benefits magazine august 20112

How Lucky Can We Get!(It Depends on Your Health)

by | Elizabeth McFadden

Reproduced with permission from Benefits Magazine, Volume 48, No. 8, August 2011, pages 26-30, published by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (www.ifebp.org), Brookfield, Wis. All rights reserved. Statements or opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the International Foundation, its officers, directors or staff. No further transmission or electronic distribution of this material is permitted. Subscriptions are available (www.ifebp.org/subscriptions).

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Lucky us! We are living in a time when it is quite possible for a 65-year-old to live to the age of 83 and 29% of 65-year-olds are likely to reach the age of 89. More good news from the National Center for Health Statistics: Once you reach the

age of 60, your lifestyle will be more important than ge-netics in determining longevity.

How you enjoy these years is up to you. You have taken time to go to school, to develop skills for your career, raise a family and, of course, plan for your va-

cation. Now is the time to plan for what should be the best part of your life—retirement.

The Three PillarsThere are three pillars of retirement plan-

ning. It is never too early to take an inventory of your life:•  Will I be financially ready for retirement?

•  What will I do in retirement and can I still con-tribute to society?•  How is my health and do I have a healthy lifestyle?

All of these questions are important. You should be re-viewing them throughout your career and setting goals to meet your objectives. The earlier you begin planning, the better your results are likely to be.

As you plan for retirement, most of your focus will be on finances. The earlier you have a financial plan and execute it, the better prepared your financial house will be.

It is also important to plan how you will spend your time, whether it is traveling, a second career or grandparenting. Develop interests so that you can stay involved with your family and community, so that when you leave your career you will have a rewarding retirement.

But one thing is paramount to money and activities: your health.

Your First WealthEarly adoption of a healthy lifestyle will have a real impact

on all aspects of your life, now and in later years. Without it, you will not be able to enjoy your hard-earned money or

An enjoyable retirement

will depend more on a person’s

health than on retirement finances

and activities. This is an article

to share with plan participants

to help motivate them to lead

healthier lives—before retirement.

How Lucky Can We Get!(It Depends on Your Health)

benefits magazine august 201128

your involvement with family, friends and activities. Would you rather spend your money on health care or on the joys of your leisure time? Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best: “The first wealth is health.” Poor health will have a real impact on your retirement funds.

It’s Never Too Late to StartStaying healthy (or getting healthy) is a lifelong process; the

earlier you make it a part of your life the more rewarding it will be. A healthy lifestyle is a team effort that involves you, your family and friends, and health professionals. Putting a team to-gether takes time, but the results of good health—increased en-ergy, a better mood and a greater pleasure of life—are worth it.

You need to set goals and make health a part of your bud-get and a part of your everyday life. Schedule time for it, or it may become something you just never get to. A healthy, active lifestyle is a commitment that won’t be accomplished overnight but can be undertaken in achievable steps. The first step is a visit to your doctor.

You and Your DoctorClear communication with your doctor is very important.

According to the American Society of Internal Medicine, 70% of a correct diagnosis depends on what the patient tells the doctor. To make the most of your doctor visit, be prepared.

Tell your doctor that you want to develop a healthy lifestyle plan, which will include regular checkups, a healthy diet and exer-cise. Write down questions and concerns you want addressed. List your current health problems, have your insurance information and bring a list of the medications, vitamins and herbs you take.

You may want to bring a spouse or family member. If you do not understand your doctor, ask questions. Dr. Mark R.

Chassin,  president  of  the  Joint  Commission,  says,  “A  visit to the doctor’s office can be an overwhelming and confus-ing experience for patients and families. Being informed and involved will help the patients and their doctor get the most out of their visit. With knowledge and action, patients can take steps to make sure they receive the best care possible.”

Your Health RecordPrepare a health record for yourself and bring it to the

doctor’s visit. The health record should include your doctors’ names and contact information, emergency contact infor-mation, pharmacy contact, a list of your medications and drug allergies. It should also include family history, as well as your doctor visits and tests and results. This record can assist you and your doctor to be proactive.

Manage Your MedicinesAsk your doctor or pharmacist how your medications

may affect your body, their side effects, when and how long they should be taken, how they might interact with other medications, whether you should avoid certain foods or di-etary supplements, and whether it is safe to drive while tak-ing medications.

