Want to Live to 100?

Sleep
By Glenn Ruffenach | SmartMoney Fri, Jun 22, 2012 10:02 AM EDT

Share300 Email Print

Your chances of reaching age 100 could be better than you think especially if you get some additional sleep and improve your diet. New research from UnitedHealthcare looks at centenarians and baby boomers, asking the former about the secrets of aging success and evaluating whether the latter are taking the necessary steps to celebrate a 100th birthday. The primary findings: Many boomers are embracing lifestyles that could lead to a long and rewarding life with two exceptions. More than seven in 10 centenarians 71% say they get eight hours or more of sleep each night. By contrast, only 38% of boomers say they get the same amount of rest. And when it comes to eating right, more than eight in 10 centenarians say they regularly consume a balanced meal, compared with just over two-thirds (68%) of baby boomers. [Related: De-Stressing Secrets from Around the World] The report 100@100 Survey begins with some startling numbers. As of late 2010, the U.S. had an estimated 72,000 centenarians, according to the Census Bureau. By the year 2050, that number with the aging of the baby-boom generation is expected to reach more than 600,000. Meanwhile, an estimated 10,000 boomers each and every day for the next decade will turn 65. How to reach 100? Centenarians point to social connections, exercise and spiritual activity as some of the keys to successful aging. Among surveyed centenarians, almost nine in 10 fully 89% say they communicate with a family member or friend every day; about two thirds (67%) pray, meditate or engage in some form of spiritual activity; and just over half (51%) say they exercise almost daily. In each of these areas, baby boomers, as it turns out, match up fairly well. The same percentage of boomers as centenarians 89% say theyre in touch with friends or family members on a regular basis. Sixty percent of surveyed baby-boomers say spiritual activity is an important part of their lives, and almost six in 10 boomers (59%) exercise regularly. [Related: 10 Countries Where Retirees Live Large]

Again, sleep and diet are the two areas where baby boomers come up short. Not surprisingly, the one area where boomers are more active is the workplace. Three-quarters (76%) of surveyed baby boomers say they work at a job or hobby almost every day; that compares with 16% of centenarians. Finally, researchers turned to cultural affairs and asked centenarians and boomers to identify from a list of 14 notable people (including President Obama, singer Paul McCartney and actors Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts) their preferred dinner guest. The top choice among centenarians and boomers alike: the comedian Betty White.

De-Stressing Secrets from Around the World

By Oprah.com

Posts

By Oprah.com | Secrets to Your Success Thu, Jun 7, 2012 1:10 PM EDT

Email Print

Photo: ThinkstockBy Corrie Pikul

Sweden: Taking a Sweet Pause Every Day Your "coffee break" may consist of an out-and-back sprint to grab a latte to-go, but in Sweden, the institution of the coffee break (usually around 10 a.m. and another at 3 p.m.) is a sit-down mini-meal that dates back to the 1700s. It's called fika, and it involves leaving the workplace with a friend to have a cup of coffee and, usually, a sweet treat. Schedule an afternoon fika into your busy day, and invite friends to join you (you can't fika solo). Gevalia, a coffee brand founded in Sweden in 1853 and now available in the U.S., has found that Swedes prefer darker, stronger-tasting brews than Americans do, so follow their tradition by ordering French roast or espresso, as well as a chocolate or pastry. If you're worried about being away from your desk, keep in mind that a 2009 MIT study showed that those who got up to socialize with colleagues during the day showed a 10 to 15 percent increase in productivity over coworkers who preferred to be left alone. As for the cinnamon roll, be sure to savor it with your coffee on-site: Research has shown eating in front of a computer causes us to eat more, appreciate the food less, and nibble throughout the day. RELATED: No-Sweat Summer Desserts to Drool Over Japan: Going Shoeless at Work

We've heard about the habit in Asia of taking off shoes before entering the home, but in Japan, it's also common for professionals to kick off their stilettos when arriving at the office. They store their "outside shoes" in a vestibule, cubby or locker and change into inexpensive slippers to pad around the office and settle in at their desks. Being comfortable not only helps people to better focus on their work (and not the throbbing pain in their big toe), but, for women, it also helps eliminate calf and ankle cramps from wearing high heels. When you consider the amount of time we spend at the office, comfortable, under-desk slippers seem like a worthwhile investment. While Japanese and Americans are both infamous for their workaholic tendencies, Japan, like most other industrialized nations, has a law requiring employers to provide paid holidays--20, plus the country's 16 public holidays. In the U.S., where there's no law mandating vacation time (the consulting firm Mercer has found that the average tends to be 15 days), we enjoy only 10 public holidays--and only a few fall during months warm enough to go barefoot.

