Study reveals that men believe retirement will improve their sex life, while women just want to see their grandchildren

After years of hard work, the opportunity to stand up finally came.

But a survey suggests there is a big gap between the sexes when it comes to what they expect from retirement.

Men, it seems, are hoping for a boost in their love lives: 16 percent of those surveyed expect to have more sex than they do during their working life.

But for more than a third of women, spending more time with their grandchildren was the priority; only nine percent said they hoped for more intimacy.

Around 700,000 people a year retire in the UK at the state pension age of 66, and many enjoy healthy sex lives well into their retirement years.

Previous research at the University of Manchester found that one in two men and one in three women over the age of 70 still enjoy sex at least once a fortnight.

Other studies have suggested that a healthy love life improves the chances of a happy retirement.

But the latest survey of 2,000 people, conducted by private healthcare firm Practice Plus Group, reveals it is a much bigger priority for men.

It found that 41 percent of them looked forward to retirement and saw it as an opportunity to exercise more, join social clubs and travel.

Only a third of women welcomed the prospect of stopping work altogether.

They were also more likely to report ailments that could affect their quality of life in retirement, such as joint pain, lack of energy and body image issues.

Caroline Abrahams, director of older people’s charity Age UK, said: “Everyone should be able to look forward to retirement. Sadly, we don’t all age in the same way.

We know that women have a longer life expectancy, but they live more years in poor health than men.

‘Exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and maintaining social contacts are important factors.’

The real reason older drivers are a danger? All those pills they take

Older drivers tend to be more dangerous on the road because of the number of pills they take, a study reveals.

And it was discovered that the more tablets they use, the worse they feel behind the wheel.

Researchers at Columbia University (USA) compared the daily intake of drugs by a group of volunteers with the number of times they braked suddenly while driving, something that can increase the risk of accidents.

Those who took the most medications (14 or more different drugs a day) were found to be 34 percent more likely to brake too hard than those who took just one or two.

It is estimated that in England alone 5 million pensioners take at least five medications a day.

Many take a dozen or more medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, high cholesterol and blood clots that could trigger a stroke.

Experts have warned in the past that they fear the NHS is leaving many older people with piles of pills (known as polypharmacy) without doctors regularly checking whether they really need them. However, charity Age UK warns that many of these drugs can slow reaction time and increase drowsiness.

The New York research team followed nearly 3,000 men and women between the ages of 65 and 79. Each had a “black box” device installed in their car to monitor their driving habits over a period of three to four years.

The results, published in the public health journal Accident Analysis And Prevention, showed that almost a third took between six and nine medications and more than one in ten took at least 14 different medications each day.

When they later compared pill use with driving performance, there was a clear connection between the two.

In a report on their findings, the researchers said: “Polypharmacy is a health and safety issue of increasing concern to older drivers. It may be a contributing factor to the excess risk of accidents in this age group.”