A blogger friend left a comment on one of my recent posts and included this great link.  (Thank you, Lisa!)

In case you didn’t see Lisa’s comment, I’m devoting this post to it. It’s that important– and I don’t want you to miss it!

The link provides cross-sections of two men’s thighs. Both are 74 years old. One is an athlete. One is sedentary.

You can plainly see the difference in composition–specifically, the amount of muscle tissue and fat tissue.

And, you’ll note that the 74-year-old athlete’s thigh is not unlike the 40-year-old’s thigh.

Nothing like a “visual” to remind you why you’re exercising!

Because you can forget, sometimes. And you might have those days where you wonder, betwen sets or laps, ”What am I really getting out of this?”

The changes you experience can be subtle. And you can forget how you used to feel when you didn’t exercise.

But skip exercising for a while, and then go back to it, and you’ll see what you’ve lost. The strength and flexibility you had. The greater energy and vitality you enjoyed.

And just a reminder…

After age 50, one in two women will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density.

After age 50, one in four men will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density.

Fractures–especially hip fractures–can be life-altering. Not in a good way.

At age 74, which leg would YOU rather have to hold yourself up?

Weapons of CONSTRUCTION

If you go through a “busy period,” research shows you can maintain muscle strength with once-a-week training.

But, if you’re between the ages of 60 and 75, not muscle size.

And, although the study reported last year in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, did not investigate adults ages, say, 40 to 59, I’m going to deduce that things do start slowing down!

Here’s a news release about the study.

The study

For 16 weeks (Phase 1), two groups of 70 individuals (total) exercised 3 times a week. They performed 3 sets of 3 exercises–the squat, the leg press, and leg extensions.

The 39 younger adults were between 20 and 35. The 31 older adults were between 60 and 75.

For 32 weeks (Phase 2), both groups changed their training. In this phase, they were further divided into three groups:

• those who performed 3 sets of the 3 exercises on ONE day a week (1/3 of their former training volume)
• those who performed just ONE set of the 3 exercises, on ONE day a week (1/9 of their former training volume)
• and those who did no exercise at all

At the study end, NONE of the individuals in the older group had maintained muscle size.

An aside, for my younger friends reading this…

Those younger individuals who cut back to one exercise day a week (1/3 of their prior program) continued to build muscle. While those who performed only one set of the 3 exercises (1/9 of their prior program) were able to maintain muscle. And those who did no exercise at all, lost muscle.)

But what of that huge population segment of people ages 36 to 59? The researchers didn’t look at this group, sorry. But, as I hinted before, I think we can safely speculate…and it doesn’t get better the older you get!

The upshot

Older adults need greater weekly maintenance dosing of exercise than younger adults to maintain muscle gains from exercise, says the researcher who led the trial.

Good to know. Your strength won’t decline too quickly if you’re forced to stop weight training. But your size will decrease.

Why should you care?

Because loss of lean muscle is independently linked to increased mortality in older individuals.

(Curious? Here’s one study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that talks about the link between decreased muscle and increased mortality in older men.)

Resistance exercise builds muscle–the anti-frailty cure.

It helps fight disease by boosting your immune system and helping to ease inflammation, and also by…

• improving your body’s use of insulin, helping to normalize blood sugar levels
• boosting your flexibility and agility as well as your strength, decreasing your fracture risk
• strengthening and building your bones
• improving mood, memory and cognitive function 

So many reasons to pick up those weights–or, if you prefer, resistance bands.  

You won't find me outdoors (at least, dressed like this) NOW!

It’s true that you’ve got to be consistent to be healthy and fit.

You’ve got to exercise regularly and eat well regularly, too. That sometimes means finding a “middle road” that you don’t have trouble staying on.

Years ago, I dieted super strictly. But I could never stay on the diet for long. Monday through Friday, no problem. Weekends, forget it!

The net result: My weight keep going up. Frustrating, given I was “so good” 5 days in a row! But those weekends did me in–even though it didn’t seem they should have!

This is a good case for finding a more reasonable “middle road” and staying on it!

But–and here’s the catch–change is also critical!

You’ve got to change up your exercise program regularly to keep challenging your body.

And if your goal is to lose a few pounds, changing up your diet is a very smart idea.

Fortunately, the changing seasons help us do that somewhat–as long as you eat seasonal produce (for the most part).

