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Want to Live Longer ? Just Keep on Working
Studies show you’re likely to live longer if you retire after 65
Numerous studies show that retirees have a higher mortality rate than people of the same age who continue working. A study of past employees of Shell Oil published by the British Medical Journal showed that average life expectancy improved as retirement age increased regardless of socioeconomic group. The Shell researchers discovered that employees who retired at 55 and lived to at least 65 died younger than employees who delayed retiring until they were 65. Specifically, those who retired earlier had a 37% higher mortality rate after the age of 65 than those who retired at 65.
Not every type of work produces maximum health benefits, however. First, the work must be fulfilling and give the person doing it a sense of worth. Second, it must not be mentally stressful or physically demanding for extended periods. If it is, the metaphorical needle tips towards the unhealthy side of the meter.
For some time, scientists have tried to explain this work/health relationship. An increasing number now believe that, among other things, it can be explained by the subtle effects certain kinds of exertion have on the body and the mind. Recent experiments carried out by the Mayo Clinic show that the health of older people’s…
