Stronger After 55: Aging Comes With A Cost - Your Investments Can Determine That.

Your weekly guide to help support you in your journey to overcoming health risks, and becoming a brighter, better version of you as you age. This week, we focus on pressing issues of modern day aging - the inflammatory costs that come with aging, and what you can do to minimize medical bills while maximizing the full potential of your health after 55. 

SECTION 1: TOP CONCERNS & REAL WORLD ISSUES 

We spend the first half of our lives learning in order to earn in the latter half. Endless loans, savings accounts, investments, and hours of hard work throughout our lifetime in hopes of creating a life after retirement worry-free. Yet, with a constantly changing economy and inflation overtaking prices, the cost of living has continued to rise tremendously over the past decade. What was worth $20 in 2015 is worth $26.15 by the end of 2025 - cumulating an increase of living costs by approximately 37% over the last 10 years.

Between 64-78% of older adults are beginning to worry whether their lifelong savings would truly support such high costs throughout retirement. But we circle back to one of the largest factors of the high costs aging brings - endless medical bills. As discussed in a prior newsletter, the rising prevalence of chronic medical conditions amongst adults 55+ can bring added stress and expenses on medical bills, appointments, treatments, and medications. The average American spends up to nearly $200,000 in medical expenses and medications as we age.

This shouldn’t be normalized.    

It’s time we focus on reforming our approach to aging - how to seek prevention before diagnosis, rather than the treatments and pills that follow. Let’s start investing in healthcare that will boost you throughout the prime years of your health, and decrease the overwhelming stress and costs aging may bring. 

SECTION 2: MUST-KNOW WELLNESS ADVANCEMENTS 

How-To: Minimize Your Spending, and Maximize Your Health 

Preventative medicine is one of the most overlooked and underfunded fields of healthcare that many patients and researchers skip over. Yet, it is the very thing that will make all the difference in the projection of your health journey. 

One of the biggest determinants of healthy aging can be observed through your metabolic health. Small routine and daily practices of implementing healthy diets rich in vitamins, healthy carbs, and balanced protein can go a long way in improving the microbiome of your gut, and your digestive system overall. There are many ways we can further strengthen this - like implementing strength training a few times a week to help build muscles, or eating healthy meals on a consistent routine to timely train our metabolic pathways. Hydration and Stress Management can play a huge role in preventing spiking blood glucose levels, balancing natural insulin production, and reducing inflammation. 

These factors can impact overall energy, cognition, and long term health that can effectively slow down the aging process through real, science-backed, healthy habits,  while expanding the years of our prime health while reducing the risk of developing chronic medical conditions many adults struggle with as we age. 

Taking this into account, healthy aging and global wellness is something we can make a priority rather than an option through small additions to our daily routines. Understanding how preventative care and help boost longevity is one of the areas under heavy development in modern day - as it is amongst the fastest growing areas of wellness innovation. Investing in lifestyle coaching and longevity medicine is one that will save you thousands of dollars post-retirement, and allow you to become the best version of yourself regardless of age.

SECTION 3: BEHAVIORS TO BE STOPPED

Skipping Preventative Visits

What a lot of people underestimate is the power preventative health visits and regular checkups can have on your health later down the line. Many checkups may feel intimidating, tiring, or simply daunting - but those lab test results may be the key to protecting your health early on. Many don’t realize they have certain chronic medical conditions until it's too late. Preventative check-ups and tests help catch those diagnoses early on, and can mitigate the condition from developing into something far more severe if it went undetected. High technology in modern day, such as the invention of the mammogram, has allowed for the significant reduction in mortality rates of breast cancer in females due to the cancer being caught in its early stages - making treatment and survival rates a lot higher relative to other conditions. 

So, delaying those check-ups can actually improve your risk of letting a potential condition go undiagnosed as you age. Detection and prevention early on will save you lots of stress and monetary expenses on high grade treatments and medications going forward. 

Aging is inevitable, and the conditions that it brings can be unpredictable throughout one's life. Investing in the right preventative care programs will minimize those medical bills and diagnosis as you age - allowing you to spend your post-retirement stress free, save money, and boost your overall energy, cognition, and longevity to its fullest potential. Maximize it.