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Keep Your Balance As You Age
Posted by: | CommentsHaving a balance in all areas of your life is important. However one area that you really need to pay attention to as you get older is your physical balance. If you think that you already have good balance then it’s important to maintain it, and if you are a bit wobbly on your feet then you need to work on your balance to save you from accidents that could really set you back.
Just recently I received an email from my cousin telling me that she was laid up and in severe pain caused by a cracked vertebrae in her back. I asked how it happened and the answer I got was not what I expected. It wasn’t doing anything daring or exciting by any means, she had been in her walk in closet pulling on her pants lost her balance and fell. I went to visit her and she had other examples of how loss of balance had caused other friends to have accidents too. She said from now on I am going to sit down to put my pants on and do up my shoes. I never realized just how much loss of balance you get as you get older.
My cousin is in her mid 60’s she swims 3 or 4 times a week in order to stay fit so she is totally aware of the importance of exercise, but her balance ability she hadn’t really given any thought to as most of us don’t until something happens. She told me of one of her friends around the same age had recently gone to visit her grandchildren, they were playing hopscotch outside and she decided to join them to show them how she used to play it as a child. She lost her balance, fell and broke her arm. A friend of mine climbed on a chair to get something off a shelf, she lost her balance fell off the chair and broke her big toe she ended up in a cast for several weeks. It happens way more than you would think and is so easily done. It happens in a flash.
Accidents will happen at any age but once over 50 you have to be extra careful our bones are not as strong and neither is our balance making it a potentially dangerous situation. We cannot afford these bumps and falls in our senior years, we aren’t as flexible and we don’t recover as quickly as when we were younger so it’s extremely important to try to maintain a strong balance to prevent unnecessary mishaps and injury.
Here are some suggestions that may help you with your balance.
- If you already have decent balance using a large exercise ball can be helpful in maintaining it. I like to sit on the exercise ball and first do some hip rotations and leg stretches. Then I work on my balance. I pick a spot to keep my eyes on so that I’m not wobbling all over the place, while focusing on my core muscles I raise my right leg in front of me and hold steady for a slow count of 20 then lower my leg and do the same with my left leg. I repeat this at least twice and try to do it daily. In the beginning I couldn’t steady myself for more than a 5 count but worked up to the 20 and more.
On the other hand if you are already very unsteady then this is probably not a good idea as the ball can roll away from you and you can fall. It would be better to start doing some balancing exercises where you are actually holding onto something such as a chair. You can always move to an exercise ball once you find better balance. Just remember to do things gradually until you are comfortable and you will soon notice an improvement
- The sit and stand exercise – From a sitting position stand up preferably without holding onto anything but if you are unsure do hold onto something until you get better at it. From the standing position sit down again, repeat 5 times to start and work up to 10 times.
- Holding onto a chair stand on one leg then switch to the other. Once you have the knack of doing it increase the time you stand on one leg and if possible gradually ease your hold on the chair but keep the chair near so that you can grab hold of it to steady yourself if you need to.
- Dancing is an excellent exercise and great for balance. Besides being a great exercise its lots of fun so whether you go out to a class or dance around you home have some fun with it, put on some music you like and go for it.
- Exercise bands can be a great choice you can use them sitting or standing. Personally I like the wide bands like they use in physio, they are excellent for exercising the muscles in your feet as will dancing which will give you a stronger stance and help with balance.
Exercise will help keep muscles, joints and bones stronger and lessen the chances of falling and maybe seriously injuring yourself. Remember do not take chances, always have something to hold onto close at hand then it’s there if you need it.
Top 10 Things Women Over 50 Do
Posted by: | CommentsYou never know what life has in store for you no matter how well you think you have it planned out. Things can and do change. Often certain milestones will spur you on to re-evaluate your life and one of those times is turning 50. It can be a particularly thought provoking time for women about to turn 50 or even for those that are already over 50 now life as you’ve known it has changed.
After many years of domesticity taking care of family and often not considering their own needs many women start to think more about themselves, what they want and need before it gets too late. The appeal of being a mom and wife may no longer have the same appeal as it once had. Most women want some excitement in their life. The question is will they actually do something about it, and if so what will they do to meet this need? Some will take the bull by the horns and some will stay the course without rocking the boat even if they are not happy with their life as it is.
10 changes that over 50s women have made:
- Change career path. Many women have taken on careers because they fitted in with family life and not because they followed their own career interests. Often they choose to change that and pursue a career that interests them.
- Go back to school. Often women have not reached the level of education they would have liked or maybe they didn’t know what they wanted, so they make the decision to better their education or get trained for a new career.
- Follow a long lost passion (something they put on hold for domesticity) Family life is very consuming so many women give up something they love to raise a family. Often there just isn’t enough time to pursue their passion or it doesn’t fit well with their life as a mother and wife. The 50s is a good time for many to get back to that passion they put on the back burner.
- Leave long term relationships. Sustaining difficult relationships take its toll. Sometimes when things have not been good in a relationship many women feel they have put up with things for far too long. They finally get sick of it and leave sometimes with the intention of finding a more exciting relationship.
- Search For new Experiences. A sense of urgency has a lot of women in their 50s scrambling to discover new experiences. They feel that time is running out and want to find happiness while they can still enjoy it.
- Rediscover Self – after many years of not paying attention to their own needs they search to find themselves once more. Many women feel lost when their family doesn’t need them as much as they once did. The kids are off to college and flown the nest leaving them feeling lost.
- Deal with Conflicting Feelings. Even though they have reached a time in life when they deserve to do some things for themselves many women worry how it will affect others which stops them dead in their tracks and miserable.
- Instigate Divorce from Boredom – We all know relationships change sometimes for the better but often for the worst. Quiet evenings at home with a book or watching TV doesn’t cut it for many women over 50. It’s back to that feeling that time is running out and there are things to explore. This has many women with the desire to be single again. In over 50’s divorces over 60% of them are now instigated by women.
- Deal with Menopause. Blame the hormones. The changes that women go through during their mid 40s to mid 50s account for a number of these life changing behaviors.
- Find Confidence – Finding the confidence to finally say enough is enough. Staying in an unsatisfactory relationship is a thing of the past for many women over 50. Staying in a job that they hate is also no longer acceptable for many women in this age group. Or anything else that in unsatisfactory many women just won’t put up with it anymore. They do something about it!
Many women over 50 have the desire to make changes. Material comforts, money and marriage are not always enough. They realize this doesn’t equate to happiness or fulfillment. Some create a whole new life where they find the fulfillment they need. Sometimes it’s found traveling to third world countries to help others less fortunate, sometimes it’s found in a fulfilling career and other times in the right relationship. Everyone is different and we all have needs.
Before you do anything drastic you do need to consider the consequences and how destructive your actions may be. Will the benefits outweigh the sacrifices? Always explore the possibility that there may be a better way. And remember the grass is not always greener elsewhere.
Does Red Light Therapy Offer You Ageless Skin
Posted by: | CommentsWill red light therapy help you achieve ageless skin? While many women are reporting that they indeed are experiencing very positive results with red light therapy treatments the truth is you won’t really know if it will do the same for you unless you try it.
One of the positive things about light therapy is the source from where it originated. Interestingly enough it came about through NASA scientists. So it’s not even something that was thought up by the skincare industry to make more money out of us it’s a bi product of NASA research.
NASA discovered that light emitting diodes (LED) actually regenerated plant cells and from there it has developed into what it is today where it also benefiting humans. Its use in the medical field is recognized especially in accelerating healing for burns and scar tissue also other health related treatments. In more recent years light therapy treatment has joined the field of skincare and is becoming a real force in the cosmetics and anti aging industry.
