The award-winning Downers Grove parks district serves as an ideal training ground for residents running the Chicago Marathon -- a great way to challenge yourself and stay healthy during retirement. The suburb boasts 49 park sites on more than 600 acres with plenty of running paths, as well as baseball fields, tennis and basketball courts, fishing ponds and golf courses. Downers Grove boasts a vibrant downtown full of restaurants and shopping, but it's the city's proximity to Chicago that makes it a hotspot. Only you can decide whether the opportunity to sail in Lake Michigan during the summer is worth the winters of parka-wearing and driveway-shoveling.
Lace up your running shoes and challenge yourself racing the city's annual marathon, the nation's second-oldest after the famed Boston Marathon. The course, which snakes along the scenic Hudson River, was once an Olympic qualifying race. If you'd rather stay cool while burning calories, play hockey or just glide around the rink at Yonkers' Murray Skating Center. For more creative pursuits, it's just a short drive to Manhattan's renowned arts scene. Yonkers has plenty of its own culture to offer, too. The Fine Arts Orchestral Society sponsors the local philharmonic and provides free concerts on Sunday afternoons for residents. Yonkers also hosts Riverfest, an annual outdoor festival that attracts 30,000 people from around Westchester for a day of music, foods and art exhibits.
Close to Giants and Yankees Stadium, Fort Lee attracts athletes -- and sports fans -- who want to live near New York City. New York Yankees' pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, for example, calls the town home. Get to know your neighbors and you just might get some fitness tips from a pro. Fort Lee, once a capital of the early film industry in the U.S., now takes pride in providing its residents with a healthy and quiet suburban lifestyle. Walk, bike or hike the trails in Fort Lee Historic Parks and enjoy spectacular views of the Hudson River and Manhattan.
Or cross the George Washington Bridge to all New York City has to offer.
Retirees can find plenty of ways to stay active in this Long Island town, which takes pride in its harbors. Nearby Manhasset Bay beckons sailors and kayakers to its waters. For the best salt-water fishing, head east to Long Island's south shore to Montauk. More of a landlubber? Stroll one of the six nature trails at Sands Point Preserve, where paths wind through forests and meadows and along the beach. Or take a swing at Harbor Links Golf course, which boasts nearly 7,000 yards of green. For culture, just cross the river into Manhattan for world-class dining, art, theater and nightlife.
In southern California, there's an anti-aging secret that doesn't involve plastic surgery -- just a little magic: Embrace your youthfulness and head to Disneyland -- the only theme park designed by Walt Disney himself. Walk the park's 85 acres or get your heart rate up riding Splash Mountain, which drops more than 50 feet at 45 miles per hour. If that sounds too Mickey Mouse, go to the coast for a tougher workout -- biking the boardwalk or playing beach volleyball. Or zen out with some yoga on the beach. In addition to loyal sunshine and sparkling seas, Anaheim also boasts several award-winning golf courses. Black Gold Golf Club offers the highest elevated tee in the O.C. and views of the Black Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
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