Month: February 2020

Is It Possible to Enhance Your Fitness Level After 60? Absolutely!

Is It Possible to Enhance Your Fitness Level After 60 Absolutely!

You
may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but that does not mean that
human beings are unable to learn new skills throughout their lifespan.

The Science of Building New Nerve Connections

When
I was younger, I could never understand why employers tended to view people in
their middle years as unsuitable for learning a new job.

Today
we know about Neuroscience, the field that studies the structure and function
of the nervous system. It was about 15 years ago that I started to come across
the research from this new discipline and have been fascinated with it ever
since.  

Apparently,
neural pathways grow throughout the lifespan thanks to both physical activity
and cognitive challenges.

Some of My Challenges

At
the age of 81 I sometimes become frustrated when a new version of my favourite
software comes out. It is indeed a challenge for me to keep up to date with the
necessary changes I need to negotiate in order to manage my own financial
affairs.

And
yes, it is hard work to remain fit enough to play tennis with people less than
half my age. However, I will share with you some of my routines which assist me
in these endeavours.

Physical Fitness

It
is only with hindsight that I realise how an accident on the tennis court 30
years ago has indirectly resulted in my enhanced level of physical fitness
which is unusual for octogenarians!

In
running for a ball, which had some lethal backspin applied by my opponent, I
lunged and fell on my right knee breaking my anterior cruciate ligament. Being
in my early 50s at the time, the doctor was reluctant to offer me surgery.

Strenuous
post-surgical exercise was necessary for the operation to be successful, and
there was some doubt in the surgeon’s mind about my ability to pursue this challenging
route.

Since
that surgery nearly 30 years ago, I have continued to ride the stationary
bicycle at the local gym twice a week.

This
ritual not only ensures that I have free membership of the gym (offered by my
medical aid because of my consistent use of the facility) but my ability to run
around on the tennis court with women far younger than myself.

Cognitive Fitness

About 13 years ago, I met Dana Stenova of the Czech School of Memory Training and Brain Jogging. Amongst other things, she taught me how to remember the digits of pi up to 100 decimal places as well as the 42 U.S. Presidents.

I
followed up this early training with researching various online skills as well
as MOOC’s (Massive Open Online Courses). And,
in order to ensure I exercise my attention span, I have been practicing Mindsparke for the past 10 years.

My
intention is to perform a daily practice of 10 minutes. While this ambitious
schedule is not always fulfilled, I do perform this task on a regular basis
ensuring my nerve paths for concentration and attention are regularly exercised!

Another
lovely exercises are offered on a daily basis by the New York Times and other sources.

Mindfulness and Meditation

Some time ago, the merits of mindfulness and meditation started to appear regularly in the local press. When I heard how the esteemed monk Matthieu Ricard had meditated on compassion whilst being scanned by an MRI machine, I was motivated to study Buddhism and practice mindfulness on a daily basis.

Ricard,
who had thousands of hours of meditation under his belt, allowed himself to be
studied in one of the earliest scientific endeavours to quantify the effects of
meditation on the working of the brain. His compassion was so profound that the
needle recording his activity ran out of space on the paper!

So
now, the first thing I do when I wake in the morning is 20 minutes of meditation.
That is followed by a 10-minute walk with my dogs in the village where I live.

Croquet as a Game for Seniors

I was fortunate to discover the game of Croquet about four years ago, and now this pastime has proved to be a wonderful outlet for my energy and passion for the outdoors.

Not
only does this sport get you out in the open and onto a beautiful green lawn: it
offers gentle physical exercise. In addition, it ensures you learn some mental
strategy to enhance your cognitive skills and gives players an opportunity to
socialise at the same time.

Maybe
you would like to further look into the many ways to enhance your physical and
cognitive well-being. I do believe that my disciplined lifestyle has allowed me
to maintain a level of fitness which would not have been possible without the
effort I make to maintain a health enhancing routine. Most certainly, you can
do it too.

What is your fitness level? What do you do to maintain and enhance
it? How do you work on your mental fitness? Which games/exercises are your
favorite? Please share with our community!

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9 Ways Solo Agers Can Create a Care Plan that Really Works

9 Ways Solo Agers Can Create a Care Plan that Really Works

In last month’s article, Building an Aging Alone
Plan
,
I pointed out that living alone as we get older doesn’t support optimal health.
And, if we’re smart, we’re building a strategy to create support and close
ties.

