Welcome to the Retirement News Articles for the week of July 8th. In addition to this newsletter, I was able to post an article about artificial intelligence (AI) for older adults that I hope you will find helpful:
My favorite articles for the week are:
- Travel for Seniors: The Best U.S. Small Towns to Visit by Train
- Arts, Entertainment, and Reading: 120 Book Recommendations for (Nearly) Every Kind of Summer Reader
- Financial Management for Seniors: 10 Places Where You Should Never Give Your Social Security Number
Though I am not the author of these Retirement News Articles, I have searched earnestly for quality content that will prove of value and interest to my subscribers. I hope you enjoy these articles and encourage you to comment on not only the content, but with thoughts on what subjects you would like to see in this weekly compilation.
Please note that you can now subscribe to this weekly edition on the upper right-hand portion of my website (or for those viewing this on a smart phone, it should be at the bottom of the page).
Thank you
Mike
Retirement News Articles – Bonus Story
Just across the river from St. Louis, Missouri, sits an ancient and mysterious anthropological site that few Americans know of. Scholars are still unsure as to the reasons for the demise of Cahokia, a massive settlement that may have housed as many as 20,000 people by 1050 A.D.
The Biggest Ancient City You’ve Probably Never Heard of Is in Illinois
Travel for Seniors
For those particularly fond of slow travel, article one, from Travel + Leisure, shares that there are plenty of charming small towns worth hopping off the train to explore. Their list gives you some of the best small towns in the U.S. that you can visit by train.
Article two, from Conde Nast, highlights many of the most beautiful small towns in America. The list spans the entire country, both the continental 48 states as well as Alaska and Hawaii.
The Best U.S. Small Towns to Visit by Train
The 28 Most Beautiful Towns in America
Lifestyle, Health & Welfare for Seniors
As stated in article one, “According to the National Institute on Aging, four kinds of exercise can enhance your health and help you maintain your independence as you age: flexibility, endurance, balance, and strength“. However, finding the right exercises is key, which is the value of reading this article.
I have found many of my friends have hip pain. For those of you that share this malady, try the exercises recommended in article two.
10 Best Exercises for Seniors To Do at Home
Get Hip Pain When Walking? Try These 5 Physio-Approved Strengthening Exercises
Food, Nutrition & Cooking
As article one attests, a whole foods diet is a great way to eat healthy and improve your physical well-being. What is a whole foods diet? The article explains it is not a fad nor a formal diet plan. Actually, its focus is simply upon eating as much natural whole food as possible while avoiding processed foods. Read further if you would like to learn more.
Article two shares that even if you buy your lettuce packaged and “pre-washed”, you may want to think again before just throwing it into your salad.
Whole-Foods Diet 101: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
What Can Happen If You Don’t Wash Your Lettuce?
Recreation, Exercise & Hobbies
Article one, from Atlas Obscura, stresses that if you are headed to the great outdoors, there is a good chance that at some point you will lose your cell signal. This can be troubling, especially if you use your phone apps to navigate. It is best to be prepared if you are unfamiliar with the location. This means bringing a road atlas for driving and a topographic map for the hike. That may seem like a no brainer for those of us who grew up In the outdoors before cell phones, but for many, these essential paper tools are likely forgotten unless one plans ahead.
Article two, from the National Recreation and Park Association, shares how parks and recreation organizations across the country provide resources and programs focused upon older adults. Though the article doesn’t provide links to local resources, it does give you a good idea of what you can expect to find at a center near you.
How to Survive Without a Cell Phone Signal
Parks and Recreation Supports Older Adults
Arts, Entertainment, and Reading
Goodreads has compiled a specially curated collection that takes a lateral-thinking approach to book sorting. Their editorial team has organized book recommendations based upon Reader Type. As you shall see, though highly unscientific and somewhat improvised, their approach is extremely practical.
Sticking to the reading theme, Goodreads comes up with their monthly list of most anticipated books each month, as shared by their readers. Article two provides the list for the month of July.
120 Book Recommendations for (Nearly) Every Kind of Summer Reader
Readers’ Most Anticipated Books of July
Financial Management for Seniors
It seems like everywhere you go, for example the doctor’s office, they want your social security number. Article one, from Kiplinger, shares 10 places where you should never share your number. Surprisingly, medical and government offices (both state and federal) are on the list.
Waiting until you reach the age of 70 seems to be the most widely accepted advice on when to collect social security benefits. The reason for this is it maximizes the size of your benefit check. However, for many, there may be a reason to begin collecting before this milestone. Article two makes a case for why someone may want…or have to begin collecting sooner rather than later.
10 Places Where You Should Never Give Your Social Security Number
Here’s Why You May Want to Plan to Claim Social Security at 62
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