Would you like to feel more confident walking? Have you noticed that you walk more slowly or cautiously? Do you sometimes feel unsteady and find yourself tripping on uneven ground or broken paving stones?

If you’re starting to notice your balance when you walk, you’ll know that this can affect your enjoyment of walking.

As a specialist exercise instructor for more than 15 years, I’ve helped hundreds of people to feel steadier on their feet and more confident with their walking.

I know how vital walking well is, and that’s why I’ve written this series of articles for Sixty and Me. The series focuses on Looking Ahead, Posture, Arm Swings and Taking Big Strides.

If you’re starting to notice your balance when you walk and would like to feel more confident, keep reading!

Firstly, What Is Walking Well?

You probably learnt to walk 60 or 70 years ago and haven’t given it much thought since. It’s just something we do every day! So, thinking about how you walk is strange, and the idea of practising walking will seem quite odd.

However, if you don’t feel as steady as you used to, you will benefit from paying attention to how you walk.

Walking Well means thinking about our posture, about what our arms and legs are doing and where we are looking when we walk. This series of walking well articles and videos will help you (re)learn some of the things that help us walk confidently and safely.

Why Does Walking Well Matter So Much?

When we feel confident walking, everyday life is easier and more enjoyable. We can get where we need to go, run errands we need to do and walk for pleasure.

We can enjoy our surroundings and companions because we aren’t worrying or feeling unsteady.

Walking well allows us to enjoy spending time with our friends and family, exploring new places and connecting with nature. It gets us out of the house and can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

It matters because if we aren’t walking well, we’re at risk of trips and falls. The consequences of a trip or fall can range from bruised limbs (and confidence) to broken bones, time in hospital and surgery.

I also think it’s crucial for how we feel about ourselves. When we feel confident doing the things we want and need to do every day, we feel better about ourselves. We also tend to feel more optimistic about the future.

What Do We Do with Our Feet When We Walk?

In previous articles and videos, I’ve covered several elements of walking (including posture and arms). Today, I’m going to focus on what we do with our feet when we walk.

I know that sounds funny; it’s obvious, right? We just put them on the ground! However, the way we place our feet on the ground can make a big difference to how well we walk.

Watch this demonstration video to learn more about foot placement when walking. Be ready to get up and practice with me!

Foot Placement Demonstration

Practice this now. You’ll notice how much more powerful your walking feels when you roll through your foot with the heel-toe motion.

Then, next time you’re out walking, try and remember to think about how your feet are landing and pushing off from the ground. You’ll feel more confident (and be much less likely to trip on uneven ground or broken pavements).

Exercising for Walking Well

As well as paying attention to our walking technique, doing exercises to improve our strength, balance and posture will help us walk better.

We know that a combination of strength and balance exercises will help to improve our balance and reduce our risk of trips and falls. So, if you aren’t already doing so, consider adding regular strength and balance training to your routine.

Many people think that starting an exercise programme involves hours of leaping around in tight, shiny clothes while someone shouts at you. If that’s what you want, go for it! However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can get stronger and improve your balance in just 10-15 minutes a day. You get the best results when you’re doing exercises that are right for you (not ones designed for a 25-year-old who can do handstands!).

A good instructor will encourage you to work at the right pace for you and demonstrate the exercises clearly so you feel confident doing the exercises that will help you.

If you want help and support to exercise at home, take a look at the Vida Wellness Studio. It’s an online exercise studio for people who want to improve their balance and posture, feel stronger, and move more easily. Our videos are clear and easy to follow, and most of our routines are 10-15 minutes long, so you can easily fit them into your day.

Do you notice your balance when you walk? Have you ever considered concentrating on how you move your feet? Do you often trip on uneven ground? How does it feel when you practice this heel/toe motion? Join the conversation below!

Kyle Richards’ Mosaic Printed Maxi Dress

Real Housewives All Stars Fashion

Not only is Kyle Richards seen promoting husband Mauricio’s biz with her coconut drink in this pic from filming RHAS in Turks and Caicos (fun fact: the $22,000,000 property they’re staying at is apparently listed with The Agency!), but also this super pretty mosaic printed maxi dress. Which we’ve of course linked down below for those of you looking to scoop up the amazing listing asap. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Silvia Tcherassi Dress

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Photo: @KyleRichards18 (taken by @RamonaSinger!)

