I recently discovered a very good article in the Winnipeg Sun about the link between staying active, staying employed, and being healthier in retirement.  Joanne Richard, the author of the article says a sedentary retirement lifestyle is very bad for your health.

“Retirement is a dumb idea with no place in modern society. It’s absurd, economically unviable and can kill you.”

The article reviews a new book by David Bogan and Keith Davies entitled Avoid Retirement and Stay Alive. The book is published by McGraw-Hill and offers abundant evidence of the connection between staying active in retirement and enjoying better health.

Based on the recent Ask Dr. Cynthia teleseminar, and on the questions raised in it, we will begin monthly telephone seminars addressing the most pressing and most frequently asked questions of retirees and those planning for retirement. The first is on March 4.

FREE TELEPHONE SEMINAR

Most frequently asked questions about how to take control of your finances so you can enjoy the retirement of your dreams.

Tuesday, March 4th,  4:00 PST/7:00EST

Guest Expert: Gillian Anderson from Anderson Wealth Management 

Sign up here, and view this page for more details and to ask your most important questions about retirement and retirement planning. 

Each day I meet people from all over the world who are age 50+ and dissatisfied, unhappy and disillusioned about their retirement years. They expected retirement to be full of joy because they no longer had to go to a 9 – 5 job.  Few of them planned for what they would do with these bonus years.

After much thought and reflection, I decided to create a teleseminar based on questions you, your friends or family members may have about this second phase of life so you could really enjoy the retirement of your dreams.

I just saw a very helpful article that outlines some of the most important considerations for working in retirement. In a time of rising health care costs, a threatened social security program, and the evaporation of pension plans, more and more retirees find that they MUST work after retirement. Other retirees choose to work, either full time or part time, because they enjoy the work and the contact with other people. Still other retirees are working in retirement in order to give back or to make a difference in the world.

More and more businesses offer discounts to seniors or to retirees. But a number of businesses don’t advertise those discounts regularly.  They probably advertised when the new policy was put in place, but many just don’t pay to advertise discounts regularly.  For this reason, it is always worth the time to ask.

A friend just moved to a new city and made a number of wonderful discoveries.  First, many apartment complexes give discounts to seniors. The only way to know the age limit is often also by asking.  Some apartment complexes are only open to people 55 and over. Some complexes have a fixed number of units available to retirees at a reduced rate.  Some complexes offer a discount on any unit to someone 55 and over.  Some, however, only offer the discount to people 65 and over.

I just read a wonderful article about fitness after retirement.  Retirees often decide that physical fitness is too much trouble or exertion, and then they soon discover that they can’t do some of the things they enjoy.  As the people discussed in this article demonstrate, staying fit allows you to continue to pursue the things you love passionately, like skiing after 90.

I hope you will read this article (just click here) and discover inspiration to continue the pursuits you enjoy.

For years the conventional wisdom of our culture has said that it is always better to own a home than to rent.  This conventional wisdom is based on the closely related ideas of investing in a property from which you will eventually reap a profit when it is sold and the idea that renting amounts to throwing money into a big black hole.  Some recent thinking, however, points up the merits of renting for at least some retirees.

Yes, Virginia, it seems there is a Santa Claus.  His name is Dr. Mehmet Oz, and he is offering the secret of how you can slow the rate of aging on your body.

Dr. Oz has just published a new book with co-author Dr. Michael Roizen.  The title is You: Staying Young. This is the latest in a series of books these doctors have co-authored.

As you probably know, Os and Roizen advocate holistic approaches to health.  Slowing the aging process is no different.  Their holistic approach may require that you give up some things you like for the sake of a healthier body and a healthier mind, but it seems worth a few sacrifices to be able to really enjoy the second phase of life.

Fall is a terrific time to decide to get involved in a community organization that is making a difference in the lives of others. The sense of value and purpose you will gain from any volunteer experience will energize your life. More important, your contribution of time and skills — no matter how large or small — can make an incalculable difference in the life of another person.

Reuters News Service recently published an article reporting that U.S. regulators are reviewing a possible connection between osteoporosis drugs and “dangerously fast heartbeat.” The study will be done by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The drugs in question are Fosamax and Reclast. The study follows up on two reports in the New England Journal of Medicine documenting cases of atrial fibrillation (abnormal heartbeat) in patients taking these drugs.

The danger of atrial fibrillation is possible risk of blood clots, which can cause stroke.