[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Success Story " background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="June 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"]
Success Story of the Month
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by David Edge
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Susan was in our office going over her Medicare options and as we completed assisting her in choosing the most appropriate plan we always ask “is there anything else we can help with”?
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After a short pause, she started asking if we knew of any assistance she could qualify for to assist with care for her elderly mother? Did we help with that kind of thing?
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While we can’t personally assist you we do know of several government assistance programs that can help with elderly parents!
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Contact the office of Administration on Aging (AOA) online. You can reach them at https://aoa.acl.gov or call the national assistance information line at 202-401-4634.
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You can also call “Eldercare Locator” to find local resources at 800-677-1116.
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At AgingCare.com you can find online guides for Home Care, Veterans’ Benefits, and Caregivers’ Survival. The Caregivers guide is especially helpful for folks caring for an elderly family member. At this site there are also city-by-city offices in Arizona that can assist with local issues. For City of Phoenix, you can also call 602-542-4446 for the Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Aging and Adult Services located at 1789 West Jefferson, #950A, Phoenix AZ 85007.
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Medicaid in Arizona is called AHCCC (Access). If your parent qualifies for AHCCC, this may also qualify you for caregiver payments. Contact AHCCC for qualification guidelines. Generally this is for low-income individuals. You can reach AHCCCS by calling 855-432-7587 Monday through Friday 8A.M. -5 P.M.
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Financial Tip june 2017
[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Financial Tip" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="June 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"]
Financial Tip of the Month
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By David Edge
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International Travel & Medical Coverage?
When folks are traveling outside of the country, and they have Medicare as their health insurance coverage, they don’t seem to realize that Medicare will not pay for any health services outside of the U.S.A.
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If you have a Medigap or Medicare Supplement plan C, D, F, G, M, or N, these plans include an 80% reimbursement up to $50,000 lifetime. Keep in mind that the medical services received in a foreign country must be an emergency and they will not reimburse the medical service or procedure unless it is for a medical service that is also normally covered in the U.S.A.
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What’s the alternative? You can shop over 50 companies that sell international medical coverage. At American Retirement Advisors, we have access to shop for all plans on the open market and compare exactly what coverage you want, and the amount of coverage you want, for the specified time period of travel!
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Things to consider that you might want covered can be extensive. Emergency medical, flight for life back to the U.S.A. including family members, routine medical, lost luggage, rental car, emergency travel home in the event of civil disturbance in the country you are visiting, adult and/or children coverage, and many more financial coverage issues. The policy can even include trip cancellation coverage in the event you or the family member you are traveling with gets sick at the last minute and you have to cancel the trip.
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I recently took a two-week trip to visit several Pacific Rim countries and took my wife and adult daughter with me. We had
total coverage up to $1 million dollars for only a $400 policy fee.
When I was shopping for policy coverage, I found some companies that wanted to charge as much as two thousand dollars for the exact same coverage… so it pays to shop!
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Now, we don’t want everyone to panic over their medical travel insurance, as in most cases if you’re only going to Canada, Mexico, or on a cruise in the Caribbean for a week, most likely there is travel and/or medical insurance that can be included in the purchase price of your trip for a small additional fee. In an extreme emergency case, since you are still close to the U.S.A., you can just board a plane and be home in a few hours if need be. So, in this short trip scenario, it’s a judgement call on whether you need additional medical coverage or not.
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Extensive trips out of the U.S. of two weeks to several months are when you definitely need to consider additional international medical and travel coverage. So next time you are planning that once-in-a-lifetime vacation, don’t forget to review your options!
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You may also find that the use of a premium credit card
fulfills the needs you are looking for.
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Need more help? Or would you like us to do some pricing research for you? Just call!
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Featured story 2 june 2017
[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Dear Dad" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="June 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"]
Dear Dad…
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By David Edge
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June is busting out all over!
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Many of you will recognize this line from the musical “Carousel” as it is celebrating that summer is here, and everything is blooming and farms are in full planting and growth mode. But beside this fun song what else about June is special?
Well… Father’s Day is June 18th this year so let’s not forget to celebrate dear old Dad. But in some countries Father’s Day is celebrated on the 19th of June.
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The history of Father’s day started in 1909, when Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd was at church listening to a sermon on Mother’s day when she realized that Fathers were just as important. The very next year, the first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910. Years later and through several changes, President Nixon signed the public law in 1972 that made Father’s Day official as the third Sunday in June.
