Month: April 2025

I was walking by a storefront and noticed my reflection. My shoulders were rounded, and I wasn’t standing tall. When I think of good posture, I think of my second cousin, Nicole. She was a ballerina in The Phantom of the Opera and still practices ballet. When she stands, it’s as if there’s a string that runs from the top of her head to the sky. She’s the epitome of good posture.

As we age, we sometimes forget about the importance of good posture and its impact on our overall health and well-being. And, with the advent of technology, we’re doing a lot more curving and forward neck craning than generations before us.

Why It Matters

Good posture refers to how our body is positioned and aligned when we’re standing, sitting or lying down. When we have good posture, we are in alignment and our muscles, ligaments, joints and nerves are working efficiently and as intended. An upright stature also makes our movements more fluid and our body less prone to injury.

After middle age, it is particularly important to maintain good posture to combat the loss of bone mass and reduced muscle tissue that typically comes with age. Proper posture also minimizes strain on our backs and necks by keeping our bones and muscles in their natural positions. And, truth be told, we just don’t want to shrink as we get older and get the dreaded Dowager’s Hump.

There are plenty of steps we can take to maintain good posture, keep our spine healthy, and stay aligned. Here are seven wonderful ways to improve our posture.

Take the Wall Test and Envision String

We’ve all seen the stooped elderly woman, the man with his neck craned forward, or even the teenager with her body literally drooping over her smartphone. Not good. When standing, stand straight and tall with your shoulders back and shoulder blades pulled down. Your head should be level and in line with your body, pulling in your tummy. Your feet should be roughly shoulder-width apart, with weight equally distributed on both feet.

To test your posture, take the wall test. Place your head, shoulder blades, back and butt against the wall. Have your heels about four to six inches away from the wall. Put your hand between the curve of your back and the wall, making sure you can only fit one hand’s thickness in that gap. This test will help you assess your posture and identify where you need to make improvements.

Once you’ve made adjustments, envision a string that runs from your thighs, through your trunk, up through your neck and head, and continuing on to the ceiling or sky. Pretend the string is pulling you up, creating an aligned stature as you stand and walk during the day.

Use a Yoga Bolster

We spend so much time with our bodies forward, our neck down and our arms in front. Over time, this is what creates rounded shoulders and a neck-forward posture. It is important to open up the front of our body to counterbalance the times it’s more closed.

A yoga bolster offers a therapeutic way to counteract bad posture and open up our chest, ribs and core. It is a soft, yet supportive, round cotton cylinder that you lie on. It can be used for many restorative poses, but my favorite is to use it as a chest opener. I typically relax on it with my arms straight out the sides or bent at 90-degree angles. This short video by Mai Trainer shows how to use it.

When lying on the bolster, you will feel your chest, armpits, and abdomen loosen, alleviating the tightness that may have been pulling you forward. It also provides a relaxing moment to meditate or just unwind.

Roll on a Foam Roller

The foam roller is a fixture in our family room, sometimes getting more attention than our sofa. Some days it seems I’ll roll darn near every body part or I’ll camp on it along my spine to relax.

The foam roller puts targeted pressure on your fascia, releasing trigger points where you’re feeling tightness or soreness, increasing circulation, and enabling fascia movement. The fascia is the fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds all of our muscles, kind of like plastic wrap over meat. Without proper movement, fascia fibers become rigid and bind to our muscles and nerves, causing discomfort. Maybe you’ve heard of the term myofascial release? That’s essentially what the foam roller does, just without the physical therapist or masseuse.

There is a variety of foam rollers on the market, with the variables being texture, size, density, color and brand. I’ve experimented with a bunch and now have a graveyard of rollers. My favorite is the JFit High Density EVA Roller because it has a smoother texture and is not too hard, not too soft. The 36-inch length is optimal because it gives you plenty of room to roll and, when aligned with your spine, is plenty long to do the trick.

There are a kazillion websites, books and videos that show how to roll, some better than others. If you’re a visual learner, the YouTube video by Debra Atkinson is one of the better ones. If you prefer a book, The Melt Method by Sue Hitzmann provides comprehensive information, including detailed instruction, breathing techniques, and visual guides.

When you roll, particularly on your upper back, it loosens things up and makes you stand a bit taller.