India: Getting a Massage-Above the Shoulders

Indian head massages date back thousands of years, according to Ayurvedic texts, and are believed to not only balance the chakras, or energy centers, but also alleviate stress, stimulate the lymphatic system and relieve migraines. While some versions of this therapy can put clients to sleep, others can induce heightened alertness and concentration, which can make you eager to dive back into a project, says Denise Galon, PhD, a certified massage therapist based in New York. Galon practices and teaches a form of head massage called "champissage" which involves traditional frictional moves on the head combined with Western de-tensing techniques for the shoulders and neck. To relieve headaches and stress, Galon suggests the "occipital rub": Place your first three fingers behind your head at the spots just behind the ears where the neck connects

to the head. With your elbows bent, push your fingers toward and away from one another, creating a rubbing movement on the base of the skull. Do this for 30 seconds--then sigh in relief. RELATED: 7 Things Every Exhausted Woman Should Do for Herself
Finland: Sweating It Out in Good Company

Saunas are everywhere in Finland: in the backyards of homes and lakeside cottages, nestled in apartment buildings, at hotels, on the rooftops of many office buildings (where free drinks and snacks are an occasional after-work perk)--even in Helsinki's Parliament building. The custom involves sitting nude, usually with members of the same sex, on a bench in a small room or outdoor hut heated to between 170 and 230 degrees Fahrenheit. Water is thrown over hot rocks to produce a small amount of steam. Finns retreat to these hot boxes at least once a week, where they zone out and sweat off the stress of the day with friends or family members, but it's also not uncommon for professionals to take over a sauna for a business meeting. The heat can lower blood pressure and slow the pulse by causing vessels to dilate (making them dangerous for people with heart disease or abnormal blood pressure) and induce a blissful feeling of total-body meltdown. (The popularity of saunas could help explain how Finland was ranked the world's second-happiest nation in the UN-commissioned World Happiness Report.) To heat up and chill out like the Finns, suggest a post-workout sweat with one of your gym friends--just remember to shower beforehand.
West Africa: De-Stressing to the Beat Put aside the images of sweaty middle-aged men or a sweaty naked Matthew McConaughey and focus on the fact that participating in group drumming has been shown to improve mood and decrease stress (no surprise there--who hasn't wanted to wail on something when frustrated?). Another study suggests it can also strengthen the immune system. If you don't think you'll ever be comfortable dropping in on a drum circle in the park, which may seem like a free-for-all jam session, seek out a more structured African-drumming class in your area. African djembe drums are almost always found beside bongos and congas in modern drum circles, but in West Africa, the djembe drummer is usually a solo storyteller who sets the rhythm and structure for a celebratory dance, says Assane Konte, the artistic director of KanKouran West African Dance Company, in Washington, D.C. Today, even though groups of men and women can switch between drumming and dancing (Konte's classes include instruction in both), the practice is still rooted in West African history, and Konte says the drum remains a symbol of that--and not an extension of you or your id. You'll feel a strong sense of unity while pounding away with the other drummers, an appreciation for a different culture's rhythms and a sharpened concentration while trying to follow the beat.

10 Countries Where Retirees Live Large

By Jason Notte | TheStreet.com Fri, Jun 22, 2012 3:26 PM EDT

Share201 Email Print

Retirement in the United States is nice and all, until they ask you to actually pay for stuff. When retirees' nest eggs are a finite and dwindling resource, rising local and federal taxes can put even the staunchest, flag-draped patriotism to the test. If retirees are willing to leave the states behind, the savings can be substantial. [Related: De-Stressing Secrets from Around the World] The folks at International Living crunched the numbers and looked at the price of simple staples, assimilation and staying in touch with family left behind. The following countries scored high marks not only for their inexpensive living, but for overall friendliness toward American retirees:

