Physical Activity across Retirement Transition by Occupation and Mode of Commute

Retirement induces changes in the composition of daily physical activity. Our aim was to examine changes in accelerometer-measured physical activity around transition to statutory retirement among men and women by occupational category and by preretirement modes of commuting.

We included 562 workers (mean [SD] age, 63.3 [1.1] yr; 85% women) from the Finnish Retirement and Aging study. The participants wore an accelerometer on their nondominant wrist for 1 wk before and 1 wk after retirement, with 1 yr between the measurements. We compared mean daily activity counts before and after retirement between manual and nonmanual occupations by gender and by preretirement commuting mode using linear models with generalized estimating equations.

Before retirement, women were more active than men (2550 (95% confidence interval, 2500-2590) vs 2060 (1970-2140) mean daily activity counts), with the most active group being women in manual occupations. After retirement, physical activity decreased by 3.9% among women and increased, albeit nonsignificantly, by 3.1% in men. The decrease was most pronounced among women in manual and increase among men in nonmanual occupations. After retirement, women remained more active than men (2450 (95% confidence interval 2390-2500) vs 2120 (2010-2230) counts). Active commuting, especially cycling, before retirement was associated with higher physical activity both before and after retirement, and these people also maintained their total activity lever better than did those who commuted by public transportation.

Although women in manual occupations decreased and men in nonmanual occupations increased their activity after retirement, women were more active than men both before and after retirement. Those who engaged in active commuting before retirement maintained their activity level also after retirement.