Surfing the web can be fun and good for you at the same time. According to a study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, "These observations suggest that in middle-aged and older adults, prior experience with Internet searching may alter the brain's responsiveness in neural circuits controlling decision making and complex reasoning." So get on the Internet and do some searching. Look up your favorite topics, follow a sports team, read the news or do some online shopping. You can have a great time while keeping your brain alert and healthy.
Eat healthy during your retirement. This doesn't mean eating bland or uninteresting food. Find a local cooking course to join, and learn some new recipes. Or, purchase the latest cookbook and test your creations on friends, family and neighbors.
Segueing into a life of ease may be difficult if you have one of those personalities that just needs to be doing something every minute of the day. Take some time to relax; this will help relieve stress, which is particularly important for seniors. Some relaxing activities include meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, hydrotherapy, aromatherapy or massage.
Get into social networking. There are many social networking sites on the Internet. Look up old friends, get in touch with those family members whom you haven't seen in years, join some interest groups and make some new friends.
Retirement means having the freedom to go where you want and when you want. This freedom means that you can travel during the off-season when prices for hotels and airfares are reduced. If you want to get some extra excitement, look around for special adventure tours for senior citizens. You're never too old to go extreme.
Language learning is another great activity for keeping your brain active. Join a class at a community college, and you'll get to meet some new people to share your interest. If you decide that you want to travel during your retirement, match language learning with your travel destinations.
You'll have plenty of time to catch up on your reading in retirement. Reading can be a great solitary activity, but you could also join a local book club if you want to meet some new people. Read the latest best-seller or go back to the classics that you skipped in college.
If you have an interest that you've been tinkering with during your working years, but never really had time to explore it as much as you'd like, you can do that now. Maybe its marine biology, or Victorian literature or cultural anthropology. Explore and broaden your horizons. Some universities now have senior citizen discounts.
Didn't your doctor say to get some more exercise? Getting older means that you need to stay active to stay healthy. Exercise will keep your blood pressure and cholesterol count down, and it can be a social activity as well if you join a class. Find some exercise that suits you, whether it's swimming, jogging or tai chi in the park.
You can use retirement to give something back to your community, country or planet. Become a volunteer for your favorite cause. It might be working at a local hospital, reading to kids in a school or joining Greenpeace. Getting involved will make you healthy, happy and fulfilled.