Hobbies are an important part of life and sadly something we often neglect in adulthood. With our lives being occupied with other things, it can be hard to find the time to enjoy hobbies or even find one we love, so when life slows down in retirement, it can be the perfect time to set aside the time for you.

Not only can hobbies boost your happiness; some are also great to improve your physical and mental wellbeing. If you choose a physical hobby you enjoy, not only will it make exercising fun, it can help reduce your risk of getting illnesses and diseases and help you lead a healthier, better life. Alternatively, if you choose a hobby like crosswords, chess or puzzles that can help enhance your problem-solving skills can help improve your mental wellbeing. Hobbies are a great way to lower stress, which in turn can reduce your blood pressure, improve self-esteem and even help improve your sleep. 

We’ve put together a list of our favourite hobbies that anyone can do.

1. Gardening

Before you think to yourself, how cliché, hear us out. Many of us associate gardening with being retired, but gardening can be enjoyed at any age. You just may not have had time in your adult life to give your garden the spruce up you kept saying you would. But now you have more time on your hands why not grab your tools and get out into the garden. 

Not only does getting outdoors help boost your vitamin D levels, which helps increase your serotonin levels (aka the feel-good chemical in your brain), it is also a great low-impact exercise that can target both your upper body and lower body muscles. Don’t also forget the pure satisfaction of having a garden filled with beautiful, colourful flowers and plenty of yummy, homegrown foods. 

If you want to find out more benefits of gardening, then read our blog which has a number of posts from our Head of Horticulture offering gardening tips and advice. 

2. Online courses

Have you always been interested in a certain subject that you’ve wanted to learn more about but never had the time? Why not use your retirement as the chance to expand your knowledge on the subjects that fascinate you? 

In today’s online world there are thousands of different online courses and websites that will allow you to research and learn about your chosen subject. Also, for most subjects, you can find groups of people on Facebook that have similar interests, and all discuss your chosen topic. 

If you’re uneasy about using the internet, then read our article on keeping safe while using the internet.

3. Yoga

Even though yoga has been popular for years, in recent times many more people are acknowledging the benefits of it. Plus with the rise of YouTube it has meant that there are hours and hours of free yoga classes and videos online you can easily access. 

Not only can yoga help with flexibility and de-stressing, but it is also a great way to reduce aches, pains and even high blood pressure, protecting you from a number of different illnesses. 

If you prefer live classes rather than watching them online, many local communities and gym have yoga classes as part of their timetables – so this can be a great way to meet local people and make friends with people who have similar interests. Given the current circumstances, many gyms and communities are hosting live yoga classes online, which mean you can still interact with people and enjoy your yoga class from the safety of your own home. 

If you’re looking for a class to start with, then why not join Steph on the Virtual Village Centre for a wonderful yoga stretch session.

4. Beekeeping

If you’re looking for a hobby that will provide you with a sweet reward, then look no further than beekeeping. Not only are you helping save the environment and the bees, but it’s also fun and what’s better than having your own supply of honey.  Beekeeping doesn’t have as much time commitment as other hobbies, with most beekeepers visiting their hives weekly to check the health of their queen and checking for mites and diseases. The most time-consuming part is researching and educating yourself on how to look after and care for your bees.

Make sure to check local regulations and restrictions before you start beekeeping as most areas have their own rules. We also recommend making sure you have the right protective gear to keep you safe while enjoying your new hobby.

5. Puzzles

Sometimes you can’t beat a good puzzle, whether is a crossword, a word search or even a good game of sudoku. You can often find puzzles in the back of magazines and newspapers you already own, or even buy your own puzzle book. Alternatively, if you prefer to complete your puzzles online, there a number of websites that have plenty of free puzzles for all abilities. Why not get your friends and family involved and have a competition to see who can finish their puzzle first?

If traditional puzzles don’t interest you, then on your smartphone or tablet there are a number of different apps you can download that require your problem-solving skills to complete the levels, one of our favourites is Candy Crush.