they going to watch .

>> Good evening.

I'm so glad you're watching us tonight here on LIFE Ahead on PBS Fort Wayne.

I'm Sandy Thomson the host but I have two guests that I think you're really going to enjoy this evening as well as our topic.

>> We're going to be talking about a preretirement assessment both physical and legal.

Now to delve into this topic, I have an attorney with us tonight.

In fact, let me introduce you to her right now if you watch like the head frequently you know Heidi Adare hi, Sandy .

>> Welcome back.

Thank you.

And Heidi just happened to bring her own personal trainer .

>> That's where we get into the physical assessment and this is Aaron Long.

Nice to meet you and nice to have you with us tonight.

>> Nice to meet you, Sandy .

Happy to be here.

And Aaron , by the way, is a certified personal trainer so she knows what she's talking about and she's gone through a lot of training to be certified.

So we have an open topic here tonight.

Again, legal and physical and we invite you to give us a call here at (969) 27 twenty with any questions you have in either thing about training or about the legal aspects of it.

And I'm going to start out with you, Heidi with covered a lot of different topics here on LIFE Ahead.

But now we're talking about physical training.

How does this work into a health assessment?

Is there a legal way that it's important?

>> Well, I have to say I I can't really tie legal and physical together but we talk a lot with our clients about leading up to retirement and what you're thinking about and I always focus on the money part and the legal aspect of it.

But I think a really important part of it is preparing for your physical health and I'm in my fifties right now and just starting to think about OK, well what do I want my retirement to look like?

What do I want to make sure I can do?

And physical is a big part of it and I've learned a ton from Aaron and listening to her talk while we train and I think she just has lots of good information and we're going to get into some of those interesting areas this evening.

In fact, right before the show we were having a conversation here in breakroom, if you will.

And I found it very interesting some of the people that Aaron has worked with I assumed when we talk about a personal trainer you're talking about athletes or you know, somebody in the sports field or a really energetic person, male or female in their 20s, 30s, 40s.

But you've had some interesting what do you call them clients?

Clients.

OK, clients tell me some of the ranges that you've had.

>> Well, my youngest client would kind of fit in the stero that you were kind of talking about that she's 17.

She's a local high school student that we work with an athlete and then my oldest clients ninety seven years old is a man I work with him about four or five days a week for just 30 minutes.

We do a lot of chair based exercises and different things but I've been working with him for about six years.

>> That is just amazing.

So I think kind of the moral of the story is you're never too old to start physical training.

>> You've also worked with people that have had a lot of surgeries if you will, hip replacements, knee replacements, that sort of thing.

>> What's different about that in the way you would approach a client?

>> Well, every client is different no matter if they're a young athlete to someone in their 80s or 90s.

So we always meet with them kind of go over their health protocol, what they've done in the past, what currently doing any surgeries or limitations that they might have and then we kind of just adapt a personalized program for these individuals.

>> OK, I think one of the things that really fascinated me in our conversation earlier was the purpose or the benefit of doing therapy before you have a surgery.

>> I mean most of the time I hear somebody having a knee replacement or hip replacement and they after they recover or start to recover, then they have a lot of therapy.

But you were telling me that therapy prior to the surgery can be beneficial.

>> Most physical therapists that I have been in contact with will always encourage someone to you know, if depending on the surgery to lose weight to maybe work out a little bit ahead of time they'll even work with them.

So I work a lot with physical therapists in coordination with they'll go see them but then they also utilize me the full body aspect.

Usually when you go to physical therapy, you know they're working on your knee but you know if they come to me I'll work with them on that as well.

But also full body so they're all over physically ready for the demand of having a knee replacement or a hip replacement because you want to have a strong upper body, want to have a strong core, you want to be physically in shape in order to go through that surgery and recover quicker.

>> Yeah, I think that's that's a fascinating part that you were telling me the doctor was even surprised once with one of your clients that they recovered from this replacement much faster because they had had therapy or training physical training before the surgery.

