Staying Active After 55

By Sherril Steele-Carlin

Baby boomers represent about one-third of America's population, according to reports from the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Health and Human Services. This group is beginning to have a dramatic effect on the growth of the elderly population - a trend that will continue far into the future. Advances in medicine mean that seniors may live longer. If you're a senior citizen, you'll have more leisure time to travel, to volunteer for favorite causes, and to pursue activities you couldn't enjoy while raising your family.

What Else Can You Do?

You can also explore other options, including a second career or changes in where and how you live in retirement. Certainly, your decisions will be influenced by changing priorities, needs, and your physical condition. Many seniors find that moving to smaller quarters relieves stress caused by having to maintain a large house, lawn, and garden. Continuing care communities that offer independent living quarters with apartments, meals, and some transportation have become quite popular as the number of seniors increases.

These communities usually require a sizeable cash outlay with monthly fees, but then provide guaranteed care if residents should eventually need round-the-clock nursing care. For those who can afford the investment, these communities provide a feeling of security about the future. Additionally, most of these facilities offer a variety of social, educational, and recreational activities to keep residents buy and interactive. Craft and game rooms, speakers, concerts, and day or overnight trips are just some of the offerings at these facilities, so they keep you active and on the go as much as you'd like.

Volunteering Keeps You Active

Another popular activity you may turn to is volunteerism. The U.S. Administration on Aging says nearly one-half of older Americans volunteer. Seniors have proven themselves invaluable as child abuse prevention/intervention workers, anti-substance abuse volunteers at the pre-school level, teen parent counselors and literacy trainers. This work is important and your contribution can make a difference. Or you may prefer to work with elderly patients, delivering meals to shut-ins or sitting with a relative so caregivers can have a break. If you have professional experience, you might want to serve as a consultant to small businesses.

Because you'll generally lead a healthier, more vigorous lifestyle in our senior years than seniors in the past, you'll want o know how to stay well and fit so can enjoy these years to the fullest, and things like volunteering and changing your housing can help keep you busy and fit.

We've already learned changing your living quarters, volunteering, and investing in a senior living community are ways you can stay active after you turn 55, but there are plenty more things you can do to stay active, healthy, and happy to live a longer and more productive life.

Don't Ignore Aches and Pains

As your body ages, you may experience more nagging aches and pains. In many cases, these simple problems have simple solutions that your doctor can suggest. The important thing to remember, however, is that you shouldn't just dismiss minor symptoms like these without checking with your doctor. People sometimes believe it's only a sign of aging, but in reality such symptoms could indicated more serious, but very treatable problems.

Peripheral Arterial Disease

For example, nearly nine million Americans suffer for a potentially dangerous condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD), but only about 12 percent of those affected know that have the disease and are being treated. PAD affects the peripheral circulation system - primarily in the legs and feet - and causes pain and tingling during physical activity. In the initial stages of the disease, the pain can make victims even more sedentary because the discomfort begins after walking the equivalent of a block or two and stops when activity ceases.

What Causes It?

PAD results when fatty deposits partially block or narrow the arteries, reducing the flow of oxygen-rich blood. This can cause painful muscle cramping known medically as intermittent claudication. It occurs most often to the calf, but may be felt anywhere in the leg. Unfortunately, seniors are at greater risk for the disease. That's one reason you should pay attention to the signals your body is sending. The condition could be serious and in extreme cases, when left untreated, could result in ulceration, gangrene, and in extreme cases, amputation.

It Can be Treated

In many cases, however, PAD can be prevented, reduced, or even eliminated by exercising, modifying your diet, or kicking the smoking habit. So, if you experience leg pain, consult your physician.