Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters By Kansas Senior Press Service
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends that people get an hour of moderate physical activity every day and one hour of vigorous physical activity every week. For some people, these are realistic and attainable goals. However, many others fall back on the excuse of “not enough time in the day” to exercise as part of a daily routine.
Instead of an all-or-nothing approach to your workout, it’s healthier to get what little exercise you can. After all, a little exercise throughout the day is better than none at all.
If you do the following exercises, by the time you finish the rest of this article, you will experience a spike in energy and improve your health. But remember to check with your physician before starting this or any exercise program.
Breathing
Sit up straight in your chair, shoulders back, chest out. Inhale slowly through the nose, counting to two. Now exhale for two seconds. Inhale again, more slowly, for four seconds. Exhale for four seconds. Repeat, getting slower and deeper each time: six seconds in, six seconds out, eight seconds in, eight seconds out, and end with a deep, cleansing 10-second inhale and 10-second exhale.
Facial stretches
Start by furrowing your brow and frowning as hard as you can. Hold for five seconds. Now raise your eyebrows and open your mouth as wide as it will go. Hold for five seconds. Repeat four more times.
Neck flexes
Sitting straight in your chair, lift your chin as high as it will go, inhaling until you’re staring at the ceiling. Exhale and bring your chin down toward your chest. Repeat five times. Now turn your head all the way to the left until you feel the stretch, and all the way to the right. Now tilt your head to the left and bring your right hand up to rest your fingertips just above your right ear. Straighten your neck slowly, letting your fingers provide gentle resistance as you do so. Repeat four times, then tilt your head to the right and switch hands.
Butterfly wings
Stretch your arms out to your sides so they’re parallel to the floor. Now bend your elbows until you can rest your fingertips on top of your shoulders. Keep your elbows up. Exhale and slowly bring your elbows forward in front of your chest. (Don’t allow your shoulders to do all the work; concentrate on squeezing your chest muscles.) Hold your elbows in front of you, squeezing to get them as close together as possible, and then bring them back, inhaling slowly as you do. Repeat five times.
Ab clenches
Sit up straight. Now exhale as you gently but firmly tighten your abdominal muscles, allowing them to tilt your upper body slightly forward in your chair. Hold for a count of five and slowly release, straightening back to your original position. Repeat four times.
Butt squeezes
Sit up straight and squeeze your buttocks, holding for as long as you can—eight to 10 seconds. Release and repeat four times.
Calf raises
Sit up straight and place your feet flat on the floor. Now press down with your toes and slowly lift your heels as high as they will go. Hold for five seconds and lower them back down. Now lift your toes off the floor, pressing down with your heel, until you feel the stretch. Hold for five seconds and lower your toes back down. Repeat, alternating heels and toes, four times.
Source: The American Institute for Cancer Research
By Melissa Walden
Kansas Senior Press Service
“Are you short on cash? Do you own your home? Come in today and let us show you how you can make money each month while keeping your house!”
This is the kind of pitch that pulls many older adults into a reverse mortgage.
In a standard mortgage, as a homeowner you make a monthly amortized payment to the lender. After each payment your equity increases, and eventually the mortgage may be paid in full, releasing it from the lender. However, after living in their homes for decades, many older Americans are now turning to reverse mortgages.
There are three types of reverse mortgage. First is the single-purpose reverse mortgage. As the name implies, the monies may only be used for one reason, such as to pay for home repairs. Second is the federally insured reverse mortgage. Although usually backed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, these mortgages tend to be more expensive than other home loans, making them a poor option for those who are staying in their homes for a short period. Finally is the priority reverse mortgage, which is backed by private lenders.
In a reverse mortgage, you make no payments and all of the interest is added to the lien on the property. In essence, with a reverse mortgage you can turn the value of your home into cash without having to move or repay the loan each month. The idea of being able to receive a supplemental check when living on a fixed income can be very alluring. In fact, you have five options as to how you receive the cash from your reverse mortgage:
A reverse mortgage may allow older homeowners to convert part of the equity in their home into cash without having to sell the home or take on additional monthly bills. But be aware that at some point, the lender comes knocking. Although the money you receive will generally not have to be paid back as long as you live in your home, your loan must be repaid after you die, sell your home, or no longer live there as your principal residence.
These are important issues to consider, as many seniors intend to pass their estate to their family or need to leave their home as they age. However, when the home is sold or you no longer use it for your primary residence, you or your estate must repay the cash received from the reverse mortgage, plus interest and other fees. The remaining equity in the home, if any, belongs to you or your heirs.
To qualify for a reverse mortgage, you must be at least 62 years old and possess a single-family home, condominium, or townhouse. The home that will be used for the mortgage must be owned free and clear or have a very small remaining balance that can be paid off with the reverse mortgage.
The amount you may borrow depends on several factors, including your age, interest rates, and the home’s value. Generally, the more valuable your home is, the older you are, and the lower the interest, the more you may borrow. Keep in mind that for all reverse mortgages you will face high upfront costs, origination fees, title insurance, appraisal charges, mortgage insurance, attorney fees, and other closing costs.
On a positive note, reverse mortgages are generally non-taxable and usually do not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits. However, if you receive Medicaid, SSI, or other public benefits, these loan advances will be counted as “liquid assets” if the money is kept in your account past the end of the calendar month in which it is received. As a result, if your total liquid assets are greater than those programs allow, you could lose eligibility and assistance from these public programs.
Due to the pitfalls of reverse mortgages, some seniors are looking into other options. For example, a home equity line of credit with interest-only payments or an intra-family loan may allow you to pay a higher interest rate while avoiding high upfront costs. Of course, the aspects of any loan you consider should be described in full by your financial lender.
Eventually, after weighing all options, you may find a loan that is a perfect fit—or you may simply decide that it is time to sell your home and enjoy a change of scenery.
To obtain a free copy of “Home Made Money: A Consumer’s Guide to Reverse Mortgages,” call 800-209-8085 or visit www.aarp.org/revmort.
Malissa L. Walden, Esq., is an elder law project manager with Kansas Legal Services, Inc.
By Kansas Senior Press Service
Supermarkets are stocking their shelves with a new product commonly known as “fitness water.” If that phrase doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you have seen the bottled water next to still and sparkling water with labels like “Rejuvenate” and “Focus.”
Beverage companies claim that you will get some of the essential vitamins and minerals you need by drinking these fitness waters, as opposed to drinking plain water. If that’s not incentive enough, marketers tempt us even more by adding fruity sweeteners. Will your body benefit from drinking fitness waters, or are they simply a fleeting trend?
Today’s news focuses so heavily on the link between high-calorie, sugary beverages and “overweight” or “weight gain” that more people are feeling guilty for drinking sodas. Flavored waters are a compromise between sugary sodas and plain water; in theory, you get a delicious drink and avoid lots of sugar and calories.
This concept is so popular that national lawmakers have ensured that, in the coming years, fitness waters (among other low-calorie drinks) will be sold in high schools all over the country as part of a movement to curb the obesity epidemic in America.
It’s debatable whether fitness water boosts the immune system, but it definitely contains added nutrients. The added fruit flavors of fitness water entice people to drink more, thus consuming more of these substances.
Fitness water is not necessarily bad for you, but the substances it contains do not substitute for the vitamins and minerals that come naturally from vegetables and fruits. We still need to eat whole foods to get the full supply of these nutrients and beneficial substances. In fact, fitness drinks may actually overload us with vitamins and minerals while adding a small amount of needless calories to our daily intake.
To get the vitamins and minerals you need, eat five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits per day. Beyond that, a glass of plain water suffices to give you body the fluid it needs without the added calories.
Source: The American Institute for Cancer Research
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm