the garage will clear out space in your home so that you’re able to breathe a little easier. Consider investing in do it yourself garage storage ideas or even hire a professional for garage storage room ideas.
Now Is the Time to Educate Yourself
You are working on your lifestyle changes and taking nutrition more seriously. You have connected with a lawyer to manage all your necessary planning and documents. What’s next? Now it is time to start educating yourself so that you can make future decisions that are right for you and your family.
About 70% of Americans will tap into elderly care services at some point in their life. Making informed decisions about elder care services starts with learning as much as you can about each option.
Learning more right now about the programs that are available like home health care options can help you to more effectively plan should you find yourself in a position down the road where you will need these types of services.
There are a lot of decisions that you will need to make when it comes to your health insurance plan. There are a lot of programs to learn about like the CDPAP program. Gathering the information that you need right now when you do not need those services is the best way to reduce some of the stress and worry about aging that can tamper with your retirement enjoyment.
Other smart tips for retirement planning and mental health include:
- Consider incorporating brain-healthy foods into your diet.
- Create a social network of support.
- If you are worried, stressed or feel anxious consider getting professional help.
Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health and your financial health. Experts recommend that you spend about 150 minutes a week exercising not only for your physical health but for your mental health as well.
When you retire it is important that you stay connected to other people. For many retirees, the shock of losing that daily connection to co-workers is difficult to overcome. It is important that you create a social network of friends and family to replace those daily connections.
If you feel overwhelmed, unduly sad, or overly anxious, get some professional help to help you with the transition. Psychologists, therapists, and even life coaches can provide you with valuable tools to help you cope and transition smoothly.
Final Smart Retirement Planning Tips
This can be a very exciting time. You are ending one chapter and starting a new chapter. Getting healthy has to be a priority. Consider yourself in training mode for a big event and then follow the smart tips for retirement planning and make that doctors appointment, change those eating habits, add some exercise, and get out there and start enjoying life.
Your worked hard for this moment do not risk it to chronic disease or illnesses that you can control by making some simple changes and keeping your eye on the prize. Change is never easy, but the rewards can be tremendous.
Most of the smart tips for retirement planning do not tell you to plan on being happy and one of the best ways to be happy is to be able to enjoy good health. It is never too late to make changes that will come with tremendous benefits.
Plan on enjoying your retirement to the fullest by putting yourself in a position where you can. Follow the smart retirement planning tips, nutrition, and more, and you will be ready to start that next chapter with confidence.
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