midlifejourney.com

Last night Susan Boyle gave her final performance on Britain’s Got Talent TV show. Dressed in a beautiful  blue floor-length gown, she repeated the song that stunned everyone “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables. The video wasn’t available on YouTube until this morning (see it below) but already more than half a million people had viewed it and by the time I finish this post the number will surely be several thousand higher.
(If the video does not appear, click here to view it at YouTube)

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Once again it was a great performance. She was self-assured and self confident, using more demonstrative gestures to deliver the song. The audience and all three judges gave her a standing ovation. But perhaps judge Piers Morgan said too much. He said that, without equivocation, she should win the contest. I could hear boos in the background from the competition’s fans. Perhaps it was just too much enthusiasm, and just what the other contestant’s fans needed to boost the votes. For when it all came down a few hours after the program was done and all the votes were counted, Susan Boyle came in — second. She lost to a dance group, Diversity. But as reported in The Los Angeles Times:

Susan Boyle proved a gracious loser today when the dance group Diversity won the top prize on “Britain’s Got Talent.”

“The best people won,” said Boyle. “They’re very entertaining. Lads, I wish you all the best.”
On this evening’s finale, the 48-year-old Scotswoman performed her best-known number, “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables,” the song that carried her to fame on her first appearance on the show
It had been a rough week for Boyle leading up to the finals. She had a well-publicized shouting match with a group of journalists and was reportedly considering pulling out of the competition on account of nerves.
But she rebounded and delivered a performance tonight that was warmly welcomed by the audience.

It’s been a great ride for the woman from Scotland, and I’m sure she will be making a Christmas Album very shortly! We’ve not heard the last of Susan Boyle. The woman has courage, guts and a dream she still needs to fill: to sing before the Queen which I believe will indeed happen someday soon.

I subscribe to a number of daily newsletters. One from this morning dealt with an issue many boomers are facing today. When is it time to take the car keys away from your elderly parent?

The writer of the article described his father as having dementia and being very difficult to deal with. The older man insisted on continuing to drive his car despite some serious accidents. “He’s a terrible driver, and I know he’s going to hurt himself and probably someone else. What can I do to get him off the road?”

As our parents grow older, occasional memory lapses are natural, but dementia is a very serious medical condition that impairs a person’s judgment. If you know that your parent is in danger of hurting themselves or others, you have no choice, you must take action.

In our family we’ve had to deal with this in a variety of ways. When my aunt of 82 went missing for an entire day because she had driven herself downtown and couldn’t find her way back, her son decided it was time to act. He wanted to treat her with respect and not dictate what she could or could not do. He tried to talk to her about it, leaving the decision to stop driving to her. But she stubbornly insisted she was fine. Knowing she would never stop unless her car was disabled, he quietly removed her car’s alternator. The next day when she went to start the car, the engine wouldn’t turn over. When she told her son about it, he put her off, saying he would get the car fixed, but of course he never did. Instead he volunteered to drive her whenever he could and arranged for the Senior Center Van to pick her up for her weekly shopping trips. Although she had lost some of her independence she was satisfied that she could still do her errands and visit her friends.

In my father’s case, we were very lucky. By the time he was in his early 80’s it was clear he should no longer be driving. One day he drove his buddies to their monthly church meeting and parked the car nearby. The car was stolen. Honest. We did not arrange the theft, but were grateful it had happened. No confrontation necessary. He decided a new car wasn’t worth the effort or money and let it all go.

In both these instances the elder parent finally came to peace with the decision not to drive. But if your parent’s driving is becoming of grave concern to you and they will not voluntarily stop taking the car, you may have to call your local motor vehicle department and report the problem. It’s not the easiest solution, but as an outside authority, they may be able to convince the older person to stop getting on the road.

You might find one of these articles helpful as well:
Taking the Keys Away
When Dad Should Stop Driving

Exercise? Who has the time. Life is filled with so many responsibilities: work, family, children, grandchildren?! Boomers run around trying to get it all done just as fast as everyone else. But having entered the “midlife years” it’s even more important to exercise. The middle age body’s metabolism begins to slow down and if you want to keep in shape you have to take time to work on it.