Sit Correctly and Adjust Your Desk

It is essential to have good sitting posture, particularly when you’re working on your computer or tablet. When seated, adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor, with your thighs parallel to the floor. Stretch the top of your head toward the ceiling and tuck your chin in slightly. Keep your upper back and neck comfortably straight, with your shoulders more relaxed, but not rounded.

Next, evaluate the ergonomics of your desk area. When working on your computer or tablet, your arms should be at 90-degree angles. If you find your shoulders hunching up, it means your chair is too low relative to the height of the desk or table.

It is also essential to have your screen at eye-level to prevent your neck from leaning down to gaze. Laptops are notorious for causing this problem. Although the arms may be at the right level, the computer screen is too low, causing the neck and shoulders to round down. This position places the neck in an unnatural position and creates the bad forward-neck posture.

Buy an Upright Go

If you’re serious about improving your posture, another clever gadget is an Upright Go. The Upright Go is the modern-day version of having your grandmother say “sit up straight.”

This small, lightweight device can either be stuck to your back or worn as a necklace. The device trains you to maintain an optimal posture by tracking your posture during the day. The device is synced via Bluetooth with the Upright Go app on your phone (iOS and Android) and tracks your posture.

The device will gently vibrate to alert you whenever you’re slouching. When I tried this device, I was nervous that the vibration would be too intense, and I might feel a bit like Pavlov’s dog. But the vibration is mild and can be adjusted in the app. The sensitivity can also be altered so that it doesn’t vibrate when you’re just momentarily adjusting your posture or moving.

There are different options to choose from based on your level of activity. Your posture activity is automatically stored for seven days. When you reconnect to the app, all of your data loads to the dashboard on the app. It’s easy to learn and reminds us to keep an upright posture.

Do Posture-Correcting Exercises

There are two aspects of our posture that we need to address with exercises: overall posture and neck alignment.

One of the best ways to improve our posture is by strengthening our back and opening up our chest. This can be accomplished with three key daily exercises: one that stretches the pectoral muscles, one that strengthens our upper back, and one that pulls it all together with motion and mindfulness.

This video by GuerrillaZen Fitness demonstrates these three exercises. For the second exercise, you will need a resistance band with grip handles and something solid to attach it to, like a post or tree. Pick the band with the resistance color that matches your strength.

The second set of exercises addresses the forward-head posture problem, or text neck, as they call it. This posture no-no develops because our deep cervical flexors (in the front) become weak and our muscles in the back become tight, pulling the neck forward. Activities like texting, looking at our phones, improper desk configurations, and forward-centric activities are typically to blame.

This video by Jeremy Ethier shows us how to strengthen the muscles that are weak and stretch the muscles that are tight. He also provides helpful tips to correct the forward head posture. The only prop you will need is a tennis ball.

Look Up, Reach Up

We spend a lot of time looking down, even when we’re active. When we’re checking our smartphones, we’re looking down. Even when we’re walking, we’re gazing downward to avoid uneven terrain or obstacles. That’s normal and, in many cases, unavoidable. But, all that looking down is rounding our shoulders, moving our heads forward, and messing with our posture.

Also read, Walking Well: Check Your Posture to Feel More Confident Walking (VIDEO).

To provide balance, we need to look for opportunities to look up and stretch upward. Many yoga poses, like sun salutations and cobra, are awesome. Stretches that require upward gazes and moving our arms above our head are very helpful. Being more mindful about looking up now and then is also a good habit to form. Looking at clouds, a high skyscraper, birds, the passing airplane, trees – anything above our heads.

When using your smartphone, the advice of very busy orthopedic doctors is to hold your device up to eye level. This will minimize the bend in your neck and maintain optimal spine posture. There are also handy clip holders that provide adjustable viewing brackets that attach to tables, desks and bedside tables.

Stand Tall

If we take steps now to stand tall and keep our posture healthy, that’s a good thing and sets us up for fewer problems in the years ahead. So, here’s to good posture, standing tall, staying aligned, and reaching for the sky!

As with all exercises and stretches, please take it slow and seek medical guidance to prevent injury.

Please Join the Conversation:

How would you describe your posture? Is it good enough or does it need to be improved? How do you keep your posture straight?

That’s one of the most common questions I hear when women look at their monthly bills. Not “how much can I afford,” but, “Is what I’m doing okay?” If that’s you – you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong.