Bodybuilders are experts at changing up their diet.

Now, you may not see the connection between you and a bodybuilder, but please consider: Bodybuilders getting ready for a contest have a certain length of time to get ready. Often, around 12 or 13 weeks. (Some a bit less, some a bit more.)

During that time, they juggle their macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) regularly in order to keep shedding bodyfat.

If they continued eating the same meals, day in and day out, they’d hit a plateau. And, with a contest on the horizon, they have no time for plateaus.

But you don’t want to think about carbs, fats and protein, you say? I don’t blame you. It gets tedious. And sometimes that obsessiveness can backfire.

So what do you do?

It doesn’t have to be arduous.

Changing your diet

Just make simple substitutions for the things you “always” have.

For instance, do you always have oatmeal for breakfast? Change it!

Have a scrambled eggs (or use some whites to fluff it out) with veggies. Add sprouted grain toast, or fruit. Or a side of nitrite-free bacon or organic chicken sausage. Or top your eggs with a slice of Swiss (lots of calcium!) or feta or goat cheese.

Or how about a shake or a smoothie? Expecially if you’re tired of cooking anything at breakfast. Add a slice of toast, if you like, for the crunch factor.

Always have protein-starch-veg for lunch or dinner? Many ways you can vary that meal. Like chicken, roasted butternut squash, broccoli. Or salmon, cauliflower, yam. (Hopefully you already change things up, to get a variety of health-promoting nutrients into your body.)

But maybe you want to throw 3 nights of salads into your weekly meal plan. Toss some chicken or turkey in there, or whatever protein you like. Add avocado and any sort of veggie. And make your own dressing with extra virgin olive oil.

Or maybe you want to enjoy some homemade soup a couple nights a week. Great! Fill out your soup meal with vegetables and/or a salad, so your stomach won’t be growling an hour later. Make sure there’s a little protein in there, too.

Tip: I find that weekends are a great time to change up my diet. I usually have more time to cook than I do during the week. I can even have bigger, more fulfilling breakfasts. Take advantage of the days you have time!

 Changing your exercise

Change the types of activities you’re doing. Or vary the frequency with which you’re doing each.

Let’s say you’re currently taking 2 yoga classes a week and doing 2 days of weights followed by 30 minutes of cardio.

Doing strictly meditative yoga? Consider substituting a more challenging class for one session.

Or…consider doing 3 days of yoga. Keep doing your 2 days of weights (but change up the order of exercises and maybe how many repetitions you go for) and change your cardio activities. Maybe do 2 days of interval cardio, plus 2 days of long walks. Or take a class you’ve been curious about. Or get out and play tennis. Any activity YOU enjoy (or may enjoy) and are likely to hang with for a while!

You get the idea. There are lots of ways to change up your exercise plan. Including even taking a week off and maybe just going for restorative walks or, weather permitting, fun bike rides.

Just don’t make yourself crazy. Vary your program according to how your schedule and your energy permits. And be ready to change things again in, say, 2 or 3 months.

Again, the seasons (and the weather) can help you with this, depending on where you live.

For many of us, when we have warmer, dryer days with more hours of daylight, we have more outdoor options. Like evening walks, weekend tennis games, bike rides and hikes.

Change the exercises or the number of exercises you are doing in each session.

Do you do the same old exercises over and over again? Change it up!

Also change the order in which you perform the exercises.

Be creative. There is no workout cop who’s going to write you up for doing lunges instead of squats.

Do you always do 3 straight sets of each weight-training exercise? Change it! No reason you can’t do just 2 sets of some, or 4 sets of another. 

OR, try supersetting your exercises. For example, doing a set of DB upright rows for shoulders, directly followed by a set of DB side laterals for shoulders.

(Supersetting is an intensity technique. Most likely, you’ll need slightly lighter weights than you ordinarily use to keep doing all those reps.) 

I’ll leave you with this…

Most personal trainers will tell you that MOST gym “regulars”–the people who show up regularly and are consistent with their exercise routine–don’t significantly change their bodies over time.

Why? Usually the reason is either a faulty diet or they’re doing the same exercise routine again and again, for months on end.

And, sure, sometimes it’s a combination of both a poor effort at “eating healthy” and no variation in the exercise program.

No wonder people get discouraged.

Don’t let that happen to you. Keep changing things so you continue to make progress and you won’t be disappointed!

