A research conducted by researchers from the University of Sweden found that retirement is beneficial for your health.
The researchers looked at a large sample of 25,000 Australian seniors; measuring levels of physical activity, diet, sedentary behaviour, alcohol use and sleep patterns.
Their findings revealed that once retired, seniors increased their physical activity by 93 minutes a week, decreased sedentary time by 67 minutes per day, enjoyed 11 minutes more sleep per day, and 50 percent of female smokers stopped smoking.
The team also found that the positive lifestyle changes were even stronger in those who had stopped working full-time, probably because so much extra time became newly available to retirees, giving them the chance to pursue healthier lifestyles and take part in health-boosting activities such as sleep and exercise.
According to lead researcher Dr Melody Ding, “A major life change like retirement creates a great window of opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes – it’s a chance to get rid of bad routines and engineer new, healthier behaviours,”
Dr Ding hopes that people will begin to view their retirement more positively.
“Retirement is a good time for doctors to talk their patients about making positive lifestyle changes that could add years to their life,” Dr Ding said, adding, “The findings suggest that both health professionals and policy makers should consider developing special programs for retirees to capitalize on the health transitions through retirement.”
S.O.Z