Last year, I set up an
online exercise studio for people who want to improve their balance, feel
stronger, and move more easily.

When I tell people
about the Studio, they sometimes say things like…

“That sounds like such
a great idea, but I’m not the kind of person who could do that.”

“I’m not motivated
enough to exercise by myself.”

“I wish I could be
more disciplined to do videos like that.”

Every time I reply by
saying, “It’s not about you, or how motivated or disciplined you are…. It’s
about how easy you make it for yourself. You can do it; you just need to make
it easier.”

So, here’s how to make
it easy and set yourself up for success with exercising at home.

First of all, why does
exercising at home matter?

Use It or Lose It!

This is what I am
saying to anyone who will listen at the moment:

If we aren’t using our
muscles, we are losing strength. If we aren’t putting strain on our bones, we
are losing bone mineral density. And if we aren’t challenging our balance, we
are losing our balance capabilities.

What’s So Great
About Exercising at Home?

Exercising at home is
brilliant for so many reasons. And, right now, it’s the only option for many of
us.

You can do it any time
– whenever it’s convenient for you. Even when you have only 5 or 10 minutes to spare.

We’ve been slightly
brainwashed by the fitness industry into thinking that, unless we do a whole
hour of exercise in one go, it’s not enough.

Any exercise is better
than none, and there’s lots of evidence that doing small bouts of exercise
throughout the day is better than doing one longer session and then doing
nothing for the rest of the day.

If you are having
trouble with your balance, then it’s even better news. The best way to improve
your balance is to do a few minutes of balance exercise
most days. You don’t need much equipment, and it’s very easy to
do balance exercises at home.

Whatever kind of
exercise you want to do, even 5 or 10 minutes is great. If you are doing the
right sort of exercise, at the right level for you, you will feel better after.
You will feel physically better, more energised, and more positive.

So, how can you make
exercising at home easy?

Don’t Try and Go
It Alone!

Everyone we know who
has been successful with home exercise has had support. Whether it’s a trainer
who comes to the house (not possible right now, of course) or following a
program, having that guidance and support is crucial.

Books and printed
programs can be great, and if they work for you, keep using them! Many people
find videos to be more helpful though. You can hear the instructions and see
the demonstration as well. Plus, it feels like someone is in the room
encouraging you.

There are so many great
videos online (and lots of terrible ones too, so be careful!). You can look on
YouTube, websites, or various apps. Make sure that your instructor is qualified
and experienced and that the exercises are at the right level for you.

Here’s a short video
you can do now – enjoy these quick exercises to relieve stiffness in your upper
back, neck, and shoulders.

Start Small

The smaller the
better.

Seriously! The two
minutes of exercise that you actually do are infinitely better than an hour of
exercise that you planned but didn’t quite manage.

Make it as easy as
possibly to succeed. Plan to stand on one leg for 30 seconds while your eggs
boil. That’s it!

You will start to
develop a habit and that’s where the magic begins. You will find yourself
wanting to do more, and it will soon snowball into something bigger.

Don’t Rely on Your
Memory

Yes, exercising is
good for your brain and your memory, but you might still not be ready to rely
on it! So, set reminders (yes, even for that 30 second one-leg stand).

Reminders can include:

• Creating a calendar note.
• Putting a notification on your phone.
• Sticking a post-it note on your fridge or laptop.

Or do them all –
whatever works for you!

Prepare Your
Environment

So, you’ve got a
program to follow, your reminder worked, and you’re ready to exercise.

But, if you don’t have
everything you need in one place, you will spend more than the time planned for
the exercise trying to organise yourself.

Get it ready in
advance, and you’ll be straight into it next time!

Here’s how to set
yourself up for success:

• Decide where you are going to exercise.
• Have your equipment ready in one place (including any
  clothing, e.g., shoes).
• Have your book/ printed program/ tablet or other
  device in the right place.
• If using a computer or tablet, make sure it’s charged
  in advance.
• Save passwords, links, etc. so you can get to your
  videos quickly.

Reward and
Celebrate

Celebrating your
successes (yes, even 30 seconds of exercise) is crucial.

