Retirement Regrets

allsort

I retired in summer 2022 at age 59, when my longstanding, time-limited employment contract came to an end.  For eight months or so I travelled and caught up with friends for lunch and coffee but soon began to miss my career, which I had always enjoyed.  Had my contract not ended, I probably wouldn't have retired so early, especially since my husband is also not retired yet and I found doing things on my own wasn't always enjoyable.  For a year now, I have been working on a part time and very flexible basis as a retained consultant, working at home and travelling occasionally for work.  This arrangement provides useful income, meaning I don't have to draw on my DC pension yet and am able to help my early career stage children with some of their expenses.  The big win though has been balancing work with a new found interest in exercise, something I never did when working full time and I now attend pilates and yoga classes four times a week and have really felt the benefits.  I am also able to take holidays whenever I wish so I feel like this form of semi-retirement offers the best of all worlds - intellectual stimulation, time for leisure and travel and useful additional income.
I agree with the earlier poster who suggests it's not necessary to be fully retired to live a full life

eastcorkram

jim8888 said:

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age? There seems to be a cohort of retirees at my local gym and I often wonder what proportion of their age group they represent? How many over-sixties are active gym members going three or four times a week and working up a sweat? When you're retired you have so much time on your hands it seems to me there's no excuse for not taking care of your health, and that means that you must - if you physically can - do some serious exercise. From my peer group (now in their sixties), the main excuses for not doing any seems to be a lack of time, a (severe) lack of inclination or the feeling that it's too late to start now. One of the biggest proponents of all these excuses has just recently started going to the gym and it's transformed him - his weight has dropped, his blood pressure has reduced, his attitude and outlook has totally improved. Why this message, about the incredible benefits and necessity of exercise, isn't getting through to the majority of the population (not just the elderly) really puzzles me. 

I wouldn't have the faintest idea what I was supposed to do in a gym. Never set foot in one. 
Is there someone there who shows you what you're supposed to do? What each machine does, and how much of everything you're meant to do??

MallyGirl

eastcorkram said:

jim8888 said:

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age? There seems to be a cohort of retirees at my local gym and I often wonder what proportion of their age group they represent? How many over-sixties are active gym members going three or four times a week and working up a sweat? When you're retired you have so much time on your hands it seems to me there's no excuse for not taking care of your health, and that means that you must - if you physically can - do some serious exercise. From my peer group (now in their sixties), the main excuses for not doing any seems to be a lack of time, a (severe) lack of inclination or the feeling that it's too late to start now. One of the biggest proponents of all these excuses has just recently started going to the gym and it's transformed him - his weight has dropped, his blood pressure has reduced, his attitude and outlook has totally improved. Why this message, about the incredible benefits and necessity of exercise, isn't getting through to the majority of the population (not just the elderly) really puzzles me. 

I wouldn't have the faintest idea what I was supposed to do in a gym. Never set foot in one. 
Is there someone there who shows you what you're supposed to do? What each machine does, and how much of everything you're meant to do??

There is if you want that.
I am 2-3 years from retirement and having more time to exercise is high on my list. I am currently suffering from a seized back which is undoubtedly from too much sitting at a desk with 3 times a week running but no time for the other complementary activities such as Pilates or yoga or swimming or walking in the countryside. It is certainly showing me how much I value the exercise given that I am miserable at the moment due to not being able to do anything.

Albermarle

barnstar2077 said:

jim8888 said:

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age? There seems to be a cohort of retirees at my local gym and I often wonder what proportion of their age group they represent? How many over-sixties are active gym members going three or four times a week and working up a sweat? When you're retired you have so much time on your hands it seems to me there's no excuse for not taking care of your health, and that means that you must - if you physically can - do some serious exercise. From my peer group (now in their sixties), the main excuses for not doing any seems to be a lack of time, a (severe) lack of inclination or the feeling that it's too late to start now. One of the biggest proponents of all these excuses has just recently started going to the gym and it's transformed him - his weight has dropped, his blood pressure has reduced, his attitude and outlook has totally improved. Why this message, about the incredible benefits and necessity of exercise, isn't getting through to the majority of the population (not just the elderly) really puzzles me. 

There is a great documentary on Netflix called "Live to 100" where they discuss the importance of exercise (among other topics.)
  Surprisingly the long lived don't seem to go to the gym, they are busy, active people, who happen to exercise above average in their day to day lives.  The implication being that purpose combined with exercise is hard to beat.

There was another study reported in The Times on Tuesday that involved 412,000 adults aged between 27 and 61 who were followed for 20 years.
The men who exercised had an 14% less chance of having a fatal cardiovascular event, although women benefitted significantly more.
However as I think most of the posts here are about exercising post 60, not sure how relevant it is. 

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age?