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Fun Father’s Day facts;
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President George Washington never had any children but did adopt his wife’s children from her first marriage.
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A great dad and writer, A.A. Milne created the “Winnie the Pooh” book series for his son Christopher Robin.
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Everybody loves great TV dads including Sheriff Andy Taylor from Mayberry, Tim Taylor from Tool Time, and Danny Tanner from Full House. Who was your favorite TV dad? Ward Cleaver, Mike Brady, or Jim Anderson? Humm….and what TV shows were they from?
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A rose is the official flower for Father’s Day. Red if dad is still living and white if he is deceased.
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A tie is still a traditional gift for dad!
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More and more dads are becoming “Mr. Mom” as stay-at-home dads. Some 150,000 dads in the USA are at home raising the
kids these days.
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We may not shower him with praise, nor mention his name in song, and sometimes it seems that we forget, the joy he spreads as he goes along, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t know, the wonderful role that he has had, and away down deep in every heart, there’s a place that is just for dad…
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Why am I me june 2017
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Why Am I Me?
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Choices. You don’t know what you have!
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It’s been my experience that many Americans don’t always appreciate what we have and tend to take a lot of things for granted. Many Americans have not visited other countries that are not so benefit rich, and therefore have no appreciation for simple things like clean fresh drinking water, flushing toilets, cars, gas, and best of all… American grocery stores.
In my international travels over the years it didn’t seem to matter whether it was Europe, Africa, Asia, or wherever, the local amenities were lacking, compared to right here in the good old U.S.A.
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Access to fresh drinking water and food is a biggie in my book. I was amazed when some foreign friends arrived for a visit and to spend time in my home. They simply could not get over the fact that you could just drink water coming out of the spigot in the kitchen. “You don’t have to purify the water first”? They exclaimed! Their other big shock was a visit to the local grocery store. They thought we had access to a “special store” and it was only when we took them to several grocery stores that they realized all grocery stores were so abundant in what was stocked. The wife could not get over the fact that you went shopping once for all your groceries for the week! She has to shop daily on her way home from work for dinner every day! The butcher shop, the cheese shop, vegetable stand, bakery, and dry goods shops were all separate. Additionally, the other astounding thing was American refrigerators, they are so big! My guest’s ice box in their home is a small affair holding only a few cubic feet of food items.
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Another thing I appreciate may sound silly, but its American toilet paper! In other parts of the world the texture is more like cardboard or sandpaper! Talk about being thankful!
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Growing up poor in America is still like middle class in other countries. I personally appreciated every single thing I received from a free education, free music lessons, art, to sports, which were all part of the local public school system where I grew up. Many American kids today do not take advantage of the choices they have offered at school. Unfortunately, they seem to be more interested in the latest fad or music rock group than learning how to read a map or get an education. Sadly the “entitlement attitude” is prevalent amongst our youth. In third-world countries, kids are lucky if there is even a school to go to. With no education, poor perpetually stay poor due to the lack of choices or opportunity.
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It’s not all gloom and doom as there are always the people who recognize opportunity when they see it and grab it and run with the chance to improve themselves. These are the people who succeed because they know what they have! They make choices!
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Take a fresh look at what you have because it’s all about choosing from everything available. At times you don’t know all your choices, and that’s when you seek out advice from experts. Your education in areas of Medicare, Retirement Planning, Wills, Trusts, “Power of Attorney”, and “Do not resuscitate” orders? Don’t know? Call us we can help!
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Featured Story June 2017
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I met with a good friend and learned quite a bit!
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By David P. Schaeffer
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I have always been a fan of less regulation and more innovation. That may have been a slogan we all may have heard in an election campaign or two.
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To the point, my friend is one of the top estate planners in the United States. Most CPAs, estate planning attorneys, and certainly most financial advisors, cannot measure up to his ability to see challenges and propose solutions before trouble ensues. He can see through most rhetoric and conversation and get to the root of a challenge instantly and accurately.
The challenge for me is when a talented advisor is faced with few prospects to serve; a “scarcity” mentality takes over. For the advisor this would mean that their decisions seem to favor an attitude of “better make the most I can” from this client while they are in a buying mood. This is contrary to the way we run our practice at American Retirement Advisors. I was shocked to realize so many financial professionals manage their practices in this manner.
