Exercise For the Boomer Women Who Hate It

Exercise For the Boomer Women Who Hate It

Going to the gym is all very well for the women who can get to one easily, and enjoy exercising in front of other people and who look good in a leotard. As women for the boomer generation many of our body parts do not stay in the same shape compared to our college days. Exercise equipment at home is fine if you have the room to store the machine when you are not using it, and the self motivation and will power to pull it out from the closet or under the bed everyday. For many of us exercise screams of torture, pain, and unpleasantness, and it doesn’t have to be that way.

Boomers or better know as peri-menopause can be a really exciting time in your life because you are finally empty nesters freeing yourselves from child rearing and family duties. Yes our commitment to the family, is still very strong, doesn’t (or shouldn’t) require you to spend all your time and energies devoted to them. Boomers is the start of the ‘ME-years’, and can be the start of a whole new adventure in your life. Take the time to take care of yourself first for a change since the nest is empty and we are now in control of ME first the Boomer generation.

Take the time at least 3 – 4 times a week to do something that you enjoy or a hobby that can give you great pleasure and get a bit of exercise at the same time. Here are just a few suggestions to get you started.

Walking Activities – walking is one of the best types of activities you can do and the cheapest. Power walk in one way then stroll back home on the return trip. Look for collectables (flowers, rocks, shells, leaves) for creative work. Take your dog with you or a friend. If you are an urban dweller then take advantage of the early morning or evening to window shop- you won’t be tempted to shop because the shops won’t be open but you can keep yourself updated on what is going on in your area. Become a mall walker for others, as you never have to worry about the outdoor eliminate. For those readers that are near the water actually wading along the edge of a lake, stream or beach can be a pleasant way of increasing the exercise for your legs.

Swimming - Find the quietest times at your local pool or beach and enjoy a leisurely swim combined with some underwater exercises such as leg extensions and squats. My favorite is the same movement as Cross County skiing in water it gives the resistance to the areas we all need the most arms and legs while holding the tummy muscles in.

Dance around your house – add a touch of zest to the dusting or when vacuuming – turn the music up loud and dance to it as you work. Grab the dust mops and pertain it is your partner. Push and pull the mop handle. What ever you do get the pulse racing and make yourself feel good at the same time. This is another one of my favorites. It brings back my dance days in school which is good for the memory.

What ever you choose to do take a hobby or project you enjoy and get your heart pumping – that is all that is truly needed in exercise – have fun and enjoy it.


Marcia Chumbley is a work at home mom and grandmother in Minnesota. She is the owner of a Christian Work from Home Moms and Grandparents web site at http://www.faithfulgrannies.com/. Bringing generations of Christian Work From Home Moms, Grandmothers, Parents, Boomers and Families together while providing resources, inspiration and affordable advertising while balancing the work at home experience.

Article Source: http://www.faithfulgrannies.com

Want to be More Attractive Be Nice

Want to be More Attractive? Be Nice!


Mom said beauty begins on the inside. It turns out she was right (Again). Research suggests that individuals who show positive personality traits are perceived as better looking.

by Dr. Galen Buckwalter, Ph.D.


Looking good is something everyone pays attention to. Even if they are blessed with natural good looks, everyone takes the time to get their hair in place and their shirt tucked in before they walk out the door. We don’t think twice about taking time to look good.
What if I were to tell you that one of the easiest things you can do to look better is to simply be nice to people? Rather than getting a makeover, you can instantly look better to people you meet by acting with kindness and compassion. Do you believe that? Let’s think it through this way.


Say you are at an airport, waiting for a plane, when you overhear someone of the opposite sex talking on the telephone. The person is seated behind you so you can’t see him or her. And let’s say the person seems to be talking to an assistant who has made a mistake. In a tone that couldn’t be more rude or disagreeable, he or she is saying something along the lines of, “Well, I went over this last week, and if I must go over it again perhaps you need to pick up a pencil and write down what I say.”
Compare this with the same scenario, but the person is engaged and cordial while explaining what he or she wants, addresses the person by name, puts the mistake in context, provides a helpful hint on how to handle such situations, and moves on.
When you turn around, who is going to look more attractive to you?
Recent research suggests that individuals who show positive personality traits such as kindness, honesty and helpfulness are perceived as better looking, while those who exhibit negative personality qualities such as unfairness and rudeness appear to be less physically attractive. Participants were shown pictures of people of the opposite sex and asked to rate them by physical attractiveness and desirability as a friend and as a romantic partner. The key to this experiment was that they rated each person both before and after receiving information about the person’s personality. First they reacted just to physical appearance, and then they reacted to physical appearance in combination with personality.
Positive personality was found to correlate with a greater desire to be the person’s friend. The desire to be a friend led, in turn, to a greater desire to have the person as a romantic partner. Having a desire for a romantic relationship ultimately led participants to view the people in the photos as more attractive.
To put this simply, nice is beautiful!
The findings did not differ based on gender; they were also consistent regardless of how attractive the person was initially perceived to be. That is, even beautiful people benefit by being nice.
The really good news is that we can all learn how to be nice people. Few of us are ever going to look like movie stars, but we can all increase our compassion and kindness. Researchers in Wisconsin found that people can be very easily trained to activate the part of the brain associated with happiness and compassion. By focusing on others and taking time to get outside of our own daily hassles, we do something that people cannot help but find appealing on every level. Beauty does start on the inside.

Clothes Line

Clothes Line

A clothes line was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by.
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the 'fancy sheets'
And towels upon the line;
You'd see the 'company table cloths'
With intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth
To folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung
So carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed
You'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck,
As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,
Haphazardly were strung.

It said, 'Gone on vacation now'
When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, 'We're back!' when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy gray,
As neighbors carefully raised their brows,
And looked the other way..

But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work less.
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life.
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!

Should you Cut your Losses?

Should you Cut your Losses?

Perfect relationships only exists in fairy tales. Still, sometimes it's hard to tell if the doubts about your relationship are normal or a sign of a bigger problem. Dig a little deeper and the answer will find you.

In some ways your new relationship seems to be going pretty well. But at the same time there are doubts that keep nagging at you. Maybe you have issues with the person’s table manners. Or their friends seem a little…off. Perhaps their goals (or lack thereof) are different than your own.

Or maybe it’s something else.
The point is that you’ve got some fairly significant concerns about whether to keep pursuing this person. But you wonder if you’re being too picky, or you should hold tight to your standards. In other words, should you cut your losses now, or be patient and tolerant to see where the future will take you?

This can be a pretty tough call to make. But if you can think through some key relational issues and stick to some basic guidelines, you’ll have a better chance of making a good, healthy decision as you try to determine just how significant you want to make this new other in your life.

Don’t Expect to Change Someone
There’s an old saying that you should never try to teach a pig to sing. The reason? It’s a waste of time, and it annoys the pig. Expecting to change a person that you’re dating falls into the “trying to teach a pig to sing” category. The simple fact is that for 99% of us, we are who we are. So no matter how much a person tries to change us, we’re not going to change. Plus, we’re going to resent the person who is pushing us to be something other than what we’ve already chosen to be. So don’t expect to change the person you’re with in any fundamental way. Still, that being said, …

Do Encourage Growth and Expose the Person to new Possibilities
There’s nothing wrong with presenting someone with ways they can improve as a person or shake off some of the rough, so that the diamond can shine through a bit more. The key questions are your motivation, and how you go about recommending growth. If you genuinely care for this person and see ways they can improve their quality of life, then that’s a justifiable motivation, especially if you can present your recommendations non-judgmentally and with respect. That’s much more legitimate than calling for change out of your own insecurities, and in such a way that makes them feel bad about themselves.

Don’t Change Who You Are
Just as you can’t expect to substantially change the other person, you also shouldn’t deny or give up on the most important parts of yourself. Sometimes we want to make a relationship work so much that we let go of what makes us who we are or what we truly want and need. But obviously, that’s a bad move for ourselves, for the relationship, and even for the other person we’re changing for. So remain true to who you are, and hold firm to your identity and core values. On the other hand, it’s also important that you …

Do Remain Open-Minded, Flexible, and Tolerant
Being consistent in terms of who you are and what you believe is a good thing. Being rigid is not. So even as you remain true to the essence of who you are, be careful to avoid being closed-minded about changes you could make to improve yourself, or your new relationship.

Don’t Settle
Let’s face it: all of us from time to time feel lonely and just want to be with someone. But do your best to keep in mind an important truth that you already know: It’s not healthy to accept less than you deserve, or less than you need, just because you’re afraid of being alone. There may be times when you feel like having someone—anyone—would be better than being by yourself. But fight the temptation to give in to this line of thinking. Instead, …

Do hold Firm to the Items on your “List”
You know what you want, and what you need, in a relationship. Chances are you’ve got a list in your mind (or even on paper) of the qualities you’re looking for in the person you date. There’s no reason not to expect to find someone who meets most of the items on your list and can make you happy. So if you have some non-negotiables, and this person in your life doesn’t meet the criteria you’ve set out, then be willing to move on without that person, and make yourself available for new possibilities. However, …

Don’t Work from an Unreasonable List
There’s nothing wrong with having standards, even high ones. But make sure that those standards are reasonable. For example, the length of a person’s second toe, or the fact that they sometimes chew with their mouth open, probably shouldn’t be an absolute deal-breaker. Also, it may not be realistic to expect to find someone who looks like a fashion model, or who loves the Dodgers as much as you do. Don’t overemphasize the small stuff, and don’t expect the impossible.

Do Think about what Matters most to You
Concentrate on whether you and this person are like-minded and compatible in terms of values and important issues. Then use your best judgment. Yes, it may be true that they don’t have a job right now. But if they’ve done cool or interesting work in the past and are legitimately in a transition phase, that’s different from someone who’s been “transitioning” for the past three years.

Don’t Avoid Making a Decision you Need to Make
This can be one of the most difficult truths to accept, but it’s also probably the most important. If you know that a person is wrong for you, and that they’ll never be right, then you have to walk away from the relationship. No matter how much you feel that you need them, don’t deny what you know to be true. Remember the words of Maya Angelou: “When people show you who they are, believe them.”

Do Trust your Instincts
Pay attention to what you’re feeling inside, and trust yourself to make the decision that’s right. If, when you’re being totally honest with yourself, you feel that you two have a real shot at creating something good together, then give it some more time and see what happens. But if your instincts tell you that it’s time to move on, then move on.