The reason is that everybody is different, and see things in their own way. You can argue that you are going to die anyway, so why waste what time you have sweating in a gym, or running around the block, when you could be doing something more interesting/enjoyable. ( just playing devils advocate by the way )

Albermarle

Ciprico said:

The other side of the coin is that recent retirees injure themselves playing too much too soon of the sport they love and overdo it.

A physio told me this at our tennis club....

Or they have played sport a lot when younger, and now their knees/back/hips etc are knackered now they are older. I met a guy the other day a few years younger than me who had played rugby a lot in the past. He could hardly even walk properly, never mind exercise, due to old injuries coming home to roost.

bluenose1

I enjoy lifting weights in the gym, flexibility exercises and walking but some days unlike my husband just  can’t  be bothered. An incentive I  have found since my mid 50s is my joints stiffen up if I don’t exercise and I do always feel better for doing it.

We lose something like 15% of our muscle mass and cardiovascular fitness for each decade after 50 so I am trying  to get as strong and fit as I can to try and compensate for the future as much as I can.
Quality of life as I age is my incentive and things like how long we can balance on one foot and grip strength are indicative of how well we are aging.

A good book to read is Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, a USA Medical Doctor. His podcasts are very good as well. 
Plus I have that saying in my head “Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.”

DairyQueen

jim8888 said:

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age? There seems to be a cohort of retirees at my local gym and I often wonder what proportion of their age group they represent? How many over-sixties are active gym members going three or four times a week and working up a sweat? When you're retired you have so much time on your hands it seems to me there's no excuse for not taking care of your health, and that means that you must - if you physically can - do some serious exercise. From my peer group (now in their sixties), the main excuses for not doing any seems to be a lack of time, a (severe) lack of inclination or the feeling that it's too late to start now. One of the biggest proponents of all these excuses has just recently started going to the gym and it's transformed him - his weight has dropped, his blood pressure has reduced, his attitude and outlook has totally improved. Why this message, about the incredible benefits and necessity of exercise, isn't getting through to the majority of the population (not just the elderly) really puzzles me. 

Yawn, yawn, yawn.

The last thing that most people need is to be harangued by exercise-bunnies. No different from cigs or booze. If people want to adopt 'the lifestyle' then they will. Nobody needs a 'messiah' pontificating. Really off-putting.

Scott_Chegg_

barnstar2077 said:

jim8888 said:

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age? There seems to be a cohort of retirees at my local gym and I often wonder what proportion of their age group they represent? How many over-sixties are active gym members going three or four times a week and working up a sweat? When you're retired you have so much time on your hands it seems to me there's no excuse for not taking care of your health, and that means that you must - if you physically can - do some serious exercise. From my peer group (now in their sixties), the main excuses for not doing any seems to be a lack of time, a (severe) lack of inclination or the feeling that it's too late to start now. One of the biggest proponents of all these excuses has just recently started going to the gym and it's transformed him - his weight has dropped, his blood pressure has reduced, his attitude and outlook has totally improved. Why this message, about the incredible benefits and necessity of exercise, isn't getting through to the majority of the population (not just the elderly) really puzzles me. 

There is a great documentary on Netflix called "Live to 100" where they discuss the importance of exercise (among other topics.)
  Surprisingly the long lived don't seem to go to the gym, they are busy, active people, who happen to exercise above average in their day to day lives.  The implication being that purpose combined with exercise is hard to beat.

There was also the C4 programme with Jon snow about the blue zones or areas with increased longevity. That combined healthy eating, exercise and retaining a purpose in life when getting older.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/23244238.fancy-living-100-jon-snow-might-know-way/

michaels

jim8888 said:

I can't understand why people don't exercise and keep fit, especially once you reach your fifties and sixties. Surely it is an absolute no-brainer in this day and age? There seems to be a cohort of retirees at my local gym and I often wonder what proportion of their age group they represent? How many over-sixties are active gym members going three or four times a week and working up a sweat? When you're retired you have so much time on your hands it seems to me there's no excuse for not taking care of your health, and that means that you must - if you physically can - do some serious exercise. From my peer group (now in their sixties), the main excuses for not doing any seems to be a lack of time, a (severe) lack of inclination or the feeling that it's too late to start now. One of the biggest proponents of all these excuses has just recently started going to the gym and it's transformed him - his weight has dropped, his blood pressure has reduced, his attitude and outlook has totally improved. Why this message, about the incredible benefits and necessity of exercise, isn't getting through to the majority of the population (not just the elderly) really puzzles me. 

If an hours exercise (that I don't enjoy) will prolong my life by an hour then I can't see the win?

I do my time on the treadmill so at least I can view something stimulating to my mind at the same time.  Seem to have caught from my kids that time without mental stimulation is pure torture.

kuratowski

michaels said:

If an hours exercise (that I don't enjoy) will prolong my life by an hour then I can't see the win?

It's healthy life expectancy, not just life expectancy.  So could also be framed as three hours exercise a week vs reduced mobility in later years.  But DQ has a point, nagging people is counter-productive.  I have found means of exercise that I do find enjoyable.