In May 2014, Merrill Lynch published the results of a focus group study in collaboration with the marketing firm AgeWave.  Entitled Health and Retirement: Planning for the Great Unknown (http://www.wealthmanagement.ml.com/publish/content/application/pdf/GWMOL/MLWM_Health-and-Retirement-2014.pdf) , the 22 page document compiles the attitudes, beliefs and fears about the impact of health status, healthcare costs and the impact on retirement planning for the diverse generation of adults in the US.  While I highly recommend reading this document in its entirety, I would like to share my take-away points from this study, especially in terms of the perspective of the Boomer population.

You would have to live under a rock to have not heard that there are 10,000 Boomers turning 65 every day by now!  While the Silent Generation are, for the most part, retired, many Boomers have experienced early retirement due to healthcare issues or to the earlier economic downturn.  Not only does this affect their retirement savings but also their ability to pay for their ongoing  healthcare costs and for some, long term care insurance. And while savings and investments are a critical piece to an enjoyable retirement, current retirees say that having good health is at the top of list in importance. This Boomer generation also has a claim to fame as the group that spearheaded the fitness revolution!  In fact, they self-report that in 1980, 6 out of 10 exercised regularly!  I would like to check this statistic versus other studies, because as a long-time fitness advocate, it seems rather high, but perhaps the most interesting question is the one they never asked:  Are you exercising regularly today? And what  do you consider exercise?  Answers to these questions could provide some clues as to whether this group is practicing what it used to preach.  Kindly keep in mind that I am a boomer too!

But these Boomers do know what matters most to attain and maintain good health! The vast majority, 80&, share that diet and exercise are key, closely followed by being engaged in activities.  Interestingly, this lifestyle choice has been shown in recent studies to delay/prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease - please see my earlier post at www.encorefitwell.com on these studies!  In the focus groups, every generation in the US rates Alzheimer's as 'The Most Worrisome Disease of Later Life", beating out heart disease, cancer and diabetes. But all chronic conditions can affect healthcare costs and a happy retirement, so here are the 5 strategies for healthy aging ( I prefer optimized lifespanning myself!).

1. Exercising! -  Begin in your 60's and 70's and improve your wellness threefold.
2. Proper diet - lean protein, whole grain , lots of vegetables and fruits and healthy fats is the way to go.
3. Healthy weight - yes, we do need to be concerned about the current level of obesity in the US.
4. Social connections - you don't need to be a social butterfly but it's good to have friends, family or both!
5. Healthy lifestyle choices: quit smoking, find a way to manage stress, watch the alcohol and although they don't mention this, please get some sleep! 

So there it is  -our tool kit to better health, a happy retirement and a commitment to change out healthcare future one person at a time!!  Will you join me? 

Today is the first day of Exercise is Medicine Month, which is an initiative started in 2008 by the American College of Sport Medicine.  As a professional member and certified fitness instructor of the ACSM and in the role as a Medical Exercise Specialist and gerontologist, I believe one of the most essential elements of this initiative is to share the message that exercise is for everyone - and this includes this those with functional deficits after illness and injury. And this means you, if you say that you cannot exercise because.......... ( it's a long list!).  We all know the many benefits of exercise that range from the physiological and psychological to the social implications.  So how do we choose and adapt exercise that suits our current functional state and has a goal of improving our state of wellness and fitness?
First of all, we have to get our head in the game!  Are you motivated to choose a lifestyle adaptation that will require commitment, effort and perhaps a little sweat?  Would you like to lessen your need for medications for chronic metabolic conditions?  Look forward to a life with less discomfort, better sleep, more energy and improved function?  If so, then this month I will be blogging about the use of exercise to manage common medical conditions  - these are the same conditions that many use as excuses to not exercise!!  Tomorrow's blog will be about medical exercise management of low back pain, which experts say will afflict 75-85% of Americans if their lifetime.  If you are in this group, I hope you check my blog tomorrow for some safe and effective exercises that will provide relief and improve function.

I have never been a big fan of multivitamin supplementation, for men or for women.  Years ago, Vitamin E was the darling of the medical world and then studies revealed that excessive amounts were actually detrimental to health.  In the past decade, there has been an increased focus on Vitamin D and calcium supplementation, especially in women over the age of 50.  Currently, the recommendation is 600 IU Vitamin D and 1200 mg of calcium daily, especially for those at risk for osteoporosis.   Who is at risk?  Women who are slender, have a small build, are osteopenic, are post-menopausal, do not participate in weight-bearing exercise, have a family history of osteoporosis, or have been on a chronic course of corticosteroid therapy.

So what is the evidence that supports Vitamin D and Calcium for ALL post-menopausal women? Well, the pleasant surprise, which was recently published in the Journal of Women's Health, is that long term ( 7years) vitamin D and calcium supplementation significantly reduce hip and vertebral fractures and also have the added bonus of reducing the incidence of breast cancer and mortality from all cancers.  This was a large trial with over 30,000 women followed for 12 years.  This is compelling data, and worth a discussion with your healthcare provider at your next visit.  I always ask
Check out more details at:http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/815430_1

After a great weather weekend, it's easy to get ecstatic about the end of winter and start of SPRING!  Even the name makes you feel like jumping, right?  Well, even for those of us who keep active in the winter with outdoor winter sports ( XC and alpine skiing, snowshoeing, winter hiking, skating, etc) and indoor fitness can get sidelined if we are overly aggressive about pursuing our warmer weather passions.  And for those who decided to claim watching the Winter Olympics as a fitness activity for February, this blog is for you!  At this time of year and mindset, it is prudent to remember the basic parameters of any fitness activity, which are frequency, intensity, and time.  But I will add one more for good measure - specificity!!  So when starting your spring training schedule, keep in mind that that if you did not pursue that activity in the winter with a similar degree of frequency, intensity and time (the duration of the workout), it is in your body and spirit's best interest to gradually build up to the level you had at the end of Daylight Savings Time in 2013 (when was that anyway??)   And always remember that exercise is specific - you may use the same muscles when you play tennis or volleyball, or when you ski or run, but you are using them in different ways, specific to the proprioception that helps you achieve mastery of that activity!  Your body will thank you (and your wallet as well) when you avoid injury and end up a the doctor's or physical therapist, and your spirit for all those spring and summer activities will remain undampened!  So ease into this new season after this last cold front passes through.  And share your passion for fitness with everyone - we can all help everyone to get excited about the arrival of spring.