Retirement Good For Your Health
Does retirement better health, or make it worse? A new study published in The Journal of Human Resources point to the former. “Results indicate that the retirement effect on health is beneficial and significant,” Michael Insler, an assistant professor of economics at the US Naval Academy, writes. Insler tells […]
“I think the obvious hypothetical answers to that question are health behaviors,” says Insler. These “obvious” answers include more time to be physically active, as exercise and other fitness-related activities aren’t hampered by the work week. Retirement can also make it easier to quit bad habits such as smoking, as daily work stress can often make people reach for cigarettes.
Insler based his findings on data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. The institute surveys a “representative sample” of 26,000 US citizens over age 50 every other year. He found 69% of respondents surveyed two to four years before retirement said they smoked, yet only 54% smoked two to four years after retirement. Retirees were also more likely to “vigorously exercise” for at least 30 minutes three days a week or more.
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