Retiring makes you healthier and happier, study suggests as former office workers report doing more exercise and feeling better

Some don't relish the prospect. But retirement can roll back the years, making us feel happier and healthier, a study says.

Former office workers in particular may become significantly more fit as they take more walks or join an exercise class, researchers said.

The study, which followed more than 20,000 people aged 50 to 80 across ten European countries, found that retirement appears to have a transformational effect on everyday life. 

Those who had stopped working were more likely to say they felt in good or excellent health than those with jobs.

Indeed, after taking into account the fact that retired people tend to be older, researchers found that participants who had left work were actually less likely than workers to have physical difficulties with everyday activities such as housework and gardening.

The study, which was published in the journal Economics and Human Biology, found there was a particular mental health boost for white-collar workers, such as managers and office staff, and for women, after they retired.

The researchers say women may feel happier than men in retirement because they typically spend more of their free time with family and friends.

Early retirement did not appear to offer significant health benefits.

Professor Reyn van Ewijk, who led the study from Johanes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany, said: 'Those with stressful jobs, who are overloaded with work, may feel real relief after retirement, and generally feel healthier and better in themselves.'