With exercise, change things monthly, quarterly or, at the least, seasonally to get the best results! 

With your diet, change things seasonally, or when you feel your results have stalled or when you’re going for a goal–such as weight loss, greater energy, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar or greater disease protection.

Tea. Cannot do without it.

It’s been two weeks now since I started my new job, and, ah, how those memories have come back!

Bagel Friday. The homemade lemon bars on the “sharing table” Monday morning. And waking up at 5:15 AM to get my workout done before work.

It’s not easy staying true to a fit, healthy life. I can understand why so many people have trouble avoiding temptation and skipping exercise.

It takes smart scheduling, a little sacrifice and a few tricks to stay healthy.

Tricks–not willpower

In fact, I think it’s the tricks I’ve used over time that keep me on the straight and narrow–far more than willpower, quite frankly.

For instance, I buy frozen spelt seed bagels at Whole Foods, defrost them one at a time, then toast a half and have it on Friday mornings. So when I see those bagels at work, I’m not even tempted. I’ve already had mine!

Lemon bars? In bygone years, I would have definitely tried one. And, hey, there’s nothing wrong if you DO. But, I know now that they’d put me in that dangerous “sugar zone.” Going back for more and more all day long.

But, wait, that’s not the trick!

I have 5 meals a day. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon they’re small, more like snacks, really. But they do keep my cravings at bay!

In between, I have lots of tea. It helps me stay full, and gives me an excuse to get up out of my chair for a few minutes. (So unhealthy, sitting and staring at a computer screen all day! I try to get up once an hour.)

Another trick–I eat or drink enough healthy ”sweet” stuff to keep me satisfied.

Snack time!

This will no doubt change in time, but right now, this is what I’m doing…

Mid-morning, I have a protein shake that I assemble before I leave for work. In a small shaker, I put unsweetened vanilla almond milk, whey protein and chocolate greens powder. Plus, I have 4 prunes on the side. Don’t laugh. They’re for my bones!

I end my super healthy lunch with a small square of organic, 70% cacao, dark chocolate. It feels like a reward for having so many healthy things already, lol.

Cool thing is, I’ve found that I’m able to enjoy a little chocolate at lunch, so I don’t devour most of the bar the way I occasionally did when I’d have it after dinner.

And, mid-afternoon, I’ve been on a streak in recent months. I’ve gotten pretty fond of tender nuked apples (I know, I know, the microwave will kill me!), sprinkled with cinnamon and Truvia, and topped with a tablespoon of organic almond butter. I usually get this ready the night before and put it in a container so it’s ready to go. It takes care of my sweet tooth quite nicely.

When do you exercise?

I’ve rearranged my workout schedule so I hit the gym on weekends and only 2 days of the week (Tuesday and Thursday) before work.

I may add more eventually. But that’s it for now.

On the job, I take a lap around the building at lunch. But that’s more to blast myself silly with some cold, fresh air!

Of course, being in nature has been shown to relieve stress. Plus, a dose of sunlight perks me up and the vitamin D may help strengthen my bones.

But, really, I just like to move around a bit. It’s a short walk. I don’t do it to “melt calories.” Just feels good!

So, that’s it. I’m not perfect. And I’m not even trying any more to BE perfect.

Actually, I think THAT’s the secret to my success!

I’ve found that, to be consistent, I need to keep things easy. That means not too much time spent cooking and preparing. On the other hand, not getting caught unprepared, either!

What do YOU do to stay healthy? Have any tricks up your sleeve? Please share!

To feel better now? Today?

Or to try to lay the groundwork for a healthy future?

In recent years, I’ve been touting the benefits of the latter. Maybe because I spend a lot of time thinking about the years ahead. And, it doesn’t hurt that I’m a health journalist.

So I am constantly reading and writing about the long-term benefits of exercise. Like how it can help prevent diabetes, dementia, certain cancers, and cardiovascular problems like heart attack and stroke. 

But am I wrong?

A new study of 385 women, ages 40 to 60, suggests that short-term goals, like reducing stress and feeling better today, are more effective at motivating people to exercise. That’s because the study subjects who focused on short-term goals were more likely to exercise than those who felt long-term goals were most important.

So, it was stuff like having a bettter mood, increased energy, being a more pleasant wife or mom, and spending time outdoors or with other people that got the study subjects to exercise. Interesting, given this age group.

