- - Retirement life is very short if you retire at 65 and live to 85. And your ‘go-go’ years of full health, wealth are even shorter. Maximize them ASAP

Vishesh RaisinghaniJanuary 4, 2026 at 4:00 AM

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a senior Caucasian couple smiling with a motorbike

If you retire at the age of 65 and live to 85, you’ll have a total of just over 1,040 weeks of retirement. But not all of those weeks are equal.

Given how our bodies age, only a portion of them may be truly healthy and enjoyable. In fact, the average number of years a U.S. adult is expected to live in “full health” is just 63.9, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). (1) That means your health is likely to already be deteriorating if you retire at 65.

This statistic is a grim reminder that your golden years may not pan out as you envisioned. Your wealth and income could continue growing in retirement, thanks to the power of compounding, but your go-go years are limited by the natural aging process.

With that in mind, here’s how you can adapt your retirement plan to optimize the early years of retirement, when you’re more active and in better health.

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Prioritize experiences

When you’re living on a fixed income, every purchase decision comes with opportunity costs. Buying a car or luxury item could mean fewer vacations, concerts or memorable occasions.

In other words, you must pick between objects and experiences. And there are plenty of reasons to prioritize experiences in your early retirement.

Scuba diving or long road trips are more enjoyable when you’re in good health. As you age, many of these experiences will become increasingly out of reach.

Several studies have demonstrated that spending on experiences is likely to be much more satisfying than acquiring material possessions. (2) The pleasure of buying your dream car or luxury clothes could be short-lived, but spending time with your grandkids on a beach in Europe can live in your memories forever.

By front-loading your budget for vacations, family gatherings and fun experiences, you can make the most of your most physically and mentally active years.

Optimize for life, not your bank balance

Much of retirement planning is focused on minimizing costs, delaying gratification and optimizing taxes.

This may help explain why investment firm Schroders found that one in 10 Americans delay retirement and wait until turning 70 to apply for Social Security, which is when the monthly payments are highest. (3)

However, if you focus too heavily on maximizing savings and investments, you risk sacrificing the earliest, and possibly most rewarding, years of your retired life.

“People who save tend to save too much for too late in their lives,” wrote Bill Perkins in his book Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life. “They are depriving themselves now just to care for a much, much older future self — a future self that may never live long enough to enjoy that money.”

Perkins, a hedge fund manager, argues that people should focus on optimizing for life experiences instead of wealth during their golden years. That’s not to say that you should toss out all your saving and investing habits during your go-go years.

However, by aiming for a harmonious balance between short-term enjoyment and long-term financial security, you could greatly enhance your retired life.

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Invest in healthcare

Although you can’t prevent aging, you can prepare for it and potentially even delay it.

For instance, investing in a gym or personal trainer could prolong your healthy retirement years.

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that even modest amounts of resistance training could reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 15%. (4)

Moreover, watching what you eat and improving your diet, namely by adhering to a Mediterranean diet, could cut your risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a 2024 study published in the Nutrients journal (5).

Other ways to stay in better shape and reduce your healthcare costs later in life include small upgrades to your home to prevent falls or injury and acquiring a smart watch that can monitor your heart’s health.

Adding even a few extra years of healthy life could make retirement much more enjoyable and potentially even save you money.

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Article sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

World Health Organization (WHO) (1); Science Direct (2); Schroders (3); National Library of Medicine (4); (5).

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Money”