Stop doing these 5 things after you turn 60 and you’ll feel 100% better about retiring in America — how many are you still doing?

1. Failing to take care of your health

Indulging in unhealthy behaviors when you're a young person is damaging, but your body has more time to bounce back. As you get older, sadly, these behaviors can have a bigger impact both on how you feel and on your long-term medical risks.

When you were young, you may have been able to stay up late, eat a poor-quality diet and even drink alcohol or smoke on a pretty regular basis without feeling many negative effects. You're less likely to be able to tolerate those habits well as you age. They're also more likely to make you sicker.

In fact, a 2021 study linked sleep deficiencies with both accelerated aging and a greater risk of serious health issues such as cancer and heart problems. Since aging already increases the chances of developing these life-threatening ailments, it pays to avoid habits that compound the risk.

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2. Putting your safety at risk

Climbing up on a ladder for some DIY repairs or getting out your chainsaw to cut up some firewood may not have seemed like such a big deal at a younger age — but activities that put your safety at risk should be avoided as you get older.

Preventable injury is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and your risk increases as you age and experience changes like slower reflexes or poorer balance.

Fall injuries can be especially damaging for retirees, with the chances of being hospitalized after a fall doubling between the ages of 65 and 90.

Before you engage in risky behavior, ask yourself whether you're still in physical shape to do it — and what the consequences would be if things went wrong.

3. Worrying about what other people think

A desire to keep up with the Joneses doesn't just go away when you retire. Unfortunately, competing with or trying to impress your peers can cause you to make financial and personal decisions that aren't well aligned with your values.

You don't want to spend more than you should, or waste time doing things you don't really care about, only to impress others who probably aren't thinking about you very much anyway.

Instead, take the time to consider what will really bring you joy in your later years and give yourself permission to live for yourself.

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4. Winging it when it comes to your finances

If you've been living without a budget, charging things on your credit cards without considering the long-term consequences, or making purchases without running the numbers, it's time to stop that.

Research from the National Council on Aging shows around 80% of households with older adults are currently struggling financially or are at risk of financial struggles in the future.

Chances are good that you'll be living on a fixed income in retirement. You have less time to recover from financial mistakes as you get older, and you don't want to run through your nest egg too quickly and end up broke in your 80s. Start making plans for spending, budgeting and managing your retirement savings so you aren't left with regrets.

5. Making high-risk investments

Finally, the time for high-risk investments is over once you are a retiree. You can't afford to take the chance of big losses that you don't have time to recover from.

Instead, make a careful plan for asset allocation with a financial adviser. Or, at a minimum, follow a basic rule of thumb that says you should subtract your age from 110 and keep that percentage of your retirement funds in equities while putting the rest in safe fixed-income investments.

Any speculative or volatile investments like cryptocurrency, precious metals or foreign currencies should be off the table unless you have so much extra money that you can afford to lose it all.

By stopping these five habits after you turn 60, you can have a much better retirement, with a greater chance of being both healthy and financially secure — two things every retiree should strive to be.