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LEISURE ACTIVITIES (PodCast) - How other retirees spend their time in retirement.

  • Writer: archiedonovan
    archiedonovan
  • Jan 14
  • 7 min read

Updated: Mar 1


Cartoon of dreaming about retirement.
What are retirees up to ?

Retiree studies can give us some insights



A cartoon version of a studio PodCast.
PodCast of this blog in conversation form available for easy listening (Link from icon above)


The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) has collected detailed survey and health assessment data from adults aged 50 years and older in the Republic of Ireland since 2009. Its findings, although much more comprehensive, are broadly in agreement with findings of a British survey using a similar population sample survey size.


A 2019 survey of nearly 10,000 retirees in Britain came up with the following aggregated findings:-

 


Retirement might seem like a time to take the foot off the pedal, but the transition from working life to retirement is not always easy. You could struggle to fill your time, realise your money is not enough to meet your retirement goals, or that much of your identity was associated with your job. But many of us have no plans for a complete life of leisure. This 2019 research found that more than half (52%) of non-retirees plan to keep working into retirement, either part time or through self employment. Men are almost twice as likely compared to women, to work for the enjoyment of it. Women are more than twice as likely to work because of financial necessity. There is also the question of how your relationship with your significant other might change. After decades of work and refined routines, suddenly finding each other in the house every day can be difficult. This is just a taste of the stark reality many will face at retirement – and there is no respite for the next generation. 




An image showing aggregated results of a 2019 British retirement study.
Aggregated results of a 2019 British retirement study.


The responsibility for preparing for retirement is shifting from governments and employers to individuals, with increases in the state pension age and a decline in final salary schemes offering inflation-linked income for life.


Of the nearly 10,000 retirees surveyed, 62% have maintained their standard of living, with another 31% claiming they have almost achieved this goal, albeit with some budget tightening. Only 7% have been required to make changes to their lifestyle. Two-thirds (66%) have money left at the end of the month, while 19% do not – although they can raid their savings if necessary. One in 10 has just enough to get by and 5% said they have specifically budgeted to take what they need from their pension.




Travel and Holidays (17.5 %)

The most popular activity for retired people to spend their time on is travel and holidays (17.5 %).  Of course, retirement is the perfect time to see the world if you have the financial means to do so.  Retirement gives you the flexibility to travel when you want, where you want and for how long you want without the constraints of annual leave entitlements!


Spend Time with Family (12.9 %)

It is evident from this survey, that another thing that 12.9 % of retirees want to do all day is to spend more time with their family. An additional 7.4 % want to help their children. In total, 20.3 % of those interviewed envisage spending their time with their children and family. Interestingly, only 4.1 % said that they would spend more time with their friends.

Grandchildren are also a big part of many retired people’s lives.  Family can be a great way of keeping socially, mentally and physically active in retirement.


Exercise and Sport (12.3 %)

There are many benefits of keeping physically active in retirement.  According to the Dept of Health, physical activity can improve our mood, quality of sleep and energy levels and can also reduce the risk of some diseases including dementia and certain cancers. However, just 12.3 % of those surveyed spent their time exercising or doing sport.

Joining an exercise class or sports club is also a great way of keeping mentally and socially active.  Exercise is a great way to meet new friends.  It requires concentration and co-ordination skills and reduces the risk of stress and depression.


Focusing on my existing hobbies (10.2 %)

So, what do other retirees do all day?  Hobbies are definitely a popular way of using time in retirement as 10.2 % of those interviewed said they would also focus on existing hobbies.  Hobbies are clearly a purposeful part of what retirees do all day.

Use the internet search, charities for older adults, leisure centre and library to create a long list of potential retirement hobbies that might interest you.  As you conduct your research, don’t forget to think about the reason why you want a retirement hobby.  This will help identify relevant organisations and groups. Here are some ideas:-


  • book clubs

  • film clubs

  • rambling associations

  • choirs

  • bands

  • local pub quiz teams

  • local history group

  • environmental groups

  • Birdwatching

  • Gardening

  • Metal detecting

  • Photography

  • Aerial Drones

  • Sailing


TILDA has collected detailed survey and health assessment data from adults aged 50 years and older in the Republic of Ireland since 2009. As part of the survey data collection that is carried out every two years, TILDA collects comprehensive information on participants’ employment status and their transition to retirement. As TILDA is a longitudinal study that collects information from the same participants during each round of data collection, it provides us with a unique opportunity to observe changes in the lives of older adults as they age and embark on new stages of their life-cycle. Employment is oftentimes central to an individual’s identity and the transition from employment to retirement is understandably a disruptive event that necessitates alterations to daily routines, social roles, relationships, and indeed self-identity.



Key findings as of 2019 from the Irish TILDA study

- Retirement is associated with considerable adjustments to financial, physical and mental wellbeing, daily activities, and health-related behaviours.


- In 2009 50% of TILDA participants aged 50 to 67 years were employed (employee or self employed) and 18% were retired.


- More than half (58%) of employed participants planned to retire before they reached 68 years while 22% did not plan to retire at any time.


- Almost half (49%) of employed participants were members of an occupational pension scheme organised by their employer, and 13% were members of a Personal Retirement Saving Account scheme or other personal pension scheme. The remainder were not members of either.


- Employed participants aged between 61 and 68 years in 2009 were the most likely group to have retired between 2009 and 2016.


- Pension eligibility was the most commonly cited reason for retirement (34%) while 10% retired due to ill-health.


- Thirteen percent of retirees continued to work after their retirement, typically in temporary or occasional positions for an average of 23 hours per week.


- Overall, quality of life was high among TILDA participants and increased from an average score of 27.9 at age 50 to a peak of 29.6 at age 68.


- There was little overall change in average quality of life score between employment and retirement, though 44% of employed participants did report some improvement in quality of life when they retired.


- There was no change in perceived stress following retirement. 


- Thirty eight percent of employed participants volunteered at some time in the last year at Wave 1. There was no significant change in the percentage who volunteered following retirement. However, those who did volunteer while employed tended to do so more often once retired.


- Participation in weekly active and social leisure activities increased after retirement. Three quarters of participants took part in at least one activity each week while employed and this increased to 83% after retirement.


- While rates of social participation are high, efforts to increase volunteering and social participation among older adults should be encouraged as these activities provide benefits not only to the participants themselves but to society more generally.


- Fifty four percent of participants in employment provided care for grandchildren and this changed little post-retired. However, the average number of hours of grandchildren care increased from 28 hours to 38 hours per week.


- There was no significant change in the percentage of employed participants who provided help to a parent for ADLs or IADLs once retired.


- Retirement was not associated with any change in the prevalence of smoking.


- Retirement marks a time of change in the lives of individuals and therefore provides opportunities as well as challenges to many aspects of people's lives. Future research should continue to track these changes over the longer term.



Travel, exercise, hobbies and learning are high priorities in retirement

We propose doing BLOGs on all of our retirement interests to date and in doing so we hope in sharing these that we may encourage other retirees, like ourselves, to step outside your comfort zone and challenge themselves with these or similar learning opportunities……….!






Of course all the usual disclaimers apply:-


  • You must be willing to learn


  • You should have an acceptable level of physical and mental health that the pursuit requires


  • You should relax and enjoy the whole experience







 
 
 

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