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A Balancing Act That’s Important to Your Health

Published by Thair Phillips

I read an article recently that made me jump out of my chair . . . no it wasn’t a notice that I won the Master’s lottery and would be going to Augusta to watch the golf tournament next year. It was an article about a recent study that said if you can balance on one leg for 10 seconds it’s an indicator of your overall health. So, before you jump up, here’s a picture of how you stand to take this simple test. I tried it immediately, both with and without shoes, it didn’t seem to make a difference. I did find that I did better if I stood on my dominant foot. I’m right footed, but you are allowed to use either leg. You can take three tries to successfully complete the test. The thing that really grabbed my attention was the statement that, “The inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds might indicate an increase in the risk of death within the next decade.” Now that seems like an ominous prediction for a simple test but the study (click here to read about the study in more detail) seemed thorough and legitimate. The fact does remain that as we age, our flexibility and balance diminish. Balance begins to be more difficult beginning in our 50s and can quickly go downhill. According to the World Health Organization problems with balance increase the risk of falling, which is troubling as falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide. More than 37 million falls are severe enough to require medical attention each year.

Now I’m a few years past 50, OK, I’m a few years past 70, but I have never had a balance check at any of my physicals. I’ve pressed my hands and legs against the opposing pressure from the doctor and the doctor has tested the strength of my grip, both important tests of physical health, but no one has tested my balance. The authors of this balance study recommend that this balance test be included when the doctor evaluates the overall health of a patient over 50.

I will reveal that I passed the test but found it harder than I thought it would be. I guess this goes along with the realization that I don’t get up off the ground as easily as I used to and my wife’s insistence that I don’t go up more than three rungs on ladders. I’ve also lost distance on my drives when I golf. My son says that it’s because my core strength isn’t as strong as it used to be. In doing some further research I found that core strength is directly related to balance, the stronger the core, the better the balance. For me, taking a little more time to get up off the floor, or not climbing too high on a ladder are not big problems, but when I lose distance when driving a golf ball – now you have my attention. If strengthening my core muscles will increase my driver distance and, as an added bonus, keep me from falling, then sign me up. My next question is how do you do it?

A little more research and advice from my son pointed me toward doing “planks.” I didn’t do those in high school gym class but evidently, they are the way to strengthen your core muscles. A plank is a simple, but effective core exercise that helps you build stability and strength throughout your entire body. The plank is achievable in a number of different ways, but the main position of the plank exercise is with your body perpendicular to the ground, stomach facing down, elevating your torso off the ground with either your elbows or hands. This will position you as if you were stuck in an extended push-up pose without actually moving your body weight up or down. This may sound much nicer and more forgiving than a set of push-ups, but the plank can become a strenuous exercise very quickly as you continue to hold that position. You can go online and find a multitude of different types of planks. An excellent article I found talked about how the plank helps build core strength, the benefits of doing them and some variations that can further build strength. You can find that article here.

As mentioned above, the exercise can become very strenuous and may not be the best way to exercise our core muscles as we grow older. Luckily there are other ways to build these muscles that will fit all levels of mobility. Remember, the goal here is to improve your core muscles and therefore your balance. It doesn’t matter where on the range of muscle strength we start, it only matters that we do something that makes our core muscles stronger.

I found a place that offers some great non-plank core muscle exercises for older adults. It’s on the SilverSneakers web site. Click here for these non-plank exercises. These are great exercises that help you improve no matter where you start on the strength spectrum.

One of the great things about all these exercises is that they don’t require special equipment or a membership to a gym. They just require some time and effort. It will be time well spent. Whether you passed the 10 second test or not, it’s worth doing the exercises just to improve your balance. How many times have you heard that an older person fell and broke their hip and died a short time later. It happened just like that with my mother in-law. Maintaining your balance is a great way to keep yourself healthy and it might even help your golf game.

Best, Thair

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Summertime and the Living is Easy

Published by Thair Phillips

George Gershwin had a way with words and there are no words more recognizable than the title of this blog . . . at least to those of us who are over 60 or someone who has listened to one of the more than 25,000 recordings that have been made of that song. But the real question remains, is the living really easier in the summer?

For those who have weathered a long winter of shoveling snow or driving on slick streets, summertime is a welcome relief. For all of us it’s a time to enjoy the warm weather and the promise of a vacation, especially given many of us have been robbed of our vacations over the last two years. It’s a time to come out from the shadow of the pandemic and begin to again live our lives unencumbered by a virus.

So, what do we do this summer to make the living easy? One thing you might think about is trying some new recipes. As we found ourselves eating at home more often due to the pandemic, we may have found that we got tired of the same old things. Some of us may have tried out the new cooking appliance, the air fryer. I’ve found it’s a great way to fry food without the mess of hot oil and it’s much healthier. If any of the eight air fryer meals below look interesting, you can get the recipes by clicking here.          

  • Breakfast
  • Hard “Boiled” Eggs
  • Roasted Tomatoes
  • Crispy Tofu
  • Roasted Fish
  • Snack Chips
  • Leftovers
  • Desserts


You also might have found some new ways to stay physically fit. Pickleball has caught on with the older crowd. The increasingly popular paddle sport, which has similarities to tennis and ping pong, has attracted 4.8 million U.S. players of all ages and fitness levels, according to the 2022 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) report on pickleball. It doesn’t require an excess of running but keeps the participants moving and, most importantly, it gives us a reason to get out and get some exercise. I have friends who play almost every day, they all say it beats trying to force yourself to go to the gym and workout. Older adults are especially drawn to the fun sport: The SFIA report notes that among the 1.4 million “core” participants — defined as those who play at least eight times a year — 60 percent are 55 or older and more than 33.7 percent are 65 or older. Older people enjoy this sport because:

  • The court is small enough that you don’t need to move much to hit the ball, especially if you’re playing doubles.
  • The game encourages players to socialize.
  • There’s less of the frustration factor that accompanies sports like golf.
  • It’s designed to be carefree and fun.
  • It’s inexpensive.


