I hope this article finds each one of you healthy and feeling resilient. Last month I talked about both physical and psychological resilience. Today, I want to give you some very specific things to do to retain strength and mobility.

It’s easy to discount how much activity you would normally
get in a day even if you’re not “intentionally exercising.” That’s why it’s so
important to ensure you are doing what’s necessary to retain functional ability
during this time of social distancing.

If you’ve read my blogs before, you know that strength
declines on average at the rate of about 1–1
½% per year after around age 30. This can lead to losing up to half your
strength by age 70.

Consider that if you lose half your strength it’s about
equivalent to going about your daily tasks with a backpack filled with your
body weight (i.e., half the strength requires twice the effort).

Dramatic Strength Loss

Unfortunately, this loss dramatically accelerates with very
sedentary behavior. One research
study had college-aged male athletes stay bed-bound for one week to assess
functional loss.

They stopped the test even before the week was up because they
were recording a strength loss of about 1–1
½% per day. You read that right – PER DAY!

Gratefully, these young male athletes had very large
functional reserves to absorb this loss and were able to regain their strength
with training. While we are not all bed-bound due to this isolation – a
sedentary lifestyle will result in functional loss.

The Silent Thief

I’m most concerned that this quarantine will quietly rob some
people of functional independence. If you’ve been intentionally exercising to
build up your strength, mobility, and endurance you will have what they call
functional reserve – like a functional “emergency
fund.”

Just like having an emergency expense fund brings peace of
mind (and food to the table), a functional emergency fund buffers you from loss
of independence.

However, if you’re independent – able to perform all your
basic (self-care) and instrumental (shopping, cooking, home-care, etc.)
activities of daily living – but don’t have much functional reserve, you’re in
danger of premature functional loss.

Without functional reserves, many adults over 60 will have
more difficulty with normal activities once life returns to normal.

The biggest danger here is that without intervention – if
you brush off the (perhaps) subtle changes in function or just consider
functional loss as a “normal” part of aging – then you will be allowing this
set-back to become a new health set-point.

Take Action

To prevent this loss, you MUST replace the physical activity
you are no longer doing in the current situation of self-isolation.

For example, consider what it takes to get ready to go somewhere:
getting dressed, walking to the car, getting in/out, going into the store, walking
about the isles, reaching/bending/lifting/placing, carrying bags of items, walking
back to the car, getting in/out, etc. You get the idea.

If you’re not doing any of those things (in addition to what
you normally do around the house) you need to intentionally replace those
movements with functional exercises!

Opportunities to Exercise

I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities to be as active as possible. This might be as simple as choosing to stand-up and sit-down, doing knee lifts, etc. during every commercial break on TV.

If you have to go get something in the bedroom, walk to the
opposite side of the house first before going back to retrieve the item! Add
extra movement every time!

There are many on-line opportunities to exercise. Commit to following along at least several times a week, or better yet, use this very strange time in all our lives to hit the re-set button and commit to building up your functional reserve.

Also, consider using this time to create and follow a Vitality Plan to prevent these types of events from being permanently life-altering.

My Gift to You

There are many tools online that you can choose from. I’m offering a package of free resources including videos and downloadable/printable materials:

COVID-19 SUPPORT Stay Active and Resilient (FREE Resources)

Fill out the form so you will have continuous access through the link you will receive in your email.

How are you currently maintaining your level of physical
activity? Has it been more difficult to stay motivated to exercise when you
can’t attend group classes? Is there anyone you can share this information with
– church groups, social groups, senior
service organizations? Let’s have a conversation!

I’ve gone through multiple workout phases. Hot yoga, spinning, aqua cycling—you name it and I’ve tried it at least once. Each form of exercise comes with its own set of tips and tricks, but having the best foam roller on deck is one piece of advice that seems to follow me everywhere. And thank goodness it does, because baths alone don’t cut it when I’m sore beyond belief.

