Myths about retirement life, Senior sex and more. What is true and what is worthy of tabloid gossip about
life after retirement.
COMMON MYTHS ABOUT RETIREMENT Busy
Bees are Happy Retirees Myth While some retirees seem to have this figured out, others think that the mere
fact that they are keeping busy means they are enjoying a happy retirement.The key to what
to do in retirement is not to be busy doing things you don’t like doing. Don’t
spend every day at the grocery store when you can buy what you need for
the entire week in one visit. Don’t go to social events or spend
time with people you don’t like just so you don’t have to spend the evening or afternoon
at home alone. Don’t trade a frenzy of unfulfilling activities and chores
for an enjoyable retirement life.And don’t use staying
busy as the answer to a boring retirement or to solve your problems or fears about living alone and
aging. It is a myth that being busy for the sake of being busy will not make you happy. Perhaps the first myth about women is they
retire from work if they were stay at home moms. Women who did not work outside the home still continue
to do the housework and cleaning long after the men retire. “We have to eat,” the man tells
his wife so her job is never done. Eleanor, the wife of a successful
doctor and entrepreneur, didn’t buy in to that philosophy. “When he retired from
his job, I retired from mine.” She no longer cooks. But most couples can’t
afford to eat out every day. They do still have to eat at home . What
is the answer? Many couples are having to re-evaluate cooking and other chores around the house
that need to be done. Other things are changing after retirement. There are more and more women who
didn’t stay home to raise children. And today they are retiring from lucrative
jobs and careers as well as men wondering what to do in retirement, complicating myths about life after retirement. Retirement is Life is Like
Dessert: Before
many of us actually jumped in, we felt retirement would be a piece of cake. It would just sort of happen. Pre-retirees
didn’t take it seriously enough to plan ahead and that’s why so many of us retire and
find ourselves having to re-enter the workforce, or are forced to live on much less than our rich
dessert aspirations. Sometimes we do all the right things and the economy thumbs its nose at us.
For others, time becomes their enemy. They have no idea what to do with all of it! They haven’t
taken the time to think about what to do after retirement, or think they will be content playing
golf all day, 7 days a week like John. “I couldn’t wait to get out on the golf course
and play every day. But after a month I was bored.” Many retirees with this problem complain about retirement
being boring and become bitter, or end up going back to work because they can’t find enough things
to do to keep them happy and engaged in life. If that’s you …read more . All
I Need is a Hobby Myth We encourage
hobbies and activities. Especially if you pace yourself and find an assortment
of hobbies that you really enjoy and find interesting. If they aren’t, you will quickly be bored.
Don’t push yourself too hard. Find a few things you enjoy and engage in each one once or twice a week. Besides
hobbies, find a few activities to do that get you outdoors and put you in contact with other people
that share the same interest. You may not be able to play tennis anymore, but Pickle Ball is played on a smaller court
and most everyone can have fun at this sport for example. . Retirement is the Kiss of Death Myth Fear not! Adjusting to retirement life is
difficult but not lethal. It is a change not unlike other life changes you have had to adjust to
in the past. Like being on your own for the first time in your late teens, getting married, having children, finding
a job. We’ve all had to adjust to new issues and retirement is no different. As far as dying
soon after retirement, it is a myth that the cause was retirement. The cause was probably due to an
underlying health problem they already had and retirement had nothing to do with their death. There
is however a connection to retirement and poor health. Many seniors who retire don’t stay
active, they don’t eat healthy and they aren’t proactive in taking control of their
lives. Money
Will Go Farther Myth Yes, there can be savings when you
are retired but there are certain expenses you may be ignoring that don’t decrease. In fact,
now that you are home full time you are probably spending more money on certain items like medical
insurance and utility bills because you are home during the day. You may be eating out more often because
you don’t want to cook. Take inventory on your expenses. Just because you are retired it doesn’t automatically
mean your money will go farther. You may be the person who thinks doing all those little chores
yourself will save money and offer satisfaction for a job well done. I have one
thing to say: Just because you now have the time it won’t make it any more enjoyable and it
could cost more by the time you have to buy the tools and parts. “I thought that once I retired
it would be great to catch up on the little handyman odd-jobs around the house my wife had been nagging
me to finish; Thought I’d save money and it would be fun. It worked….for about a week.