Long-term goals included weight loss. Hmm. I think even longer-term goals would be enjoying good health in your 60s, 70s and 80s.

I’ve had to think about all this for a while. And, in a way, I understand.

I hate missing gym days. I’ve recently had to take a week off, and I couldn’t wait to get back to the gym.

I miss the sense of satisfaction I get when I work out.  I absolutely feel happier with myself at 10 AM or 2PM if I’ve already gotten my workout in.

What are your goals? 

I used to exercise for different reasons, I admit. To have a six-pack. To get big “delts,” horseshoe triceps and teardrops in my quads. (Don’t ask!)

Quite honestly, those were nice rewards at the time. Neither short-term nor long-term, exactly. (It takes a while to change your body to THAT degree.) But they motivated me to get to the gym.

Short-term is tied up with long-term!

These days, I get the satisfaction of being proactive about prolonging my health.

That’s a short-term benefit (I feel a sense of accomplishment TODAY) and a long-term benefit (I’m doing what I can to boost my health in the long run).

So I suspect the study design is a little faulty. And that people really do have a few different reasons to exercise. But given choice A or choice B, well, they had to pick ONE.

Why do YOU exercise?

Do you think more about what it will do for you TODAY, or how it will effect your FUTURE? I’d love to know! 

True! You don’t have to compare yourself to others any more!

So…there ARE some benefits to getting older!

You can go to the gym and concentrate on business! Exercising (not chatting) and using good form.

And not worrying about what other women are lifting.

Guys have this problem. Maybe it’s “poundage” envy.

In fact, my boyfriend just told me about a guy in his gym who was doing shoulder presses using much heavier weight than he uses.

And, for a moment, he was distressed. “If he can lift that much weight…”

But then he saw that the guy barely did quarter-reps. Which means, he moved the barbell only a quarter of the way through the full range of motion for that exercise.

So, sure, if you don’t use a full range of motion, you’re going to be able to lift heavier weight.

Phew! My boyfriend relaxed. (He-he.)

It’s getting past the “ego”

Luckily, women don’t stress as much about how much weight we lift.

If anything, we may have “slimness” envy. Or “curves” envy. (But, fortunately, I think that’s more common among younger women. At midlife, you’re certainly less concerned about competing with the “gym bunnies.”)

It can be motivating to see a woman lift heavier or harder than you. And that’s great! I’ve always been inspired by that! It makes me push myself a little more.

But don’t do anything silly to compete with her!

Don’t use poor form (contorting your body) to be able to use the weight she uses. Don’t do her routine if it’s a lot more than what YOU can comfortably do. And be cautious about trying exercises that are trickier or more advanced without proper instruction.

For all you know–she may have been weight training for the past 30 years.

(I know for sure I would not expect to come anywhere near the grace and flexibility of friends who are yoga devotees. I just wouldn’t even attempt advanced postures!)

So be yourself

Pick up the weights YOU can manage and work with those!

Push yourself–that’s fine!–while maintaining proper form at all times.

Keep learning! But go with trustworthy sources. Because not every one in the gym should be your role model!

And, finally, make it all about YOU!

It’s definitely more fun that way–and more rewarding!

“Get thin in 28 days.” ”A new ‘you’ in 8 weeks.”

Yeah, sure. I hope you don’t believe this stuff!

I’ve seen a lot of weight loss promises since the start of the New Year. On magazine covers. On the Internet. For diet groups and books and programs and DVDs and various gadgets and tools.

Magazines sell and diet groups make money based on these promises.

And they can be alluring. I admit I’ve fallen prey to their claims in the past.

But not any more. I’m smarter now. And so are you.

Where are you going, anyway?

You’re going to be around how many more decades?

Right. So what’s the rush?

I like to think that, in midlife, you can decide what’s really important. And if you have some pounds to get rid of, you want to do it in a way that won’t sacrifice your health.

Take your time. What’s critical is to adopt a healthy lifestyle you can stick with.

More likely than not, that 30-day magazine diet is going to be so restrictive you just can’t maintain it for long.

Super low fat? Super low carb?

Neither one is a sound approach.

(I think if we knew in advance that a particular eating regimen could hurt us–and how–we’d be a lot smarter about resisting!)

Instead, figure out small changes you can make that will align you with the fit, healthy person you want to be!