The Cornerstone of a Happy Life: DietThe next step in achieving your lifestyle goal is diet. Good

nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight are instrumental in disease prevention and control. Through good nutrition and weight control, you reduce the probability that you could lose your health through sickness, you increase your resis-tance to illness, and you help ensure that early detection and treatment work against many disabilities.

A healthy meal plan should not involve following a strange diet. It needs to be a plan for life that you and your whole family can enjoy. According to Dr. Neil J. Stone, a car-diologist at the Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago, “The chief ingredient of fad diets is baloney.”

Unfortunately, a proper diet may be more difficult to maintain during the years when your body needs all the help it can get—during retirement.

Examine your diet to see that it provides both the energy and nutrients you need. Try to eat a balanced diet including foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol, lean meats, fruits, vegetables and foods with fiber such as grains and legumes. Limit the intake of salt.

enjoyable retirement

takeaways >>•  After the age of 60, lifestyle plays a bigger role than genetics

in determining longevity.

•  A healthy lifestyle is a team effort that involves the participant, family and friends, and health professionals.

•  Managing weight usually involves a combination of exercise and a healthy diet.

•  Proper nutrition may cut heart and vascular diseases by 25%, respiratory diseases by 20% and arthritis and diabetes by 50%.

•  Walking is an excellent exercise with several benefits.

august 2011 benefits magazine 29

An Apple a DayAbout one in three older adults has

a chronic health condition requiring diet as part of the treatment. And the high percentage of overweight Ameri-cans suggests a relationship between the number of diseases that are caused or complicated by excess fat. A healthy diet will help you prevent the tendency toward conditions such as heart attacks, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, cerebral hemorrhage, nephritis and diabetes. Each of these is linked to obesity and a poor diet.

Counseling by a dietitian or nutri-tionist may be helpful in changing poor habits and helping you adopt diets ne-cessitated by disease. Insufficient exer-cise, diminished appetite, dental prob-lems, gastrointestinal problems, being overweight, or having heart disease and/or diabetes are all conditions that make specific changes in diet necessary.

Your Meal PlanHealthy eating is a matter of eating

a wide variety of foods and a balanced amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Create a healthy meal plan; if you have difficulty, work with a nutrition-ist to develop a plan you can stick with. Tell the nutritionist what foods you can’t stand and those you cannot do without and what your eating habits are, how you cook and how often you eat out. Your daily activities should be taken into account to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Get in the habit of reading food labels. You may be surprised to learn what’s in some foods. If eating out is part of your lifestyle, enjoy! But know the healthiest choices and what a healthy portion is. Consider sharing a restaurant meal with your dining partner.

Good Food . . . Good NewsOur bodies require nutrients to re-

pair and replace tissues and cells.Good eating habits, including proper

diet, will cut heart and vascular diseases by 25%. Proper nutrition can cut respi-ratory diseases by 20% and arthritis and diabetes by 50%. Sometimes eating less, but more frequently, can help you to achieve the proper quantity of nutrients and energy with a minimum amount of anguish.

A Healthy CombinationManaging your weight is usually a

combination of exercise and a healthy diet. Some will find it easier to count cal-ories while others will find it easier to ex-ercise more. For a healthy lifestyle, both a healthy diet and regular exercise should be a part of your plan. To keep off weight that you’ve lost, daily exercise is essential.

Don’t Just Sit ThereExercise is vital every day. Although

you may be able to store the benefits of eating,  the  benefits  of  exercise  cannot be stored for long periods. Before start-ing any exercise program, consult with your doctor. Begin simply doing some-thing you like, such as walking, biking or swimming.

A physical fitness program has  two goals: organic fitness, which includes the condition of the vital organs and

limbs, and dynamic fitness, the efficien-cy of your heart and lungs.

You will be able to tell when your physical  fitness  program  is  having  its desired effect. Regular exercise can help you look and feel better, physically and emotionally. People around you will also be able to tell! Your attitude will be more positive and optimistic; you will accomplish more with less strain and tension. University of Vermont re-searchers report that moderate to brisk aerobic activities boost your mood for up to 12 hours. “Even a few minutes a day can pay off,” says Dr. Jeremy Sibold, assistant professor of rehabilitation and movement science at the University of Vermont.  “Pick  any  activity  that  you enjoy and do it as often as possible.”