Personally, I love using foam rollers as a way to stretch and ease myself into a cooldown after running. However, I’m currently obsessed with online kickboxing classes and the foam roller has become a non-negotiable essential, period. After doing enough uppercuts to make my head literally spin, rolling my shoulders back and forth on a foam roller feels euphoric.

Though there is a myriad of ways to use a foam roller during a workout—like holding between your feet for a leg squeeze or grasping with your hands to work the triceps—workout recovery is where you truly reap all the benefits of a foam roller’s density and shape. Since there are many things to consider before investing in one, such as price and firmness, here are the best options for every skill level and budget.

Amazon.

Best High-Density Foam Roller: AmazonBasics High-Density Exercise Muscle Recovery Round Foam Roller

Both affordable and available in a variety speckled colors, this best-selling foam roller is made of molded polypropylene to keep firmness intact for the long run.

Buy: AmazonBasics High-Density Exercise Muscle Recovery Round Foam Roller $12.99

ProsourceFit.

Best Low-Density Foam Roller: ProsourceFit Flex Foam Roller

If you’re new to foam rollers (and/or working out) and need a more flexible option that suits a lower range of motion, this one provides moderate pressure.

Buy: ProsourceFit Flex Foam Roller $22.61

RumbleRoller.

Best Advanced Foam Roller: RumbleRoller Textured Muscle Foam Roller

The firm, yet flexible bumps on this expert-level foam roller mimic the feel of a massage therapist’s thumbs for deep tissue relief.

Buy: RumbleRoller Textured Muscle Foam Roller $59.95

Skyin.

Best Eco-Friendly Foam Roller: Skyin Foam Roller

Looking to lower your carbon footprint? This foam roller is made of bamboo on the inside, cotton on the inside and doesn’t include any inks or dyes.

Buy: Skyin Eco-Friendly Foam Roller $17.44

Deep Recovery.

Best Travel-Friendly Foam Roller: Deep Recovery Travel Size Foam Roller

An ultra-small and high density foam roller that can go in your carry-on or suitcase for recovery on-the-go.

Buy: Deep Recovery Travel Size Foam Roller $9.95

Brazyn.

Best Office-Friendly Foam Roller: Brazyn Morph Collapsible Foam Roller 

60 pieces go into making this innovative and sturdy foam roller that can collapse into a flat shape and sit under your desk or at the bottom of a suitcase when you’re not using.

Buy: Brazyn Morph Collapsible Foam Roller $59.98

Gaiam.

Best Large Foam Roller: Gaiam Restore Muscle Massage Therapy 36-Inch Foam Roller

This ultra-long foam roller allows you to massage multiple parts of the body at once, like the legs after a sweaty yoga or Pilates workout.

Buy: Gaiam Restore Muscle Massage Therapy 36-Inch Foam Roller $24.99

9HORN.

Best Standout Foam Roller: 9HORN Peanut Massage Ball Foam Roller

If the typical rectangular shape of a foam roller is difficult to work with, this peanut-shaped foam roller provides the same benefits and is surprisingly lightweight, too.

Buy: 9HORN Peanut Massage Ball Foam Roller $12.90

TriggerPoint.

Best Overall Foam Roller: TriggerPoint GRID VIBE PLUS Four-Speed Vibrating Foam Roller

With multiple vibration settings, cordless power, a multi-density surface and compact diameter for targeting specific muscles, this techy find is an all-in-one must-have.

Buy: TriggerPoint GRID VIBE PLUS Four-Speed Vibrating Foam Roller $79.99

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 and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

When I ask people in their 50s what they are most looking forward to in retirement, you would be surprised by the number that say, “Not having to commute!”

As someone who spent 2 hours a day traveling between Seattle and Redmond, I totally get this perspective. There is something genuinely soul-sucking about breathing in exhaust fumes, dealing with angry drivers and worrying about whether you are going to make it to your first meeting on time. Good riddance, I say!