>> Yeah, they recovered.

They I mean it was a pretty extensive hip replacement had been postponed through covid and when she came out of it like she bounced right back which is wonderful and then she's continued to do physical therapy afterwards she had to kind of retrain herself how to walk again after going so long with that bad hip and not having it replaced.

So she had to kind of retrain herself to walk through physical therapy and then she'll start back with me in another month once her physical therapy is done.

>> You know, Unfortune but I think that was the case for a lot of people that covid really put things on hold there for a while.

>> Hynie I in the conversation between you two , I know that even though you had to stop training for a while during covid you were really anxious to get back out there again.

How do you find that it has helped you?

>> I can't believe you're in their fifties.

You said that and I still can't quite believe that.

Yeah, I'm fifty three so and I plan way ahead.

>> I'm not retiring soon but I I think in your fifties I've watched some of my older partners just get go through life and the people who started working out in their fifties they are still vibrant and active and have stamina at seventy so I want to be that to want to be that too.

>> OK let's switch from physical for a few minutes here and talk about legal.

>> We talked about health assessment physically.

>> How can you assess your legal health if you will?

Well I think in you know as you're thinking about retirement it's a good time to to meet with the lawyer.

In fact I find that a lot of people don't come to me until they are ready to retire.

And if you've never met with an attorney done any type of estate planning pre-retirement is a good time to come and get those basic things taken care of like want make sure you've got a power of attorney in place who can help you if you're incapacitated.

Make sure you've got a health care representative appointed.

Make sure you've got a well done.

Think about whether your kids need any special provisions so just go through and make sure your legal stuff is in order.

>> And another aspect of that is to make sure you understand your finances so many times when I initially meet with someone and try to go through and say OK, well where do you have your life insurance?

Where's your investment account ?

>> They don't know.

Yeah and as you get aid as you get older and age, your ability to sluff that stuff out gets more it gets more and more difficult.

>> So if you can have a good organized listing, a way of keeping your paperwork together as you age, things are going to be much easier.

>> Yeah, and I agree.

I mean I I don't think that I remember things as easily as I did when I was twenty five.

>> Well know investment places keep changing names like Zangabad had Prudential and now it's Midland or you know whatever it's just it's hard to keep up with all that stuff plus you want to make sure and I think Heidi, you always advise that you keep records of things and make sure your family knows where that is.

Yeah, I think it's very important to have everything in a central location at the when my clients leave they sign their papers.

>> I give them an envelope.

Here's all your papers.

Yeah.

And I encourage put somewhere and let your family know where it is and put your important life insurance policies your homeowner's insurance policy, your bank statement, your investment account statement put that all together so and that's hard to do sometimes and I mean if you're like me you always think I'll do it tomorrow or I'll do that.

>> Oh I've got free time next week.

Yeah.

But you know you never know when that might be needed and it doesn't have to be fancy.

>> Just get a box throw it.

I know a secret about Heidi by the way Aaron she has an orange folder right.

>> I did.

She told us sign it says if someone dies.

>> Yeah.

And her whole family no look for the orange folder if you're going to keep her healthy she's not going to have to worry about this for a while.

>> Let's talk about the physical part again here.

What are benefits for exercising for retirement?

Heidi's giving you advice on what to do legally to prepare for retirement.

>> How about physically?

Is it if somebody has a physical plan?

>> Well, a physical activity, do they face retirement more easily or how does that help?

>> Well, I think when you know you're getting ready to retire ,you know, a lot of people they're busy working.

They're not really taking care of themselves so much so it gives them an opportunity to be like OK, after I'm retired I want to get back in shape.

I want to take care of myself so I live a longer, healthier life .

Yeah.

So you can do your you know and it's not just about having the best body or being super strong or physically fit.

It's about being able to do everyday activities for the rest of your life comfortably you know being able to sit and stand from a chair without anyone helping you you know being able to open a jar without having to ask for help.

