You’ve heard the phrase ‘smoking kills’ one too many times, but it’s true. Non-smokers live longer and healthier lives. Actually, not smoking is one of the seven dominant predictors of successful aging within some personal control. But it’s not just cigarettes: vaping, smoking marijuana, and even exercising in poor air quality can all have detrimentalContinue reading “Breathe Easy”
Author Archives: bigretiredlife
Don’t Let Your Skills Go To Waste
By Elaine Lum MacDonald Retired professionals have a rich trove of knowledge—skills, insights, and connections—that can be leveraged for good use. The knowledge that each individual holds due to their unique experiences and wisdom gained through time is one of the most unactualized human assets we have. What if that underutilized knowledge could be transferred?Continue reading “Don’t Let Your Skills Go To Waste”
Embrace Your Sports Fandom
By Bill Onderdonk I remember taking my then 5-year-old daughter to her first San Francisco Giants game in 2010. I was there with my father-in-law, a lifelong Giants fan. When Pablo Sandavol, aka Panda, hit a grand slam, my daughter excitedly exclaimed, “I’m a lucky charm!” The 2010 season ended with the Giants winning theContinue reading “Embrace Your Sports Fandom”
Who rescued who?
If you have a dog, there’s a chance you rescued them from a shelter. As your dog benefits from your care, did you know they’re also helping you? There are myriad health advantages of dog ownership. The most compelling being a 2019 Journal of Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes meta-analysis that showed dog ownership wasContinue reading “Who rescued who?”
Got time? Take up golf!
By Michele Kirsch, founder of Chirpy Golf Undoubtedly, many people don’t take up golf because it’s a sport that takes a lot of time. Well, that’s true to an extent. Yet, once you have the time, the sport is easy to start, and you’ll enjoy it so much that you won’t notice the time commitment.Continue reading “Got time? Take up golf!”
Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight
By Stella Taylor Bergan, Health and Human Performance Coach Maintaining a healthy body weight after retirement is an important concern for many people as they enter a new phase of life. As daily schedules change, you may or may not spend more time engaging in habits to keep mentally and physically at your best. HealthyContinue reading “Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight”
Thrive Through All Three Phases of Retirement
The Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go framework is a common way financial planners divide retirement into three distinct phases to understand how financial needs change over time. Instead of using this framework as a financial tool, apply it as an intentional mindset on how you can thrive throughout your retirement. The fact is that everyone willContinue reading “Thrive Through All Three Phases of Retirement”
Passing Down Family Recipes
By Diana Sunshine Every Thanksgiving, I love listening to NPR’s Susan Stamberg share Mama Stamberg’s zesty cranberry relish. She claims it’s Pepto-Bismol pink, and although it sounds terrible, it’s incredibly delicious. Susan has shared it with thousands of listeners and the recipe lives on. Recipes are passed down generation to generation, many of them unwritten.Continue reading “Passing Down Family Recipes”
Going It Alone Through the Holidays
It can be hard to be alone during the holidays. Although conventions say the holidays are a time to focus on others, for some, it might be the time of year to take special care of yourself. You can embody the spirit of the holiday season with gratitude, connection, happiness, and generosity, by spending timeContinue reading “Going It Alone Through the Holidays”
Try Skiing
If you are an active person looking for a fun winter sport—try skiing. It’s great for physical, mental, and social well-being—all beneficial to longevity. Physical fitness: A 2011 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that 12 weeks of skiing leads to an increase in aerobic capacity, leg muscleContinue reading “Try Skiing”
A Workout Program Designed for Longevity
“If exercise could be packaged in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.” This quote, attributed to Robert Butler of the National Institute on Aging, reinforces the benefits of exercise as one of seven dominant predictors of successful aging that’s within your control. Yet, with myriadContinue reading “A Workout Program Designed for Longevity”
What’s Concierge Medicine and is it right for you?
By Sam Sunshine, M.D. Direct Primary Care (DPC) is also known as concierge medicine, retainer medicine, membership medicine, and a cash-only practice. While there are distinctions among these terms, they are a fundamentally different approach to healthcare that removes insurance as the “middle man” and allows doctors and patients to work directly together. For thisContinue reading “What’s Concierge Medicine and is it right for you?”