Originally posted at: Kyle Richards’ Mosaic Printed Maxi Dress

Blame it on The Flight Attendant. Or the proliferance of overgrown, quarantine hairstyles. Whatever the reason, curtain bangs are having a moment in 2021 that just won’t seem to let up. Though the style reflects a laid-back vibe of quintessential cool girls like Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin and Rhianna, landing on a natural-looking “C” shape takes a little expertise. So, we set out to find out how to style curtain bangs for those 2021 trendy hairstyles. To do so, we enlisted three celebrity stylists to share their best hacks for any hair type.

Just think of celebs including Sabrina Carpenter, Ashley Benson and Ariana Grande all adopting the look as of late. Frankly, we can see why. “These flattering layers are a great way to change up your look without the commitment of full-on bangs,” says Clayton Hawkins, the celebrity stylist whose clients include Elizabeth Olsen, Maddie Ziegler and Dove Cameron. “The look works so well because it looks chic whether your hair is down or up in a ponytail or bun.” Below, expert tips to get the look.

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.

The Basics: Dry Bangs First

Source: Instagram

If starting with wet hair, Hawkins and David Lopez, T3’s lead stylist who works with celebrities like Ashley Graham and Hailey Bieber, recommend blow-drying bangs ahead of the rest of your hair. “People often start in the back when they blow-dry their hair and by the time they get to the front, their fringe is already dried and frizzy,” notes Hawkins.

Lopez suggests using the blow dryer’s concentrator attachment to better direct airflow for precise styling. “I push the bangs back and forth, side to side as they dry in order to create a loose and flowy parting of the hair,” he says. We like the T3 Cura Luxe Hair Dryer ($285 at Ulta).

The Basics: Curl Under

Source: Instagram

Hawkins can’t stress this enough: When styling curtain bangs with a round brush, always wrap and roll hair down toward the floor with hair clinging to brush’s upper bristles. “It’s tempting to want to brush them going upward to keep them out of your face, but this will result in a flippy Farrah Fawcett vibe,” he says. “Instead blow dry them downward for a chic, ‘70s French girl moment.”

Lopez cosigns on this technique, saying it also helps to keep elbows close to the chest when blow drying hair in this direction. “Once your hair is dry, you push it back to create a nice curtain swoop,” he suggests. Try using the Raincry Magnesium Volumizing Brush ($65 at Amazon).

The Basics: Set Your Shape

Source: Instagram

After drying, set your ideal bang “C” shape by pinching a triangular section of hair at the hairline (about two finger widths from your part) and pinning it with creaseless clips such as Conpru 12 pieces No Bend Hair Clips ($5.59 at Amazon). Next, create a swooping “C” shape with the sectioned hair and clip the ends. After the hair has set for a few minutes, release the clips for a defined shape that will last through one of Cassie’s (of The Flight Attendant) messy nights. 

If you don’t have creaseless clips handy, try securing bangs with a velcro roller while styling the rest of your hair. “Not only will this keep them out of the way, but the roller will give the hair bounce and lift that will last all day,” says Hawkins. Try Goody Self-Holding Multipack Rollers ($10.99 at Target).

Extra Credit: Curly Bangs

Source: Instagram

For those with 2C to 4C hair types looking to wear curtain bangs in their natural texture, Hawkins suggests detangling hair in the shower, then adding your favorite curl defining cream to hair once out of the stall (no brushing or combing required). “This will allow the bangs to dry naturally without disrupting their curl pattern,” he says.

Sierra Kener, a stylist who specialises in curly hair at LA’s Nine Zero One salon and who has styled the likes of Selena Gomez and Katy Perry, offers another option. Apply a gel or moisturizing styling cream into the hair before flipping it upside down. Next, diffuse the hair with a blow dryer to release some of the moisture. “You want to dry the hair about 80 percent,” she says. Next apply more gel or cream to the hair while twisting, scrunching or otherwise forming the curl pattern. This will add definition while retaining volume.

But if you want to blow them dry straight, Hawkins has tips. “If your hair is curly to coily, avoid using a straightener on your curtain bangs,” says Hawkins. “This will result in a 2000s MySpace look [rather than something more modern].” The stylist suggests blowing bangs out with a round brush, then using a hot root comb to smooth out the roots once dry. Once that’s done, use a 1.5 inch curling iron, such as the Conair Double Ceramic 1.5-Inch Curling Iron ($17.99 at Amazon), to curl bangs under with the wand rolling toward your body.

