Products To Help Those With Low Vision
NewsDay.com
By Peter King
8/4/2008
Work out, look great and feel sexy at any age
For many women, it begins in their 40s or 50s. A long look in the mirror reveals the shape of things to come, and it’s not a pretty sight. But no matter how old you are, you can tone down this body-drooping, spirit-dropping experience by toning up.
“A lot of women hitting their 40s and 50s are at the crossroads,” says Joyce Vedral, a fitness expert who has produced many books and DVDs. “They can decide to throw in the towel and just be old and look like their grandmothers did. Or they can say, ‘I’m going to give this a second shot, be sexy and hot and go out there and have fun.’”
Vedral, a Wantagh resident, speaks from experience. She didn’t begin a fitness regimen until she was 40 years old. Now, at age 65, Vedral retains her enthusiasm even as her body retains its shape.
As for her workout recommendations, Vedral is a big believer in weight training. “It’s the only way to reshape your body,” she says. But don’t worry about looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime. She advises using lighter weights that will firm up the body without adding bulk.
While most of her books and DVDs are aimed at women - one of her newest is “The Cougar Workout: Say Yes to a Sexy Future at Any Age” - she says men can also benefit from her training regimens. “In fact, most of my fitness programs are really men’s workouts, because they work best.”
In addition to looking better, you’ll probably feel better, too. Vedral, for example, says a recent physical showed she had significantly higher bone density than the average woman her age, cutting her risk of osteoporosis. Several studies back up the theory that regular exercise, especially a regimen using weights, can increase bone density in older adults, even in people older than 70.
Vedral’s books and tapes are available at Amazon.com or her Web site, joycevedral.com, where she also offers free personal advice via e-mail on the best training regimen for you. While the hardest part of any exercise regimen is getting started, Vedral says let your reflection be your motivation.
“They look in the mirror and get depressed, and they really don’t believe they can reverse it,” she says. “But they can.”
Low-vision shopping
For people with low vision and their loved ones, every day brings new frustrations. But products from an online retailer may help make daily life a little easier.
ShopLowVision.com features more than 4,000 items aimed at people with low vision, a condition where poor eyesight cannot be corrected with conventional eyeglasses.
While some of the products are expensive - some high-tech magnifiers that include cameras and screens cost more than $2,000 - there are also numerous low-cost items. For example, for those who struggle even making a cup of tea, there’s a Liquid Level Indicator ($9.56) that goes over the lip of a cup or glass and beeps when the liquid you are pouring gets near the top.
You can download a catalog at http://ShopLowVision.com/downloads/SLV-Daily-Living-Solutions-2008.pdf. If you find something you like, you can order online or by calling 800-826-4200.
Older rockers are rollin’ all the way to the bank
If The Police were the police on Long Island or in New York City, they’d have worked enough years that they could all retire on full pensions.
But the group, which plays Jones Beach Monday and Tuesday and Madison Square Garden Thursday, is still arresting onstage despite the members’ advanced ages. And they aren’t alone.
Here are 2007’s biggest-grossing tours of rock acts:
GROUP, 2007 GROSS, AGE*
- The Police, $133 million, 59
- Van Halen, $57 million, 54
- Kenny Chesney, $71 million, 40
- Justin Timberlake, $71 million, 27
- Celine Dion, $65 million, 40
- Rod Stewart, $49 million, 63
* If act is a group, average age of all members
SOURCES: AARP The Magazine, Pollstar
Study: Companion advised for visits to doctors
If you’re over 65 and have a doctor’s appointment, don’t go alone. And once you get there, don’t leave your companion in the waiting room.
A new study of Medicare beneficiaries found that “patients were more satisfied with their care” when accompanied to the doctor’s office by a companion who got actively involved during the visit. Companions typically gave information to the doctor about the patient’s medical problems or history, or wrote down the doctor’s instructions to the patient.
The Johns Hopkins study, published in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that half of the companions were the patient’s spouse; one-third were an adult child. Companions also included other relatives, friends, neighbors or nurses.