So it's being able to do things independently for yourself as long as you can in a healthy way.

>> That's good.

That's good advice.

Now I know you mentioned your husband's a personal trainer.

Yes.

we work together but he works with he works with a lot of golfers.

>> Yes.

So he works on a lot of their mobility and their strength in order to add distance to their golf swing or you know, just improve their game.

>> OK, and that would be maybe related to retirement because that's when people have time for leisure activities whether it's golf or some other sport or activity that you enjoy and you want to have your body be the best it can be.

>> Well, and what I think too is I mean when you're working you have to get up every day you're moving around you're sure walking around the office you're you're you're busy.

>> You have activity built into your day when you retire.

Hopefully you better get a plan together because you could just become very sedentary which is not going to be good for you.

>> Right.

Easy to do though.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

After so many years of working and so many hours a week after I am retired from full time work I discovered naps.

>> I never knew there was such a thing that existed but it was it was wonderful.

>> I suppose I should have been working out instead of taking naps but well and I think it's important to know that it's never too late to start but you know, the sooner that you can get into it the better because then it comes a routine.

It's something that you just take you know, build on after retirement.

But you know, starting it you've been it's just some walks walking or joining a local gym or working with a certified trainer to help you reach your goals.

You know your daughter is getting married, for instance.

You know, that's one thing Heidi's daughter we've been trying to get her ready for the wedding and then I mean just so many things and find something that you enjoy the last thing you want to do is do you know dread going to the gym?

>> You know, it's interesting, Erin, that you mentioned and let's continue that conversation.

I'm guessing that a lot of you watching or thinking, oh, I'm not a physical person.

I just couldn't face the thought of gone to the gym or going to a trainer because they'll they'll work me too hard.

>> Well, and you know, I've had people be like you know, once I lose a few pounds I'll come to you.

Well, why are you because they're self-conscious.

They're not ready to go to a big gym and be in front a lot of people and work out when they're not ready or they don't know what to do.

So there's not a local places that are a little bit more intimate, a little bit more private.

So you're not nervous.

You can kind of be yourself.

It's you know, it's can be therapeutic.

It can be you know, but finding something that you enjoy is so important whether it's a small group that you meet with.

I have a bunch of ladies that I work with who come they work out and then they go to coffee or tea afterwards.

Oh then it becomes a social it becomes a social aspect to it.

Some of it is a social aspect and that's fine.

But finding something that you enjoy that you look forward to going to is I think half the battle.

>> Yeah well and I like that you address that maybe a smaller and smaller place or you know where there are fewer people might make you more comfortable.

>> Maybe you don't feel like you can face the world in a leotard again for a while and I will say I, I just I I don't even know why I pulled into the gym and I met Aaron and I said Aaron , I hate working out.

I've never been athletic.

I hate it but I want to try to do something here and I said if you make it too hard three years three years and I said if you make it too hard I will never come back.

And so every day I don't work working out there are you doing OK?

>> Are you doing.

How do you feel?

And you she must be doing the right thing.

I mean if I say you must be I hate that thing you switch to something else so it's not all about lifting weights and and working out on big machines.

It's not all about that Aaron .

You said you mentioned this older gentleman.

>> You did chair exercises with him like what?

So my ninety seven year old gentleman that I work with, you know, he does all chair based exercises.

We do curls sitting will do leg extension extensions will do even just sit and stand and just sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up.

We have a band where I'm hanging on to one end and he's doing rows and rows so there's so many different things that you can do that aren't super high impact you'll have to do Barbizon jump squats and all that crazy stuff which I do do with some people but there's alternatives for everything for every move, for every person.

Yeah.

So fitness should not be intimidating to anybody.

>> It should be something that everyone can do at any age.

Yeah.

So see Heidi as you progress through your fifty she's going to have new things for you to do.

>> Yeah.

