CU 50 Plus recognizes that mature credit union members stay healthier and happier by maintaining their activities, both physically and mentally. Gerontology experts agree that living a fulfilled life can add 10 or 15 years to your life expectancy. And the "quality" of life during those years increases in direct proportion to the amount of time you spend keeping your mind and body fit.

One way you can achieve that is by investigating your local senior centers. Senior centers today are typically buzzing with activities ranging from exercise classes to excursions around the world. The focus today is on maintaining an energized lifestyle. The notion that "retirement" means sitting in a rocking chair and reminiscing about the "good-old days" has given way to a philosophy that people can take part in engaging activities well into their 70s and even 80s. A random check of senior centers around the country, via the Internet, reveals the following sample of activities:

1. Classes. The sky is the limit. Everything from exercise and square dancing, to stained glass, and Spanish. Some classes are held on premises; others are held at nearby locations where facilities and equipment are more conducive to the subject at hand (for example, woodworking or furniture reupholstering).
2. Travel. Anything goes, from day trips to local dinner theaters, to two-week cruises down the Amazon River.
3. In-house performances. Senior centers are meccas for artists/lectures looking to perform their civic duty and/or drum up excitement in the community for a certain art form. A sample of performances finds musicians, storytellers, travelogues, self-defense demonstrations, and lectures on how to avoid financial scam artists.
4. Food. Many senior centers offer meals (typically breakfast and/or lunch) at very reasonable prices. This offers an excellent break from the kitchen, and many mature credit union members report combining a meal along with a morning or afternoon activity offered at the center.
5. Volunteer opportunities. Many senior centers act as central recruiting locations for volunteer organizations that help the elderly who are homebound or otherwise incapacitated. Many seniors achieve a sense of purpose and happiness by volunteering their time and services to such programs as Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, and Hospice, to name a few.

So if you're not quite feeling "fulfilled" enough or looking for an opportunity to expand your horizons, your credit union urges you to check out your local senior center.