The great thing about this sport is it’s readily accessible. You can input your zip code on the USA Pickleball Association website to find out where to play near you. 

Finally, it seems we’ve found a sport, besides golf, that older people can play, and it no doubt is better exercise than riding around in a golf cart. You’re hearing this from a guy who loves to play golf but is going to give pickleball a try this summer.

Volunteering is another activity that you might find very rewarding. Helping someone else gets us out of looking inward at our own problems and allows us to focus on others. There is nothing more satisfying than giving of your time and skills to help someone else. Below are five non-profits that accept and need volunteers. Just click on their name to find out more about their organization.


I hope you can find something new and exciting to challenge yourself this summer and you do it while also keeping yourself healthy and safe. I’ve written past blogs about taking care of your skin and your eyes and your joints as you venture outdoors this summer. Do a quick search of my blogs if you need some good guidance in these areas. One little hint, you might take some time to do a little training before you venture out on your vacation. I just spent a week walking around and touring Boston and I found out pretty quickly that I wasn’t as ready for that much walking as I thought.

Finally, while we’re looking forward to this summer it’s not too early to start looking at Medicare open enrollment coming up this year. I’ve been working hard these last few months to catch up on the preventative screenings and checkups that I put off because of COVID-19 (don’t you hate the preparation required for the colonoscopy). Keep track of any health changes that have occurred this year so you can make an informed decision as you review your insurance coverage. Especially keep track of any new prescription medication you may now be taking.

Above all, get out this summer and try something new, and also try to get that George Gershwin song out of your head. I haven’t succeeded yet.

Best, Thair

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Healthy Aging Month is Here!

Published by SSO

We have previously mentioned getting ready for Healthy Aging Month, and now, the time is finally here!

Throughout September, we should commit ourselves to making lifestyle changes and choices that can help increase our overall health. As seniors, there are certain conditions, diseases, and issues that affect us more than they affect some of our younger friends and family, and it is important to be aware of some of these common health concerns.

Although seniors can be affected by many challenges, some specific issues that face seniors most frequently are arthritis, heart disease, cancer, respiratory conditions and Alzheimer’s disease, according to Everyday Health. The good news is that, with increasingly effective medications, healthy lifestyle choices, and strong support systems, seniors can tackle many of these challenges.

Eating nutritious foods, staying active, refraining from smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight are some of the easiest and most effective actions you can take to better your health as you age. Making some of these changes can not only lower your risk for some of these diseases, but can also lead to increased health and wellbeing with each passing year. In fact, according to the CDC, 41% of adults aged 65 and older reported their health to be “excellent” or “very good!”

Another major part of staying healthy is regularly visiting your doctor and making sure to follow their medical guidance. As seniors, many of us rely on Medicare programs to provide us with reliable, effective, and affordable medications and treatment options. It is important to adhere to the advice of medical professionals and take our medications as directed in order to best benefit from our individualized treatment plans. You can read more about adherence and sticking to your medication routine here.

Ensuring that you have a strong support system is also crucial to aging healthily. Making sure spouses, children, grandchildren, our close friends, and caregivers are all aware of some of your specific health needs is important, and a great way to help spread the message that making your health a priority is important at any age. And for the countless seniors who provide care to others, remember that your efforts are a valuable and critical part of keeping others healthy.

We would love to hear from you all about what you do to stay healthy as you age. Share some of your tips and advice with other seniors on our Facebook and Twitter pages, and let’s all make a point to spend this September consciously making healthy lifestyle choices together!

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Getting Ready for Healthy Aging Month

Published by SSO

As summer comes to an end, it is time for us to begin preparing for fall. Fall can bring fun family celebrations, sporting events, and back-to-school excitement, but it can also bring chilly weather, causing aging adults to be less active. Fortunately, September is Healthy Aging Month, which was created to remind us that it is never too late to start getting healthier through small lifestyle changes.

Specifically, Healthy Aging Month focuses on our ability as seniors to “re-invent” ourselves. It is an opportunity to discover a new interest, involve yourself in a new club or activity, meet new friends, or even embark on another career path. Keeping ourselves actively involved in our communities can actually benefit not only our physical health, but also our mental health. By joining a group activity at your local place of worship, community center, or senior center, you can make new friends and stay active.

Looking for activity ideas? One of the challenges that faces seniors the most is a decline in our memory and mental sharpness. Harvard Medical School has studied ways to keep our brains in shape throughout our lifetimes, and recommends such things as continued learning, using all your senses, remaining confident in your abilities, and prioritizing your brain use as ways to stay mentally sharp. Helping grandchildren with homework is a great way to exercise your mind too—it allows you to review basic skills while spending time with some of the people you love most.

Of course, physical health is just as important as mental health. As the weather cools down, it may be tempting to spend more time indoors, and less time engaging in the physical activity that keeps us healthy. Consider walking on a treadmill, participating in indoor water aerobics, or attending a yoga class specifically geared toward seniors to remain active even as the temperature drops outside.

Aging healthily can take work, but making sure to prioritize your mental and physical health during this September is not just important, but a necessity for maintaining a healthy lifestyle long term. So keep your minds and bodies active, stay warm, and enjoy Healthy Aging Month.