The countdown to the New Year has begun. Have you picked out your resolutions yet? If not, here are three great resolution ideas for seniors that could inspire you.

1. Learn a New Skill

What hobby would you like to try? What language do you want to learn? What skill have you been hoping to pick up for years? It’s time to cross this off of your to-do list once and for all. 

If you find that you’re getting too comfortable in your retirement and you’re sticking to routine out of pure habit, you should consider joining a senior living community. Take a look at how this community is redefining senior living by encouraging residents to sign up for exciting classes, workshops and events all year long. You could fill up your schedule with yoga classes, baking club sessions, creative writing workshops, dance lessons and much more. 

Sometimes you need to get out of your comfort zone.    

2. Embrace Play

Playing isn’t just for kids! There’s no reason why you have to be serious during your retirement years. Take advantage of your free time and have as much fun as you can. It can do wonders for your mood and mental health. It can keep your cognition sharp as you age. Take a look at this study of seniors playing video games where researchers found that the hobby could improve the participants’ short-term memories. 

Pick up your own console and controllers so that you can play video games at home. Buy simple games aimed at beginners so that you can get used to the controls. After enough practice, you can get newer, harder games. Who knows? You could start competing with the grandkids by the end of the year. 

You should also play board games, card games and puzzles as much as you can. If you don’t have anyone to join you inperson, you can plan a virtual game night with your friends and family on your computer. Everyone could live across the country and still sit down together to play a round of competitive trivia or Scattegories. 

You’ve spent so many years of your life working. Now’s the time to let loose and have fun. 

3. Get Active

Lots of people believe that you lose your energy and physical fitness with age. But that’s not necessarily true! You often lose these qualities because you’re out of practice. If you don’t keep up with a consistent exercise routine, you’re going to feel out of shape. 

Don’t worry. It’s not too late to get back into the routine. You can start again this year, and soon enough, recover some of that energy that you’ve been missing. 

One of the best tips for seniors starting exercise is to go slow and eventually build up to harder activities. You don’t want to overexert or injure yourself. Try something simple like floor stretches or Tai Chi. This will get your body moving without putting any strain on your joints. 

If you’re having trouble getting motivated, try one of these tricks:

• Listen to music during your workouts.
• Pick activities that you enjoy, like dancing, walking your dog or yoga.
• Take an online class and follow along.
• Reward yourself with a healthy treat like a fruit smoothie when you’re done.

These are resolutions that will make your retirement even better! Why wait for the countdown? Why not start now?