Middle-aged man working on laptopIf you're currently slumped at your desk attempting to motivate yourself for the working day ahead, then you may want to look away now.

Researchers have announced the horrifying news that work could actually be good for you health.According to those pesky boffins at the University of Maryland, workers who slump into retirement without gradually cutting down on work are at a greater risk of heart attacks, cancer and other serious health problems.

Having looked at data from more than 12,000 volunteers as part of a US health and retirement study, researchers discovered that those who continued to work part time despite being of retirement age had fewer major disease and fewer psychiatric problems.

And study leader Dr Mo Wang is now calling on employers to offer staff "bridge employment" to help them make the transition from work to retirement.

Dr Wang said: "Given the economic-recession, we will probably see more people considering post-retirement employment.

"These findings highlight bridge employment's potential benefits."

It is unknown why part-time work is good for the health after retirement, but the authors of the report, published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, suspect that keeping physically and socially active could be the key to reducing the risk of stress and depression.

Of course, for some, the thought of having to carry on working might just be depressing enough.

Let us know what you think. Would you prefer to carry on working part time or enjoy the lazy days of retirement?