October 20^th is World Osteoporosis Day. As women over 60, osteoporosis and building bone density is a concern I hear from so many of my personal training and fitness clients. Many women don’t realize they can build bone density and prevent further loss of bone density even with a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis. Let’s talk about 3 ways to build bone density naturally.

#1: Calcium and Vit D3

Ensuring your body has enough calcium will help to build your bone density. Your body needs 1200 mg per day as a woman over 50. Foods with dairy like milk, cheese, and yogurt may come to mind first but there are also many foods that are rich in calcium that are non-dairy. Many women have sensitivities to dairy and may want to avoid this food group.

If this is true for you, try to eat more dark leafy greens such as kale, bok choi, broccoli, spinach, and seaweed. But did you know that oranges have calcium too? So do figs, sesame seeds, white beans, chia seeds, almonds, salmon, and non-dairy milks and yogurts.

Tip: Be sure to spread out your nutrients throughout the day for maximum absorption!

And don’t forget to step outside for a few minutes of the day in the sunshine to absorb vitamin D. If you live in a climate zone that doesn’t allow you to absorb enough from the sun, consider taking a supplement and add some more fish to your diet!

#2: Fuel Up on Protein

50% of bone is made up of protein. Your bones and muscles need protein to stay strong. Especially as we age, our body loses muscle mass and bone density in the natural process of aging. Strive for 90 – 100 grams of protein per day, and, if you can, focus on having a good portion early in the day. This will help your body to not start in a deficit and have the nutrients it needs to reduce cravings and help build muscle and bone density.

Focus on lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and fish, such as halibut, salmon, and tuna. Other sources of protein are non-dairy or dairy milk and yogurt, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, eggs, and protein powder. Starting your day with a smoothie with protein powder, fruits, and greens is an amazing way to pack in lots of nutrients and give your day a healthy start.

#3: Strength Training

Walking is not enough to build bone density if you are already a regular walker. If you are a regular walker, your body is used to this challenge and won’t build enough bone density from this activity. You need to challenge yourself!

Add a weighted vest while you are walking, vary your course with hills and different terrain, add a few sets of step-ups and downs on the curb, keeping in mind your balance and safety of course.

Working out with weights and performing weight bearing exercises for strength training 3 times a week is one of the best ways to build bone density. Challenge yourself each workout with a weight or exercise that feels like you can maintain good technique but gives you a challenge during the last few reps of your set. Focus on 8-15 reps and 2-3 sets of each exercise. Check out these exercises to build bone density:

#4: Balance Exercises

If you have a concern with bone density, improving your balance is important. Having a fall with weakened bone density could result in a fracture. Add in a few minutes of balance exercises per day. Balance is more than just standing on one foot, check out these balance exercises:

Making some adjustments to your nutrition, your lifestyle, and swapping up your exercise routine can help to improve your bone density.

You can be proactive by joining my 90-minute webinar with tips, nutrition information, and exercises for women over 55 to build bone density.

Have you checked your bone density recently? What did it show? Are you doing something to increase your bone density score? What has helped you on your wellness journey?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

When it comes to good skincare, we’re ready to try some pretty outlandish things to get our skin looking as good as Hailey Bieber’s. This is how we ended up researching a baby ointment that, apparently, works just as well as our beloved Aquaphor—but for a lower price tag. For those who might not be familiar: Aquaphor is a use-anywhere healing ointment that’s beloved by skincare obsessives for its ability to heal and repair dry skin. It’s so good, Mrs. Bieber herself swears by it.

See, it started when we were perusing around online shopping (as we do daily) when we noticed that so many reviewers kept noting the similarity between an Amazon baby ointment and Aquaphor. At first, we thought maybe it was a fluke, but then we took a look at the ingredients and they are literally the same. Each product uses a combination of mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin and bisabolol, a soothing oil derived from chamomile. So there you have it: Amazon shoppers have found the generic version of this beloved name brand treatment, and we have them to thank for the money we will soon be saving!

Courtesy of Solimo.

Solimo Healing Ointment

While, yes, this ointment is marketed for babies, shoppers swear they use it on themselves, too. It’s the kind of thing anybody in your home can make use of, really.