Ageless Skin
By the time most of us reach 50 it’s very likely we have a long list of “I wish I had” you fill in the blanks. This is especially so when it comes to self care, as our skin ages and joints get sore and the pounds roll on. Many of us only begin to realize this as we get a bit more time to actually start thinking about ourselves and not just everyone else. It is then that we realize how much we may have neglected our own needs. It is then that we start searching for information on red light therapy and other means that may help us reverse aging and some of the damage we have inflicted on ourselves.
The good thing is it’s never too late to take action to improve on who and what you are. Why are we even discussing red light therapy well because one of the first places that give away our age is our skin especially our face. We see those dreaded wrinkles and lines increasing almost every time we look in the mirror. How you wish you had taken better care of your skin; protected it better from all those harsh chemicals and toxins as well as used a really good sunscreen when you were younger. The idea behind red light therapy is that it helps to rejuvenate the skin the red light penetrates at a cellular level helping to rebuild collagen which we lose as we age leaving the skin more saggy less toned and creates all those lines and wrinkles. Light therapy is known to improve skin tone, reduces discoloration from age spots rosacea and other skin blemishes including acne. It’s no wonder that there is so much interest in light therapy for skin.
There are many things that can help to improve your skin, to keep it more youthful including:
- Remove makeup before bed
- Cleanse the skin thoroughly
- Keep the skin hydrated
- Use a good moisturizer on your face and don’t forget your neck and upper chest.
- Drink adequate water throughout the day
- Smoke free environment
- Practice safe SUN care
- Eat a healthy diet
- Adequate sleep.
- Find a makeup that suits your skin type and stick to it
- Use good quality products leave the harsh ones on the shelf they will only add to your problems by drying the skin out and providing your body with more unwanted toxins .
Light Therapy Products
If you are interested in trying red light therapy to improve your aging skin you may be pleased to know that you don’t have to book appointments and pay a fortune at a clinic or spa you can actually have your own light therapy device that you can use at home. There are a number of different products ranging from around $100 and up so check them out to see which one appeals to you. . ANSR the makers of the successful and popular ANSR Beam have recently brought out the ANSR HALO which is specifically for skin rejuvenation. While its ANSR Beam offered both red and blue light therapy in one device it was a really popular choice for many the HALO apparently is a bit more expensive but improved and specifically for rejuvenating aging skin. Blue light therapy is recommended more for acne which is again a huge problem for many people of all ages. Acne can be a problem on the body as well as face.
The DPL Deep penetrating Light Therapy system is more expensive but is popular because of its additional health advantages in being able to use it for joint and tissue pain as well as skin care. It is also a hands free device.
Other good products to check are Evis Platinum MD, another very popular choice is Baby Quasar red light for aging skin and blue for acne, and Tanda anti aging. The beauty of these anti aging products is that you can use them in the privacy of your own home and don’t have to worry about having to travel to a clinic and missing treatments. Once you have your own device you use it when it suits you. Always remember results take time so you do need patience when using anything like this. Too many people use a product once or twice and say it doesn’t work- you have to give products a chance to do their thing.
Downsize For A Simple Life In Retirement
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve often asked seniors, and soon to become retiree friends to think about what it would be like to live life in reverse. What would you do differently if you could? Not surprisingly many say they wouldn’t put the same importance to the material stuff and would take much more time to travel and enjoy life’s experiences when young enough and physically fit enough to participate fully.
They would choose a more simple life over being bogged down with owning so much stuff. We know that the ideal retirement dream for many seniors is to have more time in the sun, on the beach, golf and travel. Really this is what many people want at any age but retirement is usually the only time when people can take the time if they are financially able to make this a reality.
The truth is that most of us get caught up with the need to own stuff only to realize when we are older that often this very stuff we worked so hard to acquire helps to keep us stuck and financially strapped rather than having the money available to fulfill our retirement plans. Think of how hard we had to work to get the money to buy all the stuff in the first place. And if that’s not enough how many of us have had to get a bigger place to hold all this stuff? What if we had saved more and wasted less!