So, the question that I want to ask today is this: If we are so tired of driving from point A to point B, why do so few of us give up our cars when we reach retirement age? Do you just keep driving out of habit, even when we don’t need to? Or, have we simply not internalized the massive impact that selling our vehicles could have on our health and wealth?

In another article, I will focus on the myriad benefits of going car-free in retirement. Here, I’d like to talk about just one specific benefit of selling your car when you no longer need it – you could save over $70,000 to protect you in the most vulnerable years of your retirement.

How Long Are You Going to Live? Are You Ready for Life in Your 80s?

Did you know that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, if you turn 65 today, you likely have about 18-19 more years to live? If I am totally honest, I think that this number is likely way too conservative. As I wrote in this article, I wouldn’t be surprised if the average Baby Boomer lived to 100 or older.

Even if we assume that most of us will only live for 20 years after we retire, this is still a heck of a long time to make our money stretch. And, the sad truth is that our retirement savings will most likely be at their lowest point when we are physically and socially most vulnerable – in our 80s and 90s.

So, what does all this have to do with selling your car when you retire? Let’s dig into this…

When is a 2014 Toyota Sienna Worth $70,000?

According to USA Today, in 2018, the price of the average used car in America rose to $19,657. That’s 5% higher than 5 years ago!

Now, if you reach retirement with relatively low retirement savings, you might have no choice but to sell your car and other similar assets to pay your everyday expenses. But, if your passive income is enough to support you for the foreseeable future, there is another option – to invest the proceeds from the sale of your car for the long term.

Before I go any further, let me be 100% clear that I am not providing financial advice here. I’m not a financial professional and I don’t know anything about your situation. But, for illustrative purposes, if you invested $19,657 in a low fee S&P 500 index fund, you might expect to have as much as $70,000 (assuming a 9.8% annual return, which is what the index has seen over the last 90 years) waiting for you in 15 years. This would be, statistically speaking, 5 years before the end of your life… although, as I said, I think this is conservative.

This means that, on or around your 80th birthday, you could access a significant amount of money to help with your long-term care or health-related costs.

I realize that many people would say that this approach is too risky. They might argue that putting a large amount of your money into the stock market as you reach retirement is foolish at best and suicidal at worst. But, is this really true? If you have 15-20 years to wait for a particular investment to pay off, can’t you afford to trade some risk for a higher potential reward?

The truth is that our life expectancy is getting so long that many of us have no choice but to think about our investment strategies in phases. I personally have a short-term investment portfolio, which I plan on accessing in the next 10-15 years and a long-term portfolio, which I plan on letting grow for longer than 15 years. Whether you do something similar will depend on your personal situation and should be something that you decide with a financial professional.

What is Your Car Really Worth to You?

If you have been driving your whole life, the idea of letting go of your car may be terrifying. As someone who has been without a car for over 10 years, I can honestly say that it hasn’t held me back one bit.

I travel more than I ever have. I ride my bike to business meetings. I enjoy taking long train rides. And, if I really ever need a car, I can always rent one for a day.

I know that my future self will thank me for this decision. Will yours?

Do you think that you could live without a car in retirement? Why or why not? Do you think that it makes sense to look at your retirement savings in terms of multiple time buckets (long-term vs. short-term, for example)? Let’s have a conversation.

Disclaimer: none of the information in this article is intended to be financial advice. You may want to contact a financial professional to get specific financial advice.

When it comes to aging, we face all sorts of challenges. Aches and pains, declining physical abilities, and changing brain chemistry. The worst, however, might be insomnia.

Lack of sleep can make everything seem more frustrating, even hopeless. But girlfriend, that’s just exhaustion talking. We may be getting older, but that’s no reason to throw in the towel.

Here are some common causes (and solutions) for the bedtime blues.

