Men think retiring will boost sex life, while women just want to see the grandkids, study finds

After years of hard graft, it's a chance to finally put your feet up.

But a survey suggests that there's  a very big difference between the sexes when it comes to what they expect from retirement.

Men, it seems, anticipate a boost to their love lives – with 16 per cent of those polled expecting more sex than they get during their working life.

But for more than a third of women, the priority was to spend more time with the grandchildren – with only nine per cent saying they hoped for more intimacy.

About 700,000 people a year in the UK retire at the state pension age of 66, and many enjoy a healthy sex life well into their retirement years.

Previous research at Manchester University found one in two men and one in three women over the age of 70 still enjoy sex at least once a fortnight. 

Other studies have suggested a healthy love life improves the chances of a happy retirement.

But the latest poll of 2,000 people, by private healthcare firm Practice Plus Group, reveals that is a much bigger priority for men.

It found 41 per cent of them looked forward to retiring, and saw it as a chance to also exercise more, join social clubs and go travelling.

Only a third of women welcomed the prospect of stopping work altogether. 

They were also more likely to report ailments that could affect their quality of life in retirement, such as joint pain, lack of energy and body image issues.

Caroline Abrahams, director of the older people's charity Age UK, said: 'Everyone should be able to look forward to retirement. Sadly, we don't all age the same.

'We know women have a higher life expectancy but live more years in poor health than men. 

'Regular exercise, a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and maintaining social contacts are all important factors.'

The real reason elderly drivers are a danger? All those pills they pop

Older drivers tend to be more dangerous on the road because of the number of pills they take, a study has revealed.

And it found the more tablets they are on, the worse they are behind the wheel.

Researchers from Columbia University in the US compared the daily medicine intake of a group of volunteers with the number of times they slammed on the brakes while driving – something which can increase the risk of an accident.

Those on the most drugs – 14 or more different medicines a day – were found to be 34 per cent more likely to brake too hard than those on just one or two.

It is estimated that 5 million pensioners in England alone are on at least five drugs a day.

Many are on a dozen or more for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, raised cholesterol and clots that could trigger a stroke.

Experts have warned in the past that they fear many older people are left on piles of pills – known as polypharmacy – by the NHS, without doctors regularly checking to see whether they really need them. Yet the charity Age UK warns many of these drugs can slow reaction time and increase drowsiness.

The research team in New York tracked almost 3,000 men and women aged between 65 and 79. Each one had a 'black box'-style device fitted to their car to monitor their driving habits over a three to four-year period.

The results, published in the public health journal Accident Analysis And Prevention, showed almost a third were on six to nine drugs and more than one in ten were taking at least 14 separate medicines every day.

When they then compared pill consumption with driving performance, there was a clear connection between the two.

In a report on their findings, the researchers said: 'Polypharmacy is a health and safety issue of increasing concern for older drivers. It may be a contributing factor for the excess crash risk in this age group.'