Some of our members
put stickers on their calendar every time they exercise, others reward their
efforts afterwards by doing something they enjoy (drinking coffee with the
newspaper, calling a friend or checking on their garden).

At the end of the week
or month they might reward themselves with something more substantial. But it’s
the immediate rewards that are most important for imprinting these habits. Find
something that’s meaningful for you and keep doing it.

Motivation Isn’t
the Issue After All – Set Yourself Up for Success!

The people I work with
are relieved when they realise it’s not about how motivated they are. It’s a
great feeling when you understand it’s about making it easy for yourself and
setting yourself up for success.

If you want to exercise from home, take a look at the Studio from Vida Wellness.

It’s an online exercise studio for people who want to improve their balance and posture, feel stronger, and move more easily. Members enjoy an extensive Video Library, community support, and advice from specialist instructors.

What could you do to
make it easier to exercise at home? Do you need more support or a program to
follow? Could you set your environment up better? Join the conversation below!

Porsha Williams’ Floral Jacket at the Hair Store

Season 12 Episode 21 Real Housewives of Atlanta Fashion

I was verrrrrry glad that Porsha Williams wore this floral jacket to the hair outlet while chatting with Dennis and his mother. One, it was super cute. Two, I was especially grateful for the extra layer of fabric when Dennis pretended to breastfeed from Porsha. I’ll definitely file that away under things I can’t unsee, right next to the “Sold Out” label on this stylish spring piece.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here To See Her Sold Out Adidas Floral Print Jacket

Click Here to Shop it in Black

Originally posted at: Porsha Williams’ Floral Jacket

I can’t quite remember what caused me to part ways with my last roommate. It was 50 years ago and I have a vague memory of an unannounced party, a broken window and… finding my dog covered head to toe in ice-cream and hot fudge sauce? No… wait. That last part can’t be correct!

In any case, something bad happened and I swore to myself that I would never have another roommate. And, until I met my husband, I stuck to my guns, living frugally in small apartments and avoiding co-living situations of all kinds.

It wasn’t until I started Sixty and Me, a community of over 500,000 baby boomers, that I started to reconsider my position on roommates. In fact, the more I heard from other women like me who had decided to give living with a roommate a second look.

Here are 3 reasons to consider getting a roommate in the years leading up to, or during, retirement according to boomers who have already taken the plunge.

Keep Your Living Costs Low

Probably the most obvious reason to get a roommate is to reduce your living costs. Not only can a roommate help you to cover your rent (or mortgage), but, they can also help with utilities.

As one of our community members, Susan W commented, “When I got divorced in my late 50s, I still had 10 years left on my mortgage. I fought with my husband to keep the house only to find myself at risk of losing it for lack of money to pay the mortgage and other expenses. So, I made the decision to get a roommate… at least for as long as I had a mortgage. Now, 15 years later, my house is paid off, but, I still have a roommate. I guess I really like having someone else around. And, the extra cash really helps, especially now that I have retired!”

As we have discussed before, an extra $500 in income is like having $150,000 in retirement savings. So, getting a roommate really can make you feel richer. And, this doesn’t even account for the income you can make by investing your rent or mortgage savings!

Stay Social and Fight Loneliness

Loneliness is a big problem for older adults. How big? Well, depending on the study you read, between 33-40% of people over 50 experience loneliness some of the time. And, when I conducted my own survey of our Sixty and Me community members, 75% of them said that they occasionally felt lonely.

To be clear, being alone is not the same as being lonely. I know plenty of people who genuinely love the silence that comes from living by themselves. But, for the rest of us, getting a roommate can help to fight loneliness and keep us social.

As a community member, James A said, “My work has always been my life. I didn’t really realize it at the time, but, all those coffee room conversations and pointless meetings really did help me to feel connected. When I retired, I found myself alone every day of the week – except Sunday, when I went to church. A couple of years into retirement, a friend suggested that I get a roommate. I was pretty skeptical, but, I decided to give it a shot. The guy that I share my apartment with now is great. He’s not much of a talker, just like me. But, we get along and it’s nice to have someone to have a beer with while you’re watching the footie.”

