Maintaining Physical Activity Post-Retirement

The Importance of Staying Active as You Age

A study published in the Occupational & Environmental Medicine journal states that as people age and retire, they tend to become more sedentary. This change in lifestyle could potentially lead to health risks. However, no matter your age, it’s crucial to engage in regular physical activities that you love and can incorporate into your daily routines, such as cycling.

The Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

Despite numerous warnings about the dangers of an inactive lifestyle, it seems many older individuals are not responding to this call to action. The research, involving 689 participants from the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study, reveals significant increases in sedentary time following retirement.

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Tracking Sedentary Time

Participants wore activity trackers for 10 or more waking hours for seven consecutive days in the years leading up to and after retirement. The study found a significant increase in sedentary time post-retirement, with new habits of reduced activity persisting even two years later. Women seemed to reduce their activity levels quicker after retirement, but men eventually became more sedentary as well.

Changes in daily routines and social interactions after retirement can contribute to an increase in sedentary time. With decreased social participation and meaningful activities, retirees may spend more time at home engaged in sedentary activities like watching television. Moreover, retirement eliminates physical activities associated with work, like commuting, further increasing sitting periods.

Health Concerns Related to Sedentary Behavior

The increase in total daily sedentary time after retirement is consistent with previous research findings. There’s concern over these sedentary habits becoming long-term problems, as they raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health issues, researchers conclude.

The Long-term Effects of Exercise

Healthy practices like regular exercise can have lasting benefits, says Belinda Beck, Ph.D., a professor at Griffith University. In her research on older adults, she found that even if their activity levels dropped, many continued to see improvements in exercise-related bone mass.

She emphasizes that whether you choose to be sedentary or engage in regular exercise as you get older, it will have a ripple effect years later, encouraging early engagement in physical activities.

It’s Never Too Late to Start

Even if you’ve already retired, it’s not too late to start being active. This might involve cycling a few times a week and walking on other days, which can both improve strength and balance, says personal trainer Kourtney Thomas, C.S.C.S.

“No matter what age you’re starting at, the strategies will be the same,” she told Bicycling. “Find an activity you love that you can do regularly and that you view as part of your everyday habits, not just as a training program with an end date. That way, you can build on that movement as time goes on.”

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