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Our firm’s mantra has always been ‘do what’s right for the client’ even if we are not compensated for our efforts. Most folks in business and especially in the financial services industry, to this day, look at me like I’m crazy. Even my best friend in the business.
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Then it hit me. We take a completely different approach to our practice. We operate with an “abundance” mentality. We give most of what we earn back to our clients. Not in cash, but in personal service. We have three client service professionals per advisor. The industry suggests ½ service person per advisor. We see on average 6-11 clients per day per advisor. Most How are professional, full-time advisors, supposed to get good at what they do if they don’t have any prospects or clients work with? They answer is, most will fail and leave the business in three years or less. Which feeds the “get what you can while you can” behavior.
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Here’s the bottom line… the fiduciary rule, which is scheduled to go into effect in June, is supposed to regulate the financial advisors’ recommendations to just what was in the best interest of their clients. Unfortunately, the challenge remains, they need to feed their families. The cost of the new regulations will be paid in lower returns or service levels for clients, or out of the advisor’s pocket.
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Our firm is thriving!We see continued growth in all areas of our practice; Medicare planning, long-term care planning, legacy and estate planning, and in retirement income planning. We really didn’t have to do much to prepare for the new fiduciary rule, because we have always provided more care and consideration for our clients’ needs than any previous, current, or future regulation mandates.
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Guess what… my buddy, after spending a week in the Scottsdale office and observing our practice, sees our business in a different light. Abundance allows an advisor the freedom to plan without concern for compensation because we make a little from each client and give back!
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Health Tip June 2017
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The Benefits of Dark Chocolate!!
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By Sharon C. Groves
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Come Over to the Dark Side! No, we’re not talking about Darth Vader. We’re talking about cocoa……aka DARK CHOCOLATE. Yes, it is healthy for you.
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Chocolate was once highly valued and considered as “Nectar of the Gods”. Chocolate is a range of foods derived from cocoa, mixed with finely powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery.
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There are three types: Milk chocolate is made with milk and sugars and is only about 10% cocoa.While not devoid of all nutrients, there may be a better choice. Cadbury is the brand leader in the United Kingdom and Hershey’s is most popular in the USA.
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Dark chocolate, also known as “plain” or “black” chocolate adds fat and sugar with a lower amount of milk or no milk at all. Dark chocolate can be eaten as is, or used in cooking. Cocoa percentages usually range from 70% to 99%. “Dark” is also known as semisweet and extra dark as bittersweet. Percentages of cocoa in chocolate varies widely.
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White chocolate is made from sugar, milk, and cocoa butter without cocoa solids.
Don’t forget cocoa powder and how our moms fixed us cups of hot cocoa on a chilly morning with buttered toast. Yum!
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With all the talk about how certain types of chocolate are good for you, it’s easy to find an excuse to eat it. But before you start eating chocolate bar after bar, there is a small catch to all this. Chocolate, no matter the type, is still a source of calories and because it tastes oh-so-good, it's easy to overdo it.
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The question remains: Milk Chocolate vs. Dark Chocolate? Although milk chocolate may taste great, it's not nearly as good for you as dark chocolate. This is because milk chocolate contains less original cocoa bean than dark chocolate. Although milk chocolate does contain cocoa solids, it's often diluted with milk, sugar, and cream.
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Plus, not all chocolates are created equal. To get the health benefits, you really have to know which chocolate bar offers the most amount of nutrients and the least amount of calorie-ridden fat and sugar. Shoot for chocolate that is at least 80% or higher in cocoa and NOT processed with alkali. Processing with alkali renders less flavanols. This is called “Dutching”.
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Cocoa is a fabulous source of flavonoids, a special class of antioxidants that are the primary reason chocolate is now considered to be a good-for-you treat.
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The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more flavonoids, and the better for you the chocolate becomes. Plus, dark chocolate varieties often have less added sugar and fat which can also improve it’s overall nutritional value.
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Flavonoids are often found in wine, fruits, vegetables, and, of course, dark chocolate. They have been shown to reduce the amount of cell damage often implicated in heart disease, improve vascular functions, and can assist in lowering blood pressure. Flavonoids can also enhance the power of vitamin C and prevent inflammation throughout the body when eaten in proper amounts. Some studies have also shown that they may be beneficial in keeping blood glucose levels stable and may help normalize cholesterol levels as well.