Let’s talk about what’s “right” – for you.

Understand What “Bills” Means in This Season of Life

For many women over 60, monthly expenses aren’t just rent, electricity, and the phone bill. They might include:

• A grandchild’s daycare.
• Helping an adult child through a rough patch.
• Supporting a family member’s health care.
• Pet care (because let’s be honest – that dog is your emotional support system).

Tip: Don’t categorize your spending by “want” or “need” or even “necessary” vs “unnecessary”. Instead, try grouping your spending by the purpose that it serves TO YOU.

Once you’ve broken down your spending by purpose, get an idea for roughly how much you are devoting to spending, saving, and investing each month. If you like you can focus on percentages.

Evaluate the Framework as It Sits Right Now

What are your thoughts about how you’re distributing money to your spending, saving, and investing? Does it feel too restrictive? Does it feel like you’re not contributing to your savings at a pace that helps you feel safe? Does how you’ve set up your money right now align with your values?

If the answers to the above questions are “No”, “Yes”, “Yes”, you might consider that your system is working just fine!

If you answered “Yes” to feeling restricted, consider meeting yourself halfway between what you think you should be spending, and what you are actually spending.

Tip: Try tracking your spending WITHOUT changing your spending behavior if you need to get a good idea of what you are actually spending.

If you answered “No” to not contributing to savings at a pace that makes you feel secure AND/OR you don’t feel like you’re spending in line with your values, consider moving just 5% of your spending over to savings. This is also a good time to evaluate your spending. The easiest way to start that is to ask yourself the question “What is the purpose of this spending?” AS you are spending money.

We’re not at all concerned if you feel like you do or do not deserve whatever you’re spending on (because of course you deserve it!). We are focusing on evaluating the spending itself. In other words:

Don’t evaluate yourself. Evaluate your spending.

Guilt Is Not a Budgeting Tool

If you’re still paying a grown child’s car insurance or funding family dinners out of guilt, it’s time to pause. Generational patterns – especially those around being “the helper” or “the one who always gives” – can quietly drain your bank account and your energy.

You’re allowed to re-evaluate your financial relationship with family. Knowing when and how to stop giving or loaning money to your grown children isn’t easy, but it is possible!

If Your Bills Don’t Fit Your Income, You’re Not a Failure

When I’m working with my clients on their very own custom-built budget, very often the first few go-rounds there will be a noticeable mismatch between what they expect to spend and what they expect to have coming in.

Noticing what you’re spending (without punishment or shame) is the first step to bringing those two numbers closer together. Sometimes just awareness of spending is all it takes!

If a few months of just being aware of spending isn’t moving income and expenses together, it’s time to start strategizing. This isn’t restriction we’re talking about; it’s (again) focusing on what that spending is providing to you, and beginning to make “this-or-that” choices.

Next time you go to the store, pick up two things at random out of your cart and ask yourself, if you had to make a choice between the two, which would you choose? Play this game a few times and you will likely notice your brain will naturally begin to evaluate your choices.

In Conclusion: You Get to Define “Right”

The truth is, there’s no right amount to spend on bills – but there is a version of “right” that fits your life, your values, and your current reality. Your life is complex, messy, beautiful, and totally unlike anyone else’s. Trying to comply with some arbitrary percentage-based rule is not likely to work.

The point isn’t to force your money into someone else’s mold – it’s to understand what your money is doing for you, and whether that still feels like it’s of service to you. You’re allowed to change your mind. You’re allowed to prioritize peace. And you’re allowed to build a system that supports the version of life you want now – not the one someone told you to want 30 years ago.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you spend your money mindfully? Are you critical toward your spending habits? When was the last time you took a moment to consider a particular purchase?

My 23-year-old grandson and I were recently chatting about the stages of life – one of many much-loved conversations where age meets youthful curiosity. When he asked me at what point someone officially becomes “old,” I paused. Then I offered him this:

“You become old the moment you believe the most important parts of your life are behind you. When you begin to feel irrelevant or as if you have nothing more to offer – that is when old age truly begins.”

“Old” Isn’t a Number

We all know this, don’t we? You might meet an 80-year-old who’s full of life and spark – and a 55-year-old who seems to have given up on joy. Aging isn’t about years; it’s about energy, spirit, and belief.

