Getting old is one of the hardest challenges in life. It’s boring, hard to move around and, more often than not, you don’t get to see family and/or friends as much as you’d like. That all changes with a regular physical sporting activity though. If you’re now in retirement and you’re looking for a sport to help keep you in good shape, consider the three sports below which will give you flexibility and the chance to make some new friends.
- Walking Soccer
If keeping fit is one of your top priorities in retirement, having a look at joining a local walking soccer club. Walking soccer is mainly very popular in the UK, but there are still many groups across the US that help seniors get back into action. Walking soccer is exactly what it says on the tin. You walk around with the football at your feet and you do your best to do a Diego Maradona Hand of God moment over your competition. It’s a very simple game with a non-physical aspect to it, so you can keep fit and keep your joints moving on a regular basis.
2. Tennis
You might think of tennis as a bit of a fast game for a senior but, in fact, it’s very much possible to find a senior league to find an opponent with the same skillset as your own. Of course, the overarm and backend game quickly goes out the window, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with under hitting the ball with little pace to try and catch your opponent off-guard. Tennis is becoming increasingly popular thanks to the quick changes you can make in terms of rules and court size, just to suit the playing style of many opponents. Tennis can also work as an excellent team game if a team sport matters to you most.
3. Baseball
Some of the baseball golden oldies will tell you baseball is a playable sport as a senior looking to better their physical and mental attributes. You only have to look at the life of Cy Young to see how baseball was crucial, not only to his early days but also his later days when he was in retirement and looking to stay physically fit. Again, this is an excellent team sport that can be played among seniors thanks to its flexibility in terms of rules and pitch size. There’s nothing to say you have to play on a full-size pitch or even have three other bases! Most senior leagues also play with a software ball and weightless baseball bats to ensure the experience is that little bit more pleasant.
The three sports above are probably three sports you didn’t think of in the first instance, but they are sports with a lot of flexibility and popularity among seniors looking to stay in good shape, make new friends, and give them something else to do other than becoming a green thumb like many others.
