Playing golf is a fantastic way to stay healthy, get exercise, and have fun, all while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Walking the course and engaging with nature offers numerous health benefits, including physical activity, mental stimulation, and social connection. As the saying goes, “The mind is your greatest weapon. It’s the greatest club in your bag. It’s also your Achilles’ heel.” When you feel confident over the ball, your mind pushes you forward—and that’s the beauty of golf. Check out local golf courses and services here on the Coast.
Playing golf not only benefits your physical health but also releases natural mood-enhancing chemicals called endorphins. A relaxed round of golf with friends in the open air can significantly improve your well-being, especially on a sunny day.
Golf is an excellent form of exercise. Walking an 18-hole course can add up to four to eight miles of walking, which strengthens the heart and lungs. Carrying your clubs or opting to walk instead of using a golf cart increases the intensity of the workout. A 150-pound individual can burn around 300 calories per hour while playing golf and carrying clubs, making it an effective cardiovascular activity.
Weight-bearing activities help strengthen bones and prevent conditions like osteoporosis. Carrying your clubs and walking the course engages your muscles and supports skeletal health. Using a double-strapped golf bag can help distribute weight evenly and reduce shoulder strain.
Golf helps reduce stress and lower cholesterol. The combination of exercise, fresh air, and social interaction improves mental well-being and supports heart health. A single round of golf can burn up to 1,000 calories, making it an effective way to maintain fitness and manage weight.
Golf enhances cognitive function by challenging players to strategize, focus, and coordinate their movements. Walking the course promotes oxygen flow to the brain, helping generate new brain cells and potentially reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The mental aspect of golf—concentration, visualization, and strategic thinking—keeps the mind sharp.
Golf is a highly social sport, fostering camaraderie and connection. Whether playing with friends, family, or colleagues, the game offers an opportunity to bond while staying active. The leisurely pace of golf allows for meaningful conversations, making it a great way to build relationships.
Spending time outdoors exposes you to sunlight, which helps the body produce vitamin D. This essential vitamin supports strong bones, regulates calcium levels, and promotes overall health. Playing golf regularly ensures you soak up the benefits of natural sunlight.
Regular physical activity, including golf, contributes to better sleep quality. Exercise helps you fall asleep faster and stay in deep sleep longer, allowing your body to recover and rejuvenate. A round of golf during the day can lead to more restful nights.
Golf challenges players to stay focused and composed, boosting self-confidence with each successful shot. The nature of the game teaches patience, perseverance, and resilience, all of which translate to greater confidence on and off the course.
Golf creates lasting memories, from the thrill of a perfect shot to the camaraderie of playing with loved ones. Stories like Phil Mickelson’s emotional Masters victory, where he shared a heartfelt embrace with his wife during her cancer battle, highlight the deep emotional connections golf fosters. The sport provides both joy and therapeutic benefits, making it an enriching experience for all players.
Retirement living is about more than money.
Financial planners tell us to start thinking about retirement living decades before we're ready to retire, and it's good to make a retirement planning checklist about five years before your retirement date.
While you're thinking about how much money you'll need in retirement, think about what you want your life to look like, and how you want to feel.
Make life plans. It's important to plan for the non-financial aspect of retirement living by considering what will make you happy. Maybe you’ll climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, go dog sledding in Alaska, make time to write that novel you've been thinking about, or even continue to work part-time. Make a life plan and tick off your experiences as you move ahead.
Find a purpose. When making your retirement living plan, look for things you can do on an on-going basis that bring you joy and add structure to your life. This can include travel, hobbies or even training for a new career.
Keep your mind sharp. "Use it or lose it" applies to your brain. If you feel the need to replace the intellectual stimulation you found at work, try learning a foreign language or a musical instrument, or join a book club. Lifelong learning offers many opportunities to keep your mind sharp. How about checking out the lifelong learning classes offered by your local community centre or college?
Volunteer. Getting involved in your community is a great way to give back, and it's a wonderful opportunity to interact with people and make new friends.
Develop new friendships. A measurement of whether people are successful at retirement living is the strength of their social network - that includes family and friends. Check out groups that help you meet new people or join community or religious organisations that have members who share your interests. It's possible to meet people and make new friends even if it's difficult to get around. Did you know that friendship helps to increase longevity?
Ask your spouse or partner. If you live with someone or have a close partner, retirement living becomes a shared experience. It's important to make time for you and your partner to both share your dreams—you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that your partner wants to join you on that Mt. Kilimanjaro climb, and he or she may have ideas you'll enjoy.
Increase your financial stability. If you can’t afford to retire yet, what about partial retirement? This can include working part-time in your current job or finding a retirement job that's new and interesting—and will also help you earn money.
Keep your spirits up. The life changes that come with retirement living can be challenging, but your attitude plays a big part in whether you'll find happiness in retirement living or not. Check in with yourself to assess your mood; if you feel sad or hopeless it's important to see your doctor or a professional. Learn the signs of senior depression (or ask a friend or family member to assess your mood) and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Remain healthy. With increasing life spans, retirement living can be a long race, so get yourself in shape. That means eating well, watching your weight and staying active. When you feel good, it's easier to stay positive and open to new experiences.
Tips courtesy of Joan Carter, co-founder of Life Options Institute, USA
The Hibiscus Coast has had a reputation in the past of being a place to head to and enjoy your retirement. Whilst this is not the case so much nowadays, it doesn't detract from the fact that it really is a retirees slice of paradise and there are locals who can help make your retirement great to enjoy up here!
If you are looking for a retirement home/village then there is an abundance of choices on the Coast. Some with full care facilities, some designed as separate houses or villas within a community and pretty much all offering plenty of things to do and good company so you never need feel alone. Check out our Hibiscus Coast retirement home/village options.
Whilst it may sound a little gloomy, one service you will want to ensure can look after you locally it is a funeral director and funeral home and we have a number here on the Coast including the caring team at Forrest Funeral Services with branches in both Orewa and Browns Bay. These are the people you shouldn't just turn to when you need them but in your retirement you can help your loved ones be prepared for when the time comes by pre-planning your funeral and even pre-paying expenses and recording your own personal funeral choices to ease the financial burden on those you leave behind. A little bit of planning can mean a lot at the end of the day.
If you need medical or health care on the Coast there are also services to suit all needs including hearing services such as the personalised and caring services offered by Hear Again. Family run and operated they offer all hearing services including in-home hearing tests and all accessories etc for hearing aids.
Whether you are looking for an Optician, Dentist, Chiropractor, Doctor/Medical Centre or more you can find a wide selection of services in our Health, Beauty, Medical and Wellbeing directory section.
Enjoy staying fit in your retirement? There are a wide range of classes and activities on offer at Stanmore Bay Pool and Leisure Centre including special senior classes if you are after these and also special senior pricing.
Northern Arena also offer senior activities and pricing with their Silver Sneakers and Silver Sneakers Flexi membership options. Check these out.
Of course, if you are looking for a club or group to join we link you to a wide variety of local community services, health services, Leisure Clubs and Sports Clubs or if you are looking for a sporting activity you can also find information on everything from fishing, golf, swimming and more in our Sport and Recreation section.
Enjoy dining out or your morning coffee fix? Why not check out and challenge yourself to try a range of our great local restaurants, cafes, bars and bakeries!
Or if you like to just get out and about in our great outdoors you can find details on local beaches, walks, cycleways, parks and more in our Leisure Section.
There's certainly no shortage of things to do and services to suit retirees here on the Hibiscus Coast!
A funeral ceremony is a significant occasion where family and friends come together to express their grief and to celebrate the life of their loved one. It is at the funeral where people can share memories, from joyful moments to humorous stories, and honour their unique contributions.
A funeral service that is personalised ensures the farewell is meaningful and reflects the life and beliefs of your loved one.
Personalisation Options
Below are some choices to give you ideas and to help tailor the service to your loved one’s wishes and personality:
Pre-Funeral Location
Where would you like your loved one to rest before the funeral?
They can remain in the care of your funeral home, but many families choose to have them at home or on a marae. This option is especially popular among Māori and Pacific Island communities but is embraced by people of all backgrounds. If loved ones are travelling from overseas, embalming may be recommended to preserve the body and provide a more natural appearance.
