These days, there’s a stigma that older people are
considered boring.
It’s no wonder, too, with seniors averaging 47 hours and 13 minutes of watching
television every week – yikes!

All that time in front of the tube is
a sign that older adults are susceptible to the typical sedentary lifestyle
that’s disengaged from the world (even if watching TV makes them feel like they’re engaged).

Engagement level aside, though, this
leads to all sorts of unhealthy issues. Just check out these terrible stats on
the rise:

• 1 in 3 are touched by Alzheimer’s.
• 1.3 million are living in nursing homes (in the US alone).
• The divorce rate among seniors has doubled since the 90s.
• 1 in 7 baby boomers is treated for depression (not to mention those that don’t get help).

But here’s the thing: Our culture makes us believe that an
inactive, sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle is “just the way it is” to age. So
much so that it’s one of seven myths about aging that could be holding you
back from living your best golden years.

So, how can you counteract a standard
unhealthy retirement lifestyle?

Instead of suggesting yet another diet
and exercise regimen, I’m sharing three vital ways to avoid an unhealthy retirement
lifestyle that most people don’t take seriously – because… the invisible
stuff counts, too.

Find More Purpose in Your Life

Bear with me on this one – the first
way to avoid an unhealthy retirement lifestyle is to find more purpose, which,
of course, is more difficult than it sounds.

And if you think it’s hokey, think
again. Finding purpose is so important
for your well-being. In fact, research from a study of 136,000 people revealed that people with a
sense of purpose in life have a lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease.

What’s more, according to Dr. Peter Attia’s
longevity curve,
having a sense of purpose is among one of the top contributing factors to
enjoying a longer lifespan.

Wondering how to find your sense of purpose?

Find Clarity

Finding clarity about what you truly want is
a huge foundational piece that most people neglect, especially women who are in
their 60s and 70s.

Chances are, you’ve been living a life
of duty and dedicating the bulk of your decades to nurturing your family and
career, rather than your hopes and dreams.

Unfortunately, that life of duty also
means that you’ve learned (very diligently) to put your biggest goals on hold.
And now they’re buried way down in a
hope chest somewhere and need some serious digging out.

To find clarity, use what I call the “5 Rings of Retirement”:

• Community – your social activities
  • Health – your physical, mental and
    cognitive health
  • Giving Back – volunteerism and leaving a
    legacy
  • Growth – exciting, exhilarating
    experiences that exist out of your comfort zone
  • Finance – your budget

How to Use the Rings

Rate your energy level from 1 to 5 (1
being completely zapped and 5 being full of zest) in each of the five
categories.

Once you assess your energy level in these
five key ingredients of your life, you’ll see very explicitly which part of
your life gives you the most energy and which parts of your life drain you.

Practically, this means you’ll have a
better understanding of where to focus your attention first.

Finding clarity is just the first step
to living with more purpose. If you want to learn more about how to live a
purposeful retirement life, this free workshop is a good place to begin.  

Be Socially Involved in Your
Community

The second way to avoid an unhealthy
retirement lifestyle is to add to your social calendar. I can’t stress enough
the importance of social
interaction for seniors.

Whether friends, family, partners,
neighbors, or people in the community (even strangers), social interaction is
not only good for your everyday stimulation but it’s also so good for your health.

If you need a bit of nudging, there
are numerous science-backed reasons why social interaction is
good for your health, especially among older adults. Among some of the
highlights:

• Being social protects your cognition and reduces your risk of
  dementia.
• Being social improves your physical health, lowering your blood pressure
  and lifting your cardiovascular health. Plus, it reduces your risk of some
  cancers, arthritis, and osteoporosis.
• Being social is good for your
  mental health and can save you from depression and loneliness.
• Being social increases your longevity.

Basically, to boost your cognitive,
physical, and mental health (plus your overall well-being and longevity),
prioritize your relationships and socially engage in your community.

Partake in Lifelong Learning

While exercising your body is an
obvious way to maintain your health, your brain needs just as much exercise and
attention (if not more).

When it comes to your brain, it’s very
true that you either “use it or lose it.”

The good news is, you can rewire your
brain and create new neural pathways until the day you die. And one of the most
powerful ways to keep your brain active in combating cognitive decline is to practice lifelong learning. And be committed to it.

Think beyond puzzles and games.

To really create new neural pathways
and increase your brain plasticity, practice high-level thinking – get out of
your comfort zone and learn something new and challenging.

Neuroscientists at the University of
Texas at Dallas conducted a study that revealed when older
adults pick up new mentally challenging hobbies, they have a lasting increase
in memory skills. In other words, high-challenge activities strengthen the
numerous networks in your brain.

So, take care of your brain as you
would your heart.

In the words of Paul Nussbaum, PhD,
director of the Aging Research and Education Center in Pittsburgh:

“Every time your heart beats, 25% of
that blood goes right to the brain. But while exercise is critical, it may be
education that is more important. In the 21st century, education and
information may become for the brain what exercise is for the heart.”

Be Proactive and Start Now (Every
Tiny Action Helps)

By taking action now and tackling any of these three areas, you’ll actively set
yourself up for a better retirement lifestyle.

It’s truly my mission to help you live a more purposeful
retirement lifestyle,
so you can enjoy an active, healthy and engaged life for as long as possible.

In a nutshell, to avoid an unhealthy
retirement lifestyle:

• Find more purpose. Start by
  finding clarity and exploring what you’ve put on the back burner for too long.
• Be social. It’s healthy in so
  many ways.
• Partake in lifelong learning.
  It’ll save your brain and body from turning to mush.

How do you plan to free yourself from
the stereotypical unhealthy retirement life? What steps will you take to be
proactive and care for your future (and present) self? Which tip will you
tackle first? Please share with our community!

Casey Wilson’s Black Cutout Dress on Watch What Happens Live

Watch What Happens Live Fashion March 12, 2020

Casey Wilson looked as hot as a real life Real Housewife on last night’s episode of Watch What Happens Live in her black cutout dress that I feel could have been a very silent ode to Danielle Staub based on the brand. If you don’t know Casey, that means you are truly missing out on the world’s best podcast, Bitch Sesh, where she and co-host Danielle Schneider (who we need sitting right next to Casey in the clubhouse next time) say many of the things about Bravolebs that I am thinking but don’t say because some of them scare the s*it out of me. However in this case, when it comes to Casey’s perfect LBD, I feel pretty good about saying exactly what I’m thinking.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Versace Dress

Click Here to Shop Additional Stock

Originally posted at: Casey Wilson’s Black Cutout Dress

As the temperatures start to climb, more and more people head outdoors to enjoy the sunshine and get some exercise. One of the most popular activities among older adults is hiking.

Not only does hiking get you out of the house, when
done regularly it helps reduce arthritis, eases joint and knee pain, boosts
bone density, and improves cardiovascular health. Some studies have also shown
that hiking can also decrease depression, isolation, and loneliness.

Follow these tips to get the most out of the good weather.

Build Endurance

While not all hikes are long, uphill struggles, if the
most exercise you get every day is walking to your mailbox, you’ll need to
build up your muscles and cardio if you want your hike to last more than 10
minutes.

When building up your endurance, the best thing to do
is take it slow. For the first few weeks, walk around your neighborhood (if
possible) or go to a hike that has paved trails and few inclines/declines.

Start off at 15 minutes and then work your way up from
there. Make sure you bring water with you as seniors need extra hydration.

If you want to spice up your training, you can try
other cardio workouts like walking in the morning and biking or swimming in the
afternoon. You can also change up your route so you’re not walking the same
paths every day.

You want to work your way up to walking 5–10 miles easily. From there, you can start incorporating small
hills and then move on to somewhat easy rock scrambles.

Get Good Equipment

Equipment is essential for hiking. Even if you don’t
plan on doing a very hard trail, you’ll still want some good gear to minimize
injuries and falls. A few things you’ll need include:

Good Shoes

You’ll want to invest in hiking shoes or, at the very least, sneakers with good grip and cushioning. 

Trekking Poles

When on a hike, trekking poles can help you keep your balance and also help you detect potential tripping hazards like rocks or tree roots.

Water Bottle

You need to stay hydrated on the trail so make sure you bring a good size water bottle.

Snacks

Hiking burns a lot of
calories. Bring some trail mix or other easy to carry snacks like dried fruit
and nuts.

Listen to Your Body

If you’re on a popular trail, you might notice a lot
of other hikers breezing past you. It can be tempting to increase your pace and
try to keep up, but there’s no reason to. Hiking isn’t a competition.

If you push yourself too far, at best you might have
to turn around and go home early, at worst you could get seriously injured.
There’s no shame in taking breaks to catch your breath if you’re feeling
winded. Besides, a break is a great opportunity to enjoy nature and practice
some mindfulness. 

Whether you take breaks every 15 minutes or 30
minutes, you’ll inevitably get a good workout. Yes, it might be disappointing
if you can’t get the best views, but the more you train your endurance and
core, the further you’ll go.

Address Foot Issues

If you’re dealing with foot issues like plantar
fasciitis, arch pain, or ankle problems, you’ll need to get these sorted out
before you start hiking.

This might mean spending some time in physical therapy
to build up your muscles and targeting specific problem areas. To prevent these
issues from reoccurring, you can do the following:

• Wear compression socks.
• Find better shoes and use insoles that support your arch.
• Do some stretches to loosen the muscles in your feet.
• Perform strengthening exercises.
• Practice some self-massage techniques to relieve the pain.

Plan and Research

Before you head off to the trail, you should take the
time to dig up information on it. The more you know the better as you don’t
want to run into any surprises while you’re out.

Many trails have a page you can check out for updates
such as trail closures, warnings, and other information. For more informal
trials, you might need to read user reviews to get a sense of the
difficulty. 

If it’s your first time hiking the trail, you should
try to do it in a group setting. Check to see if there’s a local hiking group
in your area, and ask if they are planning to hike a trail that you’re
interested in. There’s safety in numbers, plus you can make some new friends.

Look for groups that are more on the casual side or
see if there’s one specifically geared for seniors. More serious groups require
all hikers to keep up with the group and some tend to go very fast.

Once you have found your trail, it’s time to make some
plans. Before choosing the location and trail, decide how long you want to be
out. This will affect how much you need to pack, what time you should arrive,
and what trails you choose. 

Hiking is a great activity as it helps get you moving
and gets you out in nature.

What are your favorite outside activities? What are
some tips you have for hikers? Have you gone on a hike recently? How did you
prepare for it? We’d love to get your input!