Retirement is a great time for you to focus on doing what makes you happy. With plenty of leisure time at your fingertips, you can fill your days with all kinds of exciting activities and interests that fulfill you and make you happy.
But how do you pick? While you may have been daydreaming of retirement for a while, transitioning to retired life does take some time, and you may not know what kind of hobbies you’d like to try.
Whether you’re seeking a new hobby you’ve never considered before or you’re picking up an old hobby that you never had the time to fully commit to, there are so many opportunities for you to find something that you love. These hobbies for retired men can help you get started on finding your next favorite pastime.
Woodworking
Have you always been interested in building and creating? Woodworking could be the perfect hobby for you. You can create objects for function and decoration – like a chair, cutting board, bowl, or a sign – there’s no limit to what you can do with woodworking.
Check out this guide for beginner woodworkers to help you get started.
Reading or Joining a Book Club
If you have a to-be-read pile that’s grown over the years, now is your time to tackle it. Reading is a good way to unwind and get lost in a good story.
Do you love to discuss stories after you’ve read them? You could consider joining a book club so you can meet new people and spend time talking about the books you’ve read.
Cycling
Finding ways to make fitness one of your hobbies is a fun way to make sure you exercise regularly. Cycling is a low-impact activity where you can decide the intensity.
This activity provides a lot of health benefits for older adults:
- Increased cardiovascular function
- Strengthened muscles
- Improved flexibility
- Enhanced coordination and posture
Cooking
For many people, there’s no better way to spend your time than getting creative in the kitchen. Finding recipes that interest you and cooking them yourself builds independence and confidence, and you get a delicious result at the end. Here are 30 dinner ideas you can try.
Board Games
While there are classic board games like chess and checkers, you’ll find there are all types of board games you might enjoy. They typically involve strategy and solving puzzles. You and a group of friends can have hours of entertainment from any board game.
Popular board games include:
- Monopoly
- Trivial Pursuit
- Clue
- Backgammon
- Battleship
Collecting
Curating a collection can be a great hobby that’s ongoing. It keeps your brain active as you’re searching for the next piece to add. Collections can include stamps, books, coins – anything that interests you.
You may even find gatherings for people with similar collections to you. Attending those to show off your collection and learn from others is a fun way to meet people interested in the same things you are and see what they’re doing with their collections.
Birdwatching
Birdwatching connects you with nature and combines learning about natural wildlife in your area and physical activity. You can research all the local birds in your area and learn how to identify what they look and sound like.
This can be a solo or group activity – so if you want to expand your social circle, you can seek out local birdwatching groups to join.
Golfing
This is one of the more popular hobbies for retired men. Golf keeps you active and gets you outside for hours at a time. Who doesn’t love the fresh air and the sight of the putting green right before tee off? Beginners can take a look at these helpful tips on how to golf.
Partaking in Martial Arts
If you’re looking for creative ways to stay active and fit, martial arts may be the answer for you. When you think of martial arts, you may think of Bruce Lee and moving at a seemingly impossible pace – but there’s a relaxing and slower side to martial arts.
Tai chi is a popular martial art that benefits both your mental and physical health, making this one of the best hobbies for retirees. A gentle exercise, tai chi focuses on transitioning slowly through specific motions and deep breathing.
This type of martial art is adaptable, so people of all abilities and ages can enjoy the benefits of tai chi.
Camping
Do you love the great outdoors? Spending some time out in nature can be a great way to relax and recharge your batteries. Finding local campgrounds to pitch your tent and go for a hike in the woods will have you feeling one with nature in no time.
However, camping isn’t limited to sleeping in a tent. You can look into renting an RV and enjoying spending time outdoors while knowing you have the comforts of the RV to come back to at night.
Fishing
You can combine fishing with camping – but if sleeping outdoors isn’t quite to your liking, it’s perfectly fine to spend a few hours fishing by a river or lake. Fishing requires skill and patience, and puts you in the serene presence of water. Take a look at the best fishing spots near you.
You can learn all about the fish local to your area and enjoy the peace and quiet of waiting for a bite on the fishing line.
Learning Something New
Retired life is the perfect time to learn something new or delve deeper into a subject you’ve studied.
You can learn a new language or brush up on your second or third language, and you can learn more about events from your favorite time in history or learn about the mysteries of the cosmos. Furthering your education and expanding your mind with new learning opportunities will allow you to continue to grow and flourish.
If you’re interested in giving your time back to others, you can also help others learn something new by becoming a mentor. If you were a teacher, you can volunteer by mentoring students in your subject of expertise.
Ancestry
Are you interested in where your family is from? You can trace your ancestry to see how far your family tree expands – you may even discover some branches you never knew existed. You can also look back generations to see where your ancestors traveled and how your family tree led to you.
If you’re interested in tracing your family history, these tools can help you get started.
Enjoying Your Hobbies at Waterstone of Westchester
Waterstone of Westchester creates all kinds of opportunities for residents to have an active retirement. With all kinds of clubs, social programming, and events, Waterstone always gives you something to look forward to.
Get started enjoying your free time after retirement! Check out the extensive offerings of events and activities at Waterstone of Westchester.