And then build on those successes through the year!

If you really need a time goal, summer is a great time to shoot for. It gives you 5-6 months to eat more vegetables, exercise a little more, stretch a little more, get a little more sleep…

Think how much better you’ll feel taking this low-key approach!

What helps ME

For many years, I’ve had in my head an image of a healthy, vital, active senior woman. A woman with light in her eyes, sureness and energy in her step and a positive demeanor. 

And I am forced to acknowledge, you don’t just wake up at age 80 to power-walk the local terrain with a smile on your face. 

You have to start NOW to be what you want THEN. 

But push too hard, too fast  and you could end up hurting yourself

Muscle pulls. Strains. Aches and pains. Sure, all that.

But also the stuff happening inside you that you cannot see.

Eat for health.  Exercise for health. 

And monitor yourself every step of the way!

YOU know best when you’re overeating or undereating. Overexercising or just too sedentary. Getting adequate recovery time or not.

And if you’re not quite sure, it’s a GREAT time to learn your body!

I think I've had enough!

Years ago, I made the mistake of doing too much exercise on a regular basis. It’s no wonder I have a few medical problems.

Overexercise, especially when combined with restrictive dieting, can result in osteoporosis and adrenal fatigue. Nice. Possibly low thyroid function, too.

I consider myself lucky, however.

Experts know that overexercising can be damaging, weakening your immune system so you’re less able to resist chronic disease.

For many stretches of my adult life, I hit the gym 5-6 days a week. On at least 4 of those days, I’d do 40-45 minutes of weights (each session was very intense and using maximum effort) followed by up to 45 minutes of cardio.

Waaaaay too much!

I excused my exercise obsession by saying it was my “sanity saver.” (My kids might beg to differ.)

It was “me time.” Well, that’s for sure.

But “me time” could also have been an hour’s extra sleep in the morning. (Greatly needed.) Or 45 minutes spent reading a book or the newspaper. (Always useful.)  

So how much exercise is just right?

Sounds like I’m copping out, but that’s hard to say. Each of us has a different tolerance to exercise.

And we all vary on how much stress we have in our lives.

Stress, as you no doubt know, comes from a variety of sources–from our jobs, our financial situation, our relationships, our family problems, medical issues, and on and on.

If you have a stressful life in general, you’re not going to be able to add a lot of exercise stress without paying the consequences.

Plus, how long you can spend exercising without incurring damage depends on whether you’ve been exercising already, for how long and how intensely.

These days, I try to be done in an hour.

Some days it’s only 45 minutes. That’s when I’m usually doing just a weight-training workout.

At most, it’s an hour and 15 minutes. That’s when I’m combining a weight-training workout with 12 minutes or so of interval cardio.

If it’s a short weight-training session and I still have some gas in the tank, it might be up to 20 minutes of interval cardio. But no more!

Even now, I am sometimes wiped out when I’m done. Not good, and a sign I need to pull back.

Maybe that’s a good gauge. Try not to be wiped out after you exercise.

On the other hand, don’t always expect exercise to energize you. It can happen. Just not likely on a day when your car breaks down, you’re late for work, deadlines threaten and you realize you forgot to move funds around between accounts to pay bills.

Cut yourself some slack!

Divvy up your exercise so you’re not going at it for hours.

An hour max seems reasonable for non-athletes in their 50s. (Give or take 15 minutes.)

So if you’ve recently set an exercise resolution for the New Year, make sure it’s sensible.

If you’ve got a yoga class or an aerobics class, leave it at that. Try not to combine these activities with a weight-training session or 45 minutes on the elliptical.

Save those for another day, when your muscles are fresh and you (and your central nervous system) are rested.

Or if you’ve had a class where you didn’t get much stretching in, then stretch. Your muscles are still warm and more “receptive” to stretching.

But, of course, don’t overdo it.  

For the last three years, I’ve had relative freedom to wake up when I need to wake up and exercise when I want to exercise. Plus, prepare and cook meals for myself at lunch and dinner.

It wasn’t ALL fun getting laid off at PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference) three years ago…but it’s been great in many ways.

At noon, I could prepare huge salads, or roast vegetables, or cook fish and eat everything freshly made.

Late afternoon, I could run to the store and get fresh vegetables for dinner.

I could go to the gym without keeping my eye on the clock.