“It’s hands down the best moisturizer that I use on my baby and toddler,” explained one shopper. “I slather it on after bath time, and the next morning their skin is still super soft. It’s also great for diaper changes; if I notice any redness, I use this and she never gets a full-blown diaper rash.” They continued, adding: “I like using it on my cuticles and feet. I douse my feet at bedtime and then put on some socks…my feet feel amazing when I do this regularly. It’s a versatile product that is great to always have around, regardless of age.”

Aquaphor’s 4-ounce tub typically retailer for around $17, but this alternative goes for around $14. With the Solimo treatment, you’ll be able to save a few bucks while getting the same results, according to shoppers.

“Tried this in place of Aquaphor,” wrote one shopper. “It works just as well and is much cheaper.”

There you have it, folks. Another money-saving hack handed to you by your favorite retail experts—online shoppers.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

When it comes to good skincare, we’re ready to try some pretty outlandish things to get our skin looking as good as Hailey Bieber’s. This is how we ended up researching a baby ointment that, apparently, works just as well as our beloved Aquaphor—but for a lower price tag. For those who might not be familiar: Aquaphor is a use-anywhere healing ointment that’s beloved by skincare obsessives for its ability to heal and repair dry skin. It’s so good, Mrs. Bieber herself swears by it.

See, it started when we were perusing around online shopping (as we do daily) when we noticed that so many reviewers kept noting the similarity between an Amazon baby ointment and Aquaphor. At first, we thought maybe it was a fluke, but then we took a look at the ingredients and they are literally the same. Each product uses a combination of mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin and bisabolol, a soothing oil derived from chamomile. So there you have it: Amazon shoppers have found the generic version of this beloved name brand treatment, and we have them to thank for the money we will soon be saving!

Courtesy of Solimo.

Solimo Healing Ointment

While, yes, this ointment is marketed for babies, shoppers swear they use it on themselves, too. It’s the kind of thing anybody in your home can make use of, really.

“It’s hands down the best moisturizer that I use on my baby and toddler,” explained one shopper. “I slather it on after bath time, and the next morning their skin is still super soft. It’s also great for diaper changes; if I notice any redness, I use this and she never gets a full-blown diaper rash.” They continued, adding: “I like using it on my cuticles and feet. I douse my feet at bedtime and then put on some socks…my feet feel amazing when I do this regularly. It’s a versatile product that is great to always have around, regardless of age.”

Aquaphor’s 4-ounce tub typically retailer for around $17, but this alternative goes for around $14. With the Solimo treatment, you’ll be able to save a few bucks while getting the same results, according to shoppers.

“Tried this in place of Aquaphor,” wrote one shopper. “It works just as well and is much cheaper.”

There you have it, folks. Another money-saving hack handed to you by your favorite retail experts—online shoppers.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

When it comes to good skincare, we’re ready to try some pretty outlandish things to get our skin looking as good as Hailey Bieber’s. This is how we ended up researching a baby ointment that, apparently, works just as well as our beloved Aquaphor—but for a lower price tag. For those who might not be familiar: Aquaphor is a use-anywhere healing ointment that’s beloved by skincare obsessives for its ability to heal and repair dry skin. It’s so good, Mrs. Bieber herself swears by it.

See, it started when we were perusing around online shopping (as we do daily) when we noticed that so many reviewers kept noting the similarity between an Amazon baby ointment and Aquaphor. At first, we thought maybe it was a fluke, but then we took a look at the ingredients and they are literally the same. Each product uses a combination of mineral oil, ceresin, lanolin alcohol, panthenol, glycerin and bisabolol, a soothing oil derived from chamomile. So there you have it: Amazon shoppers have found the generic version of this beloved name brand treatment, and we have them to thank for the money we will soon be saving!

Courtesy of Solimo.

Solimo Healing Ointment

While, yes, this ointment is marketed for babies, shoppers swear they use it on themselves, too. It’s the kind of thing anybody in your home can make use of, really.

“It’s hands down the best moisturizer that I use on my baby and toddler,” explained one shopper. “I slather it on after bath time, and the next morning their skin is still super soft. It’s also great for diaper changes; if I notice any redness, I use this and she never gets a full-blown diaper rash.” They continued, adding: “I like using it on my cuticles and feet. I douse my feet at bedtime and then put on some socks…my feet feel amazing when I do this regularly. It’s a versatile product that is great to always have around, regardless of age.”

