Retirement Health Planning is Very Important
You plan to retire and you’ve saved up quite a nice bundle of money for when you finally do. But have you given a thought as to what kind of health you’re going to be in when that time comes? If you don’t take the proper precautions today, you’re not going to be able to enjoy your retirement years because you’ll be too busy being sick and feeble. Retirement health planning is just as important as retirement financial planning. You need to make sure you’re going to be in optimal health to be able to enjoy yourself when you finally do retire. You can do that by picking up an exercise program, eating healthily, as well as by quitting smoking, drinking and whatever else you engage in that may be damaging your health.
Visit Your Doctor
Before you begin retirement health planning, it may be wise to first visit your doctor. Let your doctor examine you to make sure you’re in good health and that you’re in good enough shape to begin whatever program you plan on beginning as part of your retirement health planning. Tell your doctor all about your plans to get healthy and see if he or she has any recommendations for you.
Beginning A Workout Regimen
When retirement health planning, you don’t want to go too heavy. Whatever workout regimen you choose, make sure you start off gradually. If you’ve never picked up a weight in your life, don’t plan on a heavy weight lifting program, for example. This can be the best way to get hurt. Instead, begin a program that starts off slow and make sure it’s something that you will no trouble continuing even as you get older. If you need help designing a workout program, talk to a personal trainer or again ask your doctor.
Diet
Diet is very important when it comes to retirement health planning. Your diet will depend on your goals. If your plan is to lose weight, make sure it’s gradual. Fad diets don’t work and you’ll usually end up gaining more weight than you lose. Again, make sure it’s a diet plan you can stick with for a long time, or possibly for the rest of your life. Make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and taking a multivitamin once a day certainly won’t hurt either.
When retirement health planning, make sure you find a routine that’s easy to stick with. You’ll soon get used to it and you’ll find that you actually enjoy it. Then, by the time retirement hits, you’ll be in great shape and you’ll be able to enjoy yourself to the fullest, knowing that you planned for your health as well as your finances.
Health care can be one of the biggest expenses. A 65-year-old couple retiring in 2019 can expect to spend $285,000 in healthcare and medical expenses throughout retirement. This doesn’t include the additional annual cost of long-term care, which, in 2019, ranged from $19,500 for adult day care services to $102,204 for a private room in a nursing home, according to long-term care insurer Genworth.
Despite saving and preparing for retirement their entire lives, many retirees aren’t mentally or financially prepared for these expenses. “Retirees, in addition to most consumers, seem to underestimate how much they will need for health expenses in retirement, including premium and out-of-pocket costs,” says Chad Wilkins, President of HSA Bank. The majority of adults 65 and older believe they would need less than $100,000 for health care when in fact males 65 and older will need approximately $133,000—and females, $147,000—to pay for healthcare in retirement.