Is early retirement unhealthy?

[Jarhead*]

I was just thinking along these lines, Eagle!

I think one of the keys for healthy ERs is to keep busy, have projects, etc. I think people often confuse retirement with lack of activity (mental, physical, etc.). I think this comes from the idea of grey retirement at 65++ which may be much more like that.

Petey: I mostly participate in this board (and post very sparingly) for the entertainment value, and enjoy hearing how younger people think. (My two children are older than you).

Commenting purely on the physical side of your statement, (which has obvious carry-over benefits as you get older), I would suggest to you that your attitude towards staying "active" begins far sooner than the day you retire.

What are you doing now to form good activities that will carry over into retirement?

At the expense of "boring hell" out of posters on my personal life story, I don't know any other way to illustrate what I'm talking about.

Starting with playing 4 sports in high school, and a 4 year hitch in the Marine Corps, I set myself up for a lifetime of playing & coaching sports.

When I retired almost 20 years ago, (I'll be 70 on my next birthday), I moved to the Sierras in No. Calif., where I could pursue fly-fishing, golfing, and close enough to a college town where I could play hand-ball.

I mainly wanted to comment because of your suggestion that there is a "grey retirement after 65".

For me personally, the most depressing thing I could think of is living in Florida, and waiting for the "blue plate special" to be served.

If you aspire to have an active retirement as you get older, lay the groundwork now, and get interested in a sport or two that you can carry-over into retirement. If you intend on staying competitive in any sport, the work-outs to do so, will become automatic.

Boy, these old pharts can really get worked up

 

[REWahoo]

Boy, these old pharts can really get worked up

Better ease off on the wheat bread...

 

[Jarhead*]

Better ease off on the wheat bread...

ReWahoo: You better hope I don't leave this board, because who else feeds you better
lines?

 

[REWahoo]

ReWahoo: You better hope I don't leave this board, because who else feeds you better
lines?

Jarhead, you Da Man!

Now tee me up another one, please...

 

[Howard]

There are some valid points in the study, the fact that everyday is Saturday, creates problems.

We searched for about 5 years, found a small communitythat offered access to local Health Care(very important), plus it was in the middle of an area that offered the full range of activities , from boating to fishing to skiing to golfing to hiking, and for most ,the cost of admissions is the shoes needed.

Many of our new neighbours ski daily( we don't, we are walkers and Bird Watchers), these neighbours are late 70's , early 80's.

Use it or lose it is very true, in the city the options are limited, plus we were able to save some ca$h on buying the new home(which we planned and had built).

Golf Courses abound, more being added, we may have to learn.?

 

[Eagle43]

For me personally, the most depressing thing I could think of is living in Florida, and waiting for the "blue plate special" to be served.

Now that is a precise comment. Right on, Jarhead! I saw 'em, and it's depressing. Exactly what my attitude is; hope to be the most physically active old-phart I can be.

 

[Kitty]

One never knows what will happen. I like working physicaly, gardening, tending live stock, gathering and chopping wood, repairing things, cooking, canning, walking, so forth and so on. I also enjoy a good nap and a good book.

My idea is to stay active, involved and mentally alert by using what I have (left). I lived in a retirement town a few years ago and those who stayed active seemed happier and were more pleasant be around.

Sooner or later the body begins to wear out or some problem comes along; you decline and die. It is what you do between now and then that matters. Life is a feast, enjoy     

 

[Chan]

It is not unhealthy if you know what you want to do with your time/life. We are both in our early 40's and I think we can have much more fun now than 10 years later. We play family tennis and golf with our son. We travel a lot (during school holiday). I have more time for myself since my half help out with the house work.

We might not be able to spend as much money as we used to. But I think we do enjoy it this way much better.

 

[acg]

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, retiring early (at 55 vs 60+) results in earlier death....

http://seniorhealth.about.com/b/a/212586.htm

That's one risk I will be happy to take.  For some of us, an additional 5 years of work isn't necessarily considered 5 years of "living".

I just FIRE'd at 48 and I feel better already getting off the merry-go-round...made me dizzy. Having the time of my life...doing whatever, whenever and with whomever on my terms, not megacorp's, is true freedom. I feel healthier already...less stressed out...and even driving in the slow lane (may add years to my life and even save me on my car insurance )watching all those po' folks rushing (no more gap shooters to deal with on the freeway!) and trying to squeeze more time out of the day for the really important stuff, even though we all have only 24 hours a day to allocate how we see best serves our needs.

Live life to the fullest...this is no dress rehearsal!!!