Today is your day Boomer! This is a picture of my close friend in the yellow jacket. What a great day we had in the snow on a sunny winter day last year....and this week, he is turning 65. He is officially a "senior" in the eyes of government and society in general. But what does that mean? Well, according to the numbers.....the current population of B.C. is 5.2 million and by 2038, ¼ of the province will be seniors (this is 5% higher than the Canadian average). Surprisingly, B.C. has the 7th most seniors behind the Atlantic provinces which are #1-4 and Alberta is dead last. OK, what else? You qualify for the Old Age Pension, which is just over $600/month and you can take your Canada Pension Plan as well....although, some people take it as early as age 60. You also qualify for all the so-called "senior discounts" in businesses like restaurants, movie theatres, ski hills, and grocery stores. On the negative side, many people will now consider you to be officially "old" even though you feel the same today as you did yesterday. I guess societal expectations also drop: people may think you take naps, play cards, read, join pickleball clubs, knit, make quilts, slow walk around the neighbourhood, and visit the seniors centre every day. Uh uhh.....not my friend "B". He is the new senior in society....he is 65 going on 55; he is going back-country skiing in the Rockies this week, he goes to CrossFit every day, he brings his bike when he goes on trips to Europe, he canoes down whitewater rivers, and he looks "youngish" with very few grey hairs. He is Canada's "new" senior and I applaude him as I, myself, get closer to the 65 age next year. Have a great "senior", happy retirement my friend!! Cheers.
Today is your day Boomer! Baby Boomers, another health benefit is back! It is backward walking and the trend-often associated with the 1980s-is making a return as grey-haired wonders, like you and I, look for new-or-newish ideas to help keep us fit! According to cbc.ca, "walking backwards has shown that there's less impact on the joints by using these different muscles — and it can increase flexibility and even help alleviate back pain." One 62-year-old Boomer says "Every time I walk, I just do a little twirl and walk backwards for a bit, and I'll do it just a few times during my walk." It may look a little unusual and may get a few laughs from passersby....by consider the actual benefits. Clinical exercise specialist André Noël Potvin says "When you start to walk backwards, you actually start to rebalance the forces around the ankle, knee, hip and lower back." This really helps Boomers recovering from knee surgery and older Boomers who are havi...
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