Five Minute Friday 3: Mental and Physical Health

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Hey Mindsetters! TGIF — and welcome back to another Five Minute Friday with me, Bob Preston. This week, Podcast Host, Bob Preston is coming to you from the base of beautiful Mammoth Mountain, where the air is fresh, the peaks are dusted with early snow, and the message is clear — retirement health is about more than just staying busy.

In this episode, Bob opens up about what he has learned regarding the connection between mental and physical health in retirement. From his 5 am routine of mindfulness, meditation, and reading to his outdoor adventures around Mammoth and Del Mar, Bob shares how small daily habits can transform how you think, move, and live.

Retirement doesn’t mean your mind or body gets to retire. The key is balance — keeping both strong, connected, and working together to help you feel vibrant and alive.

Key Takeaways

1. Mental Health Is the “Inside Game.”

• Retirement can bring unexpected quiet and even loneliness.
• Establishing a daily mindset routine — like meditation, reading, or journaling — creates purpose and mental structure.
• Mental strength is like a muscle; if you don’t use it, you lose it.

2. Movement Is Medicine.

• Staying physically active keeps your energy high and your mood elevated.
• Movement doesn’t have to be extreme — hikes, walks, yoga, or light weight training all count.
• Consistency matters more than intensity.

3. The Mind–Body Connection Is Real.

• When you move your body, your mind feels sharper.
• Good sleep, nutrition, and mindfulness all feed into your physical vitality.
• Neglect one, and the other struggles — nurture both, and you thrive.

4. Your Challenge This Week:

• Do one thing that strengthens your mind (meditate, read, reflect).
• Do one thing that strengthens your body (walk, stretch, or exercise).
• Small steps create lasting shifts — retirement is what you make of it.

Retirement isn’t just about having time — it’s about how you use it. Nurture your mind, move your body, and everything else will start to flow. Stay curious, stay active, and as always — keep your retired mindset strong.

Join us as we post new episodes weekly!

Connect with Bob: [e-mail], LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TheRetiredMindset.com.

Episode Transcript

Bob Preston (Host) (00:06):
The Retired Mindset Five Minute Friday.
Short episodes in five minutesor less.
Hey Mindsetters, TJF, andwelcome back to another Five
Minute Friday.
I'm Bob Preston, and today,TJF, I'm coming to you from one
of my absolute favorite spots,right here at the base of
Mammoth Mountain, outside CanyonLodge, in front of the gondola

(00:30):
from the village.
If you know that mountain,that's kind of where I'm at, and
you'll be able to follow rightalong with how beautiful it is
today and how empty the placeis.
Because, you know, ski seasonhasn't started yet.
But it's a crisp fall morning,the air is clear, and we got
some snow on the ground behindme.
It's just the perfect settingfor a conversation about

(00:52):
something that really matters inretirement.
And those are the aspects ofboth mental and physical health.
Soul meets body, if you will.
So let's start with the insidegame, mental health.
And I gotta tell you, when Ifirst retired, I'll be honest, I
thought I had it all figuredout.

(01:12):
I pictured myself traveling,spending a lot of time in the
mountains, sleeping in, havingno schedule.
But, you know, that was greatat first, but after a few
months, I realized something wasmissing.
The quiet mornings that I usedto dream about suddenly felt, I
don't know, a little too quiet,maybe?
And that's when I discoveredhow much the mental side of

(01:35):
retirement really, reallymatters.
So I made some life changes.
You know, you can call thematomic habits, whatever you want
to call them.
I built a new morning routine,what I call my 5 a.m.
club.
That's kind of a buzzwordnowadays, 5 a.m.
club.
I get up early, usually between4:30 and 5 o'clock.
My dogs help me get up, I'm notgonna lie.

(01:55):
And I meditate.
I am a Blinkist subscriber, soI listen or read some of those
summaries, and maybe I journalfor a few minutes.
But it's that sacred hour ortwo before the rest of the world
wakes up.
Time by myself to sort of checkin with myself, set intentions,
and fuel my mindset for therest of the day.

(02:16):
That's the thing.
Retirement doesn't mean yourmind gets to retire too.
That's the worst thing to do inretirement.
We have to keep learning,exploring, and challenging
ourselves.
Otherwise, we start driftinglike I did in my first few
months of retirement.
Mental strength is just like amuscle.
If you don't use it, you loseit.

(02:38):
So now let's shift to thephysical side.
Movement is medicine.
Out here in Mammoth, I'msurrounded by people who live
here, who vacation here, who areabsolutely crushing the
physical side of retirement andthe common thread.
They're all out moving, they'reall out doing something.
Some ski, some hike, some bike,some go fishing, some go

(02:59):
canoeing or paddling.
But everyone's out doingsomething.
It's not about being atriathlete or trying to beat
somebody or being competitive.
It's just about the consistencyof moving, getting your heart
rate up, and having a good timealso for the relaxation of it.
I like to take my dogs to thelake, hike up there, and maybe
hit Twin Lakes, maybe a few skiruns on a bluebird day, or even

(03:23):
sometimes I just like a casualwalk in the village down here at
the bottom of the gondola, hitsome coffee shops, you know,
just cruising around.
Movement clears the head, itboosts your mood, it reminds you
that you're alive and capable,and there's real joy in earning
that end-of-day tired feeling.
The good kind of tired thatsays, yeah, I showed up for

(03:44):
myself today.
That's when you really areliving your best life in
retirement.
Here's what I've learned inretirement.
Your mental and physical healtharen't two separate things,
they're one continuous loop.
When I move my body, my mindfeels sharper.
When I meditate, my workoutsfeel lighter and easier.
When I eat well and sleep well,I wake up motivated and

(04:08):
grateful.
Take care of one and the otherfollows.
Ignore one and the otherstruggles.
So here's my challenge to youfor this week.
And this applies to anybody ofany age, not just retired
people.
Do one thing that strengthensyour mind.
Maybe read something inspiring,meditate, or connect with
someone new.
And do one thing thatstrengthens your body.

(04:31):
A walk, a stretch, a swim,anything.
Small steps lead to big gains.
Because in retirement, it isn'tjust about having time, it's
about how to use it.
Nurture your mind, move yourbody, and the rest of life
starts to flow.
So that's it for this week'sFive Minute Friday.
Until next time, stay curious,stay active, and as always, keep

(04:54):
your retired mindset strong.
And remember, always inretirement, soul meets body.
Hey, thanks for joining metoday.