Several significant features contribute to a high-quality retirement life. Eating well, remaining engaged and enjoying a full social life can all play major roles.
However, there is another element that can greatly impact your lifestyle – staying fit. If you have chosen Waldorf, MD as your home base, you’ll discover great support and local fitness options to help meet your wellness goals.
The Benefits of Fitness
Exercising your body and mind provides benefits regardless of age. But as you reach retirement and are looking forward to an active life, you will appreciate every advantage offered.
The benefits extend to physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, according to the National Council on Aging, and include:
- Prevention of bone loss
- Relief of osteoarthritis pain
- Help to avoid certain chronic diseases
- Boost in immunity
- Improvement in mood
Are All Exercises the Same?
When creating the most effective fitness routine, there are exercises recommended for the older adult. Incorporating a mix of aerobic, strength/resistance training and stretching/flexibility is best. Consider the following options and benefits:
1. Yoga: a low impact activity that helps build muscle, improves flexibility and balance.
2. Pilates: helps build a strong core to improve balance and stability as well as reduce symptoms of arthritis.
3. Aerobic: adds endurance that boosts cardiovascular function, strengthens lungs and improves stamina.
4. Strength training: there are low-impact exercises such as wall pushups, squats and stair climbing that can reverse muscle loss and burn body fat.
Source: National Council on Aging
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How to Create the Right Fitness Routine
Many exercise trainers will tell you that the best fitness routine is the one you will maintain. It’s important not to overestimate the daily time you’ll spend exercising – or the level of intensity you can sustain.
The key is to include exercises that you enjoy. If you love to swim, it’s easier to reap the benefits of lap swimming or water aerobics than someone who never enjoyed time spent in a pool.
If you were always a runner, it’s simpler to incorporate a daily jog or walk into your daily routine. Many older adults meet friends to get their workouts in and find that taking a class together not only keeps them motivated and accountable but is also just more fun.
Take advantage of all that Waldorf has to offer to stay fit during your retirement. The following are a few options you might enjoy.
Retirement in Waldorf, MD: Fitness and Swimming
You can meet your wellness goals at eXurb Fitness or participate in a class or program at Charles County Recreation & Parks – including Fitness Boot Camp, Zumba, Strong Nation or water aerobics.
Incorporate a yoga class, private lessons or a new workshop every month into your routine by including Shabach Yoga Studio. Kick it up a notch at Jazzercise East Waldorf. And if swimming is your favorite, visit the Donald M. Wade Aquatic Center and take advantage of year-round lap swimming and a senior discount.
Retirement in Waldorf, MD: Walking Trails
If Waldorf is your chosen retirement location, you’ll appreciate the moderate climate that allows outdoor activity most of the year. Spending time outdoors is good for both the body and mind. You’ll discover the walking trails in Charles County, southern Maryland offer something for everyone.
Try the two loops and four miles of trails at the Friendship Farm Park where the scenery includes waterfront and woodlands. Gilbert Run Park features a 1.6 mile nature trail with boardwalks and bridges. There’s even a beaver colony you can watch from an observation deck. If you’re ready for more of a challenge, hike the 14.2 miles of trails at Maxwell Hall Park as you travel along shoreline, woods and hills. Another option if you want a slower and shorter stroll? Try Laurel Springs Regional Park with a 1.6 mile nature trail.
Retirement in Waldorf, MD: Taking Advantage of Nature
Connecting with nature provides advantages beyond the physical. Explore the 149 acres of the Port Tobacco River Park and Tom Roland Natural Resources Area, which includes trails, interpretive displays, wildlife observation decks, trailside rest areas and even resident eagles to observe.
If birdwatching is your old hobby or new passion, don’t miss the Piscataway Maryland Ornithological Society Sanctuary. Located in the watershed of Piscataway Creek, you’ll discover diverse flora and pileated woodpeckers, osprey, eagles, waterfowl and songbirds year-round. If fishing is your favorite pastime, head out to Wheatly Lake for catch-and-release largemouth bass, bluegill and rainbow trout. Or visit Fort Washington Park for Potomac River fishing near the lighthouse.
The opportunities don’t stop there. Drop by the United States Botanic Garden outdoors or in the conservatory. Take advantage of the photo opportunities at the famous Bartholdi Fountain and gardens showcasing sustainable landscaping and design. If you enjoy a little golf while taking your walk, make a tee time at the public White Plains Golf Course, which is a par 70, 18-hole or take on the challenge of the National Golf Club, the East Coast’s only Ted Robinson signature course with plenty of amenities for members.
The Charleston Senior Living Community
Locally owned and operated, we offer personalized care by our dedicated team members. Setting a new standard in Assisted Living and Memory Care, we don’t define our residents by their limitations or illness but instead believe in focusing on the positive and the possibility.
The Charleston Senior Community includes private apartments for assisted living residents and for those living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Your loved ones will benefit from our attention to detail, routine health assessments, delicious dining and daily activity programs as we support everyone to live their best life.
Consider a few of our amenities:
- Chef-led dining program
- Community movie theater
- Salon
- Ballroom
- Live entertainment
- Outdoor patio
- Social lounges
- Housekeeping
If you or your family is thinking about Assisted living or Memory care, we hope you will consider The Charleston Senior Community. We are a trusted resource and are here to answer any questions, contact us today.
We also invite you to download our complimentary Successful Transitions guide to learn more about making the move to senior living.
