London - Forget the pipe and slippers - most people in their 60s view retirement as an opportunity for adventure.
Two in five sexagenarians think old age does not begin until 85 and two thirds plan to take up new hobbies or go travelling, a poll reveals.
A third of 2 000 people aged 60 to 69 who were quizzed said they intend to embrace their 70s - and 18 percent said they felt proud of their age.
About 38 percent said they planned to travel to new countries, 28 percent wanted to get fit and 18 percent planned to start volunteering. Nine percent also planned to learn a practical skill. And 41 percent said they believed older age began at 85, with 11 percent saying older age would be when they hit 90, in the survey by the Royal Voluntary Service.
The charity has published a roll-call of famous people who turned 70 last year or are about to, including actress Helen Mirren, musician Neil Young, newsreader Michael Burke, former US president Bill Clinton and former politician Edwina Currie.
David McCullough, chief executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said: “Our roll call of 70-year-olds will hopefully make people reassess their view of old age. Most of the people on our list are still working and are at the top of their profession. They are proof that later life is to be celebrated.”
Gavin, Stacey and actress Alison Steadman, who will celebrate her 70th birthday in August, said: “When I was 17 I remember thinking 35 was very old! How we change, grow and learn. Life is for living and to be 70 now seems exciting to me. I’ve grown in confidence over the years and learned that every day is precious.”
Official statistics revealed that men who live to 65 can now expect to survive for another 19 years, while women can expect another 21.
But, critically, much of this extra time is spent in poor health – unless people take action to keep fit much earlier in life.
A growing body of evidence suggests that exercising and eating well in middle age can have a dramatic impact on quality of life 20 or 30 years later.
Professor John Newton, chief knowledge officer at Public Health England, said: “People in England are living longer than ever and that makes achieving a good quality of life in later years even more important.”
Daily Mail