Use it or lose it! Is a common phrase often associated with the 30-second time out at the end of the first half of basketball games that if not called is lost!
But, for today’s lesson – Use it or lose it – refers to your heart and a study by Oregon State University that Saint Luke’s hospital recently shared with its patrons.
The article is titled: IS RETIREMENT STRESSFUL for YOUR HEART?
The study analyzed data from about 3,000 people who were employed at the beginning of the study and then followed them closely for the next 18 years to note when they retired and then correlated that with how their health fared.
Compared to the cohort that retired at 65, the workers who deferred retirement until age 67 had a 21% lower risk of dying during the follow-up.
The people who waited until 70 to retire had a 44% lower risk of death; by 72 the risk was 56% lower.
The study ignored lifestyle factors like gender, education, income, and occupation. Conclusion: Use it or lose it evidently has merit.
It seems to me that there is a rush to retire these days, but one sage older person pointed out that after you retire you never get a vacation.
Why do people who could afford to retire continue often working into their seventies? My guess is they actually enjoy their vocation.
Conclusion: Don’t settle for work you don’t enjoy.
Something to think about? Maybe? I’m Steve Sauder
