If you are planning an active, adventure-filled retirement, you’ll need to put a few measures in place now to make sure that it happens. If you want to spend your twilight years taking in the cities of Europe or caravanning across the counties of Middle England, you’ll need two things – your health and financial stability.

Of course, as a nation we are retiring later and later, which means we have busy lives up until we reach those all-important post-work years, but it’s important to squeeze in planning your later life essentials. First up, you should be protecting your health.

You’ll want to take in the sights and sounds of any place you travel to during retirement, so invest in your plans now with regular eye tests and hearing checks, which you can have done cheaply on the high street with names like Amplifon. Taking the time and money to maintain these areas now could mean you get to enjoy a better quality of life as you age and save you money on items like hearing aids and glasses.

Next up is keeping fit. Experts recently warned that the over-70s are becoming too static (see: here) and if you want to have mobility well into your later years and avoid costs associated with carers, it’s wise to put the time and effort in now. This could be as simple as making sure you walk to the shops, or enjoy a leisurely stroll at weekends, or could mean signing up for a fitness class at your local leisure centre.