Retirees enjoy over seven hours of leisure time per day, according to 2021 data from the American Time Use Survey. They use their newfound free time in a variety of ways, including taking up new hobbies, relaxing at home, watching TV and lingering over daily activities. Many retirees also continue to work or volunteer.
Here’s how American retirees are spending their days.
— Sleep.
— Watching TV.
— Home maintenance.
— Working.
— Meals.
— Shopping.
— Volunteering.
— Reading.
— Surfing the internet.
— Socializing.
— Relaxing.
— Exercising.
Sleep
Those who have spent several decades working have earned the right to some extra sleep. The oldest and youngest among us have the most time for sleep and other personal care activities. People age 75 and older spend 9.9 hours per day sleeping and engaged in personal care activities. The only age group that sleeps more is people younger than 25 who spend over 10 hours per day sleeping, bathing and dressing. The rest of the population gets slightly less sleep.
Watching TV
Watching television is the most popular leisure activity for retirees. People age 65 and older watch an average of 4.6 hours of TV each day, compared with about two hours among people ages 25 to 44, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. TV viewing increases in the years leading up to retirement, with people ages 55 to 64 tuning in for an average of 3.33 hours of screen time daily.
Home Maintenance
Many retirees are interested in improving their homes, and those age 65 and older spend nearly two-and-a-half hours per day doing so, the most of any age group. Older people spend significantly more time than young people engaging in activities including lawn and garden care, home repairs and improvements, cooking and housework.
[READ: 25 Things to Do When You Retire.]
Working
Many people continue to work after age 65. Those ages 65 to 74 spend an average of just over an hour each day working for pay. Side projects that generate income are included in this estimate, including selling homemade crafts, babysitting, maintaining a rental property or having a yard sale. But most older people eventually stop working, and the time spent earning money tapers off for seniors age 75 and older.
Meals
Retirees don’t need to rush through breakfast while heading out the door to work. Those who no longer need to work long hours have plenty of time to seek out healthy meals or meet up with friends for lunch. Retirees spend 1.3 hours each day eating and drinking, lingering a few minutes longer over meals than the overall population. The amount of time spent eating and drinking increases gradually but steadily as people age.
Shopping
Retirees have the time to comparison shop and go to several stores to get the best deal. And for those on a fixed income, finding necessities at an affordable price is increasingly important. People between ages 65 and 74 spend about three-quarters of an hour per day shopping in person, on the phone and online.
[READ: Essential Sources of Retirement Income]
Volunteering
Some people use their free time in retirement to give back to the community. Retirees spend an average of a little under a half-hour volunteering each day or engaged in other civic or religious activities, significantly longer than other age groups spend helping others. This estimate includes time spent volunteering for an organization, attending religious or spiritual services and participating in government processes such as voting, town hall meetings and jury duty.
Reading
Retirement can be a time to tackle the interesting books you have always meant to read or to lose yourself in the latest thriller. Older people have more time for reading than their younger counterparts. People ages 75 and older spend about 41 minutes per day turning pages, the most of any age group. The overall population reads for less than half that amount of time on a typical day, or about 16 minutes per day.
Surfing the Internet
Older people may now be surfing the internet as much as their younger counterparts. Retirees spend about the same amount of time as the overall population using a computer for entertainment and leisure. Retirees also spend about 15 minutes per day communicating with others via telephone calls, mail and email.
[See: 10 Retirement Lifestyles Worth Trying.]
Socializing
Maintaining a social life can help you feel connected to the community in retirement. Older people spend about 30 minutes per day interacting with friends and neighbors, which is about the same amount of time as younger people. This includes face-to-face social interactions as well as hosting or attending social functions. People age 75 and older additionally spend an average of 30 minutes per day playing games, which could have a social component if you play cards or board games with others.
Relaxing
Stepping away from the workforce provides opportunities to finally relax. Retirees are fortunate to spend more time relaxing and thinking than any other age group. People age 65 and older spend almost 30 minutes each day relaxing. One of the best things about retirement is having the time to reflect and do things at your own pace, or to choose to do nothing at all.
Exercising
Retirees have few excuses not to exercise, but most retirees aren’t spending an increased amount of time staying in shape. Time spent exercising accounts for an average of 17 minutes per day for those 65 and older.
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12 Ways Retirees Spend Their Newfound Free Time originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/03/23: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
