One recurring theme I discuss with many of my patients is the seriousness and/or deadliness of stress on the human body. Today stress has never been more prevalent and widespread since going through and coming out of a Global Pandemic.

Many have been inundated with fear of contracting Covid-19, particularly this age group, because of a tendency for higher incidence of co-morbidities such as obesity, heart disease or age-related immune system decline.

Add that to a year of lockdowns, creating unprecedented social, emotional and financial stress, coupled with reduced exercise, weight gain and sun exposure and social isolating induced depression… and we’ve had a perfect storm of stress. This has resulted in a profound mental and emotional breakdown leading to significant increases in anxiety, depression, drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide.

Look to the Experts

As a 100 Year Lifestyle affiliate doctor, we look to those who have gone before us and successfully navigated stressful times. Centenarians, those who have lived to the age of 100 and beyond, have been through 22 recessions, the Great Depression, multiple world wars, multiple epidemics and 25 presidential elections and have survived and thrived under very stressful circumstances.

What’s the answer? The power to adapt. This is the key to living a sensational 60, 70 or even 100 years of age. The catchy phrase, “stress less, live more!” sounds good but just how does one do that?

We teach our patients the following Five Essentials to “stress less and live more”:

Accept the Intelligent Design of Your Body

The understanding that your body is intelligently designed; it’s not dumb needing help to run. It’s an incredibly smart, self-organizing and self-healing system designed to be well and not sick, especially when given the right opportunity.

Live a Life Without Fear of Sickness and Disease

Health is your natural state. Sickness is inversely proportional to health. Health must decrease for sickness to increase. Bacteria and viruses and merely opportunistic scavengers, waiting in the wings to infect a weakened host. Remember, host resistance is primary, the germ is always secondary!

Motion Is Life, Life Is Motion; Non-Motion Is Death

A sedentary lifestyle has been an unfortunate consequence of the pandemic lockdowns. Regular and daily exercise must be a part of your lifestyle. The benefits of regular exercise on one’s health, including your immune system strength, is unquestioned.

Sunlight and Diet Promote Good Health

Regular sunlight exposure with as little as 20 minutes without sunscreen can produce as much as 20,000 IUs of Vitamin D for your body. During winter months and those with darker skin must supplement with Vitamin D3, essential for immune system and body function.

In addition, eating a diet rich in whole foods: abundant vegetables, fresh fruits, lean proteins and healthy fats is a must to fuel your body for longevity.

Watch and Correct Your Posture Throughout the Day

The power of posture and how structure controls function is foundational for good health and stress reduction. Implementing simple postural exercises and spinal corrective procedures with chiropractic care has been shown to promote healing, organ function, immunity, longevity and of course pain relief, further reducing the harmful effects of stress.

Your Body Is the Best Technology

What you may not know or realized is that your brain and nerves control and coordinate your body’s ability to adapt. We call this your body’s natural IT system, similar to an IT system at the office or your very own cell phone. We want the signal to be strong and consistent, able to handle multiple lines and servers. We want our cell phones to work with all four bars showing.

Guess what, despite the insanity around us, your body is always striving to adapt and restore homeostasis. This is more important than your Pilates class, paleo diet or your kale and broccoli.

The important part is to not focus or wait for a crisis to occur before you address your IT system, rather focus on optimizing this system. It should be optimized at all stages of life – keeping the spine and nervous system balanced and clear of any interference is essential to adapt and stay healthy.

Let’s make retirement an outdated concept. We can live sensationally with vitality, meaningful work and lots of fun. I encourage you to start living differently today. Life is a marathon not at sprint even at 60. The secret to longevity with vitality is optimizing the body’s ability to adapt. Your best 10, 20, even 30 plus years are before you.

Are you on course to be sensational at 60 or surviving at 60, 70, 80 and beyond? What are you doing today to stress less, live more? Let’s enjoy an inspiring conversation!

Your 60s are a time of tremendous change. You may be preparing for retirement, entering retirement or recently retired. It’s a time where your finances may also be changing; a crossroads of sorts.

So, what can you do with your finances in your 60s to enjoy a good retirement experience?

Have a Vision for This Second Half of Your Life

If you’re just entering retirement, you may have a bucket list of things you’d like to do. But you’ve put these off while you were too busy working or the family was still young. Your 60s are a time of tremendous flexibility and freedom. It may be like nothing else before.

It may span another 30 to 35 years. Create a vision for this phase of your life. What would you be doing? Where would you be living and with whom?

Learn About All Your Potential Sources of Income

If you have been working till now, your income may be reduced. The sources of income at this stage of life include:

Public Pension System

Social Security in the US and Canada Pension Plan in Canada.

Employer Pension Plans

If you’re planning for your retirement, get as much information as you can from your human resources/pension department at work about the pension they have for their employees.