That’s changing.

I start a consulting gig as an editor at Health Monitor Publishing on Monday.

What this means is that I am back to what I’ve done for most of my adult life.

I’ll be squeezing in my workouts early in the morning, before work, and on weekend mornings, when the gym is crowded.

I’ll be doing the bulk of my grocery shopping on weekends, and packing lunches and snacks each night for the next work day.

I’ll be like so many of you who work 9-to-5 jobs, where it’s a bit of a challenge to be healthy.

But I’ve had practice.

In fact, years ago, I used to get up at 4 AM so I could get to the gym by 4:45. So I could then get through my weight workout and cardio session and home by 6:30. So I could get two children to two schools and myself to my job a half hour away by 8:30. Oh, yeah. And lunches and snacks packed for all three of us.

(Need I mention, that half-hour ride to work was just enough to dry my hair!)

But that was several years ago. The children are out of the house now. Which means dining for one. And no school drops before work.

So, life is simpler. But the bottom line is the same…

Organization is key!

There’s no way around it.

I am making my lists. What has to get done over the weekend (hair coloring, eyebrow threading, clothes shopping for my new job). Groceries. Food preparation. Clothes selection (and laundering and dry cleaning) for the week.

I can’t be running out for a major food order mid-week, when I fully expect to be exhausted. And LATE coming home from work.

I don’t want to wake up and wonder what I’m going to wear. No time for that! So I’ve pulled out my old work clothes and will try them on tomorrow to see what fits and what looks decent. Before I go clothes shopping.

I’ve mapped out my exercise days–what body parts I’ll be exercising, on what days.

…and my writing days. (A book is next on the agenda.)

And I’ve figured out my blog post writing days.

I’m working on my meal plans for the week. Perusing the grocery store circulars for sales and specials.

Yes, being fit and healthy DOES take effort.

It helps tremendously to plan.

Otherwise, you’re at the mercy of circumstances beyond your control.

And with those comes…pizza lunches, pizza dinners, skipped workouts, tighter waistbands, stress-induced chocolate binges.

Fortunately, a healthy lifestyle does not have to be tyrannical.

As much as possible, you get the exercise in and the healthy meals. 

But you don’t have to be rigid. If you try, it just may backfire.

I know this to be true. So now I build pizza and chocolate into my plan. Wine, too.

It’s a comfortable plan.

And I am here to assure you…it all can get done! You CAN be healthy and fit…and busy with life, too!

Happy 2012!

I’ve been dormant (as far as blog writing goes) over the holidays. Thank you for being patient. My college-senior daughter appreciates it.

And now we’re in the new year.

What I wish for you is that you NOT diet. NOT take on a challenging new exercise program. Because the odds are stacked against you with these approaches.

Instead, realize that getting healthy is a process. And you are already on that path.

Yep! I don’t care what you weigh. I don’t care what your health status looks like. (Well, I do, because I don’t want to see anyone suffering or in “dangerous” territory.)

But, by that I mean that, wherever your blood pressure or your blood sugar is today, for instance, it is only one dot in the line…a single point in your health status continuum.

Acknowledge that, if you’ve ever started, say, a program of walking, or you’ve ordered a salad, or you’ve bought wild salmon or fresh berries, then you have already started to get your body healthier.

You are already two steps on the path to better health.

Recognize that, at those points in time, you already started doing something positive for your body and mind.

And all you have to do now is shore up your past successes. This will keep you on the path. 

Keep in mind: A “slip” does not mean you’ve failed!

Because if achieving better health is a process, there is no failure.

Consider saving for retirement…or a new car…or a house.

It doesn’t happen in an instant. Boom! You’ve got a huge amount of cash to sink into a house. Short of winning the lottery, you’re not, in a single instant, set  for your “retirement years.”

It takes time and regular installments. A little saved off each week’s salary.

Same thing with achieving better health.

It all adds up!

Each thing you do that improves your health is a deposit into that bank account.

A healthy meal. A walk. A time-out each day to do something you love that relieves stress. (Think music, time in nature, flowers, hobbies.)

Don’t wait until you’re 80 to start saving!

My vote: Pick small, doable things that you have a good chance of succeeding at. 

Do them one at a time!

And slowly build.

A year from now, you’ll have a lot to celebrate! And you won’t even be tempted to make those impossible resolutions!