Health and wellbeing

Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your pension! Here are some of our tips for staying healthy — both mentally and physically.

Whether it's learning a new skill, volunteering, finding time to do something you've always wanted, or simply staying fit and active, looking after your wellbeing plays a huge part in helping you make the most of your retirement.

Stay fit and active

There's no doubt that staying fit and active is good for our physical health, but it can also make a massive difference to our mental wellbeing too.

Even if you're not particularly active at the moment, it's never too late to start.

Maintaining a fit and active lifestyle doesn't have to be a chore as you can build it into part of your weekly routine. Whether it's walking to your local shops instead of driving, or attending an exercise class at your local club/gym, every little helps.

Find out more

• Age UK — visit the 'Four building blocks to being active' section of their website to find tips on what type of exercise might suit you and information about the health benefits of various activities.
• NHS Live Well — here there is useful information about the benefits of exercise and healthy living.

Volunteering

Volunteering doesn't just provide you with an opportunity to put your skills and interests to good use — it is also a great way to socialise and meet new people.

You can decide how much or how little of your time you'd like to give and choose a role that fits around your existing commitments.

Most towns have volunteer centres that help match volunteers with local organisations.

Find out more

• NCVO — the National Council for Voluntary Organisations site provides information about how you can get involved in a wide range of opportunities.
• Reach — Reach finds part-time, expenses-only jobs for retirees who'd like to use the skills they acquired at work to help charitable organisations in areas including management, IT, marketing, accountancy and others.
• Do-it — Do-it lists over one-million volunteer opportunities in your area and overseas.

Lifelong learning

Now you're retired and may have more time on your hands, it could be the perfect time to start learning a new skill.

Whether it's brushing up on your computer know-how, learning a foreign language, or studying for a degree, the opportunities for further learning today are excellent.

Find out more

• Find your local library — a great place to get started is by visiting your local library, which will be able to provide you with a list of courses and activities in your area.
• Open University — most courses don't require any previous qualifications and, as the OU specialises in distance learning, you can study from your own home.
• University of the Third Age — the U3A provides the opportunity for those no longer in work to come together and learn for fun.
• Workers' Educational Association — select from over 800 online and in-person courses from local history to creative writing, current affairs to literature.