Again I want to remind you you can give us a call here at (969) 27 twenty with any questions that you might have relating to physical therapy or training or the legal aspects that of course, Heidi, especially as an elder law attorney will be able to to help you with we do have a call coming in from Bill, by the way, and we'll get to that in just a moment.

I do want to tell you that if you want to talk to our guests, leave.

That's wonderful that way if they have a question back to you, you'll be right there on the phone.

>> Now if you're not comfortable doing that, we do have a phone operator back in the control room that will take your question, type it up and send it out to me here on the teleprompter and then I'll ask you that question and that's what we're going to do about Bill's question here.

He says What would you recommend for a ninety four year old who no longer has people to go to the gym with at their age?

How do we find a community for seniors?

Really good question, Bill, because that's probably a typical thing a lot of people are wondering about.

>> Aaron , can you help us out here?

You know, that's a really good question.

So you know, one of the things I would do is start calling around to the local fitness facilities.

You know, there's a lot of places that have silver sneakers programs.

>> Sure.

Which is a great program that works with a lot of senior community which you know, a lot of places in town offer that that's a great way to start even like finding a certified trainer with so a certified trainer that you can go see and they can work and adapt the personalized program for you but they can also like there's also a social aspect to that there's a relationship that you build with your trainer which can be really intimate, really personal and you build friendships out of that and you never know who that trainer is going to know to recommend like oh this is a great group of guys that I would recommend.

You know, maybe they have coffee every Tuesday at this time so just getting in some place that works with that type of person would be a great start.

There's plenty of places here in town that actually do that.

OK, and I do going in your you can even do small group training.

>> Oh yeah.

Are know that's what I do there's for people there you know you chat you and they're all my age or older pretty much and so you're comfortable with each other and they're all doing their own separate workouts so it's like she works out with two to four people and each of them have their workouts written up for them and I just monitor them, make sure they're doing it correctly, adjusts their weights accordingly and again there's a there is a social aspect to it that they've all gotten to know each other and have become friends, which is a really big aspect of working out there is a social aspect to it.

>> Sure they can support and encourage each other in chat about what's going on in their lives.

>> Do you go Bill, you may be able to find a group you know, call around to different gyms.

>> There may be a group of people in your age range that you could join.

>> Well, so do you go for coffee after work?

No, no, I probably has to go back.

I have to go back.

>> I guess I go at the end of the day when I'm retired I'm going to go in and thirty years OK. >> Thirty eight girls can be great.

OK let's talk legal again for a little bit Heidi .

We were talking about things that you need to to do legally to prepare for retirement or not even retirement at any point even if you're a young person watching right now I know Heidi would recommend that you make sure that you've designated a power of attorney and a health care representative like things like that.

>> How often should I review or update those people?

I mean if you have a big life event you should definitely come back in for a review.

>> But I say every five years or so to just make sure that the people you named are still around and that things haven't changed in the last two years.

The Indiana's health care representative legislation has changed.

Oh so there's just been some tweaks to that and instead of doing a living will now people are starting to steer towards more in-depth questionnaire about what they want at the end of life.

And you're a meeting with an attorney will help you just keep up to date with everything the most current things that are happening is that a legal document then you would sign it is not so what kind of happened was the legislators said wird lawyers talking to people about what they want at the end of life.

Oh that's what do I know about that Nutro and so I know that I've been introduced through Parkview.

They are pushing people towards a website called Five Wishes five years dot org and you go to that website and you print off a thing that goes through many, many different questions very often.

Yes.

And so now the health care representative document says I'm going to name this person to make decisions for me.

They can withdraw health care and I may attach an exhibit to that that's going to answer all those pertinent questions about what I want at the end of life.

>> So that's just a very new development.

>> It isn't legally binding.

It's not legally binding but it's your memo to your decision makers.

>> OK, that makes sense what you want if you haven't had an actual physical conversation it's a way to tell your children or whomever is your health care representative what you really want you want in different scenarios.

