Back
Why Retirement is a Great Time to Learn New Skills
Aged Care Christchurch
Retirement is a great time to embrace new things, and learning skills while you’re a senior can be a cut above due to your existing life experience and the benefit of time to focus. While you may not have engaged in formal education for decades, there are all sorts of good reasons why The Russley retirement village Christchurch encourages its residents to engage with senior learning opportunities.
Perhaps there is something you have always wanted to learn. Maybe an instrument, a language - or you might want to take a mechanical hobby to the next level with a short course. Whatever your interests, now is the perfect time to lean into learning.
Here we discuss some of the benefits of learning for seniors outside of purely the simple enjoyment we feel when we master a new skill.
Preventing Memory Loss With A Cognitive Workout
We all know the physical health benefits of an active body, but did you know that your brain gets benefits from regular workouts too? The brain is a muscle, and the key to keeping it in good shape is regularly stimulating that muscle.
Some research suggests you may be able to prevent memory loss and improve cognitive decline by using your brain to learn new skills. You could also treat your grey matter to a workout with a crossword or other kinds of puzzles by playing board games, think chess and scrabble, or you could sign up for an adult education course.
Improve Health With New Hobbies And Interests
Finishing up your working life is exciting, and you may be inclined to spend a bit of time luxuriating in your newfound freedom. You could take a trip, sleep in every day for a week, or hit the road to visit family. Once you have exhausted all the ‘holiday’ activities you feel like indulging in, it pays to build a little structure back into your day, this is where senior learning can be highly beneficial.
If you are lucky enough to reside at our retirement home in Burnside, you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to engaging with new hobbies and interests. You could head to the city and check out all it has to offer, or you could stay on-site and check out the wonderful options for senior learning at our resort style retirement village.
Swimming is an excellent way to keep in shape, and at our premium Christchurch rest home locale, we have an indoor swimming pool and run regular aquatic exercise classes so you can learn new ways to work out. This is a great place to start if you want to socialise while enjoying low-impact cardio.
Boost Self-Confidence
Lots of retirees find that they have a bit of an identity shift to deal with once they stop working. You may struggle a little with understanding that your new life is valuable, and this is where senior learning can really help. Learning to do anything new can be challenging, but the upside is the feeling of accomplishment you get once you have done the hard work to attain competency - or expertise.
There are many ways to boost your self-confidence, and learning for seniors can be really valuable for finding a sense of pride. If you are dealing with physical impairments or less than optimum mental health, there are myriad benefits to working towards learning a new skill. As they say, the important thing is often just embarking on the journey in the first place!
Meet New People With Similar Interests
Did you know you can improve your mental and physical health just by making the move to a senior community? Along with an increased feeling of security, you gain the opportunity to form new friendships.
The beauty of senior learning experiences, apart from picking up a new skill and boosting confidence, is the added benefit of coming into contact with people who share your new interest! You may find your life enriched by taking a risk, and even if you are not sure about trying new things to start with, you may surprise yourself.
Skills To Learn In Retirement
At The Russley Village in Christchurch, we have a bowling and croquet green, an arts and crafts room, a reading room and a library. These facilities make it easy to engage with senior learning opportunities and new connections. Whether you want to take up oil painting, learn the piano, or become fluent in Italian, at The Russley Village, the world is absolutely your oyster.
Get In Touch
If you are ready to take on a retirement that includes learning some new skills or enjoying a fresh hobby or two, get in touch today.
Share this article via:
Facebook
Twitter
