midlifejourney.com

A friend is off to Ecuador tomorrow. She is traveling with a group of students to experience the lives of the people of Ecuador up close and personal. The program is called Rostro de Cristo. Click here for more information.

She called me for advice on choosing a good hat to keep off the sun, protect from the rain, and stay on her head. My first choice is the best choice: A Tilley Hat. I’ve had mine for years, and it does what is promised. It’s not inexpensive, but worth every cent. If you are traveling, or even if you are just sitting on the beach this summer, consider getting one. You won’t regret it.

I dont know about you, fellow midlifers, but I find keeping up with all that is new a pretty daunting task. The discipline of constantly updating, and learning new skills, is exciting yet overwhelming. After 10-12 hours a day on this computer, I just want to chuck it in and veg in front of the TV for a few hours. Thanks to OnDemand and HD-TV Recorders, all my programs are recorded and waiting for me to view (fast forward through commercials, of course) when I finally step off the computer merry go round.

One of the best ways to keep up with everything is an online service I discovered not too long ago: lynda.com. They have experts who present online tutorials on just about every software package out there. It’s worth a look.

Author: Kathy Ekdahl, CSCS, ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Personal Best Personal Training

Looking for a fun effective way to enhance your workout? Interval training may just be the way. Interval training is defined as alternating bouts of work and rest. Unlike a sustained bout of cardiovascular exercise where the participant deliberately maintains a steady pace, intervals are about working at high intensity for short periods of time. Alternating very hard work and rest periods will expend significant calories while also increasing your cardiovascular work capacity, and the workout is doable because of the mandated rest period.

There are various types of intervals some of which use time as the determining factor, for example: work 1 minute, rest one minute, or work 2 minutes, rest one minute. You can also use a heart rate monitor to assist in knowing how much work is enough, and when to rest. If you are familiar with using a heart rate monitor, you can determine a desired exercise heart rate (usually 85% of max), and then try and achieve that heart rate during the work interval, without time dependency. If it takes you one minute to achieve the desired heart rate, that’s fine! If it takes two minutes, that’s fine too- it just means you are fitter. The rest period is merely as long as it takes to get your heart rate below 60% of your training zone max. Of course, these heart rate numbers and percentages are approximate, as very few people have exercise heart rates that actually concur with predicted values. Intervals that use heart rate monitoring as the interval parameter are tough, but the percentages can be accommodated to any fitness level. I also do an interval workout that alternates intense cardio activity with strength training exercises. The “rest” is the strength work- not a true rest, but a lot easier than intense cardio!

If you are new to interval training, please contact a certified fitness professional to help you create a safe and effective program. Intervals are fun and challenging, but you will need advice on how to proceed.

Author: Editor

Recently I came across a TV show out of Britain that caused me to really stop and think. It’s one of those reality shows. “You Are What You Eat.” (Click here to check it out on the internet.) It’s really worth a look. Each episode follows the same formula.

Overweight person(s) ask for help from this nutritionist to get a handle on their bad eating habits. She goes through their cupboards, tossing whatever isn’t healthy and commenting on all the junk food they have. Did you know that white bread is actually another name for glue? (I only consume multi-grain, thankyou very much.) The obese person then keeps a diary of all the food consumed in a week. Then comes the confrontation when all the glop and fat they’ve eaten is presented all at once. Spread out on one long table, it’s disgusting to look at. It’s awful, ugleeee and usually stops them in their tracks.

Advice, cooking lessons and recipes follow and for the next 8 weeks- a total transformation occurs. The obese person learns to eat vegetables and avoid pizza, they lose a lot of weight and everybody is happy.

I would like to go back and visit these people in a year and see if miso soup is still on the menu! Still it is an eye opener. I’ve been thinking about my intake. Must ponder this.

When is it time to hire an investment professional? For some, it may be when they have a lot of money, for others it may be that they haven’t got much at all but are getting serious about saving.

There is a growing need for financial knowledge as we all get closer to that moment when our earning power deteriorates and we must live on what we have invested. There is no shortage of folks that would like to tell you how to get ahead, and along with that, a tidal wave of confusing double-speak.

So, how do you know what YOU need? I’ve designed a few questions to help you think through your situation and decide it you wouldn’t be better off asking for help. Investment advice can be expensive, but not if you really need it and it helps you meet your goals. Start by asking yourself these questions:

The free investment advice runs from being very valuable to absolute trash, can you tell the difference? Expensive investment advice runs from being valuable to absolute trash, can you still tell the difference? Knowing how to find hidden fees is absolutely critical. Know how much it really costs you to invest!

Are you a woman? Studies by several groups have consistently shown that women outperform men when they invest. The various studies have looked at both individuals and investment groups. There are several theories about the reasons why, but I prefer to just let you bring the subject up at your next social gathering and see what people say.

Are you in an investment club? If you enjoy investing, continue to learn about investing, and are open minded enough take advice from other people with similar goals you will more than likely beat the pants off the professionals over the long run. Studies show that disciplined individuals often outperform the broad market when they know what they are doing and control costs. Smaller investors are like speed boats next to the behemoth mutual funds that are trying to buy and sell stocks.

Are you too conservative or nervous? On the other hand, there are many more investors that aren’t interested enough open a brokerage account and trade their own stocks. The news is grim indeed if you’ve been sitting in CD’s for 10 years or if you are still too wounded from the tech-bubble of 2002 to get back on the investment horse.

Do you know how to measure your performance? I don’t mean can you calculate your return to the nearest millionth decimal place. It isn’t enough to shoot the finest arrow ever made if it’s pointing in the wrong direction. There are plenty of free tools available to help you determine if your savings plan is on target, but don’t forget to include the eroding effect of inflation. If you are the type that gets a Christmas Club account every year and always has plenty to spend on your loved ones, skip to the next question; if your plan includes crossing your fingers and jumping into the unknown, you probably need some professional advice.

Are you a spontaneous romantic? Get an advisor- we’re boring but we can really provide a service when you hate going to your ‘spreadsheet place’.