After 50, questions about retirement plans are as common as “What’s your major” back in college.
It used to be 65 was the standard target for most people. But retirement plans have shifted generationally, along with everything else.
And while we often talk about happy retirement being a prime motivator to stay fit after 50, let’s not overlook the millions of people who aren’t planning to give up work at the traditional point in life.
Did you know that two-thirds of workers over 50 and almost 80 percent of the self-employed don’t plan to retire at 65? That’s according to a study in December 2020, but only 1 in 5 said the pandemic had delayed their exit from the daily workforce.
But the same survey found just 62 percent of us are focused on staying healthy so we can keep working.
And trust us, if you’re going to keep working, or if you’re looking for a job, then you need to stay in shape – with the strength, endurance, agility, and social competence that’s required.
A new book aims to help us navigate today’s job market, “In Control at 50-Plus: How to Succeed in the New World of Work” by Kerry Hannon.
Hannon lays out why we’re working later in life nowadays, the challenges older workers face, and strategies for re-entering the workforce or finding a new job.
It can be daunting.
We say you need to take care of yourself regardless and to keep your fighting spirit alive.
And we’ve got your back. Let’s get the “eye of the tiger” back for you.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.