In the past, aging meant retiring from your job, slowing down and perhaps spending your remaining days playing with your grandchildren. Now aging looks very different, and many people may continue working because they choose to, or go on to lead active lives even in retirement, traveling, volunteering and participating in senior sporting events. If you envision this for yourself, there are things you can do now to lay the groundwork.

Save for Retirement

You should save as much as you can toward retirement. This should include maxing out your workplace retirement fund, and you may want to look into other investments as well. Even if you plan to continue working into your 70s, you don’t want to have to do so as a matter of financial necessity. Thinking now about the kind of lifestyle you plan to lead as you get older will help you better plan how much money you will need.

Install a Home Elevator

It might sound like a big step, and with any luck you’ll be sprinting up steps well into old age. However, it is not unusual for even healthy seniors to struggle with knee problems or other mobility issues, even if only temporarily. Having an elevator can help ensure your independence and make it easier to manage if you have a short- or long-term period of needing to use a wheelchair, crutches or a cane to get around. The process of installing residential elevators that improve your lifestyle only takes a day, and it can be done in many different types of homes.

Stay Mentally and Physically Active

If you don’t want to slow down, you don’t have to. Staying both mentally and physically engaged will help you as you age. This could be the chance to take classes, pursue hobbies or nurture talents you never had time for when you were working and raising a family. Grandma Moses did not even begin painting until she was in her 70s, and there are still debut novelists who are 60 and older. Some people might feel negatively about aging, but keep in mind that while you might not have the reflexes or the physical strength that you did in your youth, other qualities replace this, including a lifetime of valuable experience and a mature understanding of the world.

Make Connections

Not everyone is an extrovert, but humans are social animals, and having at least a few social connections is important, including as you age. Ideally, you can make these connections with people of different ages. Get involved in your community and activities that you love. This can be particularly helpful once you retire since some people may feel lost and lose their sense of belonging when they are not going to work every day. If you largely prefer the company of animals or plants to people, check out opportunities at your local dog or cat rescue, which often need people who can foster pets for adoption, or contact your local botanical garden to see if they need volunteers.