Use It or Lose ItWhen your body is functioning

properly you will have greater stamina, strength, endurance and coordination. Regular physical activity improves your overall health and can increase flexibility to most joints. An improved and more efficient circulatory system, strength-ening your heart, is another product of a good exercise program. It also helps lower your blood pressure and choles-terol levels, tones your muscles and is a great way to handle stress. For both men

enjoyable retirement

Elizabeth McFadden is president of MEI Publishing Inc. and publisher of the Ready or Not, Your Retirement Planning Guide, now in its 38th year of publication. Her firm develops and markets educational materials to help people acquire the skills and knowledge needed to

make life’s transitions easier—from school to career and from career to retirement.

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benefits magazine august 201130

enjoyable retirement

and women, exercise—especially weight-bearing activities—can help preserve bone mass and prevent osteoporosis. It can increase your energy level and help you lose weight or main-tain a healthy weight. Exercise reduces the number of calories stored in your body as fat, keeping weight down and fitness up.

The latest guidelines from federal health authorities and fitness experts stress that although strenuous exercise such as jogging or cycling provides the most benefits, moderate exer-cise and even everyday physical activities such as gardening, house cleaning, walking to work, or climbing a flight or two of stairs can also help keep you healthy.

At EaseDon’t overdo exercise, particularly at the beginning. It took

more than a day to get in your present condition, and it may take a while before you begin to look and feel better. Make your routine reasonable and fun. Join a group. Your local Y, high school or college may have an adult program. People who have an exercise buddy are 67% more likely to meet their goal. Persuade a friend to walk with you, or get out and exer-cise with your dog. Find an exercise show on TV. Exercise is the conditioner for the healthy and therapy for the ill.

When you pick an exercise, be sure to pick something you will enjoy and can do regularly. When starting to exercise, start slowly and listen to your body. If you get fatigued, feel pain or are short of breath, take a break. If you exercise at a pace that is comfortable for you, you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

Turn Back the YearsSo you don’t enjoy jogging miles every day, or you can’t. You

don’t get a kick out of exhausting yourself on a tennis court. In fact, you don’t do much of anything that involves physical exertion.

You have a problem, but fortunately it is one that can be solved easily and without cost, through regular exercise. As you grow older, exercise becomes more vital. Exercise is not a foun-tain of youth, but it can make later years easier and can prolong life. People who engage in moderate exercise at least three to five times a week can reduce their blood pressure by an average of ten points and dramatically lower their risk of diabetes.

A study of 300,000 men over the age of 45 found that death rates among those leading completely sedentary lives were four to five  times  that of men who exercised regularly. The study confirmed that bodies deteriorate without proper exercise. This is so whether you are in your 20s or in your 70s or 80s. Bodies must be used. If they aren’t, they lose efficiency and tone.

Take a WalkDon’t forget an exercise you do every day—walking. Walk-

ing provides excellent exercise for the heart, muscles and lungs and can have added benefits as well. Walking can give you a chance to relax, enjoy your surroundings and give you a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Build up your walking distance slowly, keeping your pace fast without becoming winded. Increase the distance you walk until you think you have exercised enough; 45 minutes is a good limit for many people. Wear a good pair of sneak-ers that fit well. They will help keep problems from starting in the first place. Shoes should feel comfortable right away.

Walking reduces risk for heart palpitations and stroke. About 20% of people over the age of 65 experience episodes of irregular heart rhythm.

Beat the CalendarUsing your body can mitigate and delay the aging pro-

cesses. Keeping active will help you stay young in spite of your calendar years and will help you feel better also.

“Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory and learning. Even ten minutes of activity changes your brain,” says Harvard Medical School psychiatrist John Ratey.

Reap the RewardsWhen planning for your retirement, think about your fi-

nances and your interests. But also think about yourself and take the time to take care of yourself so you can reap the rewards of your career with the biggest and best retirement package: a healthy, vibrant lifestyle.

learn more >>EducationNeed to Know Updates About Recent Retirement RegulationsFor more information, visit www.ifebp.org/elearning.Certificate Series—Health Benefit Plan Basics October 10-11, Las Vegas, NevadaFor more information, visit www.certificateseries.org.

From the BookstoreReady or Not, Your Retirement Planning Guide, 38th Editionby Elizabeth McFadden. MEI Publishing Inc. 2011For more details, visit www.ifebp.org/books.asp?8881.