Author: Easin' Along

This is the third article in a series on the steps we are taking to improve our health in order to participate in and maintain an active lifestyle as we make that slow walk through our Golden Years.

Two weeks ago we discussed weight loss as I began the Nutrisystem program in an attempt to lose an unwanted twenty pounds.  While the first week was not fun, the discipline required to stick to the program has not been an issue for me. Now, near the end of the third week, I am down fifteen pounds, and have almost reached my goal. Learning to eat smaller, more frequent meals has been very beneficial to the process.

Last week I made the point that exercise, in one form or another, has always been a constant in my life and will be as long as I am able to move at least one body part. Therefore, with two of the elements of my approach to better health practices now  underway, I am turning my attention to improving my sleep habits. Of all of the elements necessary to maintain good health and an active lifestyle, sleep is the one I struggle with the most.

I am very envious of those who have the ability to fall asleep on demand. Helen (adorable wife) is one of those. She can lie down and be asleep in less than five minutes. Moreover, I’m convinced that she could remain asleep through a category five hurricane. Not so with me, and it has been this way for most of my adult life. I trace this condition back to two sources.

First, once I graduated college, I have never been in a position where I was permitted to sleep late. I entered the Army where I usually had to be on duty by 6:00 am at the latest.  Admittedly, I was young; I was in in good physical condition and didn’t think much about it at the time, but an “early to rise” habit was being formed.

After I left active duty and entered the construction business, I was always on the job by 7: 00 am on six (and sometimes seven) days a week for the next thirty years or more. By the time I retired, a habit had been set in stone and waking up at 5 or 5:30 was the norm regardless of what time I went to bed—and I’m rarely sleepy before 11:00 pm.

Another very relevant factor in my sleep habits is that I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about fifteen years ago. I really didn’t need the diagnosis. I knew that I had issues from the time I was in my teens and shared a room with my brother who would wake me in the middle of the night with the hope that my loud snoring would cease. On occasion, Helen would do the same, but thankfully, as described above, she was able to endure the noise. Finally, after a series of episodes where I found myself sitting erect in the bed and gasping for breath, I decided it was time for a sleep study. The sleep analyst who monitored the study determined that I was waking up sixty times an hour and suffered from severe sleep apnea. I was a stroke waiting to happen.

I now wear a mask connected to a CPAP device which is a small compressor that forces air in to my nasal passages and enables me to breathe more easily. To Helen’s great delight (and to anyone forced to share a room with me) my snoring has been eliminated entirely. The immediate result was that quality of my sleep greatly improved and I finally felt more rested. Nevertheless, the mask can be uncomfortable.  At times I will wake up in at around 3:00 am and, with four good hours of sleep accomplished and a somewhat bulky mask on my face to deal with, I will just lay there until 5:00 rolls around and give up.

This week, the National Sleep Foundation issued a statement that outlined their definition of a good night’s sleep. Noted first was the strong recommendation that an individual age 65 and older sleep seven to eight hours per night. It further stated (without elaborating) that five to six hours “may” be appropriate. Hopefully I’m appropriate. This amount of sleep assists with mood, alertness, decision making and the avoidance of many health issues. It also promotes weight loss through the production of leptin, a hormone which signals your body to eat less.

The other noteworthy item on this list was that people who take longer than 41 minutes to fall back to sleep after waking up, may have a problem. We have a problem…

So, with the problem is outlined, what is the approach to finding a solution going forward?

Frankly, I don’t have an answer to the waking up at 3:00 am situation. The problem is vexing to be sure and I would love to have suggestions from Easin’ Along readers as to a remedy.  I especially invite readers who have overcome sleep issues to share their success stories.  At the same time, if there are readers who have an issue of their own and would like suggestion for solutions, feel free to comment below. I would love to create a forum on this topic.

In the meantime, I plan to follow the basics of better sleep that most have read in search of help with this problem. Listed below are a few of them here that I obtained from WebMD:

• Shut down your computer, cell phone, and TV at least an hour before you hit the sack.
• Save your bedroom for sleep and intimacy. Think relaxation and release, rather than work or entertainment.
• Create a bedtime ritual. It’s not the time to tackle big issues. Instead, take a warm bath, meditate, or read.
• Stick to a schedule, waking up and retiring at the same times every day, even on weekends.
• Watch what and when you eat. Avoid eating heavy meals and alcohol close to bedtime, which may cause heartburn and make it hard to fall asleep and steer clear of soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate after 2 p.m. Caffeine can stay in your system for 5 to 6 hours.
• Turn out the lights. Darkness cues your body to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, while light suppresses it.