Extra Credit: Ultra-Straight Bangs

Source: Instagram

Straight hair styled in curtain bangs can get a little greasy as the day wears on, so Hawkins recommends keeping a dry shampoo and brush handy for instant touch ups. “Instead of spraying the dry shampoo directly to your scalp, spray it onto the brush and then brush through your fringe. This will allow the product’s starches and powders to better distribute for the best results,” he says. Try Ouai Super Dry Shampoo ($24 at Ulta).

Extra Credit: Cowlicks

Source: Instagram

Don’t let a strong cowlick get in the way of your own banged-like-J.Lo moment. Lopez says it’s easier to control the final shape of the bangs by styling a damp cowlick before the rest of the hair. “This will save you the headache of having to try and manipulate the shape too much,” he says. If the hair has already started to dry and hold its cowlick shape, try re-hydrating the section with water or a nutriative styling mist such as In Common Magic Myst Universal Elixir ($35 at In Common).

Extra Credit: Hiding Curtain Bangs

Source: Instagram

Sometimes, you just want your hair out of your face. For those times, Kener has you covered: “Curtain bangs are all the rage, but if you’re not feeling up to wearing them for the day, part your hair the way you want it to lay, then blow dry with the cuticle facing down,” he says. “This will marry the bangs and the rest of your hair together so it blends more seamlessly.” To further encourage your bangs to continue laying as directed, try spraying a bit of hairspray on a comb or brush, then brushing it through the hair. Goodbye bangs—until next time.

Leva Bonaparte’s Denim Jumpsuit

Southern Charm Instagram Fashion

While we normally focus on cute clothing, if you ask me what’s cuter, Leva Bonaparte’s jumpsuit or her son, there’s no contest. The kid is adorable. However, if you’re putting the jumpsuit up against just about anything else, it’s probably going to win a cuteness contest.  Especially if you pair it with a high pony, gold hoops and tie the belt like Leva did.  So if you’re looking for the perfect spring style inspo, look no further, as Leva’s look is a total Charm.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

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Photo + Info: @LevaBonaparte

Originally posted at: Leva Bonaparte’s Denim Jumpsuit

I am lucky enough to have a BFF who is gorgeous, generous, loving, and ever so much fun. She has a successful business as a healthcare provider, a speaker, and author. In my eyes, her only fault is driving a gleaming black, late model Mercedes, which I secretly refer to as a Nazi Staff Car. Although, truth be told, I am morally bankrupt enough that I would never turn down the gift of one.

So how is it that this wonderful female felt the need for a facelift? Well, a “mini facelift,” actually. I tried talking her out of it. Her face is striking, with miniscule pouches along the jaw line, and some “stuff” going on around her eyes. All normal aging kinds of “things.”

She readily admits the catalyst for the lift was a painful breakup and thus was a gift to “get ready for the summer dating season.” Once my friend (we will call her Olivia) makes up her mind, she is a force to be reckoned with. However, she agreed I could write about her experience, including some pretty raw emotional material, ranging from despair to fear, and then finally to elation.

Is Having a Facelift Merely a Matter of Vanity?

We will start with the tough stuff. Olivia lost her alcoholic, mentally ill mother at a young age. Her father was in and out of the picture, whenever fancy struck. Passed around from relative to relative, she found that some were warm and loving, but also that some were physically and emotionally abusive. One of the most evil of all enjoyed devising punishments involving the maximum amount of public humiliation.

When he was around, Olivia’s Dad drank and had affairs. Police would sometimes bring him home after he was found driving erratically, including onto neighbors’ front lawns. This life took place against the backdrop of upscale looking homes, some with horses, barns, and gardens, and usually in sought after suburbs. As Olivia likes to say, “I was an upper middle class waif with Daddy issues.”

Fortunately, Olivia is like a mountain goat, without the beard. “I shave mine,” she likes to say. She sees herself as able to easily climb steep rocky slopes in freezing cold temperatures. Namely, she was equipped from the womb to adapt to harsh circumstances. How could anyone not love this woman?

How indeed? Olivia says, “I have one of the worst pickers in the Universe of men and women with broken pickers.” That’s how.

Despite her inner strength and accomplishments, Olivia constantly scans her “outer self” for flaws she believes have sent men packing in the past. As a friend, it’s tough seeing her do this, even though she is aware her thoughts are irrational.

But at the same time, “culture and society” overvalue youthful good lucks, so I would argue that if Olivia feels her lift will help her feel better, then she has earned that right (as well as having earned the money to pay for it – just under 20K!).