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Another point to remember when choosing chocolate is, currently the FDA does not allow a product to be labeled as “chocolate” if contains vegetable fats or oils. However, some are labeled as “chocolatey” or “made with chocolate” as with Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar.
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Success Story May 2017
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Success Story of the Month
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By David S. Edge and Kris Sollenberger
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Richard had everything going for him, great wife and kids, terrific job that he was really good at, and his customer’s loved him. He even had his son playing golf with him so they could enjoy some dad and son time once a week. He was the assistant coach with his daughter’s soccer team and had this great connection with his children through sports. Good solid family man, great job, financially stable, what else could there be?
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Then the unexpected happened. Richard, Mr. Sportsman who got plenty of exercise, had a heart attack.
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At first he simply could not believe it had happened to him. “I eat right and get plenty of exercise, what the heck happened?” While having a quiet moment with his wife of 16 years, Richard begins to examine his life, and more importantly, his fears of what would life had been for his family had he not survived?
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"I eat right and get plenty of exercise, what the heck happened?"
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He vowed right then that he would not put it off any longer and would review his financial retirement plans as well as disability and long-term care options as soon as he got out of the hospital. After making a few calls and getting recommendations from trusted friends… he then called us.
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At the meeting he made it clear that he wanted his family taken care of no matter what happens. As we began the process of reviewing his options, he made an observation that he felt like a student in a classroom getting private tutoring on the various ways to protect his family financially. Our team made sure he understood that every client we deal with gets an education on all areas of solutions, so that you the client make the decision on what you want to do based on facts.
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Richard was amazed at how affordable some of the coverage he wanted was going to cost. He kept making the comment “that’s reasonable” and “I had no idea I could do that”. There is more than one way to obtain coverage for a myriad of life events. No matter what gets thrown in your path.
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Life insurance that pays out tax-free to your dependents is just one of your options. Short-term disability to help with the bills while you’re injured, or even a small burial policy that insures you’re not a burden to your family for funeral expenses.
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By the time we were finished, Richard was not only educated about his options but had a firm idea of which of those options he wanted for his specific situation.
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Are you still not sure about what would happen
to your loved ones if something happens to you?
Call us, we’re here to help!
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Financial Tip May 2017
[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Financial Tip of the Month" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0" subhead="May 2017"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"]
By David S Edge
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How do I file a claim with Medicare?
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If you have a Medicare Advantage plan you receive all your medical care from your network that you signed up for. You should never have to file a separate claim for reimbursement directly from Medicare. Simply pay any required co-pays on your plan to your medical provider.
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However, if you have Medicare with a Medigap (Supplement) plan, you will find most medical providers participate in Medicare and will file your paperwork or claims for you. There are a much smaller percentage of medical providers who do notparticipate in Medicare. This is when you may need to do the paperwork yourself.
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Non-participating medical providers may want you to pay them for services rendered at the time of your service. You will take the bill and fill out a “Patient’s Request for Medical Payment” form that you can get at Medicare’s website at www.medicare.gov. You will mail the completed claim form directly to Medicare. You will call 1-800-Medicare to find out the address to your local Medical billing office.
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On Medicare’s website, look on the top right side of the screen and click on the “Forms, Help, & Resources” tab.
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Next, select the tab on the left titled Medicare Forms. The page will open to several options. Select Iwant to file a claim for services.
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In the paragraph that opens, select the first option in the opening sentence “Patient Request for Medical Payments form”.
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The screen will change and be titled Details for title: CMS 1490S. Scroll down and select the very first item on the list; CMS 1490S- English. You will also see the option of a Spanish version of the form.
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The second selection on the list is direction on how to fill out the form. You can print this as well.
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The form is simple and requires your name, Medicare ID number, male or female, your mailing address, and a brief explanation of why you received this medical service. Attach a copy of the bill, and follow the mailing instructions.
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You will receive a payment from Medicare for their portion of the submitted bill, and a second payment for the balance of the bill will be sent to you by your Medigap carrier.
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Why Am I me May 2017
[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Added Value" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"]
By David Edge
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Added Value? What the heck? How about just plain old value? In this new modern language world, there are so
many meanings of words and slang that are being changed by our younger generation, and it’s getting hard to keep
track. If something is “sick” that means that it’s wicked good. As an example “the paint job on that truck is sick”!