If you had been able to resist the temptation of all that stuff and made better choices how could your life have been different? Some people learned the lesson much sooner and didn’t have to wait to retire to get their turn of some real R and R and a simple uncluttered life. Those already living a simple life are often the ones that do not seem to have a lot and this is by choice. Maybe they are smarter than the rest of us and figured out the value of the simple life and the freedom that it offers. They didn’t have to wait until they were older and wiser to figure it out. Many of them are living the lifestyle that so many of us see as a reward for having worked all year for, a week or maybe two to spend experiencing a life that makes us feel good. They are probably not doing it as luxuriously as a week’s vacation but they are living it 24/7. Read More→
Plan Where And How To Live In Retirement
Posted by: | CommentsWhere you will live in retirement is a question worth careful consideration. We keep hearing that retirement is getting further out of reach of many seniors and many retirees are not retiring with the original plans they made intact. A financial plan that they may have thought would give them a decent standard of living through their retirement years. Where you live can be a huge factor in how you’ll live!
If you are over 50 you know that you’ll have some major changes ahead of you and you’ll probably have already figured it out that the older you get the faster time seems to go by, keeping that in mind it’s best to plan ahead of retirement where and how you will live to get the most benefit or at least what you hope will be your retirement date.
For many seniors there will be lifestyles changes ahead that will probably mean downsizing your living space and having one that is more adaptable to your needs and personal lifestyle. Besides the practical logistics there’s the financial aspect too, you’ll most likely want or need to reduce your living costs. A lot of people wait until they are past really benefiting from making a sensible living plan, they stay in a home that is too big, needs too much care and attention and eats up too much of their income until one day they are forced to make the move. Some struggle with the maintenance of the home until they can no longer physically do it, others scrimp and save and go without necessities to pay higher bills that are unnecessary when they could have been living more comfortably. It is important to look at the big picture and don’t put off something that can make all the difference to your future. Read More→
10 Tips to Handling Credit Card Debt
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s almost impossible to not have a credit card today. If you want to make online purchases, book a hotel room, or a vacation you really need to have a credit card. Credit card debt can soon become a real problem and end up controlling your life. It’s easy to get into the debt but often seems impossible to get out of it.
The real problem begins when you start to use your credit cards for everyday living expenses, or get carried away with shopping sprees and don’t pay off the balance within the month, so you start getting hit with high interest rates. These interest rates can be astronomical and before you know it debt gets out of control.
One credit card maxed out often leads to getting another card and then another, and before you know where you are things have totally spiraled out of control and your drowning in debt. It is not uncommonfor many Americans to have as many as 9 credit cards.
Credit Card Debt
So what can you do to help your situation if this happens to you? Well first of all you have to acknowledge that this is a problem that needs a solution that you will take action on. Here are some of the most important things that you have to do in order to get your finances under control.
1. Cut up all your credit cards bar one. As already mentioned you do need a credit card for certain things but you must put this one credit card away and use for emergencies only.
2. Add up the total of all of your debts – you need to know what you are working with. Knowing things have got out of control and feeling doomed a lot of people don’t even open their bills because they know they can’t do anything about it. You have to know what you owe.
3. If you have more than one credit card list them all and how much you owe on each one and what the interest rate is charged on each card. Once you have done that you are going to contact the credit card companies and request a lower interest rate. If you find one with the lowest rate see about transferring the total amount to this one credit card company. Don’t be afraid to ask as all these credit card companies are in competition with each other for your business and are used to offering incentives to get business.
4. What you are trying to do here is to consolidate your debt so that you have the lowest interest rate you can get and have only one payment rather than multiple payments. When you are paying the very minimal amounts on your credit cards you will take forever to pay off the debt. If you don’t get satisfaction with the credit card companies or this method doesn’t really help your situation make an appointment to speak with someone at your bank about debt consolidation. In the long run having one payment will end up costing less than multiple payments. Read More→
Singles Over 50 Cruise and Vacation Tips
Posted by: | CommentsFew of us like traveling alone and yet there are so many single people today many of us have done so at some time. Considering the demographics and an ever increasing demand more over 50s and singles cruises and vacation options are available. If you’ve always had someone to travel with before and now facing the prospect of going alone you may find it a daunting prospect . You probably have a lot of concerns too. But these days you don’t have to go it alone and you can let someone else like the best singles travel agents do all the trip planning for you.
If this is all new to you once you see how many options there are you’ll discover that when it comes to taking a vacation you don’t have to do what you’ve always done in the past. With so many options open to you now it’s time to choose what type of vacation you want and what you actually enjoy doing while you are on vacation. You need to decide if the idea of a single’s cruise appeals to you more or a vacation on land. Do you want to vacation in a US destination or international? Will be a relaxing getaway or action packed adventure?
Two single friends of mine both in their 60’s recently took a short vacation. It was a 4 day cruise and then 4 days in one destination. They didn’t actually choose a singles trip because they had each other for company but during this trip they did learn a lot about what they liked and didn’t like for future reference. Read More→
What Concerns Women Over 50 Most
Posted by: | CommentsWhen you are young you never think what life will be like at age 50 – 60 or older. It seems such a long way off that middle age and beyond don’t even enter your head. And then suddenly one day you look in the mirror and here it is your 50th birthday or even maybe a 60th. The things we worry about change at different ages but most women over 50 find that they are facing real concerns that at one time were never even on their radar screen.
We don’t want to put a downer on living life over 50. We want it to be a great and special time in life but we also have to be realistic and look at what is on the mind of many women over 50 that are one day hoping to retire.
There’s no one particular concern that fits all over 50s women. There are numerous concerns depending upon your personal circumstances. Regardless of being single or married, financially secure or poor the one thing that most women over 50 do worry about is their health. And for those that are not financially secure, they worry whether they will they have enough money to see them through.
Besides the prospect of ill health itself many women are stressed out about the ever increasing bills, and worry if one day they could become one of the homeless statistics, which they fear could happen if they get sick and can’t pay their bills. There are genuine concerns that if something happened that prevented them from making an income they could end up living in their car. It’s a fact that the older you get the greater the risk of health problems, so finding ways to get and stay healthy is essential
If you are a woman over 50 married to someone that is successful and financially independent you are going to have different concerns than a single woman that is struggling to make ends meet. I’ve heard women jokingly say that they can’t afford to get old because they just won’t have enough money to see them through to old age. It’s sad to say that although this is said in a joking manner there is definitely some truth and fear behind their words Read More→
Your New Life Can Begin Over 50
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are concerned about getting older and know that you need to make some changes in your life, it’s time to stop thinking and start doing. It’s time for your new life over 50 to begin. So don’t waste your time feeling bad about getting older because it’s not a bad thing. Now that you are over 50 and have more life experience you’re probably a good bit smarter and wiser too. Put this wisdom into action and look at this as an exciting opportunity to create a new chapter for you. It’s true that your new life can begin over 50. In fact even if you’re over 60 or 70 it’s not too late for change either.
You may be thinking that you’ve made some mistakes, maybe that you haven’t always taken the right path in life when you had choices to make. You are not alone most of us would have done at least some things differently given the chance again. Often when we have to make choices we are not sure which one is going to be the best for us in the long run. At the time we make our decision it’s based on the best knowledge we have right then. Everything changes, we change, our needs change and situations change. You have a far better chance of getting what you want in your life over 50 when you take control, make a plan and have direction.
If you seriously want to make some changes you need to set some SMART goals which means they need to be:
Specific – You need to know exactly what you want. Be specific with what you want and not wishy washy.If you decide that you want to have better health for life over 50, well you need to know what that means. Do you need to lose some weight, lower your blood pressure, increase your energy level, need more stamina, or stop smoking? Better health can mean a number of things and be different for each one of you.
If you think that you need a make-over what needs making over? Do you look way older than your 50s when there is no need to? Is it your wardrobe, do you need a different hair cut and style, make-up, skin care or all of the above. Do you need to be more organized? What needs to be organized?
If you need an exercise plan to keep you fit over 50 what type of exercise plan is it to be? Do you prefer to work out alone or with a group, at home or at a gym? How many times a week will you exercise and for how long? Are you going to be training for a specific event like a charity run, a half marathon or are you planning on taking a cycling or hiking holiday? These are all factors in making the type of changes you need.
You get the idea of being specific
Measurable – While you are working on making your life over 50 changes you need a way to measure your success, where you are in the process of your goals of making change. If it’s not measurable how will you know when you achieve it? If your goal is losing weight you can set a number of lbs you want to lose or you may have a specific pair of jeans or a dress that you want to wear. This is measurable. You will know that you’ve reached your goal when you can wear the item or reach the weight that you’ve set for yourself. Finding a way to measure your success will help to keep you motivated and on track. It’s easy to get discouraged if you think nothing is changing and it actually may be but you are not measuring so probably not noticing yet.
Accountable – Be accountable and take responsibility for your actions. If you’ve said that you are going to do something and you don’t do it don’t make excuses or blame others. Whether your over 50 or any other age when you are accountable you will be able to pick up the pieces and get back to your original plan. We all suffer setbacks the key is to not use them as an excuse to whimp out. You will be glad that you kept going when you get the success that you want and deserve.
Realistic – Be realistic. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unattainable unrealistic goals. Give yourself a chance of success. Sometimes we get carried away and set goals so high we haven’t a hope of achieving them. This is your life over 50 now and you are not 20 so things will be a different in a number of aspects and so should your expectations of what you may be able to do. If you want to lose 30 lbs in a month, honestly what are the chances of that happening? It’s possible to have a good chance of success if you say to lose 5 lbs in a month and a 30 lbs loss over 6-8 months. It’s still going to take effort and commitment on your part but at least that’s doable. So being realistic is required when making change. Read More→
Hair Loss In Women Can Be Prevented
Posted by: | CommentsHair loss in women is a huge and growing problem, it can occur at any age. Each and every year there are hundreds and thousands of women that suffer from excessive hair loss. Besides those that are genetically predisposed to thinning hair there are a number of other reasons why excessive hair fall happens.
One of the most common causes of hair loss in women is due to hormonal imbalance. This makes pregnant and menopausal women prime candidates for female hair loss. You may be pleased to know that there are safe natural remedies available to help with your hair loss no matter what the cause is
Often the hair loss in women is only temporary so once the issue that initially caused the hair to fall out is dealt with the excessive hair loss should stop and things could be back to normal quite quickly. Stressful situations can cause hair to fall out. It could be due to divorce, loss of a loved one, being involved in an accident or even being in place where a natural disaster occurs.
Hair Loss in Women
An example of this is a Study was done that showed in aftermath of the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand hair loss in women increased quite dramatically. Many stressful situations like this even though they may be very challenging are only temporary when it comes to female hair loss. However not every woman dealing with hair loss is because of a stressful situation. Those that are losing their hair both women and men alike are looking for answers to this problem!
When you have health issues or injury it’s possible to lose more than the normal 40 – 150 hairs that you shed on a daily basis. Research shows that hair will fall out to allow the blood flow that would normally go to the hair cells to go to areas that require the extra blood flow for healing. It’s a fact that we do not need hair for our survival. However our hair does protect us from getting our heads burned from the sun and helps to keep us warm during the cold winter months. It is also a fact that hair goes through phases of growth and rest, while some hair is growing other hairs are resting and after a period of time the resting hairs will fall out as a part of the normal hair loss in women and men. Read More→
