Boomers at risk?

For employers, wellness is holistic concept, including areas like personal finances that can create health-threatening stress. An article about Baby Boomers' retirements at risk provokes thought and concern because "Baby Boomers—born between the years 1946 and 1964—are the wealthiest generation and yet the least prepared for retirement."

Points:

• "…retirement is no longer a destination; it’s an entire journey—often 20 to 30 years long."
• "Boomers, their employers and the country as a whole are completely and utterly unprepared to pay for their retirement."
• "Grossly unprepared for retirement, many Boomers are starting to think of the future with growing concern about health care expenses."
• "60 percent of Baby Boomers will experience more than one chronic health condition."

How are employers trying to help?

• "…employers are turning to defined-contribution health plans as a way of helping employees navigate the health care system."
• "…health care spending accounts (HSAs) offer consumers a more flexible way to help ease the increasing burden of paying for health care, and offer both short-term and long-term tax advantages."

What can Baby Boomers themselves do to prepare for retirement? Here are some random thoughts to kick around:

• Redefine contentment. What do we really need to be content and happy in life?
• Aggressively manage consumer debt. That can be a struggle, especially those with grandchildren and family living some distance away. Giving and travel can make a dent in anyone's financial resolutions.
• Pull together. Make close friendships, share information, and help each other. Social networks can make a difference. Senior groups in churches and lifelong learning groups have saved more than one life.
• Exercise regularly and with others. Exercise has numerous benefits which I periodically blog about.

An overview of what Nordic walking is about.

Nordic walking and muscle mass in older adults

A research article about Nordic walking and older women with sarcopenia, the decline of skeletal muscle mass with age. 45 women, aged 63-79 years old, took part in the study. They had osteopenia or osteoporosis.

After 12 weeks of Nordic walking, the women showed significant improvement in:

• Skeletal muscle mass
• Skeletal muscle index (where the skeletal muscle mass falls relative to the general population)
• Strength index of the knee extensor
• Strength index of the knee flexor
• Functional mobility (how long it takes to rise from a chair, walk approximately 10 feet, turn around and return to the chair, and sit down)
• Functional performance (how far the participants walked in 6 minutes)

The improvement included:

• Decrease in body mass
• Body mass index
• Percent body fat

There wasn't an increase in grip strength, which may be due to the use of the specially designed gloves that are part of the Nordic walking poles. The gloves are designed to allow walkers to support walkers' weight so their hands and forearms don't get tired.

The researchers suggested the importance of building up muscle mass to preserve balance in older people. Nordic walking was useful in increasing strength and improving posture by strengthening muscles.