Retirees relishing a return to work

New doors open as life of leisure fast loses its appeal

Retirees in China are increasingly forsaking a life of leisure to pursue second careers close to their hearts.

They are discovering new interests — in particular, passing on their skills to young people — and also escaping boredom after finding it hard to remain idle.

It did not take long for Beijing resident Li Zhijie, who is in his 60s, to realize that life in retirement, which is envied by many, was not for him.

He had few domestic matters to attend to, and little interest in engaging in casual conversation with other retirees at his residential community.

"I felt as if a piece of my life was missing and that I needed a reason to get out of bed in the morning," Li said.

Before retiring about two years ago, he worked as a private tutor at local gyms for 10 years.

"I thought I needed to make a living to support my family back then," Li said.

However, when his retirement benefits eventually came through and he no longer had to worry too much about money, he found that he missed the workplace.

"Many people my age may feel that they have finally arrived at the point where they no longer have to work and that they have sufficient time and money to chill out, but I took this as a sign of leaving society. I just didn't want it," he said.

As Li became increasingly bored in the months after retirement, he was convinced that he needed to find work he could enjoy.

"I figured it didn't have to be something too challenging. As long as I could do the work, I would no longer have that empty feeling, and every day would be meaningful," he said.

Although his wife disagreed with his decision, Li opted to return to an occupation with which he had become fully accustomed over the years. In 2020, he became a group class trainer at Hilefit, a sports technology company.

"This is what I can do and is what I am good at," he said.

A decade of experience enabled him to land the job quickly.

"The company saw that I am in good physical condition and that I can design courses and give exercise instructions, so I got the trainer position," he said.