Retirement sex boost: Men want more action but women just want to see the grandkids

After years of hard graft, it’s a chance to finally put your feet up. But a survey suggests that there’s a very big difference between the sexes when it comes to what they expect from retirement.

Men, it seems, anticipate a boost to their love lives – with 16 per cent of those polled expecting more sex than they get during their working life.

But for more than a third of women, the priority was to spend more time with their grandchildren – with only nine per cent saying they hoped for more intimacy.

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

Previous research at Manchester University found 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 a healthy love life improves the chances of a happy retirement.

But the latest poll of 2,000 people, by private healthcare firm Practice Plus Group, reveals that is a much bigger priority for men. It found 41 per cent of them looked forward to retiring and saw it as a chance to also exercise more, join social clubs and go travelling.

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

“We know women have a higher life expectancy but live more years in poor health than men. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and maintaining social contacts are all important factors.”