"Keep an eye open for an opportunity in the field of sports." I'm the kind of girl who thought making it across the monkey bars, one rung at a time, was a great feat. I was the child who couldn't do a single pull-up on the chinning bar. Even today, as I watch little kids tumble and cartwheel and do the splits, I'm in awe. Playgrounds were no friend to me growing up. Except for the swings, which I loved. I'm still a fraidy cat when going down those super twisty slides and hazarding bumps to … [Read more...]
80-year-old Model
November 7, 2016 4 Comments
"Fate loves the fearless." I love people who subvert stereotypes. Aging is something I want to embrace with grace and poise. But I also enjoyed reading about Wang Deshun, the 80-year-old Chinese model. He's unwilling to compromise his dreams and yield to others' expectations of him. Some of his practices for aging with power? Makes sure he gets both learning time and exercise time in his daily routine Eats a variety of foods, but drinks less alcohol Dares to try new things: "People … [Read more...]
Embracing Aging
August 8, 2016 2 Comments
"An admirer is concealing his affection for you." Honestly, I never thought I'd live in L.A. for so long when I first moved here. Besides the traffic, I remember the extreme focus on looks. In newspapers, I saw (and was scared by) the ads for cosmetic surgery. I also met people looking to break into modeling and acting, and needing to look gorgeous. It seemed like folks wanted to--needed to--reverse aging to feel loved and accepted. Thankfully, this attitude is slowly changing. I'm happy for … [Read more...]
Vibrating Feet
July 18, 2016 2 Comments
"Avert misunderstanding by calm, poise, and balance." Sometimes I like to take a peek at aging research. Recently, I stumbled onto an article about posture--and feet. It turns out that vibrations on the soles of the feet can help in postural control and mobility. Who knew? Remember those Asian reflexology sandals with bumps to push your pressure points? Maybe they can vibrate and do double duty! … [Read more...]
Mind Clutter
June 20, 2016 Leave a Comment
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember." Summer's here! (Today's the official first day.) That means I don't have to indulge in spring cleaning anymore. We all realize that it's important to clear out our home once in a while, but what about our brains? A recent study from the Georgia Institute of Technology funded by the NSF indicates that people may be less sure of their memories when extra information floats around their heads. Participants aged 60 and older were often unsure of their … [Read more...]
Facebook’s For Older Adults, Too!
May 9, 2016 6 Comments
"You will always be surrounded by true friends." Happy Older Americans Month! Do you think technology's just for the young? Nope. There's an upward trend in those 65 and up to connect via social networks. Apparently, senior users love to be on Facebook for "surveillance" purposes--to see how kids and grandkids are doing. I think the communication can go both ways. Find out how your favorite older adult is doing by looking online! Fun fact: Chatting and wall posting are primary activities … [Read more...]
Bucket List
November 30, 2015 5 Comments
"Don't pass up a once-in-a-lifetime offer." I saw this press release about older people learning languages and traveling. Think: study abroad for seniors. I never went overseas for schooling, but I did meet lovely folks who visited here. Students I talked to came from Germany, India, Singapore, Spain, and more. All were super-friendly and gave me a new perspective on America. Learning languages is on my wish list for the future, but some other items I would like to tackle … [Read more...]
My Hands Look Old
October 26, 2015 10 Comments
"Rarely do great beauty and virtue dwell together as they do in you." Um, not really. So Nora Ephron wrote this book called I FEEL BAD ABOUT MY NECK. But I think hands emphasize aging bodies. In college, I had a friend tell me that I had "old man" hands. Of course, I wasn't too thrilled with that opinion. I heard that there's this option to plump up your hands nowadays. It's called Radiesse, and it's a filler that also increases collagen production. Watch this Good Morning America video … [Read more...]
Senior Living, Star-Trek Style
September 14, 2015 10 Comments
"Tomorrow your creative side will shine forth with exceptional ideas." Okay, maybe not exactly like Star Trek, but there are some cool developments for senior living. When your entire apartment is a medical monitor, can robust health be maintained? One new live-in-laboratory in Texas examines this idea. It boasts amenities, like: face recognition software (to analyze skin color and potential health issues) keyless entry sensors-studded floor (monitors the body 50 times a … [Read more...]