Is your employer pension plan a defined benefit plan or defined contribution plan? Most employer pension plans are definedcontributions in which the employer and employee both make contributions regularly.

A defined benefit plan is one in which an employer promises a specified pension payment predetermined by a formula based on the employee’s earnings history, tenure of service, and age, rather than depending directly on individual investment returns. Many governmental and public bodies and a large number of corporations provide defined benefit plans.

Continued Employment

In 2018, almost 26% of seniors in America aged 65 to 74 were employed. Many people choose to continue working well into retirement. Either to supplement their income or for social contact.

Financial Assets in Registered Retirement Savings Plans

These are in vehicles like IRAs, 401(k)s, and annuities. A survey by Pension Rights Center found that 66 percent of retirees in America currently receive income from these types of financial assets.

Investments/Savings That Are Not in Registered Plans

These savings comprise after-tax money you’ve put away that is not in any registered retirement account. 

Reverse Mortgages

Some retirees are choosing to supplement their income with a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a loan secured by the equity in your home. It is designed for older homeowners. It is allowing them to obtain cash without having to sell their home. The set-up fees are high. However, upon the sale of the house, the loan is paid back from the proceeds of the sale.

Tackle Debt

If you anticipate receiving a fixed income for retirement, it makes sense to pay off as much debt as possible while you are still working, unless it’s tax-deductible. If you currently have non-tax-deductible debt, seek professional advice on how you can restructure your debt. Have a plan to pay off as much as you can before retirement.

Downsizing?

At some point in your retirement, you will be questioning whether you should be downsizing. However, if you live in a city that has experienced an explosive increase in real estate prices, a substantial amount of equity lies in your home. Should you downsize to access the equity in your home? The answer lies in the vision you have for your retirement.

Estate Planning

If you have put off planning your estate up to this point, retirement is a time you must look into how you want to deal with your assets once you die. An estate lawyer is best for helping you design an estate plan that reflects your wishes. A good estate plan comprises of:

A Will

A Will is a legal document a lawyer prepares. It states your wishes for who gets your assets when you die. It also names your executor, the person who will carry out the terms of your will.

An Enduring Power of Attorney 

A Power of Attorney is a legal document you sign granting a person(s) the authority to manage your money and property on your behalf if you are no longer mentally able to manage it yourself. This could be caused by illness or disability.

A Living Will or Health Directive

This is a document that allows you to specify “end of life” care ahead of time. What kind of medical care would you want if you were no longer able to express your wishes? It is a way to tell your wishes to healthcare professionals to avoid confusion later on. 

It also explains which treatments you want if you’re dying or unconscious. When planning your estate, you need to ask yourself, how you would like people to remember you after you die.

Health Care

The most significant concern in retirement is health care costs. While working, you may have benefitted from health care coverage by your employer. However, at retirement, the extent of this may be diminished or stopped altogether. In addition, as one ages, the need for health care coverage increases.

Asset Allocation

Asset allocation is an investment strategy adjusting the percentage of each asset in an investment portfolio according to the investor’s risk tolerance, goals, and investment time frame.

Look closely at how your portfolio reflects your changing income needs. In retirement, you may need to draw from your investments. A portfolio heavily weighted on growth investments such as stocks will be more volatile and riskier than investments such as government bonds.

When you are retired, you may want to increase the percentage of your portfolio that is in less volatile investments. During a prolonged market downturn, you do not want to be forced to access funds that have had a significant drop in value.

Transition

By the time you hit your 60s, you may have seen substantial changes in your family life. A divorce or two. A remarriage. The death of a spouse. The arrival of grandchildren. These changes would have a substantial impact on your financial life. Especially your income and your estate plan.

It is time to see your financial advisor on a regular basis to ensure you deal with these transitions.

Prepare a Written Plan for This Phase of Your Life

List your goals for the next 3, 5, and 10 years. How would you like to live this second half of your life? What would you like to do? Where would you like to live? Who would you be living with? These questions take on a greater sense of urgency at this stage in your life.

Do you feel your finances empower or hinder you at 60 and beyond? How well is your financial plan designed? Do you feel confident you will have enough resources until the end of your life? Have you created all necessary documents for asset distribution? Please leave a comment to help the community.

Back in 1967, when I would do no more than a jog around the park to enjoy the summer days, Kathrine Switzer was training for a marathon that would change the future of running for women. Against the wishes of Boston Marathon officials, she ran that year’s marathon and was the first woman to officially do so.

These 50-some years later, the 74-year-old Switzer continues to be a running icon, but also a journalist, a writer, and a proponent of women in sports. Now, as a proponent of seniors participating in sports, she is a member of the health advisory board to the National Senior Games Association.

Recently, USA Today published Kathrine Switzer’s 10 tips for seniors to stay in shape. I have linked that article here, but will add my two cents to her tips, whether I have used them, or not, to get active, and to stay active.

Let’s call them the KS Tips. Please read the links in the drop-downs of the USA TODAY article. Switzer has much wisdom to share there. Here, I’m going to begin with the introduction of each of her tips. I’ll begin with KS Tip #10 because it is one objection to exercise I hear frequently from friends and acquaintances.

KS #10 – It’s Never Too Late

My 2 Cents: So true. Not everything in life needs to be done in a particular order. Maybe life’s obligations for you were so overwhelming in earlier years that exercise or enjoying a sport were unthinkable. It’s a good idea to bounce this by your health care provider and start slow, but this just may be the time in your life for you to begin.

KS #9 – Take Advantage of Humana’s Many Resources

My 2 Cents: Humana is a sponsor of the National Senior Games and, yes, they have many resources. If they are available to you, go for it.

There are also many other health providers and insurance organizations that offer classes online and in person. If those aren’t open to you, you can find free online exercise programs. In many communities, yoga is offered in some studios free or on pay-as-you-can basis.

KS #8 – Be Positive About Exercise

My 2 Cents: Switzer says to look at exercise as an investment in yourself. See your time to exercise as your time where you get to do rather than a chore you have to do. There is something joyful about breaking a sweat.

KS #7 – Focus on Exercise Instead of Dieting

My 2 Cents: I have nothing to add here, except that I am aware from friends and family that weight gain or loss is a difficult issue. Personally, I’m simply doing my best to keep the sweet stuff to a minimum and going for all the delicious fruits and vegetables available this time of year to ensure I am feeding my body what it needs to support my exercise.

KS #6 – It’s OK If You Miss a Workout

My 2 Cents: Everyone misses a workout. It’s not the end of the world. Life gets in the way. Just get back in the routine when you are able and carry on.

KS #5 – You’re Never too Busy to Exercise

My 2 Cents: This may sound like a contradiction with #6, but on the busiest day, I find there are mini-activities that take the stress out of my day. While my coffee is on 30-second reheat in the microwave, I do a couple of standing pushups off the counter, or just stand on one foot for 30 seconds, then the other.

If your balance is feeling off, sometimes just a finger (or a hand) on the counter gives that extra security. If you’re on a phone holding for a service representative, there is time to drop down and try doing a plank for the first time. It may help with the frustration of the long phone hold.

KS #4 – Get a Buddy

My 2 Cents: I have friends who love running with others and working out in classes. It keeps them motivated. I sometimes enjoy that but am more prone to spontaneity and head out the door for a solo run or hop down on my mat for some stretches. Whether in solitude or sharing, whatever works for your exercise needs, go with it.

KS #3 – Embrace Exercise as Empowering

My 2 Cents: Yes, yes, yes. Whether it is the first time you’re walked around the block, or the first time you feel really comfortable in a yoga pose, let yourself feel the power of that movement and that accomplishment.

KS #2 – Keep Your Shoes by the Door

My 2 Cents: That is exactly where I keep my shoes. And my heart rate monitor. And my running belt. If you are not a runner, this would apply to whatever sports or exercise equipment you use. Keep that exercise mat and those weights (even if you are using a couple of soup cans) in easy reach where you will see them.

KS #1 – Choose a Fitness Goal and Make It Fun

My 2 Cents: Setting goals works for me, even if they are minor goals. Changing up your exercises can be fun and keep you motivated. I’ve done that by mixing in upper body strength, which I find difficult, but achieving some minor goals just feels great. Not everyone has the same idea of fun. Do what is fun for you.

I’m hoping to hear more from Kathryn Switzer. We seniors are fortunate to have an advocate with her strengths. And she is one of us. I’ll end with one of Switzer’s quotes: “Life is for participating, not for spectating.”

Do any of Switzer’s tips speak directly to you? You’ve seen my feedback on her 10 tips. What is yours? Do you find exercise to be empowering? Please share below!

Maybe I should have been a little more cautious before swiping the inside of my mouth with a DNA kit and handing it to my UPS guy. But I wanted to do a full Know Beauty review for everyone. So, off it went in the name of science and great skin. My Skin DNA Kit was headed over to Know Beauty, Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer’s new skincare line to find out how genetic factors impact might impact my dermis. Then, they’ll send me a personalized routine with their new products. Pretty cool, right? Here’s how it went.

First, you might be wondering how Vanessa Hudgens and Madison Beer teamed up for this project. Beer was friends with Hudgens’ younger sister Stella, so there was a family-friend connection. The duo has been in the public eye since they were young. They have both struggled with specific skin concerns and wanted to start brands of their own. So, they teamed up and enlisted chief medical officer and dermatologist, Dr. Karen Kagha.