Burial or Cremation
If you are not aware of your loved one’s preferences, the family will need to decide. Forrest Funeral Services can arrange either option for you:
Casket Movement
Decide how the casket will be brought into and carried from the service. Will you use family members or friends to act as pallbearers, or would you prefer this to be done by the funeral home contacts? Keep in mind the weight of the coffin and also the height of the people if you are choosing your own pallbearers.
Consider whether special music, dancing, or a guard of honour would enhance the farewell.
Symbols of Life
Incorporate personal items that reflect your loved one’s life, such as flowers from their garden, photographs, toys, books, candles, religious symbols, or other meaningful objects.
Music
Music can set the tone for the service. Choose songs/hymns that your loved one enjoyed, whether classical, rock, country, opera, hymns, or pop music, select their most appropriate favourites. You might also consider creating an audio-visual tribute featuring photos and videos accompanied by their favourite music.
Eulogy
A eulogy honours the life and character of your loved one. It can be brief or more detailed, typically lasting around 10 minutes. Key topics to consider include:
If children or family members find it difficult to speak, encourage them to contribute stories or messages that can be read on their behalf.
Creating a personalised service helps to celebrate a life well-lived, leaving lasting memories for all who attend, and Forrest Funeral Services can help you create a funeral that will reflect the love and care you, and others, had for your loved one.
Adapted from an article by Forrest Funeral Services.
Picture this: It's late, you're exhausted after a long day at work. The boss has been relentless with deadlines, and the stress has been building up. Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain in your chest that radiates down your arm. You're alone, about 8 km away from the nearest hospital or emergency room, and unsure if you can make it that far.
You know a bit about CPR, but no one ever told you how to apply it to yourself. Unfortunately, many people face heart attacks alone, and when the heart starts beating irregularly, you may only have about 10 seconds before losing consciousness. So, what can you do?
If you find yourself in this situation, start coughing vigorously and repeatedly. Before each cough, take a deep breath, and ensure that both the breaths and coughs are deep and forceful, like you're trying to clear your chest.
Repeat this cycle—deep breath, then deep cough—every two seconds without stopping, until help arrives or until you feel your heart return to a normal rhythm.
Why does this work? The deep breaths help oxygenate your lungs, and the forceful coughing compresses the heart, keeping blood circulating. This pressure may also help the heart reset its rhythm. In doing this, you might buy yourself enough time to get to help or for emergency services to arrive.
Hearing losses usually develop very slowly, so it is easy to not notice them creeping up on you. If you are concerned about your own hearing, or that of a loved one, you can run a self check to give you some ideas. Hear Again, in Whangaparaoa, have an online self-check test, you are welcome to run through.
If you determin that perhaps hearing is affected but it may not actually be hearing loss it may be a case of blocked ears. Did you know approximately 5% of adults and 10% of children deal with blocked ears at any one time! If you’re uncertain whether ear wax is causing your hearing issue or whether an ear wax removal service can help, drop into Hear Again and their experienced staff will take a quick look free of charge. Ear wax removal is quite a simple and painless procedure and you can read more about what causes it and ear wax removal online with Hear Again.
Another frustration you, or a loved one, may experience is that annoying ringing in your ears! So what is it?
Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sounds that aren't present in the external environment. It can manifest as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, throbbing, booming, clicking, roaring, or a cicada-like noise. Tinnitus may consist of a single sound or multiple different sounds, and it can develop gradually or suddenly.
This condition is quite common, with most people experiencing it at some point, especially in quiet surroundings. About 20% of the population experiences persistent tinnitus, and for 4%, it significantly affects their quality of life.
Read more on what tinnitus is and how it can be combatted.
If you need support or hear advice remember Hear Again offer free hearing tests and also operate an in-home service if it's hard to get to their Whangaparaoa premises. The team are always happy to advise and help so you can "Rejoin the Conversation"!
Hear Again, Coast Whangaparaoa, 6 Main Road, Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa
0508-432-724 - info@hearagain.co.nz - https://hearagain.co.nz