Then I added up the cost of buying everything I needed to fix the plumbing and realized I didn’t
save any money,” says Randy B. “I’d rather pay someone else to handle that crap.” Successful People, Successful Retirement Myth “Things that are in motion tend to stay in motion” goes the law. Or does it?
Does success in the workforce automatically lead to success in retirement? Absolutely not. In
fact, it can be just the opposite. Many high-powered or high profile professionals
who are used to accolades and the highs and lows of success find themselves craving that ego stroking
after retirement. Once you retire, you will not be getting all those pats on the back in this role.
People who enjoy the
benefits of a happy retirement find ways to ‘give back’ by contributing time to charitable
organizations and engage in their communities. Some do this by sharing the talents they honed when they
were working .
GOT A BUCKET LIST?
Wondering what to do in retirement? Many experts say that you can learn a lot about yourself by
making a bucket list Here are a few ideas to get the juices flowing...
Ride a Harley from San Francisco to
New York!
Spend a night in an ice hotel....Brrrr
Stargaze at the Atacama
Desert in Chile
BUNGEE JUMP from a scary high bridge
Learn to speak Chinese (or another foreign language)
Learn to Sail and sail to the Bahamas or...?
LEARN THE TANGO....in Buenos Aires, Argentina of course.
New medical research helps Parkinson's
disease...and
Throat and how what many of us do on a daily basis could help trigger the disease. Read More A Healthy Body and it Starts with Good Nutrition. Enjoy over 100 different
healthy, nutrition packed,
fruit and vegetable recipes CLICK HERE for more information GOUT
Those who have never suffered the torment of gout have no idea how crippling it can be. The trouble
is...Gout is often portrayed in a 'less than flattering' light in the media, being linked to a life of “excess”
and “self indulgence” - but this is not the case...The cause of your gout is not your fault. Gout
is a disease of the joints, most often linked to a tender, swollen big toe... But the big toe isn't the only area that can be affected.
Any joint can be affected, but most of the time the feet and ankles bear the brunt of the pain. The joints become red,
swollen, and extremely sensitive to pressure, making 'getting around' difficult. If you're sick & tired
of the gruelling pain of gout (and finally want to be gout free), this may be the most critically important information
you'll ever read... CLICK HERE
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MYTHS ABOUT SENIOR SEXTopping the
list...An older man’s equipment doesn't work. Things may be different
today than when you were in your twenties or thirties. Back then you could go a few rounds without having
to take a day or two…or week or two, to get another erection. But just like the Toby Keith song, you’re probably
as good once as you ever were. In a survey of men over age 70 conducted by AARP, almost 75 percent said they had few, if any, erectile problems.
(And men wouldn’t lie about that now would they?) If men are having issues, they shouldn’t hesitate to make an appointment with their
physician. Most problems can be solved with that little pill that will make them harder for a longer period of time. There
are also implants, pumps etc. that will do the trick, so rock on guys. 2. Her equipment doesn’t work. It is true that menopause can lead to vaginal dryness
but there are many lubricants that can resolve that issue so if it’s painful for her to have intercourse, go to the
drug store. (I recommend silicon-based ones.) You can also try estrogen-based creams to plump up vaginal tissues, but talk
to your doctor first. While
the vagina may thin as women age, the clitoris thinks it’s still 20. Since the blood does
flow more slowly to the genitals of both sexes as we age so you may have to stimulate her more but there
is no degradation of that little trigger. 3.There’s no life in the
old engine. Wrong again. It's true that if you have stopped having sex because the woman is experiencing pain, you
can’t get an erection or your relationship has some issues that have gotten in the way of
lovemaking, it can cause problems but don’t despair. There are ways to overcome these issues. Be proactive.