Stay Safe and Independent

When we are in your 40s, 50s and even 60s, most of us don’t think about the fact that we will one day lose our independence. Then, one day, it hits us. We take a fall down the stairs. Or, we slip in the bathroom and bump our head. Or, perhaps we find out that we are suffering from an illness. And, suddenly, we realize that our independence is at risk.

Getting a roommate can’t protect you from every possible injury, but, it can help you to get help quickly if the unexpected happens.

As Jane R from our community said, “It might sound crazy, but, I actually think my roommate saved my life. It was the stupidest thing. I was walking from my car to the house one evening when I slipped on a patch of ice and hit my head. My right arm was also in a lot of pain and I was pretty scared. I remember just sitting there looking up at the lights above my door thinking ‘This is it. I’m just going to die here in the snow.’ Luckily, Amy was in the kitchen and had seen the car pulling into the driveway. She came out to check on me when I didn’t come in after a few minutes and called an ambulance. We still live together and I will always be grateful to her for helping me that night. I don’t know what I would have done had I been living on my own.”

How to Find a Roommate After 60

There are dozens of websites that claim to be able to help you find a roommate. Some of the most popular are Roomiematch.com, Roommates.com and Roomi. But, to be completely honest with you, I haven’t met too many people who have successfully found a roommate through these sites. They are simply too focused on Millennials and many also require you to filter through plenty of scam/spam messages to get to the real gems who might actually be a good fit as a roommate.

You may have a better chance with Silvernest.com – an online home-sharing platform that pairs boomers, retirees, empty nesters and other older adults with compatible housemates.

Most of the boomers that I know have found a roommate through their own network – either online or in their neighborhood. For example, if I were looking for a roommate, here are a few things that I would do.

First, I would reach out to my Facebook network. I would post a message on my Facebook page. Then, I would reach out to all of my friends who still live near me to ask for their suggestions.

Second, I would go for a walk around my neighborhood, knocking on doors and letting people know that I was looking for a roommate. Who knows, maybe one of my neighbors would even be interested in joining forces.

Third, I would post a “roommate wanted” notice at my local community center and in my church. And, speaking of church, I would also talk to my church’s leader to see if they have any roommate recommendations. Chances are they would!

Finally, I would look through my contacts on LinkedIn to see who might be able to recommend a roommate. Who knows? Maybe one of my colleagues would have found him or herself in a similar situation to me. Or, maybe one of their friends might be interested.

Deciding to get a roommate is a major decision… and one that should not be taken lightly. But, if you can deal with finding someone else’s socks in your laundry basket and the occasional box of old Chinese food in the fridge, getting a roommate really can help you to live a richer life in retirement.

It’s not just about the money. It’s also about the peace of mind that comes from having someone you trust around. And, who knows, your new roommate may even become a friend.

What do you think of the idea of getting a roommate in the years leading up to (or during) retirement? Do you have a roommate now? How would you describe your experience? 

We keep saying, and you probably keep hearing, that you should refrain from making any big hair changes at home. You don’t want to spend a ton of money and time fixing it when salons re-open. Celebrities don’t seem to be heeding to this advice. Hilary Duff’s blue bob is the latest example of a star doing a big hair transformation while physical distancing. This is key because the chances of them having their glam team, or at least a colorist, at home with them are slim (though, it is possible). In Duff’s case, we’re not exactly sure who gave her this new look but we have to admit, it’s pretty awesome.

The Younger star debuted her shorter and, well, bluer hair over Easter weekend. We’re so used to seeing her with a sunny blonde hue that it’s pretty jarring at first. But it’s not the first time Duff has gone blue and probably won’t be the last. While not working, she seems to have a lot of fun with hair colors.

Source: Instagram

While giving her daughter Banks a bath, we got a better look at Duff’s hair on her Instagram Stories. It actually looks like she went fully brunette, but with blue ombré highlights. This is seriously tough to pull off on your own, though we have some theories.

Image: Instagram.com/hilaryduff.

It’s probable Duff just removed her hair extensions, revealing a shorter ‘do. For the color, her light brown roots started growing in so she probably dyed all the leftover blonde this cool blue shade, making it look like highlights. Any color conditioner can help you achieve a look like this and it’s unlikely to damage your hair. It’s actually a really fun way to play around with a new hue while you’re stuck (safe) at home. We’re hoping Duff keeps this around for a little while.

