The surprising habit that can help you live longer
Most of the time when we hear about life-extending wonders, it’s usually a bizarre new superfood or crazy exercise fad. But this is one we can get behind. A new study from researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered that people who join social groups in retirement increase their quality and length of life.
Researchers Dr Niklas Steffans and Dr Tegan Cruwys teamed up with UQ professors to track the health of 424 UK-based subjects over the age of 50 for six years and compare them to people of the same age, sex and health status who still worked. They found that the retirement group had a significantly higher quality of life, most notably if the retiree was a member of one or more social groups.
“For retirees who belonged to two social groups before retirement, their chance of death was two per cent if they maintained the same number of groups for six years afterwards,” Dr Steffans told UQ News. “For those who lost membership of one group, the risk of death rose to five percent, while those who lost membership of both groups had a 12 per cent chance of dying in the six years that followed.”
Dr Steffans believes that a sense of belonging and identity helps retirees “sustain a meaningful and healthy life”. Also, many social group members were found to have higher levels of physical activity, which could account for a boost in longevity.
“As people reach the end of their working lives, they are typically exposed to a lot of advice about how to plan their finances, medical care, and physical exercise in order to have a long and healthy retirement,” Dr Steffans told Reuters. “One important way for all of us to enhance the health of those who are retired is to support them in their efforts to be part of groups that provide them with a sense of communality and belonging.”
Tell us in the comments below, are you a part of any social groups or clubs? If not, will these findings inspire you to join one?
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