Your indispensable guide to 'Living the Good Life' and planning for Retirement. Source: Readers Digest Australia, June 2009

Your indispensable guide to LIVING THE GOOD LIFE and planning for retirement

According to a report published by Grey Advertising/Sweeney Research, “Baby boomers plan to ‘live it up in their golden years’, and are not prepared to let life pass them by. Many of these people are cash-rich, time-rich and experience-rich, and no matter what you call them, they’re not prepared to let the rest of their life fade into insignificance”.

If that sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place. Youth is definitely wasted on the young, this is your guide to making the most of three classic characteristics of your generation having the disposable income, the time and the inclination to really enjoy life.
Your time starts now!

Looking after No. 1

Eating well, staying well and helping slow down the clock are the most fundamental of your “must-do’s”. How else are you going to enjoy everything else life has to offer?

• If you have had poor eating habits for some time you won’t be able to change overnight, but you can succeed if you improve your diet gradually. Good nutrition is more than consuming less fat. It’s knowing the difference between good and bad fats, paying more attention to the variety and proportions of foods you eat, and making good nutritional choices a habit (the hard part for most people).
• Many people avoid seeing the doctor (and the dentist), but he or she can be your best friend when it comes to preventing health problems. An annual blood pressure check, for example, can help prevent serious cardiovascular and kidney problems; you can easily avoid pneumonia with an injection ; yearly flu shots can ward off not only the flu but also the complications that can come with it. And you’ll never regret detecting cancer or diabetes early on, when there’s still time to do something about it.
• Get a move on. Staying physically active may be the best thing you can do to safeguard your health. Even modest amounts of exercise – as little as 20 minutes a day – can do you the world of good, especially if you have a regular routine and get the various forms of exercise you need to build your endurance, strength, balance and flexibility.
• Growing old disgracefully is often a priority for Baby Boomers. Leaders of the 1960s sexual revolution, they continue to refuse to follow the stereotypes of their parents. Now they are re-discovering relationships and romance. Past it? You could be just perfecting it!Plus, of course, watch your weight, don’t go overboard with alcohol, avoid stress, and stop smoking. Repeat, do not smoke, or all your other good work will be in vain.

It’s about your attitude

Ageing well isn’t just about staying healthy; it’s about staying vital too. Being mentally active and open to learning new skills and subjects can add more joy, adventure and fulfilment to your life.

If you look after your happiness you’re also looking after your health. Studies show that happy people get sick less often and recover more quickly. Optimism has been linked to stronger immune defences. And don’t forget that laughter is good for you. Laughing triggers the release of endorphins, feel-good brain chemicals associated with a sense of wellbeing. It diffuses stress by relaxing the muscles and lowering your heart rate and blood pressure.

Get outta here

Most likely in your late teens or early 20s you wanted to see the world – or at least London and the Continent – and like thousands of others of your age you saved your pennies, took a deep breath, and set off. Well, the time has come to do it again.

Make a list of places you’ve always wanted to visit but you never got round to it because of career, kids, finance, whatever. Then visit a travel agent and make a booking. Ask about age-specific tours, from day trips to long journeys. It’s a big world out there, and you haven’t seen half of it. Perhaps not backpacking through....

High finance

Superannuation, pre-retirement financial planning, maximising your savings in retirement – they’re big decisions. Get them right and you’ll sleep well.

Start with doing your homework to ensure the investment you’re making is right for you – and get professional financial planning advice.

Bags packed? Ready, set...

PLAY UP

If this isn’t a good time for you to travel, when is? Kids off your hands, mortgage manageable or gone, and a new world opening up.
The Americans devote a whole website to the benefits of travel. According to the American Travel Industry Association:

• An annual holiday can cut a person’s risk of heart attack by 50%
• Travellers rate their overall health one full point higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) while on holiday. They also get three times more deep sleep after their holiday.
• Women who take more holidays are more satisfied with their marriages. That may be because at least four out of ten travellers feel more romantic on holiday (42%), and nearly one-third admit to making love more often on holiday (31%).
• More than half (52%) feel more rested and relaxed when they return from holiday.
• Enough statistics. Most people don’t need too much encouragement to take a holiday, and in your 50+ years you should be especially open to the idea.

One of the best ways to see Australia is on an all-inclusive combination coach/rail/air guided tour. No planning is required – just choose a destination or tour, book and go, Meals and accommodation are pre-arranged, experts take you to places you would never discover on your own, and there’s even someone to assist with your luggage if required.

Competition is fierce, so take your time and look for extras that make for a great holiday:

• Quality air-conditioned touring coaches, seat-belt equipped for your safety
• On-board restrooms and a lowering device for ease of boarding
• Quality motel accommodation
• Meals and lots of extras included
• Extra attractions, cruises and professional entertainment
• Special consideration to those travelling as singles

Delay no more. Go see Australia.

ESCAPING the routine

If you’ve followed our advice so far you might be thinking about how else to un-complicate your lifestyle.

Before big cities of course people lived in villages – and now living in purpose-built villages is again becoming popular. More and more (and younger and younger) people are making the move to free themselves from routine home and garden maintenance, to get a sense of greater security, to increase their social opportunities, and to gain immediate access to leisure facilities that might otherwise involve city trips or public transport. And do you really need all that capital tied up in a family home that is too big for you?

Let the fun begin

Far from the old image of glorified nursing homes, a modern retirement village can be a genuinely exciting, friendly and safe way to begin a new chapter in your life.

Where to start?

Take a relative with you – a son or daughter perhaps – and have a close look at village with the best leisure, social, health and security options. You will want to make your own list, but some things to look for include:

• Spacious, well equipped homes
• Community amenities, ideally with a bowling green, clubhouses, library, and areas where you can play bridge, billiards, bingo etc.
• A gym, and facilities for you to walk or cycle
• Resort-style pool and spa
• 24-hour emergency call systems to give you the peace of mind of being able to access immediate assistance if need be

Village life offers you the opportunity to develop new friendships, extend your skills and pursue lifelong interest. You can participate in group discussions, be entertained at special events, attend monthly talks of interest to you and your neighbours, and much more. And there’s knowing that you live in a village community where friends keep an eye out for each other.

What are you waiting for?