Another common theme for older adults
living at a distance from family is “Who will care for me if I need help?” It’s
the question I asked myself many years ago after helping my parents with elder
care needs.

When Mom’s health declined, and Dad
was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, my sisters and I stepped in to help. I have no
daughter or son to do the same for me, nor do many other older adults, and it’s
why we must create strategies that replace family caregivers.

An Unusual Demographic

Today’s 17 million “solo agers” are
already creating a demographic that is unprecedented in American history. And
that number triples for the world. It was declared that the aging alone segment
would be a hidden tsunami.

“Older age is a time of life when
people often need to rely on family, friends, and other social relationships
for care they no longer can do for themselves. If an elderly adult lacks those
relationships, however, they may have to lean more heavily on paid professional
care, potentially leading to a lower quality of life and higher costs for
families and government.”

In research, academic scientists found
that older adults are less likely to have a
relative living nearby
.
The share of retiring adults with a relative in their neighborhood (outside
their home) fell from 34 percent in 1994 to 22 percent in 2014. And the data
predicts the number will continue to rise well into the next decade and beyond.

Giving care to an older adult requires
a lot of time and energy. The tasks my parents needed were my wake-up call as
to why I needed a caregiving plan and why I encourage others at risk of aging
alone to have one as well.

You and I simply cannot afford to
ignore planning for the long-term because facing the challenges alone will put
you in uncompromising situations.

The Challenges Adults Face
without Nearby Family

Retirement and older age will look
much different for baby boomers than it did for our parents and grandparents.
We’ve been caught in the transition from institutional responsibility for
retirement security to an increasing amount of individual responsibility.

Pensions are largely a thing of the
past, which means many of us are responsible for our own preparedness.

A Support Team

If a person does not have offspring to
rely on, chances are they will have to pay for care when needed, and since it’s
costly, my advice is to create a close knit group of peers who will share the
care.

The personal support team offers one
another medical rides, help at home when ill, wellness checks, and simply lending
an ear when life gets tough. These are some of the biggest challenges an older
adult lives with.

Living Communities

About 30 percent of solo agers prefer
a supportive lifestyle like moving to an Independent and Assisted Living
community, or CCRCs for the sake of having nearby assistance and built-in
activities.

Recently, I contacted close to 20 life
care communities and they reported nearly 30 percent of the residents to be
solo agers. Before moving into one, make sure the lifestyle fits your
preferences and the monthly expenses won’t drain the budget.

Co-Housing Options

However, other shared lifestyles are
cranking up. Co-housing developments, tiny house villages, and sharing our
homes with roommates are growing rapidly in interest. Those who prefer this over
senior housing do so because they feel more freedom and connectedness with the
larger community.

When choosing this style of housing,
make sure you have the ability to be mobile and can drive. Living in the
suburbs has the potential to create isolation and loneliness.

Set Up Responsible Party

Adults without family support also
must have a healthcare proxy or arrange for future legal guardianship — someone
who will take over in a fiduciary capacity if the person cannot make decisions
for themselves.

The agent or proxy could be a relative
or a friend or even a professional fiduciary or private guardian. Solo agers
have a heightened need to have these legal docs in place while they are still
young and healthy since no adult child will be rushing in to help with
decisions.

Plan early and think through the
process of selecting a trustworthy agent; someone you can count on
wholeheartedly to follow your wishes.

Caregiving Hacks when Aging Alone

There are a million things to plan for,
but you need to start with health, housing, support system, finances, legal
documents, and transportation. These are the top issues that most older adults
will and do face.

Your plan should start with action
steps that compensate for the top worries:

  • Understand
    the issues you will encounter, list them, and research how best to mitigate the
    risks.
  • Lessen
    fear and worry by changing attitude from seeing problems to seeing opportunities
    and options.
  • Develop
    a close network of peers, friends, and support to compensate for no family
    caregivers.
  • Remedy
    the effects of any past unhealthy behaviors – alcohol, smoking, eating fast
    foods, and inactivity.
  • Get
    legal matters in order, find a reliable and trustworthy healthcare and
    financial proxy.
  • Get
    control of your finances – set a budget and save money, find a reliable legal
    guardian who will safeguard your money if you’re unable.
  • Find
    affordable housing.
  • Avoid
    isolation and loneliness. Live where you have easy access to enjoying close
    relations and social activities.
  • Find
    accessible transportation, in case you can’t drive.