I know — one more thing to pile on to all the others. But think of it this way: if keeping yourself healthy and fit becomes priority #1, then everything else you do—work, family, kids actually becomes easier because you have more energy. (It seems paradoxical but if you are really tired, the best way to get your energy back is not to sleep, but to exercise. Take a walk around the block before you hit the hay. You will actually sleep better.)

The big question is, “How do you find the time to exercise?” You know you should. You agree it’s the right thing to do to stay healthy and on top of your game. But how do you squeeze the exercise slot into your schedule? Here are a few tips that might help.

1. Be realistic. Look at your calendar and your current time commitments and find a time where there may be flexibility. You might not find an hour, but you might find fifteen minutes at lunchtime. Use that for a short walk. Find short periods of time in your day and use those effectively. If you are shopping, park at a distance from the store’s front door and get a brisk walk in. Take the stairs rather than the elevator.

2. Get up a half hour earlier. This may or may not be possible, but it’s worth considering.

3. Lay out your exercise clothes the night before. If you have a hard time getting motivated for exercise in the early morning, arrange your shoes, socks, shorts and shirt on a chair and set it between your bed and the door. You’ll have to walk by them to get to the bathroom. Might be just the “nudge” you need.

4. If you can’t make it to the gym, consider some of these simple exercises mentioned in these great articles.

• Stretching Exercises you can do at your desk
• Five Quick Exercises you can do in no time
• Isometric Moves for the workplace

Keeping yourself healthy is worth the effort. If it’s a priority, you will find the time. Make it so and you will be the better and stronger for it.

Susan Boyle’s done it again. A fabulous performance on Britain’s Got Talent this past Saturday has propelled this woman from Scotland to the top of the popularity list for up and coming talent! Even with a bit of a shaky start, she delivered! — and is favored to win the whole enchilada. Just goes to show it’s never too late. If you have a dream, no matter your age, never give up. Go for it.

(Note: if the video does not appear below, click here to see the full video at YouTube.)

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No matter what body size you were as a younger person, midlife promises to pack on the pounds. One thing that’s guaranteed: we change as we age!

How to get back in shape? Stay in shape?

Secret One: Whatever your workout, focus not on quantity but quality. You can go to the gym, get on a treadmill, walk for an hour at an easy pace and never loose an ounce. You need to get your heart rate up to get the most out of your workout. Your target should be between 70 – 85% of your maximum heart rate… and keep it there for 30 minutes! Example: for a 50 year old your target should be between 119-145 (70-85% of max heart rate.) A lot of cardio equipment has the target rates built into the controls. Just enter your age and weight and the machine gives you the target you should aim for.

Secret Two: Exercise to work those muscles you use everyday: especially the core muscles: abdomen and lower back so they remain strong. Keeping your core strong is essential to keep your balance and preventing injuries. Use a Bosu (half ball) when you lift weights. You strengthen your core, and your upper body at the same time.

Secret Three: If you want to maintain muscle mass, use less weight and increase the reps for each exercise. It’s far smarter to lift a 5 lb weight 60 times, then a 10 lb weight 30!

Secret Four: Focus on exercises that are better for joint health: walking, cycling or swimming are all good choices. Running and jogging are tough on your knees and ankles. Some people can run their entire lives, but most of us don’t need the unnecessary bone to bone crunch that only leads to injuries.

Secret Five: If you are happy with your weight and you are at a point of maintenance you will need to eliminate 100-200 calories a day from your diet. As you age your metabolism slows down. If at 50 you still eat like a twenty-year old you will absolutely gain weight! By eliminating calorie intake by a couple hundred calories each day you will offset the slow down in metabolism and maintain your weight – and do it without dieting. (Cut out that extra glass of wine at dinner, for example, and you’ve just cut back!)

And finally…

Secret Six: Quit smoking. This is no secret. You’ve heard it hundreds of times. Smoking is key to heart disease, diabetes and a host of horrible health problems. Besides, it makes you smell bad. It isn’t easy for some people to quit and they will puff till their dying day, which will be sooner than later.

If you’re a midlifer and you are ready to take your health and fitness seriously, try these simple secrets and you will see that boomer bulge begin to melt away.

There are lots of weight loss programs available on the net:
Discover Combat The Fat!
Fit Over 40!