The “Gory” Details

So, we drove to the outpatient clinic where the procedure would take place. On the way, she serenely told me the anesthetic would consist of Lidocaine and Epinephrine.

Lidocaine? Such as what I have in my medicine cabinet? How could she possibly agree to that?

“Well, it’s what the Doc uses, who am I to argue with her,” said Olivia.

Me! I would argue with her! I thought.

Well, what exactly happens during a mini facelift that is properly performed? As it turns out, there is one big technique difference in the mini facelift world. A properly performed lift is not just about skin tightening, although, of course, the skin is tightened.

But most importantly, the underlying muscle (SMAS) is somehow pulled up and stitched together to provide the underlying support for the tightened skin. Paul Lanfranchi, DO, FAOCO, on realself.com says “By tightening the SMAS it allows for the skin to be redraped rather than pulled…”

All righty then. So first you are going to cut my skin, then cut and otherwise mess around with my muscles, and I hardly know you? One must never, ever forget the need for due diligence in choosing a surgeon.

In recent years, I have seen oodles of improperly performed facelifts, most of them seeming to be in Scottsdale, Arizona. Unfortunately, these poor women look as if someone pulled their skin back tightly at mid-ear level, stretching back not only the skin, but also edges of their mouths, creating a “Joker” like grin. If the woman also decided to heavily inject her lips, the end result is tragic.

Olivia’s procedure took about 2.5 hours (I forgot to mention she also had lower and upper eyelids done, as a cost saving measure). Double procedures get a discount, apparently.

When she emerged from the office, she was walking upright and able to casually amble to the car, which involved a quick little journey over a pedestrian bridge spanning a busy city thoroughfare. She had brought a scarf she wrapped around her head and neck, evoking Hollywood 1940s glamour. So, with her dark glasses, she looked “movie star-ish.”

“Thank God I did not die in there!” she joked.

You Call This Recovery?

Initially, the healing process was “not bad,” relatively speaking. Oxycodone helped. Luckily, Olivia doesn’t have addictive tendencies, although for a short period of time she was consciously overusing the Oxy’s out of sheer boredom (absolutely don’t try this at home, please).

But the drug helped her sleep her way through the first week of recovery. During this week, she slept sitting up, way overdoing the recommendations to sleep “propped up on pillows.” She lost her appetite, thus also losing her 5 pounds of Covid/Winter Weight.

But then the nightmares began. Oddly, most of them heavily featured her father. Later, Olivia said she knew the nightmares were a red flag for something, but she didn’t have the energy to face what they might mean.

Unluckily, she had developed hematoma (bleeding which had collected into a sac along her jawline), which had to be drained. This time, we drove directly to the ER. Olivia was scared. She was shaking, her blood pressure had shot up and she had a slight temperature, a scary thing during these Covid times.

Draining the hematoma sounded worse than the actual surgery. The Chief Resident took out one stitch, stuck a cannula into the side of Olivia’s face, and sucked out all the blood, which also included tiny little blood clots. Coincidently, all the care providers involved in this procedure were female.

Two acknowledged having once contemplated getting lifts when “their time came,” but seeing the hematoma nonsense, they were definitely deciding against. Olivia told them, “Are you kidding? This will be worth it!” No pain, no gain? I don’t know…

Happy Endings

After the hematoma horror show, Olivia’ recovery started speeding up, essentially following the exact recovery course her surgeon said would occur. And, as of this writing, she looks and sounds great.

Her biggest complaints include feeling tight and numb from just over her ears to where her jawbone starts. And her skin feels so paper thin (due to how dry it got) that she fears this dry skin could easily break, with all kinds of blood gushing out.

Best of all, she has formed a committee of girlfriends who will vet all men Olivia thinks could be good mates. And not only that, we all love seeing the elation and confidence boost she is experiencing from feeling good about her outsides. Meanwhile I, along with the rest of the committee, will do all we can to remind Olivia of the beauty of her inner heart.

ADDENDUM: Would I ever get a facelift? Absolutely, as long as I could be 100% asleep during the procedure and convalesce in an expensive hotel, right next to the hospital. As a social worker and writer, it will probably only take me another 20 years to save for all this.

Have you contemplated getting a facelift? What will this procedure accomplish for you? Do you have a friend you can trust with getting you through the hard times in life? Are you such a friend yourself? How do you support your friends? Please share with the community.