Don’t Be Careless About Your Personal Life Needs

Growing older may seem far off, and
since most of us cannot fathom anything significant enough that far down the
line, we do nothing or the very least we can to get by.

Dr. Bill Thomas, a geriatrician, says,
“Human beings have a very limited ability to accurately predict or even
imagine the needs of their future self. This is especially true when that
future contains scary possibilities and lies decades in the future.”

After much research and reading, I’m
convinced a plan for the long-term does not require accuracy, because life is
dynamic and there’s nothing accurate about the future.

However, if we carefully observe and
mentally take note of what elders live through, there’s a chance that we can
learn through observation and make a fairly thorough plan for our future.

Then we can avoid the bi-product of
not planning which, according to Dr. Bill Thomas, is this: “People who are not
prepared get care that is chosen by someone else.”

How close do you live to a friend or
relative? Do you have a support group or community? How often do you review
your care plan? Please share with our community.

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Invite Denmark Into Your Home and Discover Hygge – The Feeling of Good Moments

Creating-Hygge-In-Your-Life-After 60

Picture this: Soft music playing. Candles casting flickering shadows over the smiling faces of your close friends. A wonderful Italian pasta filling the room with delicious smells. Warm bread drenched in butter. Bottles of your favorite wine on the table. Laughter. Conversation.

The feeling that this picture evokes is one of contentment. Satisfaction. Pleasure.

That, my friends, is called hygge, my new and favorite word. My new mantra.

What is Hygge?

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish word described as the feeling created by a good moment. Contentedness. Charm. Comfort. Familiarity. Simpleness. Shake all of those words up in your head and sprinkle them over your soul and you have hygge, a recipe for happiness.

The legendary happy Danes created hygge to try and shake the dreary long days of winter by initiating rituals to give comfort. Warmth. A recognition of the moment and celebrating it.

A cup of tea on a cold afternoon, sitting by a fire, wearing your favorite socks. A soft light glowing next to a cozy bed scattered with pillows and soft blankets. Dinner and good conversation with friends at an inviting table, strewn with food and glasses of wine.

Simple pleasures. Simple joys. Hygge.

Calm in a Sea of Chaos and Uncertainty

In thinking about simple pleasures, it’s easy to see the need for them. In these times of stressful urgency, confusion and turmoil, a simple pleasure is yearned for every day. A relief from the stormy world we live in. A respite from the cold attitude of uncertainty. A familiar face in a sea of strangers.

We search inwardly for comfort and peace, for solace and clarity. A personal touch in an impersonal, electronic world. But our spinning minds struggle to slow down enough to find the hygge that we desperately need.

I want to create hygge moments. A pause for our soul’s yearning to quiet the chatter.

I want to live like the Danish and experience hygge every day.

I want my children, grandchildren and friends to feel hygge when they pass through my front door. When they spend time with me. When they feel my arms around them. When they think of me. A hug to the soul, even without my presence. A legacy from me to them.

How Can We Create Hygge in Our Lives?

I’m on a mission to invite Denmark attitude into my home – to create hygge in my home and my life, every day.

How can we do that? What is the recipe for creating hygge in our home and in our lives?

Six Ways to Invite Denmark into Your Home: Things I Love

I love impromptu dinners or get-togethers. To always have something in the freezer and my pantry to throw together a quick meal or appetizer. A bottle of wine on standby. A playlist of soft music ready to go.

I love a comfortable table setting, with quirky ill-matched serving dishes. Bright colors. Cloth napkins. Informal. Key word – comfortable.

I love flowers sitting around. Random jars or empty cans as their vases, creating a casual feel. Pretty. Inviting. A vivid display of bohemian coziness.

I love “sitting places” that create small conversation areas in my home and my yard where people can relax and feel at home. Inviting. Soul-provocative. Intimate.

Soft lighting. The flicker of candles. An aura of calmness. Simple things. Simple pleasures.

For overnight guests, I spray a fresh scent on their sheets, lay out a clean bathrobe, air out their rooms, put a good book on their nightstand. Things to make them feel comfortable. At home. Welcome.

Go Ahead and Spoil Yourself

They say that hygge is about splurging. Not denying the pleasures you seek to make yourself and others feel good. It’s spoiling ourselves with the sweet gifts of fellowship. A communion of souls. Creating a nursery-type feel to swaddle our relationships and nestle joyfully in the sweet arms of pleasure.

The simple things that make you happy. Comfort. Joy. Simplicity. Relationships. Kindness. Caring about each other.

Maybe we all should invite Denmark into our homes to experience living Danishly. Maybe we all should think about how we can bring hygge into our lives. Start the trend. Create the sensation. Spread the contagious joy. Inspire others.

Think about what a difference we could make. A subtle change in the future that evokes familial attitude in an impersonal world. Moonflower Blooms moments. It’s inevitably what hygge is all about.

What are some ways that you bring hygge into your life? What simple pleasures do you create for your grandchildren that they will remember when they think of you? What do you have readily available for impromptu entertaining? Please share in the comments.

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5 Things That Could Be Stopping You from Living Life to the Fullest in the Years After 60

Living-Life-to-the-Fullest-in-the-Years-After-60

Are you in your retirement or empty-nest years, wondering what a happy, full life looks like from this point on?

There are a lot of factors that may be holding you back from living a life full of essence, especially if you suddenly find yourself in a situation that really affects your life.

One big factor could be negative self-talk.

It can be difficult to transform those negative, depriving thoughts into more positive ones, especially when they’ve plagued you for so long. Once they’ve been in your head for a while, you usually start to believe them.

Here are some examples of negative self-talk that can stop you from living your life to the fullest.

I Can’t Do It

One of the most debilitating negative sentences you can tell yourself is, “I can’t do it.” If you believe that you can’t, you won’t. It’s probably the reason that you gave up on a number of dreams and chose to settle for something else.

Try this exercise: the next time you’re discussing hopes and dreams with a friend, just ask what is holding them back from achieving those dreams. They’re probably going to say that they just can’t do it because [insert excuse here].

Whether that excuse is “not the right time to take a risk” or “my financial situation won’t allow it,” there will always be something. When you believe that you can’t, you will find a way to explain why that is true.

Want to beat that attitude? Make a list of the accomplishments you thought you wouldn’t be able to achieve but you have. Look at that list every time you feel discouraged.

I’m Not Good Enough

If you tell yourself that you’re not smart enough or talented enough, it has probably stemmed from the comparisons that you’ve been making with people around you. That’s demoralizing, and it can be destructive.

For example, if you want to be a writer but you compare yourself to Stephen King or Margaret Atwood, then you very well may give up before you’ve really gotten started.

The part of the picture we often miss is the failure and years of hard work those accomplished people put in before achieving their level of success. You can’t compare your starting point to the results of others.

What If…?

It’s natural to consider your future, but if your thoughts are plagued by what-ifs that are all negative, then you’re limiting what you can achieve.

While the future may be uncertain, assuming that it only holds negative things in store for you is illogical. Life won’t always turn out the way you want, but risks are a must.

Chasing Perfection

No one is perfect – no one, not even you. Are you terrified by the thought of failing and worried about disappointing your loved ones or people reveling in your mistakes? Don’t be. It’s exhausting and can hold you back.

Generalizing Failure

There are plenty of reasons why something might fail, and we’re guilty of overgeneralizing them. Just because a handful of your romantic endeavors have failed doesn’t mean all of those in the future will as well, and it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It just means that it didn’t work out in those specific instances.

Making a generalization doesn’t provide insight into the numerous reasons that contributed to something not going your way.

The sooner you learn how to mitigate your negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones, the sooner you will be able to start living your life to the fullest.

You don’t need to conquer the world to live a happy life, you only need to conquer yourself.

What are some recurring negative thoughts that you have about yourself or your life? Write them down and monitor them for a while. How many times a day do you think a negative thought? Do you think your life might be different if you turned these thoughts on their heads and thought positive thoughts? Try it! Please share your observations below.

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Kristin Cavallari’s Black Floral Print Skirt

Kristin Cavallari’s Black Floral Print Skirt

Season 3 Episode 8 Very Cavallari Fashion

Kristin Cavallari certainly had some major flower power while helping Justin in this black floral print skirt. Now floral print for spring may not be groundbreaking, however floral print for moving furniture sure is; I guess when you put a diva to work she realllly works it!

Speaking of moving mattresses, I actually have to help my brother move my old mattress into my niece’s room this weekend. And while I’m not at all looking forward to it, maybe I’ll take a page out of Kristin’s book and throw on my best floral skirt, a pair of heels, and get s*** done!

Sincerely Stylish,

Jess

Kristin Cavallari's Black Floral Print Skirt

 Click Here To See Her Sold Out Paco Rabanne Black Floral Skirt

Originally posted at: Kristin Cavallari’s Black Floral Print Skirt

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