Retirement Hobbies: Video Games
by Garry Mc
(USA)
Xbox 360 for Exercise
I actually recently took up video games. As strange as that sounds for a retiree it has been great.
Video games have allowed me to maintain the hand eye coordination I have left at my old age. At first operating the analog sticks seemed difficult and foreign to me.
Eventually through repetition I had no trouble with even using both analog sticks in different directions at the same time while playing the games. It sounds a bit crazy but my doctor even mentioned he thought my reaction times improved.
Puzzle games also help me keep my mind sharp. My favorite part about video games is that they help me keep in contact with my two grandsons who live over 8 hours away. We play together online and get to talk and chat while it goes on.
We do this through xbox live, I originally had bought an xbox 360 just because I wanted something to watch netflix with, but when my grandson found out he bought me a gamefly subscription where I get to rent games by mail.
This helps me play games with my grandchildren but without having to spend 60$ per game and instead pay just over 15$ a month. Without video games I'd feel much more lonely and don't think I'd talk to my family nearly as often.
With the xbox 360 I also bought the motion sensing camera Kinect. With Kinect I bought your shape fitness which basically helps you workout.
I'm seventy four years old so weight lifting at the gym isn't my ideal, but yoga and light cardio with Kinect really helped me lose a few pounds and get healthier.
Most adults just think video games are for children and unemployed fools, not so I'd encourage any retiree to try to get into video games, I'm sure glad I did.
Wendy This was super helpful! I never knew myself! This might be my husband's Christmas gift now... shhhh! Don't tell him! Grin!
