Author: Laura (Page 22 of 55)

Age smart: build those bones!

03/12/2018 / Laura

Okay, winter’s almost over. So are all the resolutions.

But you can still make a profound impact on your strength and health in 2018. One that might be the difference in the quality of life you want no matter your age.

I’m talking about building stronger bones and muscle mass. (Stop that eye rolling and sighing. Consider a few things and then decide.)

Them bones.

Our bones are important, and we want them as strong as they can be. Hip and spine density can have a major influence on the risk for falls. The stronger your bone, the better your balance. The better your balance, the more likely you can walk with confidence, negotiate unsteady surfaces, and even stand more comfortably in the kitchen, at a museum, or while watching your grandson play soccer.

A woman’s bone density peaks at age 35, then decreases slowly (1 to 2%) after menopause. A Tufts University study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of fractures among women aged 50 to 70.

Strength training decreases the risk for osteoporosis. (And gentlemen, 20% of patients with osteoporosis are men.) Regular weight training can actually have a positive effect on this. This is major if your doctor has told you that you are losing bone density, or you are already on medication. I sure prefer a little huffing and puffing to taking pills.

Them muscles.

According to the Mayo Clinic, muscle burns 5 times more calories than fat does. Studies show that after working out with weights, you can rev up your metabolism for up to 38 hours after a workout. Great news.

But building muscle mass is about more than burning fat.

It’s about being able to lift 5 pounds of sugar, 20 pounds of potatoes, or 30 pounds of dog food. It’s about being able to get up out of a chair unassisted. Holding a grandchild. Swimming a few laps in the pool and then getting out safely. Carrying golf clubs. Hiking a trail.

That’s why weight training for everyone 50 and over (that includes 60, 70, 80, 90….) is so powerful. It builds both bone mass and muscle mass. If you’re working your muscles, you’re working your bones. And vice versa.

While there of course are variations between men and women, studies suggest that sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) begins at age 45. Strength then decreases by approximately 15% per decade in our 60s and 70s, and about 30% after that.

To me, that’s scary.

I have no plans to become Wonder Woman, but I would like to know that I will be able to carry my groceries, pick up a toddler, or open a bag of Chili Cheese Fritos when I’m older. (We all have our priorities.)

So what do you do? And how often do you do it?

It’s up to each individual of course, but the experts say that some type of weight lifting regimen done two to three times a week can make a big difference no matter your age.

Even a 90-year-old who has never picked up a weight can build muscle mass. Remember Jack LaLanne? He never stopped working out, living to the strong age of 96.

I went to a real-live fitness expert for her thoughts. Anne is a certified ACE instructor, certified to teach seniors, certified to teach spinning, has competed in and finished triathlons and Ironmans. She also is certified to teach Body Pump.

Anne wants everyone to know that “Change is always possible; never think you are hopeless. The biggest factor truly is the quality of our lives. Will we be able to do what we want as we age? Not working muscles and bones can really affect quality of life and whether we can live at home independently.

“The great news is you are never too old to improve your muscle mass. If you’ve been inactive a long time, the key is just to start slow and pace yourself. And even if you are wheelchair-bound, it’s possible to do simple weight training and get results.”

She says what we hear so often, because it’s true. “Make it a way of life, not a two-week fix. What we want are small changes that we can live with over time…this can result in a big change.”

And for those who dread the idea of getting up early, or going to a class, or trying something new?

“Even when you don’t want to go, chances are once you get there and do the activity, you will feel better. I’ve never been sorry later that I made myself get up early and go. Plus it’s more than exercise. If you go to a gym or participate in a group class, you make wonderful relationships, which is even more important as we get older. It’s a support system, which is very good for us as well. As an instructor, I have been profoundly affected by how I become involved in people’s lives, and the opportunity to see the progress they make.”

Anne says everyone plays a part.

“An instructor can change a life, but so can another person in a class. Maybe your friend doesn’t want to go, but sees you going and how well you are doing and decides that maybe now’s the time to try it. It’s a powerful nurturing effect we all can have on one another.” I have found that to be true as well. Everyone feels shy about walking into a gym, rec center or class for the first time. But once you’re through the door, you’re welcomed and supported. Working with a certified personal trainer or in a class with a certified instructor is the best way to gain confidence quickly—and learn the proper form so you can get the benefits without injury.

More muscle mass, stronger bones, and reduced symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, obesity, back pain and depression—weight training sounds pretty awesome.

And it’s fun! Really. I personally like how it feels afterward…like I’ve really tested myself and can feel the difference. Starting slow is truly important. But if you stick with it, I bet you’ll get hooked.

Hey, don’t get defeated because you didn’t do anything new for yourself this winter.