Know Beauty.

Now, let’s get to giving up my DNA. While you can purchase their skincare online now, if you want a more personalized routine, you can do the confidential DNA Kit ($95 at Know Beauty) and analyze seven core genetic categories, such as skin sensitivity, collegan quality and pigmentation. Then you’ll fill out the (free) Skin Diagnostic Quiz to help the brand get to know your diet, stress level and other lifestyle factors. Finally, you’ll get product recommendations, taking the guesswork out of skincare.

Elizabeth Denton.

Here’s a peek inside my DNA summary. The higher the number, the heathier your skin. As you can see, I’m at low risk for fine lines and wrinkles. “Your results indicate that you carry minimal genetic abnormalities that may speed up the collagen decline process,” reads my report. Yay! But look at that Skin Elasticity number. “Your results indicate that you carry a handful of genetic variations and may be prone to reduced skin elasticity,” my report says. Oops. Each result gave me specific skincare ingredient reccomendations. You can learn a lot from these reports, not just about yourself but about what each ingredient can do for your longterm skin health.

Elizabeth Denton.

My Skin Diagnostic Results are a little more embarassing to look at. These are based off my answers to the quiz so you can see I desperately need to start working out again. I also don’t sleep enough, eat too much sugar and have too much stress. Can anyone else relate?! At least I eat fruits and veggies and stay hydrated.

Based off these two tests, Know Beauty sent me a personalized skincare routine. The company sent me the products for free for this review but you can decide which to purchase from your routine. The collection ranges from $20-$30, so they’re pretty on track with other big skincare brands. (Maybe even more affordable.) Each is cruelty-free and formulated without phalates, sulfates, mineral oil and parabans.

Below is the routine I’ve been using for about two weeks. So far, I’m really liking the line and feel like it is right for my skin type. I can see this saving money in the longterm since there’s less wondering if a product will be too heavy or greasy or drying. You can shop my products now and the rest on Know Beauty’s website.

Know Beauty.

Purifying Cleanser

This cleanser is great for those with balanced/dull skin and who live in warmer climates. (I live in Los Angeles.) It removes dirt and impurities from pores with grapefruit and prickly pear, while hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and Lotus stem cell controls excess sebum.

Know Beauty.

Reviving Day Eye Cream

This hydrating cream contains hyaluronic acid and squalene, as well as vitamins A and E.

Know Beauty.

Hydrating Lip Mask

There’s only one lip mask and it’s this ultra-softening formula with shea butter, safflower seed oil, vitamin C and vitamin E.

Know Beauty.

Glowing Collagen Mask

You know how I had a high-risk for poor skin elasticity? This mask contains collagen to support skin elasticity, as well as hydrating and plumping amino peptide and squalane.

Know Beauty.

Energizing Day Moisturizer

With broad-spectrum SPF 30 I get the sun protection I need, while anti-inflammatory green tea and brightening basil extract boost my skin tone and glycerin hydrates.

Know Beauty.

Rejuvenating Night Serum

This serum contains a retinoid to resurface the skin, as well as vitamin C to brighten and E to nourish.

I hate the term “girl boss.” Shouldn’t it be woman? Or just boss? If there are two female entrepreneurs I’d call bosses, it would be Katie Sturino and Sarah Gibson Tuttle. It makes perfect sense they would team up for the Olive & June x Megababe collection. In one cute-as-hell fanny pack, you get Gibson Tuttle’s Olive & June nail polish and Sturino’s Megababe natural deodorant. Oh, and a lot more.

The two beauty brand founders met back in 2019 and are finally making this epic collab happen. Now that masks are being removed (yay vaccines!) and summer fun is actually happening, chances are your nails need a little bit of TLC. (Just me?) This collection gets you three new Olive & June nail colors: Rosy Tips, Megababe Blue and You’re a 10. You also get the Super Glossy Top Coat.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Olive & June.

Fans of Olive & June’s nail stickers will love these new ones, made in larger sizes to keep inclusivity in mind. The stripes will make people think you hit up some trendy salon. And if you’ve been wanting to try Megababe‘s natural deodorant—or you’re a fan and need a travel-size—know you also get a Rosy Pits Mini Daily Deodorant in a perfect to-go size. Finally, there’s a cute travel fan for those ultra-steamy summer days and the limited-edition fanny back that extends up to 57 inches.

To keep up the inclusive messaging, the duo threw an open casting call in NYC to be a part of the campaign. As a surprise, everyone who showed up got to be involved. How cute are these pictures?

Olive & June/Megababe.

The entire collection has a $54 value but it’s only $44 on the Olive & June and Megababe sites. Hurry and grab it to inspire your #hotvaxsummer plans.