A Pew Research study found that younger adults think 70 is old. But ask people between 65 and 74? Only 21% of them say they feel old. Among those over 75, it’s just 35%. As someone on the doorstep of 77, I don’t feel old. What about you? Taking it a step further, 60% of centenarians say they don’t feel old, but at least 20 years younger than their age. Can you see the power of a positive mindset?

We’re living longer and, with attention, healthier. Don’t we want to relish all our years by living with community, meaning, and an optimistic outlook?

The Trap of Giving Up

I’ve seen some women in their 50s and 60s start to “act old.” They slide into a vicious cycle: feeling hopeless, neglecting their health, then facing more challenges, which only deepens the sense of defeat. But it’s not inevitable. Some of this may relate to the ageist stereotypes that surround us. Some may relate to a life circumstance where positive support is limited.

Yes, health challenges may come, I know personally. But I’ve seen women face them with resilience, hope, and heart – refusing to let their circumstances suppress their love of life. Those are the women I admire deeply. They remind me that how we respond to life is often more powerful than what life hands us. So, to a degree, conditions don’t need to define us; yet, conditions often change us in some way. Still, we have a choice regarding how we respond in terms of mindset.

My recent example is recovering from shoulder replacement. I had a bit of a surprise – I found that walking two miles was about all I could do once I had the energy to give it a try. I am a hiker with an 8-12-mile range, so I felt a bit dismayed. For heaven’s sake, they operated on my shoulder, not my legs! My point is that I am now up to almost 8 miles, and I plan to keep going until I am back on my game – and that is not letting the challenge convince me I am old and not able.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

In my coaching practice with women over 60, I’ve uncovered a puzzling-to-me mindset: some don’t see the point in striving for vitality or fulfillment as an older woman. Why “strive” for anything, after spending years stiving to be a good daughter, student, employee, parent? If things are “fine,” why stir the pot? Life is good just as it is. Might this be a way of saying that the important part of life is over, or is it something different? I’d love to hear your perspective.

I believe this is a very personal issue; it also merits serious consideration before deciding what approach to the years ahead is right for you. You may have 20-30 years of life ahead. What do you truly want for yourself in those years? Don’t they deserve the same intentionality as the decades that came before?

For some of us, meaning is through serving and growing. For others, it may be grandparenting, traveling, or fitness. For some, it is just to “be.” One woman told me her best days were spent under a cozy afghan, watching the world pass by. And if that genuinely fills her with peace and contentment, then wonderful. But for me, that feels like surrendering to the idea that life no longer has something meaningful to offer – or to ask of me. Then, I know that is my mindset and not hers.

I believe we each hold within us a unique spark that still wants to shine. Even now. Especially now.

Age with Awareness

There can be a difference between the life we’re told we should enjoy – and the life that lights us up. We see images of women playing with grandchildren, traveling, golfing, or living in a retirement community. What if these activities are not for you? Or maybe they are. The real question is: What feels alive for you?

We’ve earned the right to choose not just how we age – but who we become in the process. When we follow what genuinely energizes us, we shift the story – not just for ourselves, but for the generations watching us redefine what’s possible.

What if aging was less about doing what’s expected, and more about doing what stirs your heart?

What if relevance wasn’t defined by productivity, but by authenticity as we age?

I’ve had many cycles of life – and I know more are coming. What wants to be expressed through me today is entirely different from 10 years ago. I suspect what would inspire me in 10 more years will be different yet again. That’s the beauty of aging with awareness. We don’t shrink – we expand. We evolve.

I’d Love to Hear Your Thoughts:

What inspires you now? Do you feel old? Say more about that, you may LOVE it! And what if “old” is just a story we get to rewrite – what is yours?

Are you having trouble keeping hope alive right now?

Especially as we all witness or live through the gut-wrenching effects of wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, war and genocide, and political turmoil around the world.

I’ve been thinking about hope a lot lately as I face the unspeakable heartbreak of slowly losing both my parents to the disease of dementia and as I connect with people navigating all kinds of significant transitions.

Not the casual kind of hope we toss around like confetti – “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow” or “I hope the traffic isn’t bad.”

I’m thinking about the deep, soul-sustaining hope that carries us through life’s darkest valleys and helps us believe in dawns we can’t yet see.

