Is retirement bad for you?

Last year Norman made the shocking statement that people shouldn’t retire because it’ll be bad for their brains. After an influx of requests, we’ve looked at the evidence not only when it comes to brain health, but heart health, metabolic health and mental wellbeing. Norman and Tegan unpack the complex story of what happens to your brain and body when you retire – depending on the job you had. References: How Retirement Was Invented: The earliest schemes for financial support in old age were pegged to life expectancy Towards higher retirement incomes for Australians: a history of the Australian retirement income system since Federation Impact of retirement transition on health, well-being and health behaviours: critical insights from an overview of reviews Effect of retirement on cognitive function: the Whitehall II cohort study Retirement or no Retirement? The Decision’s Effects on Cognitive Functioning, Well-Being, and Quality of Life Risk of Cognitive Declines With Retirement: Who Declines and Why? The Impact of Retirement on Cardiovascular Disease and Its Risk Factors: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies Retirement and mental health: Analysis of the Australian national survey of mental health and well-being The Effects of Retirement on Sense of Purpose in Life: Crisis or Opportunity? The Role of Meaning in the Retirement Transition: Scoping Review Life after work: how we can support retirees – R U OK? If you enjoyed this episode, check these out! Is NAD+ a miracle anti-ageing supplement? At-home DNA tests — what can they tell you? How much protein do you REALLY need?

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Is retirement bad for you? is an episode from Coronacast by Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

This episode is 0:21:00 long.

This episode was published on Jan 20, 2026.

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