This research by a group of German clinicians demonstrates that people who retire at a later stage in life do not experience cognitive decline too fast. They followed up with 20,000 American adults and discovered that among those who kept on working for at least 67 years, their reasoning capacity remained sharper over the subsequent decade as opposed to individuals who quit earlier; this was a distinction between typical age-related forgetfulness and full-scale Alzheimer’s disease.
The head researcher, Dr Jo Somebody from St. Who-Cares University said “The results are surprisingly big”. However, she didn’t advise on when exactly one should retire to maximize his or her brain power. But isn’t it just wise to live on until the late 60s?
Therefore all you office drones out there — maybe put off signing those retirement papers if you want to keep your edge well into your golden years. Just think about it! However, I’m certain some of you just can’t wait to escape from these computers and water coolers.
Surprisingly this study revealed that the kind of jobs didn’t matter after all for maintaining mental agility. It did not matter whether folks had mentally demanding careers or boring routine ones the main thing was that they were engaged intellectually rather than what they were specifically doing or even whether they got paid for it. Other research also supports the idea that having a romantic partner also helps slow down cognitive decline because being in such a relationship keeps you socially and mentally active.
It is also possible according to the investigator, for other brain-stimulating activities like volunteering, part-time jobbing or even looking after grandchildren may be good ways of maintaining health in your mind. The bottom line here seems to be that staying mentally active, whether through work or other stimulating activities, is key for maintaining cognitive health as we get older.
An example that perfectly illustrates this is Beverly Farr, 75 from Richmond, California. Far in her retirement has been very busy with community activities after having worked in the field of education and research for many years. From those church gatherings to advocacy on behalf of foster children retiring doesn’t have to mean slowing down. For her, it’s a time for continued mental growth and engagement.