Thyroid Issues

While many people will point to menopause as the cause of your insomnia. A common, though lesser known cause, is the thyroid. The thyroid regulates our energy levels, so if you’re tired during the day or have trouble sleeping at night, you may have an underactive thyroid. As we age, our chances of developing an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s disease (where the body begins attacking the thyroid) increase as well.

Get your thyroid tested by a doctor who looks at the whole picture, not just your TSH levels.

Blood Sugar Issues

Pasta. Potatoes. Bread. Soda. Delectable desserts. What do they all have in common? Lots and lots of carbs. We eat far more than our bodies were designed to handle, and a lifetime of this type of diet can cause full-blown diabetes in some. In others, simple insulin resistance is enough to wreak havoc on adrenal stress hormones, giving us trouble when we turn out the light or waking us up in the middle of the night.

Try cutting your carbohydrates. In most cases, 150 grams a day is ideal and eat them earlier in the day. If you do wake up in the middle of the night, eat a small amount of low-carb protein, like a handful of raw almonds.

Imbalanced Brain Chemicals

Did you know that your brain sends out neurotransmitters to tell your body to go to sleep? The sleep hormone, melatonin, peaks around 9 PM for most people and continues to be released for another three hours. Serotonin, the feel-good transmitter, also helps your body fall asleep. Sometimes, however, poor nutrition, toxic exposure, chronic stress, or even genetics can cause low levels of these dreamy hormones.

Take advantage of maximum melatonin levels by going to bed early and getting your hormone levels tested. Be wary of sleep-inducing drugs because they rarely address the underlying issue and can further upset your brain chemistry.

Poor Gut Health

When you look at your body, it may seem like your belly and your brain aren’t very closely related. Distant fourth cousins (twice removed), perhaps. But the two are much more closely connected than you think. A poor diet, stress, and other challenges can tip the balance in your digestive system, allowing unchecked growth of bacteria and fungi. This creates high levels of cortisol that make it hard for your brain to shut down at bedtime.

Saliva and stool testing can identify gut infections. From there, it’s often just a matter of taking the right botanical compounds and changing your diet to get your gut back on track.

Unidentified Food Sensitivities

Think you might have a gluten allergy? How about dairy, nuts, or eggs? Food allergies aren’t always obvious, but they can send your body into a fight response that impairs your ability to relax and slip into dream land.

Get tested for food allergies or try out the anti-inflammatory diet for a few months to see if you sleep any better.

Out of Whack Hormones

At our age, our hormones have seen a lot of changes. Lower levels of estrogen since menopause (or from stress) can cause anxiety, moodiness, and poor sleep.

If a hormone imbalance is causing your insomnia, your doctor may recommend bioidentical hormone replacement. It’s best to try solving your sleep issues with the solutions above first, however, because hormone replacement therapy can be tricky and cause more issues of not used cautiously.

Feel better about your chances of hitting the hay tonight? I do. Just knowing that you can take action toward a healthier, more energetic you might be enough to keep some stress or anxiety at bay while you work to banish your insomnia for good. Keep it going by getting tested and treating your body kindly!

Do you have trouble with insomnia? What techniques do you use to get to sleep? Do any of these suspects sound like they might be the cause of your sleeplessness? Please share your comments below and let’s start a conversation.

Katie Maloney’s Black Studded Pumps at her Las Vegas Wedding

Vanderpump Rules Season 8 Episode 15 Fashion

I immediately recognized Katie Maloney’s black studded pumps at her wedding part deux in Las Vegas because I have been eyeing them myself. While they come in different heel heights, fabrics and stud styles I thinkkkk I narrowed Katie’s down to the pair that is perfectly suited for a bride. And even if she and Tom Schwartz left their marriage certificate in Vegas as long as these shoes were packed for the trip home I think everything will be just fine.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Alexander Wang Rina Sandals in Satin with Crystal Studs

Click Here to Shop them in Leather with Silver Studs

Shop Additional Stock And Styles

Photo: @StassiSchroeder

Originally posted at: Katie Maloney’s Black Studded Pumps