One of the things I hear from people as they contemplate retirement is about the various activities they look forward to pursuing.

Golf makes the list, of course, but their lists are long!  From running, biking, and hiking, to pickleball, and far away travel with ambitious excursions, people are planning to be on the move.  That’s great, but to capitalize on those dreams you need to consider your general level of fitness.

In addition to the financial readiness aspects of retirement be sure to ensure that you take care of THE most important aspect of your retirement.

Your health.

It may be cliché that “Your health is the most important thing.”  But have you considered how healthy you’ll be in your 60s, 70s and beyond?  Golf and travel are two great pastimes, but they do require some level of mobility and general healthiness.

Take some steps now to prepare your body for the future just like you prepare your financial statements and your mind.

Walk, run, or bike.  Move your body.  Find simple ways to do some strength training; you don’t need to ‘pump heavy iron’ but make sure you’re giving your muscles and bones some resistance.  And spend time stretching or doing yoga – your flexibility becomes more important than ever.

And hydrate!  Go get a drink of water right now!

There’s some great wearable technology to track your activity and monitor your progress, but the first step is literally up to you.