What activities can retirees pursue to stay mentally and physically active?

[wolram]

So when you get old and gnarly what do you intend to do with you'r time.

 

[BobG]

My daughter keeps telling me I should retire now ... and then babysit her kids for free.

Not a totally unappealing idea, but I'll probably do something more along the lines of what my dad did when he retired.

He started working as a volunteer with my mom for a prison reform group in Louisiana. He probably worked harder as a "volunteer" than he ever did at his job. My mom and dad eventually became pretty significant members of that group and used to travel quite a bit to conferences around the country, meet with politicians, and so on. Plus, equally important, it was something he and my mom accomplished together.

He hardly ever talked about work the entire time I was growing up. When I visit my mom and dad now, all my dad can do is show me scrap books of all the awards my parents won, all the conferences they attended, and pictures of them with all the various politicians they dealt with.

I'd say his life got a lot fuller after he retired, even if it meant less leisure time.

 

[russ_watters]

My mom is 68 and just broke 90 for the first time on the golf course!

 

[Ryan_m_b]

It will be 2044 when I reach the average age people retire today. If I get that far I expect either I'll not be allowed to retire because there are too many older people to take care of and not enough younglings or robots will do most the work :) fingers crossed for the latter in which case the answer would be socialise! My granddad is 84 and he spends every other day out on trips, visiting friends or taking part in one of the many clubs he is a part of. Seems like a great way to live.

 

[lisab]

I'm many years away from retiring, but when I do, I will spend a lot of time working on our little farm. We're growing apples. By then we will be in the cider business (what's known as hard cider in the US).

My mom became very active in their town's little library after she retired. She organized people to expand it 10-fold. Once it was big, the county took over the administration. Now her little town has one of the most extraordinary libraries you can imagine! My mom is still working full time in the community and has never felt more fulfilled.

My dad did a lot of babysitting for my brother. He fished, did projects around the house, and went to work out at the gym nearly every day. He was quite happy in retirement - I never saw him so content when he was working.

I just realized: after retiring, my mom's life dramatically expanded and my dad's life dramatically contracted. They each were happier for it. (They divorced when I was a kid, btw.)

 

[wukunlin]

I will probably do some tutoring, maybe for free for those who have financial difficulties. Assuming retirement age go into the 70's when I retire, it will be like 2065 or something. Let's hope the income distribution become more even then.