Exercise more for better fitness after retirement

Middle-aged people over 55 years of age in particular should be doing more to keep fit as they approach retirement age because of the physical, mental and social benefits of being active, says a study. “Adults are spending more years of their life working than ever before. Retiring is a life-changing event which provides all sorts of opportunities - but it coincides with declining physical activity, health and wellbeing,” said the lead author Charlotte Salter from the University of East Anglia in England. 

“From the age of around 55, people begin thinking about retirement and making plans for their future,” Salter said.

For the study, researchers worked to gather insight about the relationship between retirement and physical activity.

More than 1,000 over-55s took part in an online ‘Physical Activity and Retirement Transitions’ survey about their physical activity levels and expectations and experiences of retirement. 

The research team also held focus groups and interviews with people at retirement age about staying physically active. “In order to enjoy a fit and healthy retirement, a really key thing is that people need to maintain their physical fitness through their fifties and beyond.—IANS