Stimulating the Brain In Your Retirement Years
by Juliet D. Mowrey

You’ve reached the "Golden Years" - the coveted milestone you’ve looked to with a distant gleam in your eye through all the hardworking years. You have finally found yourself at the point where you can do what you want to do! Your next step? Stimulate your brain!

Why keep your brain stimulated? Your brain is like a muscle – the more you use it the stronger it gets. How? Let’s explore this. By challenging your mind, you can continue to be engaged in various activities and live a happier life. Consider the following activites...

Get Artsy

One way to keep that gray matter humming could be to take up a hobby such as painting, acting, pottery, sculpting, dancing, playing the guitar or piano, or signing in a choir — local high schools, colleges, community arts centers, and museums frequently offer continuing education programs. If you’re on a tight budget, you may even ask the college, community arts center and museum if they offer seniors’ scholarships or discounts.

Get Crafty

Consider sewing, counted-cross-stitch, crossword puzzles, beading or making jewelry. Brain-stimulating hobbies don't have to be expensive. Both Joann and Michaels craft stores offer low budget classes two to three times a week for sewing groups, quilters and arts and crafts enthusiasts. These classes offer great opportunities for interacting with other people and making new friends with similar interests while learning enjoyable new hobbies.

• Michaels offers classes such as cake decorating, one stroke decorative painting, photo album class, knitting, crochet, soap making, and card crafting for fees between $12.50 and $15.00. Michaels usually has weekly inserts in the newspaper for 40% discount coupons on non-sale items – again, another saving on a hobby you can take up.
   
• Joann also offers classes in scrapbooking, beading and jewelry making, gallery glass making, floral design, sewing quilting and home decorating. You can get excellent discounts at Joann’s site by signing up for e-mail discounts at www.Joann.com to become a “preferred customer.” As well, be sure to go directly to a Joann store to fill out a money-saving coupons sign-up sheet to receive advance notices of sales and coupons in the mail. Joann’s site is a wonderful resource for project ideas, and will notify you in advance of online sales that you will be privy to only by signing up.

Get Outdoors

Walking, hiking, gardening, fishing, playing golf...all activities you think of when you think of the great outdoors. Getting fresh air and a change of scenery will do you well. Have you considered boating, cycling, playing tennis, bird watching, going to outdoor festivals, painting, or attending outdoor concerts? The possibilities are nearly endless! Keeping your blood flowing makes your heart stronger and sharpens your focus.

Get into Books

Another wonderful way to keep the mind sharp is to belong to a book club at your local library. All book clubs are free and open to the public. Read the library’s selection for the month and attend the book club’s meeting to discuss the book with others. The library also offers free movie night showings for adults to gather and enjoy watching films together. Also, find out if an affiliate library in your area offers computer classes that are free and open to the public.

Give Back

For seasoned businessmen and businesswomen, an excellent opportunity to give back to the community while passing on the skills you learned as business leaders and executives could be to serve as a SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) counselor. SCORE is a non-profit organization that offers small businesses and entrepreneurs business advice and counseling. As a volunteer SCORE counselor, you can share your experience and business knowledge directly from your home or office. To learn more about SCORE and other volunteer opportunities, go to www.score.org/volunteer.html.

Get Physical

And while you're looking into stimulating your brain, think about stimulating your body with other seniors at exercise or aquatic classes at your local YMCAs. Keep those joints moving with low impact exercises in the water. It is called the Arthritis Foundation YMCA Aquatic Program or AFYAP. Learn more about it at www.arthritis.org/events/getinvolved/ProgramsServices/AquaticProgram.asp and find the program in your area by entering in your zip code. This program may sometimes be called the Senior Water Fitness class. Again, check with the YMCA for scholarships for senior citizens.