Discover the Link Between Health and Wealth

BECOMING AGE-PROOF:
AgeProofing is more important than ever. Many people “live for the day” and don’t save or plan for future health problems. This behavior is problematic because over the years, innovations have prolonged human life. Dr. Roizen asks, “What do you want aging to feel like? Do you want to be taking walks, playing tennis or golf, jumping rope like a six year old with your six-year-old granddaughter, traveling with your family, launching a new business? Or do you want to be couch-ridden watching Simpsons reruns because you have too many ailments and not enough resources to get up and go? “As the average lifespan is prolonged, we need more money and better health to last those extra decades. By taking the right steps we can protect ourselves from common health and money problems down the road. Although many people consider health and finance to be separate issues, Dr. Roizen says health and wealth are intertwined. He says, “Wealth without health? It’s not going to last; your physical problems will wreak havoc on your bank account. Health without wealth? Maybe while you’re young. But as you age, you need more resources.”

PRACTICAL AGE PROOF TIPS:
Dr. Roizen will discuss/demo the following “age-proof” tips:

• How to measure your waist - (p17) – w/ tape measure
• How to test your grip strength - (p18) w/ grip meter
• How to strengthen your hip bones (pp229-231) w/ jump rope (to show only)
• How to practice deep breathing to fight stress - (p85) (no props needed)

AGEPROOF GOALS FOR LIFE:
There are several key ways we can become AgeProof:

Access: This means using diagnostic testing to figure out where you stand financially and medically. Physical tests include Blood pressure tests and sit up/pushup tests, while financial tests include assessing your income, net worth, and savings.

Easily Change Behaviors: We can do this by “automating.” This means creating a positive habit. For instance, you can automatically have money withdrawn from your check and deposited into your 401K account before you even see it. Another example of automating is by eating the same few things for breakfast and lunch. By making it a habit to eat the same healthy meals, you don’t have to make the difficult decision to turn down food that doesn’t “love you back.”

Slash Stress: Reducing stress must be a top priority because stress is the number one contributor to poor wealth and health.

Build Strong Teams: Having a strong team, including family and professionals, will help you to stay on track and achieve your goals.

Budget: Not just your money, but your calories, too!

Erase Mistakes: If you are behind in savings or in bad physical shape, you can make small changes that reverse your patterns.

Create Strong Environments to Make These Dual Goals Easier: Strong work and home environments will contribute to your success.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE:
Dr. Roizen says one of the most important things we can do to become AgeProof is exercise. Our bodies need cardiovascular training as well as strength training. Strength training helps build lean muscle, which increases metabolism as we age. Cardiovascular exercise helps keep our hearts healthy and helps burn fat. It is optimal to do cardio activity at least 3 times a week. Good examples include running, cycling, swimming dancing, rowing or playing a sport. While any of these will increase your health, the most important factor in choosing an exercise is to choose one that you love! This will help you stick to your routine. It is important not to rush into cardio. Dr. Roizen recommends walking, then adding resistance training for strength, then adding a cardio routine. Finally, Dr. Roizen says, “Don’t go crazy.” Make sure your exercise routine is a balanced one. Going overboard with exercise increases your risk of injury, ages you prematurely, and decreases the likelihood that you will stick with it.