Retirement boosts positive changes in Lifestyle!

What is retirement – it is a road from one lifestyle to another.

Can retirement bring about positive changes in the lifestyle of elderly?

Yes it can.

There is a famous saying, “While there are lots of books available on retirement, the only book that really matters is the one that you write yourself!”

Contrary to the general perception that after retirement people become lazy which have a negative effect on their lifestyle, a recent research revealed that retirement boosts positive impacts on the lifestyle. The report was published in DNA India on March 13, 2016.

The research was conducted by Melody Ding, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney in Australia.

“A major life change like retirement creates a great window of opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes — it’s a chance to get rid of bad routines and engineer new, healthier behaviours,” said Ding.

Significant Lifestyle changes after Retirement

The major changes that were noticed in the retirees include:

• People who retired became physically more active. It was due to the fact that they reduced their sitting time.
• After retirement individuals are less likely to smoke.
• A healthier sleep pattern was noticed in them.

The results of the research were published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine. The findings were compiled after following the lifestyle behaviour of 25,000 elderly Australian citizens. Various lifestyle behaviours such as diet patterns, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleeping habits, alcohol consumption were studied and analyzed.

5 Keys to a successful Retirement life

Entering into the phase of retirement is entering into the new phase of life. You need to decide on the kind of life you want to live.

1. Have a positive attitude towards future.
2. Keep your vision clear about the life you want to have.
3. Follow healthy mental and physical aging
4. Nurture the personal relationships.
5. Be active socially

Results of the study

The findings were positive and will have a great effect on the lives of elderly. Have a look:

1. The amount of physical activity in retirees increased by 93 minutes a week.
2. The sitting time decreased by 67 minutes per day.
3. Sleeping time increased by 11 minutes per day.
4. After their retirement, 50% of female smokers have quit smoking.
5. In terms of sitting time, the major change was noticed in people living in urban areas who had high educational levels.
6. There were noteworthy differences after taking into consideration the factors such as age, sex, marital status and educational level.

“The lifestyle changes were most pronounced in people who retire after working full time. When people are working and commuting, it eats a lot of time out of their day. When they retire, they have time to be physically active and sleep more,” Ding added.

It is believed that this new research will bring about an active spirit in the minds of elderly citizens. They will now focus on adopting healthy habits which will decrease the risk of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes.