Educational Opportunities

Take advantage of educational opportunities:

Go back to college and audit courses---or get a degree for the first time---or a second degree in a subject you really enjoy!
Look at the offerings of community colleges.
If you are in a metropolitan area, check out the education programs offered by museums.
Look at offerings of senior centers (or centers with a comparable name).
Check out the Department of Recreation in your municipality, where, no doubt, classes are offered on a regular basis.

And get yourself knowledgeable on the computer, taking advantage of the wealth of courses offered on the subject.

seniors clubs

Expand social contacts:
Be open to making new friends and acquaintances.
Make it a point to enlarge your circle to include more than your generation.
Don't be afraid to get to know people with differing views from you; they can be as interested in your views as you can be in theirs.

Experts comment on the benefits of seniors getting out of their rut and making their social contacts more intergenerational.
It enables all of us to have a younger outlook and not be so self-obsessed with aches and pains that members of our generation are prone to talk about, especially if they have nothing else that interests them.

I really like the comment made by the 87-year old college student (imagine her social contacts!):
You have to laugh and find humor every day.
You've got to have a dream.
When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it.

Health care for seniors

Medical experts note that many people in this country, regardless of their economic situation, do not have a primary care physician.

This situation particularly applies to members of the Boom generation who, up to this point, have never experienced health problems.

Lastly, when thinking about health, do an evaluation of yourself on your diet, and how you need to change some of the lifetime habits you have formed up to this point.

Recently a gerontologist remarked to me, "Following a healthy diet may not lengthen your life to any extent, but it can ensure that you will stay healthier much longer!"

Look at health and fitness:

Get to a Fitness Center and get fit!
(Perhaps for the first time in many years.) Take up golf.
Or simply just get out and walk the dog two miles every day. And if you don't have a dog, grab a friend and do the walk together.
Go for strength building and/or balance exercises.
Check out places that offer water aerobics (a great exercise!).

If you are a tennis enthusiast, there are many centers that offer a seniors tennis program.

You might not be Wimbledon material, but you can have a great deal of fun and perhaps meet new people.
Find a good primary care physician, one who is familiar with problems you may have as you age.

If you don't have one, get one who is younger than you, attentive to medical breakthroughs, and possesses a warm and caring concern for you.

Set general goals and objectives:

Most people reaching retirement are at a crossroads in life, having spent the vast majority of their years first at study, then at work, juggling careers, children, parents, finances, community responsibilities, the high times and the low times.

Now it's time to take charge of where you want to go and what you want to do.
Think outside the box!

Set goals and objectives in living accommodations; your lifestyle; life's enhancements ignored over the years; and your finances.

Most importantly, give plenty of attention--and get help if you need it---to the financial issues.

Review life up to this point:

Look at the peaks, the valleys, the joys, the sad times, the changes you wish you had made, the changes you still have the opportunity to make.
Appraise your own personality, your lifestyle.
Consider your likes and dislikes, where you are in the life cycle and how you want to live your life in the coming decades.
Take a new--and possibly different--look at your own spiritual life, relating this to how you want to approach life from here on out.
Most importantly, be comfortable in your thoughts, your decisions, your plans for the future.

This can be a daunting task. It can also be revealing. Not too many of us want to place ourselves figuratively on the analyst's couch and peel away the protective layers built up over the past decades. Many take the attitude of "I don't want to think about that," or "I'll think about that tomorrow." But, hey it can also be a bit of fun.

Have osteoporosis?

Bones lose minerals and strength as people age. Serious bone loss is a problem for about 25% of older people.

You can prevent some of this bone loss with strength activities.

Your muscles and bones have to be challenged to get stronger or to maintain their strength as you age.

Join a beginner's program to learn some techniques that will help you improve your strength. It will help you maintain your independence and quality of life.

Ask your doctor or health-care provider what would be safe for you.

If you have osteoporosis, being active will still be of great benefit, but activities may need to be adapted to provide that benefit without putting you at risk.

Here are some suggested activities:

Resistance training that challenges your muscles and bones
Aqua fitness programs
Walking
Folk or line dancing
Specialized classes for people with osteoporosis

Arthritis or stiff joints?

Then it is even more important that you make a commitment to doing gentle movements every day to keep your joints flexible.

Small amounts of daily activity can make a huge difference and keep you mobile.

Flexibility and strength activities are essential to keep your muscles and joints healthy so that you stay mobile.

The more sedentary your lifestyle, the stiffer your joints will become.

Seek professional help if you are unsure about what is safe for you.

Here are some suggested activities:
Home stretching routines
Aqua fitness programs
Specialty classes for people with arthritis
Walking/wheeling

Ritire from or Retire to

"The idea is not really what you retire from but what you retire to."

Not all of us, however, have achieved this goal yet. For those who are seeking how to live life more fully in the years ahead, I offer the following low-cost prescription:

1. Review life up to this point: Look at the peaks, the valleys, the joys, the sad times, the changes you wish you had made, the changes you still have the opportunity to make. Appraise your own personality, your lifestyle. Consider your likes and dislikes, where you are in the life cycle and how you want to live your life in the coming decades.
Take a new--and possibly different--look at your own spiritual life, relating this to how you want to approach life from here on out. And, most importantly, be comfortable in your thoughts, your decisions, your plans for the future.

This can be a daunting task.
It can also be revealing. Not too many of us want to place ourselves figuratively on the analyst's couch and peel away the protective layers built up over the past decades.

Many take the attitude of "I don't want to think about that," or "I'll think about that tomorrow." But, hey it can also be a bit of fun.

W. Thomas Cunningham

Don't want to exercise?

I've worked hard all my life, now it's time to relax.

Being active can help you to relax and prolong your independence.

Build physical activity into your daily routine. Set yourself a small goal.

Staying active is important to your physical and mental health in your retirement years.

You have already taken a first step by reading this post.

Choose things that you like to do. Join in activities with people you like to be with.
Start with small steps.
Find one activity that you could try, or do more of what you are already doing.


Take your grandchild for a walk - grandchildren have so much energy, it might inspire you.
Take a dog for a walk.
Join your neighbour for a walk.
Walk to the grocery store and carry home the groceries.
Do some stretching every day.
Join a class at the community centre.
Join a mall-walking program.
Wash and wax the car.
Use a wheelchair? No problem, "wheeling" can be as beneficial as walking.

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To Tired?

Many of us feel that way, but most people who become physically active say that physical activity helps them feel better and gives them more energy.

It's important to choose activities that you enjoy because that will motivate you.

Do you like to dance? Why not turn on some music you like and move to the beat?

Do you like nature? Go for a walk and take in the scenery.

Do you like gardening? No yard? Try a balcony garden.

Do you like meeting new people? Check out the programs for older adults at your community centre, local Y, seniors' centre, or private fitness club.

Talk to your friends and find out what they are doing. Maybe you could try something with one of them.

Even if you have not been very active, once you get started your body will adjust to your energy needs.

Just try something... a little bit every day will make a difference.

Improving your Strength & Balance

By lifting weights and doing resistance activities will improve balance and posture.

Keeps muscles and bones strong and helps to prevent bone loss.

Getting started is easier than you think

Build physical activity into your daily routine.

Do the activities you are doing now, more often.

Walk wherever and whenever you can, starting slowly with easy stretching.

Move around frequently, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Carry home the groceries but don't overdo it.

Find activities that you enjoy.

Try out a class in your community.

variety of activities

Choose a variety of activities from each of these three groups:

Endurance:

Continuous activities that make you feel warm and breathe deeply.

Increase your energy.

Improve your heart, lungs, and circulatory system.

Flexibility:

Gentle reaching, bending, and stretching.

Keep your muscles relaxed and joints mobile.

Move more easily and be more agile.

Being active

Being active is very safe for most people

Start slowly and build up - listen to your body.

Accumulate 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days.

Minutes count - add it up 10 minutes at a time.

Not sure? Consult with a health-care professional.

You're never too old

To increase your level of physical activity.

Most people say they gain strength, endurance, and flexibility by becoming more active - including those in their nineties.

Almost immediately, many people notice they feel better and getting around is easier.
Consider this:
The more you move, the better you feel.

More active older adults have the function and fitness of those much younger.

More active people prolong their independence.

Everyone can benefit from increased physical activity

People with physical limitations and chronic conditions can also benefit by becoming more active.

Increasing your level of physical activity as much as you are able can help offset many of the negative effects of certain diseases and disabling conditions.

Just remember if you don't use it you will lose it.

Physical inactivity

Makes your body age faster.

Independent living depends on being able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them.

To stay independent you need to be able to reach, bend, lift, carry, and move around easily.

Staying physically active will help you to keep moving, and stay strong.

Think about these facts
60% of older adults are inactive.
Sitting or lying for long periods is a serious health risk. (World Health Organization)

Inactivity leads to declines in:
bone strength;
muscle strength;
heart and lung fitness; and flexibility.

Inactivity is as harmful to your health as smoking.

Physical inactivity

Independent living depends on being able to do the things you want to do when you want to do them.

To stay independent you need to be able to reach, bend, lift, carry, and move around easily.

Staying physically active will help you to keep moving, and stay strong.

Think about these facts :

60% of older adults are inactive.

Sitting or lying for long periods is a serious health risk. (World Health Organization)

Inactivity leads to declines in: bone strength; muscle strength; heart and lung fitness; and flexibility.

Inactivity is as harmful to your health as smoking.

Your health and independence

Maintain your health and independence as you age.

Physical activity is one of the most important things you can do, to maintain your physical and mental health and quality of life as you get older.

Walking, stretching, and keeping your muscles in good condition will help you to maintain your independence.

If you want to keep your reflexes sharp and work on your concentration, you should take a lesson from your children or grandchildren and get them to teach you to play games on the computer.

There are many different simple games (and very demanding games) you can play.

Studies have shown that playing those games help with your concentration and reaction times.

tips for th fridge

Up to 66% off home accents!


Separate fruit and vegetables in storage

Separate ethylene producing items from ethylene sensitive items for storage.
In general, fruits give off more ethylene than vegetables, and vegetables are more sensitive to the harmful effects of ethylene.
Two crisper bins is always best and you should use one crisper bin for fruits and the other for vegetables.
You can check which items are ethylene producers and which are ethylene sensitive by visiting our Produce Reference Chart.

One bad apple will spoil the lotDecayed or damaged produce will produce much higher levels of ethylene than normal.
In addition, mould and fungal spores can easily transfer from one piece to another.
You should sort through your produce before storing them in your fridge and discard any items that are decaying or damaged.

starting gardening at retirement?

How much sun does your garden really need?

Vegetables prefer a full day of sun, but if you live in a shady suburb you don't have to give up the idea of growing vegetables.
Here are some minimum sunlight requirements:

Fruiting Vegetables - eight hours of sun.This includes tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and vine crops such as cucumbers, melons and squash.

Root Vegetables - six hours of sun.This includes carrots, beets, etc.

Leafy Vegetables - four hours of sun.These are your "greens" such as lettuce, spinach and collards.

* Keep in mind that these are minimums. Increasing the amount of sunlight your vegetables receive will increase the yield and quality of your crop.

* Even though your vegetables may get enough light when planted near a tree, they will not get
enough nourishment and water.
Vegetables can't compete with an established tree for essential
nutrients and moisture.

getting past tax deadline

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The deadline for filing you income tax is past, most have made the deadline, but there are those who have not.

If they owe money and cannot afford to lay out cash to pay the tax. they will have to pay a penalty of 5% plus more each month they do not pay it.
Many Seniors fall into this catagory, it is hard to come up with some cash at tax time, if you are on a fixed income.

There are ways to make the filing and paying of tax a little more bearable.

By putting money aside each week into a R.S.P, or by using one of the other tax deferal methods,
when tax time presents itself again, you will be ready.

Another method used, is having your employer deduct extra $ each pay period. ( if you have a job that pays)

Some prefer this method to make sure they do not have to pay more at the end of the year.
This method is not reccomended, as you do not make any money in interest.