Aquaphor’s 4-ounce tub typically retailer for around $17, but this alternative goes for around $14. With the Solimo treatment, you’ll be able to save a few bucks while getting the same results, according to shoppers.

“Tried this in place of Aquaphor,” wrote one shopper. “It works just as well and is much cheaper.”

There you have it, folks. Another money-saving hack handed to you by your favorite retail experts—online shoppers.

Women who work longer than men continue to experience the gender wage gap when they retire. According to government statistics, women make 83 cents for every dollar men earn. The annual difference in median wages grows to $10,435 as a result. A full-time working woman will have lost $417,400 in salary throughout her career.

The Numbers Are Shocking

Left-leaning think tank The Center for American Progress estimated how the lost wages may impair women’s capacity to accumulate retirement savings. The study discovered that investing just 20% of those profits might result in an extra $323,000 in retirement savings, assuming a 6% annual rate of return. Investing the entire sum would increase retirement income by $1.6 million.

The gender wage disparity operates as a virtual tax on many women, making it difficult for them to save for the future.

For women of color, the statistics are even more shocking, and they experience a wider salary disparity and forgo even more possible savings.

According to CAP, Black women will lose $976,800 in lifetime wages, equating to potential retirement savings of up to $3.8 million. Throughout their lives, unpaid salaries for Hispanic women reach $1.2 million, costing them up to $4.5 million in retirement.

Gender Gap and Social Security

Due to the gender wage disparity, women also receive lower Social Security benefits than men. In 2019, the Social Security Administration reported that the typical yearly benefit for men 65 and older was $17,374, and it was $13,505 for women of the same age, a 22 percent difference.

Additionally, according to the organization, women live longer, averaging 86.5 years old, compared to about 84 for men.

Women are less prepared for retirement and old age, yet they will live longer than males.

Does the Gender Gap Fluctuate?

There are some indications that the pay gap may narrow or vanish among upcoming generations. In 22 cities, including New York and Washington, D.C., according to a Pew Research Center report published this week, young women make at least as much money as males.

The wage gap often widens with time, particularly as more women have children. The delay in earning that promotion might be slight, but it will affect you for the rest of your life. You’ve missed out on one year’s worth of raises over a lifetime.

Democrats’ efforts in Washington to close the pay gap by bolstering the “care economy” have largely failed. Instead, fiscal restraint, security, and domestic investments have increased.

In a letter to President Biden, House Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark, a Democrat from Massachusetts, asks the administration to redouble its efforts to increase funding for childcare. She is arguing for more access to prekindergarten, higher pay for childcare providers, and support for child care centers in addition to subsidies for low- and middle-income parents.

More than 70 people have joined so far.

According to the letter, it is evident that childcare and early learning initiatives are a crucial component of our country’s plan for fostering a healthy economy, reducing families’ expenses, and guaranteeing our children’s long-term success.

How to Minimize the Gender Income Gap

It’s critical to realize that the gender wage disparity widens during a person’s lifetime. People may believe that it is only a small amount of money at this time, but this perspective ignores the long-term effects of the wage disparity.

Women may lack the same confidence level as males when discussing money, resulting in missed chances to save for retirement. Clark encourages women to take an active role in their financial education, including early budgeting and long-term savings objectives.

Women can employtechniques to repay credit card debt and establish a positive credit history. If women have less debt, they will have more money to save for retirement. Better credit ratings mean cheaper borrowing costs and more options when women need money.

Experts advise participating in education sessions that their employer-sponsored retirement plans might provide for women seeking strategies to jumpstart their financial literacy.

Women should look for mentors to help them professionally and financially and benefit through workplace retirement plan education. A woman’s confidence can soar due to having a mentor who empowers her to negotiate better pay and perks. A woman’s lifetime savings can increase, and the gender pay gap can be reduced earlier with higher compensation.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Are you experiencing the results of the gender income gap? When did you first notice it in your life? Have you tried to narrow this gap in your working years? Have you estimated how much you have lost as a result of the gender income gap? Has there been someone who helped you negotiate better wages for yourself while you were still in the workforce?