Striking a good life balance in retirement

Before I retired I was fortunate to have an opportunity to participate in a pre-retirement workshop, where with colleagues who were also about to retire, had recently retired already or were seriously considering the retirement option, we reflected on what retirement might mean for us individually. The programme included a session on planning for a good life balance in retirement, and being mindful of each of the following areas

• Physical
• Intellectual/mental 
• Emotional/spiritual
• Social.

I have been finding this useful over the past few weeks as I plan out my days and weeks to achieve a good balance across each of these areas. Thinking back over this past week, I would say that I've done well in the latter three categories, but the one glaring area of neglect is the physical. While I have been doing a lot more walking than I ever did when I was working, to the extent that my car must think I've lost the keys, I know that this on its own isn't enough, so I have been considering all options short of joining and going to a gym. I went to a gym for 3 hours a week for a couple of months several years ago and found it the most soul-destroying and tedious way to pass an hour - why sit on a static bike and waste all the energy generated by peddling like mad, or walk on a treadmill in a sweaty environment when you could get on a bike or walk/run out in the fresh air and enjoy some scenery? Ten minutes on a rowing machine made time stretch so that those ten minutes seemed like hours! So, making good use of technology, I have found on Youtube a 30 minute fitness session for the Elderly (sounds appropriate for someone who hasn't exercised for so long and is my age) comprising a warm-up, a 15 minute exercise session and a warm down. I am using bean tins as dumbbells, which my trainer says are a fine substitute. I have managed to keep with it for 3 days now, and it's well within my capability, which is reassuring, but it does reach the parts that just walking can't reach. I like that I can do it in the privacy of my own home and each day can stretch that bit further, bend that bit lower and do the activities a little faster. Once it gets too easy,  if I ever get there, then I can look for something more challenging. The key thing is to stick with it, so  by writing it here, I am making that commitment - sort of a late New Year's resolution! And there's the golf lessons my husband bought me as a Christmas present to pick up in the Spring, and possibly swimming and maybe a bike!

Update on our trip, we decided to ditch Munich from our itinerary because there is a huge construction trade fair going on at the time we planned to be there, and so finding accommodation is problematic.  We are therefore going to by-pass Munich and go on to Bamberg, which according to our lonely planet guide is, "delightful and authentic," and has a UNESCO-recognised old town. We've now booked accommodation as far as Bamberg and our next bookings will be for Berlin and Hamburg. 

Enjoyed dinner this evening with a good friend and ex-colleague, lovely to catch up. Also provided an opportunity to try out my new Slo-cooker bought last weekend to replace my 40 year old faithful. I left a Beef Carbonnade for my husband and it seems to have passed muster. Plenty left over as planned, so nice easy dinner for tomorrow!