It’s almost spring…when the REAL change can begin!

“I don’t care how old I live; I just want to be LIVING while I am living!”

Jack LaLanne

Retiring or rethinking?

02/26/2018 / Laura

Now that you’re getting closer to retirement, or you’ve long since retired, you’ve probably faced the decision about whether you want to work longer, work part-time, try something new, or run as far as you can from anything resembling employment. Some are more fortunate than others in this regard, and some just aren’t sure.

It’s frustrating to work hard all your life and have in the back of your mind that soon you’ll be taking it easy…at least not punching a clock every day…and then economics change that scenario. Life is just expensive, no matter whether you stay in your same home, or you dream of moving to a new home by the ocean or in mountains. You may have been a saver, but you probably still wish you’d started earlier and saved more. Or, you could be like so many people, and only just now have the ability to save anything at all.

It’s the dilemma of the day and it’s only going to get worse. Baby boomers are living longer than previous generations and retiring later. About three in every four Americans plan to work past retirement age and almost two-thirds said they will continue to work part-time. About 10,000 turn 65 each day, yet fewer than half said they expect to retire by 65.

People are working later in life for a number of reasons. They are healthier and have a longer life expectancy than previous generations. They are better educated, which increases their likelihood of staying in the labor force. And changes to Social Security benefits and employee retirement plans, along with the need to save more for retirement, create incentives to keep working.

And whether you want to keep working, or have to, you might be thinking about a change. Maybe even working for yourself. Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics shows hat workers in older age groups have higher rates of self-employment than do workers in younger groups. Knowledge and resources gained through years of experience may put older workers in a good position to work for themselves. (Just remember this comes with its challenges as well…do your homework!)

Or maybe you’ve spent your career in an office and would love to get into the outdoors. Or perhaps you’re retiring a teacher and prefer giving tours of a local museum.

Then there are the challenges that come with being over 60 and wanting to be taken seriously by younger co-workers. Society is prone to dismiss us. Younger workers often don’t even “see” us, much less take our ideas and expertise seriously. It often leads to baby boomers doubting themselves, wondering if they are really out of touch and have anything valuable to contribute.

Yet the good news is science is on our side.

Research shows successful older people manage to use their brains differently, and by doing so are doing just as well as younger people. One interpretation is that we boomers and beyond have a larger set of knowledge and thus we can rely on our experience when processing new information. We use our experience as “filters,” dismissing some new information, but working more efficiently with the information we have and ultimately doing just as well as younger people with more powerful brains.

So, while the young person in the next desk can run faster, you know the shortcuts…so you might reach the finish line just as fast.

Bottom line? We aren’t doing things wrong, we are doing them differently. And even better…we score better in social conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability than do younger people. This is probably not news to you. Take the cell phone away from some young people and they lose the ability to communicate. BUT…you better be up on the technology you need to stay in the game.

So don’t let the headlines scare you…remember you are a reserve of knowledge, experience and sound common sense earned over a lifetime.

You have value.

Now get out there and rock it!

“It’s never too late to do something extraordinary.”

Anonymous

Vegetables our way.

02/05/2018 / Laura

Okay. Call me stubborn. Old-fashioned. Caught in a rut. But excuse me.

Aren’t certain rights guaranteed to us as human beings? Aren’t we free to decide how much is enough and what is worth keeping?

When did the way we choose to cook vegetables become something we have no say over?

It’s bad enough we become used to something and suddenly it’s gone, with no warning. Or we expect to find a certain size or flavor of something on the shelf and the next time we enter the store, it’s not there. Or it’s new and “improved”, or the size is different which just means there are now 4 potato chips in the economy size instead of the prior 24.

But the price is the same.

(And you can’t get the package open without a flame thrower and wrench.)

Now, there’s more. Now, you can’t go to the store and buy a package of frozen vegetables and choose for yourself if you want to boil, steam, or microwave them…and you can’t cook just a part of the package. Because some bored food technician decided that we must be sold a one-size package that must be microwaved all at once.

Excuse me?

Seriously. What’s up with this? A relative told me he thinks It’s because the millenials don’t know how to cook—or don’t want to. I hate to believe that. I know some very capable young cooks. And I know for many cooks, the idea of buying frozen vegetables instead of fresh is a crime. Yet research has suggested the nutritional value is about the same (depending upon how it’s prepared.)

But that’s not the point. The point is … are you freaking kidding me? Is this 1984 x 2000 and I will be told what I must do—and cannot do—in my kitchen?

