Retirement Sports
If you are physically fit, lots of sports are available to you. Tennis, squash, badminton, swimming, cross country skiing, etc. are examples. Less strenuous sports such as lawn bowling, golf, pickle ball, bocce ball, table tennis, lane bowling, shuffleboard, are examples. Exercise and stretching activities are also good, such as tai chi and yoga. We recommend avoiding contact sports.
We are not fans of daily or very frequent vigorous exercise for extended periods. Two or three times per week is good, but more than that tends to create other problems with joints and tendons. We know of so many seniors with knee, hip and back problems, and many of them can relate back to vigorous sports, especially contact sports, when they were younger.
The important thing is to stay active in your retirement, and to adjust the sports to your physical abilities. Don't just pick one sport, try two or three for variety.
If you do pick a less strenuous sport, you should try to add a cardio exercise to your weekly regimen too, to get your heart rate up once in awhile. Hiking up hills, using a treadmill or other cardio exercise machine, light jogging, bicycle riding (stationary or real), and rowing are examples. It is particularly important to exercise the knees, arms and back, so cycling and rowing are definitely good exercises.
And as we have mentioned, don't forget to exercise your brain too. Puzzles, games and mental challenges are needed to keep you healthy.