The baby boomer generation - is it your generation ? If so, you are probably facing retirement very soon. Most people only prepare for some kind of financial stability and don't think much about staying healthy in retirement. The health and lifestyle choices you make - now, in the past, and for the future - will impact dramatically on enjoying a happy retirement. There are many reasons beyond just aging that can cause you to be less healthy in retirement; in this article we look at some of them and how you can combat them.

Most people don't think about how to keep socially active after they retire. As a result they become more and more isolated. Isolation by itself won't make you sick but it is often listed as one of the reasons that people don't think of as critical to their health. They don't see other people, so they may let their diet slip, and many gain weight. Often the exercise you got while working and being socially active ends very soon after retirement. Maintenance of social contact is imperative to wellness - and often needs a degree of planning. When you lose work colleagues, you need to take steps to replace them, such as joining new clubs and / or community organisations, or taking up new hobbies and interests.

Staying healthy in retirement requires maintaining your social activities. If you can't keep in contact with people you used to work with, then find new friends and new activities. Retirement is often when the smartest people start their own small business or a new hobby. So don't let retirement mean the end of your active live - just let it mean you are now active in a different direction.

When they retire, many people do things they never did when they were working, like watching more TV and generally becoming more inactive. Often, symptoms of illness may be discounted as just getting old - instead of getting a medical checkup. Feeling less and less hungry is often a result of being a lot less active and can cause health problems. Diet and exercise plans are fundamental to having the good health to enjoy your retirement. When you retire, if you continue consuming the same number of calories, while burning far fewer calories because of reduced activity, you will put on weight .

To stay healthy in retirement you need to stay active - physically, socially and mentally. Walking or jogging is easier for for older people and prevents you settling into a no-activity life-style. Remember, it is much harder to get back into shape than it is to stay in shape - and it does not have to be strenuous; regular moderate exercise is preferable as we get older. Often we are in good shape when we first retire, but then let ourselves go. As you ease into retirement, there will be more time to play with the grand children - but if you can not walk a 100 yards without getting out of breath, then you have no chance of getting maximium enjoyment from your grand children. Maintaining a high level of physical and mental fitness will allow you to play golf, tennis, enjoy holidays and long walks, and generally get the most out of retirement.

Retirees may also start skipping regular medical checkups, allowing problems to develop further than they should. If you maintain regular check ups, it is possible stay healthier even as you get on in years. Doctors recommend exercising more and keeping control over your diet; listen to them and you can stay healthy in retirement. You should also take steps to learn to take personal control of your health - learn all you can about your body, nutrition, exercise and stress management. Another aspect is rest and relaxation - perhaps learning yoga, tai chi or meditation, to help recharge yourself both physically and mentally and reduce stress levels.

While working, our brains are being continually exercised; after we stop working we need to replace that mental activity. This may mean taking up a new hobby or leisure pursuit, learning a new sport, volunteer or community activity or simply engaging in some regular mental activity such as crosswords. No-one goes to the gym once and considers themselves physically fit - it is always a work in progress. The same applies to mental activity - it is ongoing.

Retirement can either be the end of a useful working life, or the excitement of beginning of the rest of your life - where you are free to do whatever you want. Treating retirement as an exciting new adventure is the best way to guarantee fulfilling retirement.