It’s a small thing I suppose. Yet it just feels more and more like there’s one big conglomerate out there and they are in control of what we eat, what we watch, and how we think. We’ve all accepted we buy hot dogs and buns in different quantities. We ignore the “best sold by” dates and consume things in the back of our refrigerators that appear to be edible. We mutter incoherently as the grocery bagger puts the eggs below the watermelon and hands us the bag. We bravely decide we’re going to eat eggs/bacon/lard regardless of what the latest government survey says will happen to us if we do.

But I can’t find a regular package of frozen spinach???

If my mother were alive, she would be at the manager’s counter with that look on her face. And he’d be regretting he didn’t take the day off. She always insisted on double-bagging. And she often located the butcher, who might be hiding in the back, so she could get the cut of meat she was looking for. After all, she was buying food for her family, and it mattered.

Maybe no one cooks anymore…except me and most of my friends. Maybe we’re the exception. But I know this: we probably eat healthier meals than those who don’t. And I’ll bet we enjoy them more. And by golly, we should have the freedom to make them any way we choose.

And if this really is a “generational” thing, then consider this: baby boomers spend the most across all product categories. That includes groceries. Maybe it’s time we caused a ruckus.

Clean-up on aisle 7?

You ain’t seen nothing yet.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”

Julia Child

Good News is Hard to Find.

01/30/2018 / Laura

Have you seen “The Post”? If not, please go as soon as you can. Encourage everyone you know to go. Find younger people and tell them they must go or they will be audited by the IRS. (It might work.)

Why is this movie so important?

Because nothing is more important than the truth, and nothing has come under more attack in the last year. The passion and convictions of those who dedicate their lives to journalism are vital to our freedom. Freedom of the press has been a fundamental pillar of the American society since its very beginning. The founding fathers knew it. The framers of the Constitution made sure it was included. Men and women have died over our rights to know what is really going on in our government.

It is in our DNA. It is who we are. And anyone—ANYONE—who does not understand this has no business holding public office.

But alas, many people chose reality TV instead, and that’s a mess that will take a few elections to clean up.

Meanwhile, consider the late Ben Bradlee, a great journalist and former executive editor of The Washington Post. He’s a central figure in The Post, which revolves around the publishing of The Pentagon Papers, when our government was lying to us about The Vietnam War. He also was a central figure in the Watergate scandal, when our government was lying to us about just about everything. I can only imagine what he would say if he were alive today.

Or Edward R. Murrow of CBS, who had the courage and stamina to continue to shine the light on Joseph McCarthy and his bag of lies…lies which destroyed the careers and lives of so many innocent people. People who actually had read the Constitution.

Imagine them today, having to read and hear what spews from the government…having to be insulted on a regular basis…having their questions dismissed or answered with a sneer…it staggers the mind.

I’m a baby boomer and I studied journalism in college, from at least a few teachers who were former newspapermen. They took a no-nonsense approach to the sacred nature of news. The tenets of journalism. (Yes, there really are tenets of journalism, though these days entire networks seem unaware of this.) My teachers taught us how to ask questions, write a news story, edit wire copy, and lay out pages. It was hard, but it was also rewarding and even fun (at least to me) because you got the sense of how important it was to get the facts—and the story—right.

You understood that if you worked in journalism, you had an obligation to the truth, to the audience, and to the greats who had gone before you.

We did all this on typewriters (non-correcting typewriters). One of my professors enjoyed giving us all the details of a story and then leaving the room, giving us about 15 minutes to write it. Then, just as the class was almost over, he would reappear and update the facts by changing a major detail, which of course meant you ripped the paper out of the typewriter and started rewriting as fast as you could to beat the bell. Many grumbled; some just dropped the class. I loved it. He knew what he was doing. Another professor would read my story and if it didn’t measure up to his standards, he’d rip it down the middle and hand it back to me, without a word. I learned how to write better first drafts.

I think of the Mary Tyler Moore episode when Mary and Rhoda have been sitting up late updating the station’s obituaries. They get punchy and write a funny obit for a local citizen who is over 100. Unfortunately, the next day that person actually dies and their fake obit is read on the air. Mary is horrified, and crushed when her boss Lou suspends her. He says simply, “Mary, the news is sacred.”

I agree. It’s why it’s hard for me to watch what is happening these days. Or see how social media posts a half-truth which is repeated so often that it starts being quoted as a news story.

Whatever happened to three sources on a story before publication?

And frankly, whatever happened to questioning things…taking a moment to realize something doesn’t smell right with what you just read on Twitter or Facebook…actually reading more than one news source to get the information…and recognizing the difference between an article and an editorial?

I have to believe there are enough people out there who value the truth, and who can recognize it. Remember, everyone thought the emperor looked great in his new clothes. Except for one honest boy.

And he saw the naked truth.