Retirement In Tel Aviv (Part 2): Keeping Fit at 70 (or 37)

Nice places and serious faces, morning walk in the park. It's easy to make friends in the park. Groups gather on weekend mornings before the temperature climbs. Keeping fit in Tel Aviv is part of everyday outdoor living / © 2009

You see people of all ages in Tel Aviv. In contrast to retirement communities in many places, people stay in the city and actually some people come to retire here. On the streets, in restaurants, in symphony halls, there are young and old. Unlike many cold climate cities, Tel Aviv is a great place to grow old and keep fit. To some keeping fit is a walk by the sea or a swim in the morning surf. To some it is getting out into a bustling city and seeing people going about their daily activity. Older people are not just kept in special homes or in a certain part of town, they are part of everything here. This is a second in a series of articles about retiring in Tel Aviv (see first article.)

One retired American with family in a Florida retirement community says that he would be dead by now if not for Tel Aviv. On visits to the US he sees friends and family sitting around pools half the day. They need help getting into town just to shop or see a doctor. Most can not drive and are too far away from anything, without convenient public transportation they are essentially prisoners in a very nice building complex. In contrast at 72 he is getting round on foot and with public transportation. He goes to Jerusalem by bus or train, about an hour ride. Living in north Tel Aviv he has access to anything he can imagine. Even heading to Ikea to shop for furniture a van service called sherut (service) gets him within 10 minute walk in Natanya. His suspicion of "being dead by now" when looking at Florida retirees is a bit of exaggeration, but it does reveal an important factor in the quality of life. For the average retiree the quality of life in Tel Aviv is better specially when it come to health. Another American couple spends the summers in Tel Aviv and winters in Arizona. Tel Aviv summers are actually cooler than Arizona. They loves getting around by car and seeing the country. Most days they just walks around Tel Aviv and enjoy the variety of activities the city has to offer. From movies to museums, if you have time during the day, attendance is light and range of activities is endless. This couple clearly sees health as a combination of physical and mental activity. Israel's culture and lifestyle is an eye opening experience to many, this can help keep you fit mentally and spiritually.

Keeping fit at 70 is not just physical. To some cultural events and everyday activities are just as important. Tel Aviv is an international city with world class culture, services, medical care and sports. To you it may mean music or history or literature. The wide selection also give you options to take up a new hobby or try a new sport. For example, an English speaking investment community that meets in Tel Aviv university on Friday mornings. Volunteer speakers update individual investors on economic and financial news. Or a group of Anglos in Ra'anana (30 minutes east by car or bus) for social gatherings of all kind, from pick nicks in the park to coffee groups. In Jerusalem there are small groups of retirees organized on their own, seems like parents of younger families who immigrated here in recent years. In contrast to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem benefits as Israel's capital. Here are more public events and places to go during the day (museums, lectures, tours, concerts.) Most retirees in other places have to settle on one or two areas of interest when picking a retirement location, here you have more choices.

Back to "keeping fit at 70". One benefit of uprooting yourself and coming to a new land is acquiring new habits. Granted it is hard to take up biking or head to the health club four times a week at 65. Tel Aviv makes it easier, the weather allows you year around outdoor living. The variety give you the ability to try more things even new ones. If you spent 40 years behind a desk it is hard to take up a sport overnight. If you played sports in college 35 years ago, you still need energy and motivation to go back (or take up a new sport.) Take a look at Ha'yarkon park (bike path map), here you can kayak or canoe on a small stream. Not much of a river by north American standards, yet enough to enjoy a brisk workout. The water is as smooth as you can imagine, it reminds me of seeing all the college teams practicing on the Charles river from Newton to Boston on weekend mornings. Beaches stretch all along the western edge of the city. Mornings you can find bathers, joggers and even a Tai Chi group. Saturday mornings below Ben Guirion boulevard there is a folk dancing group, it has been there for decades. A yoga studio at the port offers classes during the day. In Ha'yarkon park there are basketball and soccer games as well as roller-bladers and bikers. Through the city there are bicyclists (see blog article here) and joggers along the long boulevards like Ben Gurion, Yermiyahu and Rothschild. There are also biking groups and tours leaving Tel Aviv every Friday and Saturday. They cover the whole country and will give any level of physical ability a great ride. Add to this dozens of groups from birding to hiking and four wheeling to camping heading out to the Israeli wilderness on most weekends (don't expect African level safaris here, but from the desert to hilly terrain there good parks here.) Just ask at a bike or outdoor store or check the newspapers for contact numbers.

If you need a class or a private trainer, there are plenty here. City wide there are health clubs with classes and instructors. Clubs emulate an American model of yearly subscription. They are smaller than American and still well equipped for most people. Prices run from US$ 50 to US$ 200 depending on location and size. If you are looking for an exclusive club or one focused on personal care, take a look at the article in Ha'aretz. Personal trainers are readily available in Tel Aviv and the surrounding cities. Thanks to the military and a strong entrepreneurship spirit there are quite a few well trained coaches, physical trainers and motivational individuals. A few clubs have pools, this will add to the monthly fees. The Gordon pool [HE] at the end of Ben Gurion boulevard was renovated last year (2008,) entrance fee is 60 NIS for adult, 50 for children. Bicycle rental is between NIS 10 to 30 an hour. O-Fun [HE] is on 197 Ben Yehuda and rents bikes for 25 per hour and 60 per day (tel: 03-544-2292.) Ask locals and bloggers if you need more detailed information on getting fit in Tel Aviv. If you have specific interests please put them at the comment section and I will research it here in Tel Aviv.