How to stay fit and vital in the years leading up to retirement

How to stay fit and vital in the years leading up to retirement

Much is written about preparing for retirement and its early years. But how do you tackle the years before retirement if you’re still just working? Are you going to start something new or are you going to keep doing what you’ve always done? And then how do you stay in physical and mental shape? In this blog, I share 6 tips for staying fit and vital in the final years before retirement.

Get fit (or fitter)

Being fit is good for everyone, but especially if you’re not 20 anymore. Stay in good shape or even work on getting better! Sitting and driving are part of many occupations: be aware of this and compensate for this lack of physical activity. Before and after work, cycle more often and use the stairs more often. Go for a walk, with your partner or in a group. Or subscribe to the swimming pool, tennis court or start another sport. Never just start, but look carefully at what suits your body and your interests. It’s not about running the marathon, it’s about getting enough exercise daily. And there are several ways to do that.

Change your mindset

A healthy mind is in a healthy body. Paying enough attention to fitness is an important step in taking care of your mental health. But also adjust your mindset about getting older: getting older is all about staying young. Be open to new things, start a hobby, visit cities you and your partner haven’t been to yet. Pick up a study, subscribe to a theater or movie house. Discover from whom and what you still want and can learn. Check out the tips on how to maintain your job satisfaction when you’re approaching retirement. After all, job happiness is an important pillar in your overall mental health. And look forward as much as possible, not back: not everything was better in the past.

If you’re gonna look back, do it right.

If you do look back now and then, do it well: with peers, with a drink and in a location that means a lot to you. Or play music and watch movies from the past, have a slide night, make dishes from the past that bring back fun memories. Go to an exhibition that brings back good memories for your past and enjoy it. Feel free to tell about it at work and show the photos to your colleagues (young and old). This is how you unite the old with the new!

Pay attention to your work-life balance

Are you looking after grandchildren, are you a carer or are there other circumstances in your private life that demand a lot of energy? And is it difficult to keep enough energy for your work? Then see if you can start reducing your work, if this is possible within your collective agreement. Discuss with your manager and team leader whether you can go back to three days a week, for example. Or retire part-time if you are in a pension fund. You’ll receive less income later, but you’ll probably need less after you turn 75. Most people have paid off their house, no longer have children to study with and are less willing to travel. In this way you keep your work and private life in balance, also during the last years before your retirement.

Financial peace

Peace of mind about your future financial situation is another important pillar for staying fit and vital in the final years before retirement. Ask your pension fund or pension insurer what your options are and calculate what you will end up with when you retire. Figure this out for your partner as well and add it up. This makes it more concrete what you have to spend and you can adjust your plans accordingly.

Be prepared

Good preparation is half the battle. This is especially true when you are approaching retirement. To stay fit and vital in the last years before retirement, not only good physical and mental health and financial peace are important. The prospect of enjoying a lot of free time also ensures that you can get through the last few years of work with ease and can start the first years after retirement with a great deal of satisfaction. So start making plans!

Fit and vital in recent years

Would you like to know more about preparing for your retirement and therefore entering the final years of your life fit and vital? Take a look at our Pension in sight checklist, which will give you direction and guidance for the period leading up to and during your retirement. Want to learn more about how to prepare for your retirement years? Then take a look at our retirement in sight training.

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Are there older employees in your organization who will be retiring soon? Or are you curious what else Essenburgh can do for you? Then take a look at our retirement in sight training.