>> Right.

That may change to you may have to update that.

Right.

OK, well and I know like in our training sessions like I'll pick Heidi's brain on some legal aspects.

You know, I'm a young mother with three kids and you know, we've talked about how I should have meet my husband and I should have a will put together that you should do that sooner than later.

You know, you don't ever want to think about anything happening but it's better to be prepared.

So it's not just for as you're doing retirement but I think at different stages of your life there's different legal things to go through.

>> Yeah.

And we've talked about that some Aaron .

>> I know how you and your coworkers will always recommend at any age you make sure you have these documents and again, like you said, you never know and one of your colleagues said that people tend to take care of those things if they're going on a long trip or out of the country like that's where the accidents are going to happen.

Yeah.

When really it's what is it two miles from home or something like that.

So you should make sure that you take care of her three children.

>> Exactly three children.

How do you have time and energy to work then?

>> It's hard.

>> OK, let's go back to getting healthier here other than physical exercise doing push ups or jumping jacks or whatever else you're going to have them do.

What are some ways that people can stay healthier as they let's say, move toward retirement?

>> You know, being physically fit isn't just about being strong and exercising.

It's about all over wellness in my eyes.

So you know, making sure that you're eating well, taking care of your body from the inside out I always like to say sure.

You know, making sure you're getting plenty of protein, lots of fruits, lots of vegetables, all those types things things that will fuel your body and take care of your every you know, every aspect of yourself but also making sure you're getting sleep.

>> You know, if you have to live a high stressful life or anything, you need naps or good naps are great.

>> All right.

So making sure like you're trying some way to reduce your stress whether it's breathing exercises, meditation but there's so many other ways with being physically fit than just exercise so shining those other aspects are always very important.

>> You know, we only have a minute or two left here.

But I want to talk just briefly about depression.

>> Oh, we were talking earlier that sometimes when people face retirement and maybe feel depressed because you don't know who you are anymore, you've been this whatever your working title was for so many years and does that happen legally, physically?

>> I mean do you see men or women tend to have more difficulty with that Heidi?

Well, I mean first my evidence is just anecdotal but from meeting just with lots of people it seems when men have a harder time maybe retiring than women they they love to work, you know, their identity totally consumed with their job and maybe the woman has had so many different things because women tend to multitask and they've had to do a lot of things that they can handle that faster.

>> Would you find that's true?

Aaron , I would have to agree with that in my experience as well.

But you know some of the things for both men and women, you know, finding a physical outlet, you know, whether it's going to a gym, finding a cycling club, a walking club, you know, go to places where you can meet other people who are in the same part of life that you're in I think is really important.

Something you can have common I know common goals with or have you know, have just retired from the business world or from the health world that you can kind of connection you can build those relationships because I think a lot of people when they've been working they've had work relationships.

>> They don't really care.

>> I think that that's so you know, I think one of the biggest things that I hear from people who have retired is you know, they miss talking to people.

They miss the interaction.

So finding some ways there's so many different clubs.

There's bridge clubs.

There is like I said, cycling clubs, walking clubs.

There's so many different kind of clubs out there.

I'd say just put yourself out there and just go the first time.

The hardest part about anything is that first first step.

You know, that's where a lot of people have said oh, I've driven by your place so many times and I've never wanted to you know, I've been so scared to walk in but the second they do they feel welcome.

>> They feel empowered.

They feel like they're ready like Heidi just timpano drive in there three years ago and my recommendation would be get a dog.

>> You can walk with the dog.

That's a great idea retire.

But it's a great idea.

Finding a companion, you know exactly is huge.

>> Well, I have really enjoyed talking with these two ladies here this evening again, thank you, Heidi Odair and Adelong, thank you so much for your input both legally and physically here.

>> We hope you've enjoyed and benefited from this show.

>> We'll have another show another topic next Wednesday night right here at seven thirty