At the end of this physical distancing, will there be any faux blondes left?

So, you’ve retired. Congratulations! All that’s left to do now is to book a tee time and sit in front of your pool with a glass of champagne in one hand and the Sunday Times in the other. Yeah right!

Unless you are one of the “lucky” few who have saved millions for retirement (and if you are, why are you reading this article?) chances are the reality of life in retirement has started to kick in and you are probably more than a little worried about your financial future.

Well, fear not! In today’s article, I’m going to offer some realistic suggestions for how you can boost your income by $100-$500 a month FAST! And, best of all, none of these ideas require you to take a part-time job or become a consultant.

So, without further delay, here are 5 ways that you can make extra money FAST in retirement.

Negotiate Your Biggest Expenses – a 10-Minute Call Can Save You $100s!

There are many things that are harder to do as you get a little older. Climbing the stairs, remembering where I put my car keys (or my car!) and trying to lose weight are the ones that annoy me the most!

But, there is also a silver lining to getting older. One of my favorite benefits is that negotiating is SO much easier. Why? Because banks, credit card companies, landlords and even phone companies know that we have less money to work with. So, they are more likely to give us breaks that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

So, take advantage of this perceived weakness and negotiate down your biggest bills. Trust me, it’s much easier than it sounds!

In the video below, I give 6 practical tips for negotiating down your credit card bills, bank charges and even mobile phone costs in the years leading up to (and during!) retirement.

Rent Out a Room on Airbnb

Did you know that the average host on Airbnb makes almost $1,000 extra a month? But, even if you only have a single room to rent, you could probably make an extra $200 – $500 a month.

Of course, being a host on Airbnb does require some work. You have to check people in and out. And, you have to make sure that your property is clean and well-maintained for your guests. But, the truth is that there are few ways to make big money for such a small effort.

In the video below, I discuss how to get started on Airbnb as an older adult. I also walk through some of the specific concerns that older adults have with regards to becoming an Airbnb host – and how to deal with them!

Rent Out Your Car or Parking Space

The day that I stopped my daily commute was one of the happiest of my life. I remember looking down at my car keys and just breathing a sigh of relief that I would never again have to deal with the exhaust fumes, crappy drivers and morning talk show hosts.

But, it wasn’t until about 3 months into retirement that I decided to sell my car and invest the money. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Not only did the sale give me a bit of extra cash, but, it also forced me to walk more, which led to me losing about 15 pounds!

Of course, this was about a decade ago and there weren’t really any options for renting out your car at the time. Now, services like Getaround and Turo offer platforms (including insurance) that take much of the pain out of the process of renting out your car.

Want to learn more? In this article, I give two reasons to consider renting out your car in retirement… and two reasons to put on the brakes.

Move to a Smaller House and Invest the Difference

While it is true that most of us did not save enough for retirement, most of us did make one great financial decision – we purchased a home. Now that our kids have left the house, we have several options for monetizing our greatest assets.

As I mentioned earlier, seniors are now the fastest-growing group of hosts on Airbnb. But, another option is even simpler – to sell your home, move into a smaller place and invest the difference.

For example, let’s say that you live in a $400,000, 4-bedroom house. If you were to move into a $250,000 apartment and invest the $150,000 difference at 5% interest (yes, it’s still possible!), you could give yourself $625 more per month to live on.

And, if you considered a fixed income annuity, you might be able to increase your monthly income by even more. Find out more about how to get impartial expert advice on choosing an annuity.

Find a Roommate

Did you know that 19.5-million seniors (including me!) in the U.S. are single. And, with “silver divorces” at an all-time high and lifespans increasing, this number is destined to grow significantly in the decades ahead.

To be honest, never thought that I would even consider getting a roommate again. But, the more I think about it, the more the idea grows on me.

It’s not just about the money (although an extra $500 a month would be helpful). Like many older adults, I feel like I could benefit from some daily social interaction and friendly banter.

In this article, I discuss 3 reasons that more of us should consider getting a roommate in retirement.

What additional ways have you found to make a little extra money in retirement? Are you renting a room (or your car?) Have you moved to a smaller home?