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So what’s added value? Most of us view added value as something that adds value to whatever is being offered.
In other words more value, not the regular price or service and certainly not less.
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A great example is Discount Tire stores. They sell tires but you can stop in and get a flat fixed for free or get your tires checked out for free anytime. That’s added value.
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From a personal experience, my daughter always wants to go to Benihana on her birthday because her dinner is free. They send her an email reminding her, and for the past 10 years or so, guess where we go to dinner on her birthday? This is the added value for that particular restaurant.
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What is your attitude about value? Where did you develop it? What person impacted you on how to go about pushing a deal or negotiating the best thing for you or your family? Did you push for the littleextra?
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At American Retirement Advisors added value is just part of our everyday culture! How did you find us? Mail, ARA website, Google, Facebook, newspaper articles? We try to make it 123 Easy! If you have an appointment, we call and remind you. Every year during the Annual Election Period (Open Enrollment) we contact you to ensure you don’t need to switch medical plans to keep the most appropriate coverage for medical and drug plans. We’re here for your planning for medical, financial retirement planning, social security questions, life insurance, long-term care options, you name it, we’re here for you!
Being able to get all your retirement needs at one place is added value! Our wonderful clients are loyal to us because of our commitment to customer service. We work for our clients, not banks or insurance companies.
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Need help? Just call or email us!
We’re here to help!
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Health Tip May 2017
[et_pb_section admin_label="Section" fullwidth="on" specialty="off"][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label="Fullwidth Header" title="Health Hazards of Sitting" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_fullscreen="off" header_scroll_down="off" parallax="off" parallax_method="off" content_orientation="center" image_orientation="center" custom_button_one="off" button_one_letter_spacing="0" button_one_use_icon="default" button_one_icon_placement="right" button_one_on_hover="on" button_one_letter_spacing_hover="0" custom_button_two="off" button_two_letter_spacing="0" button_two_use_icon="default" button_two_icon_placement="right" button_two_on_hover="on" button_two_letter_spacing_hover="0"] [/et_pb_fullwidth_header][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label="section"][et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid" saved_tabs="all"]
By Sharon Groves
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We all probably know that too much sitting can be bad for our health, especially after a long TV binge.
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As most of us are choosing to delay our retirement, we tend to sit at our workspace perhaps up to 8 hours every day, then go home and sit even more watching our favorite TV programs.
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Exactly what happens to our bodies and our minds when we sit too much? Is it really so bad for us since we’ve basically worked all our lives?
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When we are sedentary for a long time, everything slows down, our bodily functions, and even our brains. Our muscles weaken and deteriorate and our posture worsens. When our muscles are moving or engaged (remember our heart is a muscle) fresh blood and oxygen is pumped throughout our entire bodies. This keeps our minds stimulated and focused and promotes healthy bodily functions.
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Prolonged sitting has been linked to high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, as well as an increased risk for colon, breast, and endometrial cancers. One theory is that excess insulin encourages damaging cell growth. Regular movement in our bodies boosts antioxidants that kill cell-damaging, and cancer-causing free radicals. But when our muscles aren’t moving, they don’t respond to insulin and then the pancreas ends up producing more and more. This can possibly lead to diabetes. Sitting for more than 8 hours a day has also been associated with a 90% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. (from a 2015 Internal Medicine Report)
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Muscle degeneration and back problems are another by-product of excessive sitting. When we move, soft discs between our vertebrae expand and contract like sponges, soaking up fresh blood and nutrients. When we sit too long, discs are squashed
unevenly and collagen hardens around tendons and ligaments.
So what can I do? Sit less and move more! Examples are maybe standing while talking
on the phone or even when you eat lunch. Go for a walk during work breaks rather than gathering in a conference room. If you work at a desk, try a standing desk, or simply improvise with a high table or countertop. Every 10 to 15 minutes, get up and move or walk around. Simple stretch exercises help greatly. Bend over, touch your toes or do arm circles. Trade TV time for hobbies. Set regular alarms on your phone as a reminder to stand up, stretch and decrease your sitting time. According to “Peak Fitness,” getting up and walking around for 2 minutes every hour increased their lifespan by 33% compared to those who did not.
The moral is two-fold: stand up a minimum of once an hour plus get at least 30 min of activity in a day. Remember to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated and….. stop & smell the roses.
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