Four Easy Covid + Cold Home Remedies
Winter is coming. Last week, NPR reported there will be a spike in Covid cases this winter, and The New York Times published tips on holiday planning to mitigate Covid risk without missing out on the fun. Even with thorough preventive measures, you or a loved one may still get Covid or a common cold.Continue reading “Four Easy Covid + Cold Home Remedies”
Solo Agers: Safeguard Your Future
By Carol Marak Caring for my parents was a wake-up call. It required a massive effort involving three siblings and professionals. The same care could someday be needed for me–only I would not have a family to step up. I’m a solo ager, also known as an Elder Orphan. Whether by choice or circumstance, soloContinue reading “Solo Agers: Safeguard Your Future”
Try Bouldering at a Climbing Gym
A great all-weather activity to add to your workout routine is indoor bouldering. All the necessary gear is available at your local climbing gym, and with nearly 600 climbing gyms across the country, it’s easy to find one close by. Climbers invented bouldering to practice difficult moves close to the ground safely. Since no ropesContinue reading “Try Bouldering at a Climbing Gym”
Coping Skills Lead to Better Health and Longer Life
Data show that how you respond to life’s ups and downs can predict long-term health. Your response, known as a defense or coping mechanism, is a skill you can develop. Learn the benefits of mature defense mechanisms as well as seven ways to strengthen them. Dr. George Vaillant, former director of Harvard’s Study of AdultContinue reading “Coping Skills Lead to Better Health and Longer Life”
Long-Term Care: What to Know and How to Pay For It
Most people will need long-term care (LTC) and a plan to cover what can be unpredictable and potentially large costs so that you avoid burdening — financially and emotionally — your family and caregivers. Paying for LTC requires thought, research, and planning. You’ll want to start early, and the reality is that once you’re olderContinue reading “Long-Term Care: What to Know and How to Pay For It”
Tips on Making Family-Time More Enjoyable
After two years of a global pandemic, many of us have a newfound recognition of the importance of relationships, especially family relationships. Retirement means you can be the organizing force to foster these relationships. For many, that means getting your immediate family — your parents, your children, and their families — together for special occasions,Continue reading “Tips on Making Family-Time More Enjoyable”
Managing Grief
Grief is the deep pain associated with the loss of something or someone important. We all know who the “someones” are in our lives. But the somethings — well, those can include youth, marriage, material possessions, future dreams. All of which can make grief an extremely personal and lonely process. Understanding how to manage griefContinue reading “Managing Grief”
Try Backpacking – Just Say Yes!
If you are an avid walker or day hiker, backpacking is a great way to turn that passion into a full-blown adventure. And there’s no better time to try something new than during retirement. In fact, studies show that being outdoors is highly beneficial to everyone and especially to older adults. According to the U.S.Continue reading “Try Backpacking – Just Say Yes!”
The Hard Truth About Alcohol and Aging
Falling into heavy drinking or even alcoholism is a real problem during retirement, no matter how much you may welcome that final workday. So before you pour that glass of wine or savor that martini, here’s some information you should know. A 2017 JAMA Psychiatry article released the results from the National Epidemiologic Survey onContinue reading “The Hard Truth About Alcohol and Aging”
Medicare Is NOT Free and Basics You Should Know
Most Americans think Medicare is free. It’s not. Medicare fees are based on a sliding scale that’s linked to income level. Eligibility Eligibility starts at age 65, and the 7-month initial enrollment period begins 3 months before the month you turn 65. Make sure to enroll when you are first eligible because there are late enrollmentContinue reading “Medicare Is NOT Free and Basics You Should Know”
Join the Club: The Club Sandwich
The Sandwich Generation has evolved into a Club Sandwich. The previous definition described a demographic that was sandwiched between raising growing children and caring for aging parents. The Club Sandwich layers on another generation: helping to care for grandchildren. Upon retirement, when you finally feel like you can take time to pursue your passionsContinue reading “Join the Club: The Club Sandwich”
Cultivate Your Social Power
There are seven dominant predictors of successful aging that are within our control, with stable long-term relationships being the single most important one. This finding was proven by the 80-year plus longitudinal Harvard Study of Adult Development that tracked 268 Harvard students and 465 disadvantaged boys from Boston. Robert Waldinger, the study’s fourth director, presented itsContinue reading “Cultivate Your Social Power”
Build an Active Mindset and Life
Physical activity is key to a long and healthy life, and yet, a significant percent of the adult population doesn’t exercise. The New York Times, in a May 12, 2021 article by Gretchen Reynolds, noted “We already have plenty of evidence that exercise affects how long and well we live … studies show that olderContinue reading “Build an Active Mindset and Life”
The Power of Purpose
Everyone hopes for a happy, healthy retirement. But how, exactly, do you start on this path — especially when you may have 30-plus years to fill with … what? That will likely be the first major question even for the best-planned, long-anticipated retirements. Then there are the traps and quagmires — including depression, alcohol abuse,Continue reading “The Power of Purpose”