AKS
August 4, 2026
AKS
Two things happened today that really got me thinking about my aging.
First, when I woke up, I noticed my left knee felt slightly different than usual. When I stretched and bent it, it made a clicking sound it had never made before. Brief panic gripped me, but I remembered that I am doing all I reasonably can to improve my health and my chances of staying mobile longer with daily exercise, relatively healthy eating (I cannot stop living, now!) and taking the necessary medications and supplements to combat my Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and osteoporosis.
Second, the Mel Robbins’ podcast I watched today inspired me because it covered many of the focal points I have researched and shared since I became a retirement coach. Dr. Joseph Coughlin from MIT’s AgeLab covered details on multiple aspects of what happens when we age and what can be done to help us live better, longer. It is well worth the hour and 18 minutes.
Mel wore an aging suit developed by MIT called AGNES which stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy System” and simulates how it would feel to be 90 years old. Dr. Coughlin mentioned it demonstrates three elements of getting older: friction, fatigue, and frustration. Everything is just harder to do or accomplish, partly because of way things are designed (especially technology!). This wears you out and is annoying because you can remember when this wasn’t so challenging. Mel mentioned several times how this was making her rethink how she treated her loved ones and repenting that she did not show more support and compassion for them.
“Aging is an amazing gift of time.” Our lifespans have extended 30 years since 1900 which makes retirement last one-fourth to one-third of our lives. This is new so we don’t have much history to go on here. I agree with Dr. Coughlin that we are better at planning for retirement than preparing for it. Preparing requires that you are aware of the things you will need to do, you are giving it the attention it deserves, and you are taking action. I have struggled to lose weight but all the planning means nothing if I don’t focus on and carry out the activities needed to slowly reduce my caloric intake and move more. Preparing for retirement is so much more than saving and investing money. I will talk about this topic in my next blog.
In the meantime, check out this informative and eye-opening podcast. It will change how you look at aging.
MIT Longevity Expert: Do These 3 Things Now to Stay Young, Live Longer, & Keep Doing What You Love with Dr. Joseph Coughlin; Episode 419
And check out this recently published book from the Retirement Coaches Association. I wrote the chapter on how not to be a burden as you age. The book is available on Kindle for 99 cents and in paperback for $7.95. On Saturday, it will go up to $9.95 so get it today at a discount!
Retirement Voices: Stories of Reinvention, Purpose, and Possibilities, Retirement Coaches Association.
Be curious. Be kind.
Ann
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”
George Eliot
[In case you are wondering about the picture, I have gotten tired and annoyed (signs of aging) of the effort required to find a picture to use with my blog, so I am now taking and using my own photos.]