The best way to keep your engine running is an active sex life (which is different for everyone) 4. An aging body isn't sexy. Sounds like Hollywood and
the media are at it again, but they are wrong again. We are our own worst enemy when we doubt our sexual appeal. Just because we have
gained weight or our bodies have started to sag remember sex starts in the brain. You are with the person you love,
and you want to share intimacy with them. Sex isn't just about how you look and the best part of being with your same
mate or someone about your same age is you both look older. We don't need perfect bodies to be sexy to someone at any age, not just because
we’re older. What we need to do is stop feeling insecure about how our bodies have change and instead use what we have
between our ears to have great senior sex. That’s where sex always starts. Remember this, someone that has that perfect body often thinks that
because they look so good they don’t have to do anything but lay there and you’re supposed to do all the
work. Be confident in the fact that lovemaking has no age, and the things you know about your partner’s sexual
turn-ons, and the things you do that make them happy in bed are all you need. 5. Older people shouldn't have sex. For some reason, many people think sex between
older people is disgusting. They wrongly believe that sex belongs to the young. If that were the case, we’d
lose our sex drive after thirty, and everyone knows, or should know that doesn't happen. Healthy,
active lives depend on us keeping our sexual energy and intimate connection intact.
TOP SENIOR FEARS- NOT A MYTH Impotence There is no question that men suffer from performance anxiety at all ages. Particularly
as they age and their libido begins to diminish or they can’t achieve or maintain an erection. “It’s embarrassing,”
one man says.
And he isn’t alone.
According to a British study done in 2008, men think about sex
13 times a day, compared to women who think of it half as often or less.
In fact, in an article from a men’s
magazine in 2001, impotence scored higher on the fear meter than cancer or death for males.
An uncle who is over
50 put it succinctly, “If I couldn’t have sex there’d be no reason to live.” I don't think I'd go
that far, however it's on the top of my list.
It may not all be in our heads. There seems to be some good medical
facts that support this fear. One, men who have ED but who are otherwise healthy seem to have high blood pressure, abnormal
cholesterol and or coronary tissue and other heart disease markers.
So perhaps men instinctively sense there is
a connection between sexual health and a healthy heart.
Diminished Physical Strength
It's in a man’s
DNA to value strength and vigor. And when it begins to diminish they take it hard.
My father, who was a doctor,
was also a very hands-on kind of man. He loved working hard in the yard, building concrete walls, anything that demanded physical
labor on weekends. Now in his eighties, he says it’s one of the things he misses most. “I’ve still
got the desire, but my body just won’t let me get out there and work like I want.”
Feeling weaker was
named one of the most dreaded parts of aging for nearly 9 in 10 people surveyed earlier this year by the American Geriatrics
Society Foundation for Health in Aging along with Abbott Labs.
Retirement and Irrelevance
The prospect of retiring fires enormous anxiety because men attach so much of who they are to what they do, which
begs the question, "If I'm not my career, what am I?"
There are ways to combat this dilemma by finding
new activities, hobbies etc. that offer fulfillment and achievement in your retirement life. Also, make new friends and form
new social networks.
Losing Your Wheels
Driving isn’t just a way to get
from point A to point B. For many men, it reflects part of his identity and represents freedom. Once you can no longer drive,
it means an end to the endless possibilities an open road offers. And having to give it up is like asking you to crawl into
a cage and watch the rest of the world go by. Worse still, not being able to drive raises the fear of becoming dependent on
other people to perform any task that requires wheels.
Losing
your mind (or your wife losing hers)
A friend of mine who is in his 80’s says he fears Alzheimer’s
disease more than any other aging issue. And nothing quashes the idea of having a wonderful retirement life quicker than the
thought of having to care for a spouse that may not even recognize you.
Studies show that more men than women,
nearly 1 in 5 men ages 70-85, have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) -- sometimes called "pre-Alzheimer's" –
and they will get it earlier than women, according to a Mayo Clinic study in the September 2010 journal *Neurology*.
Studies also confirm that most of the men who get MCI have never been married, so despite the times you think she’s
making you ‘lose it’, in fact marriage will help you keep your mind.
However more women actually develop
Alzheimer’s disease. That means you may need to be her primary caregiver so I don’t know which option is scarier.
Fortunately, unlike a generation ago, many great resources now exist to support inexperienced caregivers.
Dementia
was the number-one health concern of 12,000 Americans (male and female) in 2010 according to a survey conducted by the British
healthcare company, Bupa. Fortunately, only about 15 percent of mild cognitive impairment cases evolve into dementia each
year. A heart-healthy lifestyle and exercises for the brain may lower the risk but there are no sure-fire ways to avoid the
disease.
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