Panama A retiree has it pretty sweet in Panama, where a program commonly known as pensionado help retirees settle in quickly. International Living says retirees can live like kings here for $1,500 to $2,000 a month and score apartments for less than $500 a month or buy waterfront condos for less than $200,000. Pensionado, meanwhile, gives users 15% off fast food, 15% off at hospitals and clinics, 20% off professional services used in Panama, 25% off the price of food eaten in a sit-down restaurant; 25% off domestic flights on Copa Airlines, a 30% discount on public transport and 50% off movies, theater tickets and sporting events. There's no age limit for the service, either, so help yourself. Mexico Considering the tensions over the state of Mexico/U.S. immigration law, it's at the very least amusing to consider American workers streaming south to chase their retirement dreams. But

great homes on Mexico's Caribbean coast go for less than $170,000 while places such as Lake Chapala are home to dozens of expat communities. It's not such a bad place for snowbirds, either. It's the only retirement destination on this list withing driving distance, and retirees can rent out their properties in the off months to cover costs.

Malaysia The country's My Second Home retirement benefits program for all foreigners is a great draw, but so is the quality Internet access, cellphone coverage and roads. It also helps that it's dirt cheap. A sea-view apartment with a pool and gym on Penang Island goes for $1,000 a month, and bigbudget movies usually premiere here, are shown in English and go for about $4. Oh, and there's plenty of English being spoken as well.

Colombia Medellin has a notorious reputation among Americans who know it mostly for its drug-laden past, but that hasn't prevented a huge expat population from springing up within city limits. Medellin's El Poblado district has Japanese, French, seafood and Italian restaurants within a block of each other. Its health care system ranks atop any other stop on this list, while the cost of everything from housing to entertainment are a great fit for a fixed income. [Related: 3 Ways to Take Control of Your Retirement]

New Zealand

The English speaking certainly helps, but so do the winters that come during an American summer. That's some pretty costly snowbirding, so maybe the proliferation and low cost of every day amenities as well as more frivolous items should be seen as long-term investments. New Zealand's reputation for healthy living and near-absent pollution should also appeal to those who want to extend retirement as long as possible.

Nicaragua A visit to the doctor is $15. Overall health care can cost as much as 60% less than the U.S., while U.S.-trained doctors speak English and will make house calls. A huge expat population in the colonial city of Granada spends about around $1,200 a month to live there, considering a small house can be $500 to $1,000 a month to rent. The best steak dinner in town runs about $13, while regular meals go for half that and "local meals" are $2 to $3. Local beer, meanwhile, runs between 75 cents and $1.50. This makes Florida's cost of living look like Manhattan's.

Spain Wait, the same Spain that just dodged a bailout and is still dealing with crushing debt? Yep, that's the one, but austerity measures haven't bitten into the best of what Spain has to offer. This is by no means the cheapest option on the list and, in fact, has the most expensive real estate of any country listed. That said, it's really easy to fit in, with near-ubiquitous English, three-course meals for less than $20 and modern infrastructure that places high value on convenient, punctual rail service. Combine that with teeming culture and tons of ways to pass the time and Spain can be a great fit for retirees who've already weathered a shaky economy. Thailand About $500 a month is enough to score a nice new home just about anywhere in Thailand. One of International Living's contributors pays just $222 a month for a beachside bungalow with air conditioning, hot water, Wi-Fi and a refrigerator. Altogether, the cost of living in Thailand sets retirees back only about $1,000 a month while giving them great amenities and vibrant cultural and entertainment options. Bangkok still gets pretty wild, but loads of expats and lots of English speakers help ease the transition. [Related: Best Places to Retire]

Honduras The benefits offered to retirees beyond the three-hour flights back to see the kids are fairly substantial, especially considering that expats living on beachfront property can do well here on less than $1,500 a month. The scuba diving, fishing, sailing, kayaking, snorkeling and surfing are lovely too. But even Honduras can't top the last entry on our list:

Ecuador This basically is Florida or Arizona for the expat community. The country's retirement benefits package includes 50% off transportation, utility bills, international round-trip flights originating in Ecuador and tickets for cultural and sporting events. Foreigners can also enroll in Ecuador's Social Security medical program for $57 a month. Those over 65 also pay lower income tax. Penthouse suites and beachfront condos go for $50,000, while beachfront rentals hover around $500 a month. A retiree's entire cost of living rounds out to roughly $800 to $1,500 a month, and the neighbors more often than not are either A) other expats or B) English-speaking locals. We'll warn that this isn't exactly undiscovered country among retirees, but it's several steps up from the costly retirement kennels and golf carts of more costly American hot spots.