When I retired I made a vow that one of the first things I would do is turn off the alarm clock. Looking back, it may be that an alarm clock was never needed in the first place.

At any rate, we’re going to work on the problem in our quest for better health.  Good health leads to happiness, and happiness is what we’re all about as we continue Easin’ Along.

This month, Easin’ Along is focused on our approach to improving our health and well being as we pursue an active lifestyle in our retirement. As a supplement to that effort, I thought it might be an opportune time to include a few articles related to the pursuit of better financial health as well. I offer these articles not as recommendations, but as options to consider.

A few weeks ago, I asked Bob Lowry, creator of the very informative website A Satisfying Retirement to scan his archives and see if he could find an article or two that Easin’ Along readers might enjoy. One of the articles sent to me related well to the topic of financial health and I offer it in the paragraphs below.  I think you will find it interesting.

I have written posts about high school reunions, even though I have never been to one. Now I’m writing about retirement and a mortgage, even though I don’t have one. Either I love showing off my ignorance or I am fearless. Maybe it is a combination of both. After all, a satisfying retirement is sometimes a walk on the wild side.

Even so the subject is important. Retirement brings its own unique set of concerns and decisions. Near the top of many lists is a decision about housing. Is it best to pay off the mortgage before retirement, or is that extra money better off being invested? If I pay off the house won’t I lose a major tax deduction? But, what if I have a major health expense and can’t pay the mortgage..could I end up retired and homeless?

Good questions with no clear cut answers. But, they are worth asking and examining some of the ramifications. As an obvious disclaimer, I am not a tax expert or a financial guru, so what I offer is opinion and some basic thoughts from my own research. Please think through your own situation carefully, consult a trusted adviser, and proceed with caution.

If you do a Google search about retirement and mortgages the majority of the sites and articles that rise to the top suggest paying off your home loan before retirement. They do admit that many people can’t do that, but it should be a goal.

 The reasons most often cited to pay off your mortgage:

1. Peace of mind. Even without a monthly payment you still have real estate taxes, HOA fees, maintenance, repairs and upgrades. But, if you delay fixing a leaking toilet for two months you won’t risk losing your home. That big monthly Must Paybill is gone.

2. Home equity is available. I strongly suggest this source of cash be used only for major repairs and upgrades to your property or something like a large medical expense. Home equity is not a piggy bank so you can take a 12 day cruise to Hawaii or buy a new truck. Too many people got stuck when they spent their home equity only to find the worth of the house dropped below the size of the loan. But, with home equity lines of credit charging low interest rates at the moment,  smart use can save you thousands in interest over more conventional loans.

3. You have more freedom to relocate or resize. Get in trouble with your mortgage and someone else might tell you when to move. Have no mortgage and you can decide when to downsize or move closer to the kids….or stay put.

4. You have a large source of retirement money available. If you move to a smaller home or condo or even rent an apartment, any profits after the house sale and purchase are yours. Though expensive and sometimes risky, reverse mortgages can provide a steady income from the equity you have in your residence too.

 

On the other side of the argument, these points are made:

1. Don’t pull money from other investments to pay off a cheap mortgage. Even losing the tax deduction of a mortgage may not be enough to make up for better performing investments. If you take a chunk of your retirement funds to pay off a mortgage the money left will not produce as much income or growth.

2. Tying up too much of your net worth in an illiquid asset. You own a $300,000 home free and clear. But, depending on the market conditions it might take you 6-9 months or more to be able to sell the house and see any net profits. If you need quick cash a house is not the place to find it (except through a home equity loan which comes with its own risks).

3. If you have a low mortgage rate can you earn more in investments? Then, use your cash to grow your nest egg. Depending on your investment strategy and resources, it is not too hard to get a rather safe return of 5% on your money. With a mortgage of under 4% are you willing to throw away that 1% of growth year and year?

 

Another consideration lies in what your plans are when you decide to move. For example, my wife and I plan on moving from our current home in four or five years. Housing prices have been rising in our area for 15 months in a row so the future is looking brighter. 

We know that at some point we want to move into a continuing care community (CCC). The “buy-in” will be somewhere around $250,000. If we own a home or condo and need to move rather quickly into the CCC because of health issues, our buy-in money will be unavailable until we sell. That may be too late.

So, we are giving serious thought to renting an apartment/town home when we move from our present home. The bulk of our profits from our current home will be invested for safe growth. While the yearly rent is lost in terms of equity or tax benefits, we will have liquidity when we are ready to move to the continuing care community. 

