Time To Double Down I have a confession. I crossed the big 60 last month, and it has given me cause to pause and assess where I am and where I'd like to go in the years ahead. To my surprise, I find that I share some keen views with Oprah who turned 60 in April and aptly said, "I'm not one to get hung up on numbers, but if you want to say 60 is the new 40, I'll take that. You can be and do whatever you want, thanks to exercise and hair color." To those of you who know me well there are clear tru- isms in Oprah's words. For the past 20 years, I've endorsed a regimented schedule of exercise with the goal of being fit and attempting to slow the progression of age. I've said, stay fit, keep an active schedule and you will be able to main- tain a vigorous workload and stay pro- ductive for as many years as the situ- ation warrants. Turning 60, however, causes increased reflection. Have you entered the last 20-year quadrant of an 80-year life cycle? If so, 75 percent of your life is history and only the "last" 25 percent remains. If, instead, the target lifespan, with the benefit of exercise, smart living and continued advances in medicine, is extended to 100, then 60 is only the 60 percent bench mark and 40 percent of your life remains. I like this thought, as long as those years from 80 to 100 are quality ones. Granted luck and gene pool are major quality-of-life factors beyond our con- trol. Taking care of ourselves is within our control. Too few people exercise in a dedicated and serious manner before they turn 60 and even fewer after. But, in my view, it is the post-60 stage that is the most critical. You need to "double down" in this stage, meaning that it is twice as impor- tant from 60 and beyond to do adopt a strong, heart-challenging routine of exercise. You want to live longer and you want that remaining 40 percent to be good— to feel good, be healthy and enjoy life. So double down — join that club, get the trainer, do what you need to do, but do it. Another reality: If you are going to live to 100, you need to financially plan for it so that you do not exhaust your retirement funds. I tell my elder clients not to allow themselves to run out of money and only have Social Security to cover their last 10 years. For me, the eye opener is that these words are now applicable to me! Beyond this, the longer we live and the more medicine advances, the greater chance we may face the prospect of the eventual need for nursing home care, so we need to plan and make sure we pro- tect our finances so that our remaining assets are not lost to Medicaid. The clock keeps ticking for those of us who are lucky. It's up to us to make the best of it. Planning includes exer- cise, diet and a fiscal plan that is consis- tent with the goal of reaching 100. So get started now and forget any notion that it's too hard or too late. 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