04^th November 2026

How to Stay Healthy in Retirement: Expert Tips for Living Well for Longer from Dr. Shane O’Hanlon

Most of us hope for a long life, but what we really want is for those later years to be healthy, active and independent. In Ireland we are doing well on the first part, with life expectancy of around 82 years, roughly a year ahead of the EU average.

The bigger challenge is healthspan, the number of years we live in good health. For most people, healthspan starts to taper off from around age 65, which is also the age at which many of us retire.

We have put together some practical advice on how to close that gap and make retirement the start of a healthier chapter rather than a slower one.

Why retirement should mean speeding up, not slowing down

When people retire, the common advice is to relax and take it easy after years of hard work. It is actually the opposite: the more we do in retirement, the better it is for both our brain and our body.

From our 60s onwards we lose around 10% of our muscle mass each decade, but this can be slowed and even reversed by staying active. Our brain cells also shrink over time, and doing very little in retirement can speed up that process.

Activity levels often fall sharply once work stops. Population studies have found that daily step counts tend to drop by three to four thousand steps after retirement.

Social connection matters just as much. Many studies have found that social isolation carries a health risk equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, so staying home alone and not meeting people raises the risk of for several medical conditions.

The good news is that older people in Ireland are already very active in their communities. Around 30% are involved in childcare and around 40% participate in voluntary work, which shows how much people can continue to contribute well beyond their traditional working years.

Supporting older parents without over-helping

When a parent retires, it is natural to want to make life easier for them. Families often step in with online shopping, ready meals or modern technologies like a robot vacuum cleaner, so their parent no longer has to do these jobs.

While it comes from a good place, over-helping can lead to deconditioning, a loss of fitness that increases frailty and reduces muscle strength. Preserving independence is what most of us want as we age, and everyday tasks help to protect it.

If a parent can still do these things safely, it is better to support them in continuing. Of course, some people will develop memory or mobility issues and need more help, but where someone is able, staying involved is the healthier choice. A fitness watch is often a better gift than a robot vacuum cleaner.

Don't put new symptoms down to age

It is easy to assume that aches, pains and other physical changes are simply part of getting older. But it is important to look for a proper diagnosis instead.

Accepting these problems can also have knock-on effects. Pain that limits your mobility means you move less, and that can speed up the ageing process.

Waking during the night to use the bathroom is another common example. People who have memory concerns sometimes turn out to be chronically sleep deprived because of waking through the night, and for men, an enlarged prostate is a frequent cause of night-time waking that can be treated with medication. When sleep improves, memory often improves too.

Review your medications once a year

Many people build up a long list of medications over the years. A tablet that made sense at age 50 may not offer the same benefit at 90, and the risk of side effects can grow over time.

Some people are even admitted to hospital because of medication side effects, such as falls or low blood pressure, and long-term medication use can affect memory too. This is why doctors sometimes recommend deprescribing, which means carefully reducing or stopping medications that are no longer needed.

It’s a good habit to take out your pill box once a year and go through everything in it with your pharmacist, GP or specialist. If you can come off some tablets while keeping the same benefits and lowering your risk of side effects, that is a real win. Always make these changes with your healthcare team rather than stopping medication on your own.

Geriatric Medicine

The aim of geriatric medicine is to prevent and treat diseases and improve quality of life. The service is provided by geriatricians who specialise in caring for older adults, especially those with complex medical needs.

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A mature couple sitting on the table chatting with firends

Walking aids and hearing aids are not giving up

Many people worry that being offered a walking stick is the beginning of the end. In reality, a walking stick is an evidence-based way to lower your risk of falling, which helps you stay mobile and independent for longer.

The same applies to hearing aids. Despite the stigma some people still feel, hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia, and finding and treating it can help to lower that risk.

Using these supports is not surrendering to age. It is a practical step that keeps you doing the things you enjoy.

Plan your health the way you plan your pension

We spend years planning the financial side of retirement, but far less time planning for our health.

Dr. Shane O'Hanlon, Consultant in Geriatric Medicine, advises treating both with the same degree of care, with a plan to stay busy, active, and connected after work ends.

In practice, that means a few simple habits:

Keep moving, and aim to stay as active as you were at work, or more so
Include strength training at least twice a week, alongside walking or other aerobic exercise
Stay socially connected through family, friends, volunteering or group activities
Get new symptoms checked rather than simply attributing them to age
Review your medications once a year with your pharmacist, GP or specialist
Use supports like walking aids and hearing aids when they will help

If you or a family member would like advice on healthy ageing, memory, mobility or medication, our geriatric medicine team at Mater Private Network can help.

The above content is based on an article written by Dr. Shane O'Hanlon, Consultant Geriatrician at Mater Private Network in Dublin.