Again, I will remind you I am not a financial planner or expert. I have bumbled along pretty well for the past several decades, but there is always more to learn and consider. Since a home is generally the biggest expense for most of us in our lifetime, knowing what to do with that resource is vital.

Bob Lowry is an author and creator of the website A Satisfying Retirement. He and his wife Betty make their home in Arizona. Easin’ Along is grateful for this contribution.

 

 

I once heard it said that retirement can be divided into three phases.  There is the “go-go” phase, followed by the “slow-go” phase, which transitions to the “no-go” phase. I wanted to postpone entry into the second and third phases for as long as possible but, in order to do that, I had to improve my health and fitness habits greatly or else I was destined to be a “no-go” pretty darn quick. Improvements began at the YMCA.

One year ago this month, Helen (adorable wife) and I joined our local YMCA. I’ll share her experience with you in the paragraphs below, but, as for me, my life was changed the moment I walked through the door. Please read on.

A few days after becoming a member I attended an exercise class and shared that experience on Easin’ Along. I noted in the article (click here for a link) that my track record with gym memberships was not good.  I had joined them before–usually in the winter months–but, by the time warmer weather rolled around, I wanted to be anywhere but inside a sweaty gym. Therefore, I was concerned that the inevitable would happen and, eventually, I would  fall back into my old pattern whereby exercise would be something on the calendar for next week. Thankfully, the inevitable never came to pass. I LOVE the exercise classes and never miss one if I am in town.

Helen and I attend two forty-five minute classes a week. Our Tuesday class is led by Donna, a pert, perky, and skilled fitness instructor, who successfully manages to push us well beyond any self-imposed limitations at every session. More importantly, she makes it fun.   On Thursday, we are led by Debra, an energetic young Mom with an engaging smile and a terrific two-step who keeps us in perpetual motion.  Debra’s dance moves sometimes have me tripping over my own feet, but that only helps me to concentrate. I’m grateful to them both for their contribution to my good health.

In addition to the exercise classes, I also began a program of gym workouts.  The individual workout programs are made simple by the online system, Activtrax, which insures that each routine is varied and boredom is minimized. In the initial months I went to the gym at least twice a week, along with my two exercise classes. My program was set…or so I thought.

After a few months of both classes and workouts, an old nemesis reared its ugly head.  Osteoarthritis, a by-product of many years in the home building business, flared up somewhat fiercely in my hips and shoulders.  I refused to give in, but I did cut the gym workout back to one session a week. The change in my routine helped and, while the pain is still there, it has subsided to a level that I can live with. I now take long walks in a nearby park in the place of that one workout.

Helen’s experience has been slightly different.  She attends the exercise classes with me, but the gym workouts are not her thing. In her past she’s had surgery to repair a torn ACL; another to repair a torn meniscus; plus, she has recurring pain from an old shoulder injury.  Therefore, Helen prefers to supplement her exercise program with her newfound passion…pickleball. This discovery came about one morning at the Y when she noticed a group of ladies having a gigglefest in the gym while batting a plastic ball around with a paddle. Her inquiring mind wanted to know what was going on and she was invited to join in. That’s all it took.  Now addicted to the sport, she plays as much as her busy schedule will allow. An earlier Easin’ Along post will provide more information.

Unfortunately, Helen suffered a setback recently when she bent over to return a serve with her lethal backhand and felt an uncomfortable sensation in her thigh. This sent her to the sidelines. After a few days she realized that life without pickleball was unbearable and she returned to the Y to see if Donna, our fitness instructor, had any remedies that might help her return to the court. Donna patiently led her through a series of stretching routines and told her that if she performed them several times a day, she would soon get relief.  The routines are working. I’m confident that she’ll soon return to action as the Attackin’ Assassin on the pickleball court thanks to the help from Donna.

Around the time this post was being prepared, I read a timely article in our local paper that included this profound observation: People who exercise a little, live longer than those who don’t. Admittedly, that is paraphrasing the results of a long study which found that a small amount exercise is better than none.  We’ve all heard it before—get up and get moving—a simple walk every day will do wonders for your attitude and overall well being. I concur completely.

The joy that we have experienced on our retirement road trips have been significantly enhanced by our ability to hike along a wildflower trail, ride a bicycle around a picturesque island, or stroll through every venue of a street festival. In no way am I ready to give up any of that. Participating in an active retirement lifestyle as well as maintaining a “go-go” mentality requires more than a modicum of good health. Our approach has been to achieve that through exercise and, even though exercise ain’t exactly Easin’ it is a delightful way to help us continue Easin’ Along the retirement road.

 

 

 

P.S. Diet and exercise plan working well so far…I’m down 13 pounds in 12 days.  Seven more to go!