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📺55 & UpSides #0025: Yoga healing | Cheapest streaming TV | Resolutions that work?

📺55 & UpSides #0025: Yoga healing | Cheapest streaming TV | Resolutions that work?

Ronnie Mac James
January 1st, 2025

First time reading? Get your free subscription here. This newsletter’s goal is the extinction of information overload for folks like me who are aged 55 & up. Easily unsubscribe below if you got here by some interwebs mishap.

Morning 55&UpSiders — if you don’t believe yoga can get folks in shape, check out what it did for this Veteran.

Here’s what I’m covering for you today…

Curated topics affecting us & Good News stories
Today’s Poll (Super Bowl)
Quick breakdown on the cheapest streaming TV options
Feature Story: New Year’s Resolutions
Face The Facts (& do something about ’em)
🍩Reply to this email with “donut” for a chance to win a Dunkin Donuts gift code!
Word of the day is Frankenfood. See what it means.

Curated Countdown

🕙  Guess Which Age Group Has The Highest Vitality?

🕘  12 Budget-Friendly Winter Getaways

🕗  Proof That Your Legacy Is More Than Your Job

🕖  Key Alzheimer’s Breakthrough

🕕  Buyer Beware: The Risks Of Ordering GLP-1 Medications Online

🕔  The Average 401(K) Balance For A 60-Year-Old May Surprise You

🕓  The 3 Dangerous Foods This Gut Doctor Avoids

🕒  2025’s Most Addictive TV Shows, Did Yours Make The List?

🕑  Estate Planning For Folks Without Kids

🕐  6 Easy Exercises You Can Do (Without Leaving Your House)

🏈Poll: Will the Super Bowl be on Netflix someday?

Cheapest Streaming TV?

All the prices above except Apple TV+ are the cheapest because you have to watch ads. Apple doesn’t have an ad-supported plan (yet).

If you ask me, today’s TV commercials are pretty bad. Even the Super Bowl commercials are pitiful. I remember people saying they watch the Super Bowl for the ads. Now, though? You couldn’t pay me to sit through the ads they run. I’d rather watch Judge Judy. Now, she’s funny.

Feature Story

New Year’s Resolutions

The problem is...

Resolutions are tough to stick with
Resolutions can fail due to lack of understanding of habit formation
Lot of negative news about resolutions not working

3 resources that can help you

Roadblocks

Relying on willpower instead of habit formation
Setting vague or unrealistic goals
Lack of consistent cues to trigger desired behaviors
Forgetting to track progress or celebrate small wins
Not making new habits enjoyable

Upsides & ways to beat roadblocks

55-plus folks have better routines & higher self-regulation, aiding habit formation
Focus on delayed gratification, a strength in older populations
Break large goals into smaller steps
Use visual cues in your environment to trigger desired behaviors
Pair new habits with activities you already enjoy

Takeaways

Habit formation is more effective than relying on willpower alone
Consistency & repetition are key to creating lasting behavior changes
Leverage your strengths
Make new habits specific, trackable, & enjoyable

Face The Facts (then punch ’em in the nose)

Know the facts so you can overcome or take advantage of them.

5) Nation’s largest drugstore chain, CVS, closed nearly 600 stores from January to November 2024 (AARP)

4) Older adults are functioning better independently, with a shrinking share living in nursing homes compared to a decade ago

3) Once Americans make it to their late 50s, the wealthiest 10% live to a median age of around 86 years, roughly 14 years longer than the least wealthy 10% (WSJ)

2) Travelers 50 & older expected to spend an average of $6,659 on travel this past year

1) After 60- to 90-year-olds spent 15 hours a week for three months learning new skills, their brain function showed improvement as much as a year later (University of Texas at Dallas)

👊Let’s punch the high cost of living longer in the nose.

Affordable items that can increase our odds of living longer:

Whole grains: Increase intake to reduce risk of chronic diseases & lower all-cause mortality by 17%
Green tea: Rich in antioxidants
Vitamin D supplements: Support bone health, immune function, & may slow aging processes
Clip-on book light: Improve visibility for reading, reducing eye strain & supporting cognitive activities
Folding cane seat: Encourages mobility & rest when needed
Medical records organizer: Helps manage health information, leading to better healthcare decisions

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The upside’s always worth looking for,
Ronnie Mac James

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