While we are continuously bombarded with advertisements glorifying the days of retirement, there are many people who are not counting down the days until they retire. There are many reasons why people may work past retirement, including maintaining structure and purpose in their lives, continuing to grow their retirement fund to stay financially secure, or simply because they truly love their jobs and aren’t ready to leave it behind.
No matter what reason someone may have for wanting to work past retirement age, they need to be healthy. Even if you don’t have a physically demanding job, your physical health plays into your ability to continue to satisfactorily perform your job. If you are planning on working past the traditional retirement age, here are some tips for maintaining your health so you can continue to get the job done.
1. Prevention is key
Ever heard the phrase: ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’? As we age, we may begin to face more changes and challenges in our bodies and our health, but that doesn’t need to be the case.
Staying on top of regular health checks and addressing any issues early will prevent you from becoming too ill to continue working. As you age, discuss with your healthcare professional what checkups and tests you should get and how often you should get them. If you or your immediate family have history of certain conditions or illnesses, be sure to mention this to your doctor as well since it could put you at a higher risk of developing the same conditions or diseases.
2. Get moving
Even if exercise hasn’t been a large part of your schedule up until now, it’s never too late to get started. Exercise has been shown to help prevent issues like diabetes, health disease, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and help asthma. Exercise has also been shown to help prevent dementia by improving cognitive impairment and people who regularly exercise have lower rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
To start an exercise program, start small so that you don’t feel overwhelmed or risk hurting yourself. If you feel completely out of your depth, consider employing the services of a personal trainer to safely get you on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
3. Address issues early
Unfortunately, health issues don’t get better if they’re ignored. If you notice that you are struggling with your eyesight, your hearing, or another health condition, it’s important that you have it addressed early. Proper hearing is especially important in a working environment. You can start hearing better today by discussing any issues with an audiologist and having your hearing tested.
4. Keep learning
Many of the reasons people retire early have to do with the changing environment in their offices. New technology and expectations can feel overwhelming. To prevent this, don’t let yourself fall behind when it comes to technology. Take courses regularly and be willing to learn new things. Withstanding the tides of change won’t help you stay ahead in your office and will negatively affect your career.