Whether caring for needy loved ones, adjusting to an empty nest, reimagining our purpose, facing health challenges, or simply questioning what’s next, keeping hope alive becomes crucial in these threshold moments of our lives.

The Anatomy of Hope

In its truest form, hope isn’t just optimistic thinking or positive affirmations. It’s more like an anchor, steadying us when life’s waters get choppy.

Hope is the quiet voice that whispers “not yet” when our weary hearts want to give up. It’s the gentle hand at our back, encouraging us to take one more step even when we can’t see where the path leads.

I’m learning that hope isn’t something we have or don’t have. It’s a practice we can cultivate, like tending a garden. And just as a garden needs different care in different seasons, our hope requires nurturing in unique ways during life’s most challenging times.

I believe hope has three essential elements: desire for something better, belief in possibility, and the courage to take action.

It’s not just wishing things were different; wishing is passive. Hope allows us to envision a better future while staying grounded in the present moment and taking action to pursue that future.

When Life Feels Heavy, How Do We Keep Hope Alive?

Here are some practices I’ve found helpful, and I invite you to explore them:

Return to Stillness

I have an early morning ritual of watching birds in my garden sanctuary. Like me, you can create small pockets of quiet in your day. Hope often speaks in whispers, and we need stillness to hear it.

Connect with Something Larger Than Yourself

Whether through prayer, meditation, time in nature, or service to others, connecting with something bigger than our immediate circumstances can reignite our sense of possibility. A long, silent walk in the wilderness does this for me. Tuning into the intricate web of life surrounding me reconnects me to something ancient and eternal, both within and without.

Remember Your Story

You’ve weathered storms before. Take time to reflect on past challenges you’ve overcome. Let those memories remind you of your resilience. One of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt illustrates this: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’”

Practice Presence and Notice Joy

Hope isn’t just about the future – it’s also about fully inhabiting this moment. Notice the small, joyful gifts each day brings. Some of my favorites are hearing birdsong in the early morning, a mug of hot tea, laughing with my husband, connecting with a friend, a good book, my cozy bed, popcorn, and dark chocolate. (I confess those last four have been known to happen simultaneously.)

Surround Yourself with Hope Carriers

Some people naturally strengthen our hope, while others deplete it. Choose your company wisely, especially during challenging times. I am grateful to have a small circle of women friends who always hold out hope for me, even when circumstances seem impossible to bear.

Chan Hellman, PhD, professor, author, and director of The Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma, teaches that hope is a social gift – it doesn’t happen in isolation. Our connectedness with each other is the single best predictor of hope.

As Hellman states, “At the heart of change is our ability to understand the way things are right now in our lives, and that we can begin to imagine the way things could be. This is where hope is born.”

The Wisdom of Hard Times

Now that I’m in the second half of my life, I understand that life isn’t straightforward. I’ve learned that joy and sorrow often travel together and that some of my most profound growth has come through my most significant challenges.

This wisdom allows me to hold hope differently than I did in my younger years. I’ve learned to embrace a more nuanced hope that doesn’t deny difficulty but chooses to believe in possibility anyway. One that knows darkness and light are both part of the journey.

Sometimes, hope looks different than we expect. It might not be the bright, bubbly feeling we associate with optimism. Instead, it might be the quiet determination to put one foot in front of the other. It might be the courage to rest when we need to, trusting that rest itself is part of moving forward.

For some of us, hope intertwines with purpose. It beckons us toward new possibilities as we release old roles and expectations. It invites us to ask: What do I truly love? How can I make a difference? What wants to emerge through me in this chapter of life?

I’ve learned that hope isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about staying open to possibility, even amid uncertainty. It’s about trusting that our story isn’t over yet and that beautiful chapters are still waiting to be written.

Our hope matters – it spreads to everyone around us, like passing a flame from one candle to another. When everything seems dark, choosing hope is a bold move that shows real courage and love.

So today, I invite you to rekindle your hope. Not the superficial kind but the deep, anchoring hope that reminds us of who we are and what we’re capable of. Let it be your companion as you navigate this complex season of life.

Also read, The Joyful Living Toolkit: 10 Transformative Practices

Let’s Start a Conversation:

What’s one small practice that helps you maintain hope during challenging times? Can you recall a difficult period in your life where hope carried you through? Who are the “hope carriers” in your life? How do they help you maintain perspective during tough times?

Will we get to see more of Abby?