Early Retirement Might Help You Live Longer

Retirement Planning

Early Retirement Might Help You Live Longer

Posted by COTO Insurance & Financial Services
6 years ago | April 15, 2018

What would you do all day, if you could retire right now?

It appears that many early retirees are spending at least some of their time exercising and attending regular medical checkups and screenings. According to a study published last year in the journal of Health and Economics, those who retire earlier are likely to live longer and healthier lives.

Researchers followed Dutch male workers and retirees, who had reached the age of 54, for a five-year period. At the end of the study period, the researchers found that the retirees were 42 percent less likely to die over that same time period, as compared to those still working.

These findings might seem to contradict the long-held notion that working encourages us to be healthy and active. Maybe the difference is in the type of jobs we hold these days, and the sedentary lifestyle that they encourage?

The researchers definitely seemed to think so. First, they concluded that retiring allowed those individuals more time to pursue healthy activities, like exercise. Retirees were able to get more sleep, and they paid attention to warning signs regarding their health. It’s easy to imagine that the freedom of retirement allows you to get to the doctor right away when you notice something unusual, rather than having to wait until you can fit an appointment into your schedule.

They also noticed that the rates of cardiovascular disease and stroke were noticeably lower in the group of retirees. It’s possible that working causes higher levels of stress, so retirement can produce the opposite effect. We do know that stress is linked to hypertension, which is linked to stroke and cardiovascular disease, so this hypothesis makes sense. Of course, more research is needed before we can conclusively state that retirement lowers levels of these diseases.

Of course, physical health is only one part of your overall well-being. Once you do retire, remember to keep yourself socially active, and challenge yourself mentally as well. These activities can help prevent depression and cognitive decline.

The “right” time to retire is different for everyone. Continue meeting with us regularly, and we can help you adjust your plans as you get ready for this new stage in your life.

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