Ita Buttrose: How to be a great active retiree
18 May 2015
Former Senior Australian of the Year and legendary media icon Ita Buttrose may be 73 years old, but she shows no sign of slowing down. Ita continues to champion health issues such as arthritis, HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer’s disease and is a co-host on Channel Ten’s morning program, Studio 10. Here are her tips for keeping fit and active during your golden years.
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Do some kind of exercise on a regular basis. “Go walking or dancing. Go swimming. Physical exercise not only keeps us fit but young. The brain also benefits from physical exercise.”
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Be social. “Get out and about and try not to spend too much time at home alone. If you’re short on friends, volunteer for local community work like Meals on Wheels or visit your local library, where there are always interesting events and activities on offer and like-minded people.”
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Keep learning. “Take up a new hobby, learn a new language or a new sport. It’s fun and most importantly, try to always wear a smile on your face.”
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Invest in your friendships. “Some people have let friendships go, because they were so busy with their family and career. Then they stop working and they don’t have a lot of friends. You've got to work on your friendships all your life so that when you do finish work, you have friends with whom you can share things. I think everything is so much nicer if you can share it.”
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