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Book of the Day
The Power of With
Mark McIntyre
The Power of With is a concise and entertaining handbook for what business managers need to know to sign new clients, serve clients, and lead people. Whether you’re a senior executive or an aspiring entrepreneur, and whatever your faith tradition, the unique blend of 21st-century best practices and 1st-century wisdom will make you better—as a leader and a person.
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Today's Main Article: 10 Simple Exercises to Stay Active After 60
Staying active after age 60 helps with strength, balance, flexibility, mood, and overall quality of life. Before starting any new exercise plan, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor, especially if you have chronic conditions or limited mobility. Below are two levels of suggestions: Basic for those who prefer very gentle routines or are newer to fitness tech, and Advanced for those who feel more confident and want to do a little more.
Basic Section (Low-Tech, Gentle Moves)
These exercises require little or no equipment, minimal technology, and can mostly be done at home. The aim is to build up slowly, avoid injury, and increase confidence.
Sit-to-Stand from a chair – Use a sturdy chair. From sitting, stand up using your legs (hands on armrests if needed), then sit back slowly. Do 8-12 repetitions. Helps strengthen thighs, hips and improves getting up and down.
Heel & Toe Raises – Stand behind a chair holding on for support. Raise up onto your toes, hold briefly, then lower. Then rock back onto heels. Do 10-15 reps. Builds calf strength and balance.
Seated Knee Extensions – While sitting, straighten one knee, hold a few seconds, lower. Alternate legs. Helps with knee mobility.
Shoulder Rolls & Neck Stretches – Roll shoulders forward and back; gently tilt head side to side, forward and back. Hold stretches for 15-30 seconds. Helps reduce stiffness and improve movement range.
Walking (indoors or outdoors) – Even short walks around the house or yard count. Aim for 10-15 minutes per session, gradually increasing. Good for cardiovascular health, mood, and leg stamina.
Side Leg Raises – Holding onto a chair for balance, lift one leg out to the side (not forward), hold, then lower; repeat each side. Helps hip strength and balance.
Ankle Circles – While seated or standing with support, lift one foot and rotate ankle slowly in both directions. Helps with ankle mobility, which is important for safe walking.
Advanced Section (Bonus Tips for Those Comfortable with More)
If you have more energy, good baseline fitness, or access to tech / minor equipment, the following can be added to your routine.
Resistance Band Workouts – Bands are inexpensive and portable. You can use resistance bands for arm curls, leg extensions, seated rows to build more strength without heavy weights.
Balance challenges – Try standing on one leg (with support nearby if needed), or walking heel-to-toe along a straight line. Good balance work helps prevent falls.
Low-impact cardio classes online – Use services like SilverSneakers’s online library or free YouTube videos (search “Senior Fitness With Meredith”). These often include chair exercises, gentle cardio, yoga, etc. A structured class can help maintain motivation.
Mobility drills & stretching routines – More advanced flexibility work, possibly incorporating gentle yoga or tai chi movements. Helps keep joints moving freely.
Tips for Both Levels
Warm up before exercising (e.g. gently marching in place, arm swings) and cool down / stretch afterward.
Pace yourself: it’s fine to start with just 5-10 minutes at a time, a few times per week, then build up.
Use supports (chairs, walls) where needed to avoid falls.
Consistency matters more than intensity. A little every day is better than a lot once in a while.
On Finances
Useful financial product: SmartAsset
Quick Poll (vote to see the anonymized current results)
Are you still paying off your home?
Grandkids Corner:
My Grandkid Just Wants to “Look Cool.” How Can I Support That?
Children and teens often want to “look cool” — whether that means their clothes, their hairstyle, or even the gadgets they use. As a grandparent, you can support this in ways that show you care, without overspending or encouraging unhealthy trends.
Basic Tips (for everyone)
Listen first. Ask your grandchild what “cool” means to them. Sometimes it’s about sneakers, sometimes about music, sometimes just fitting in at school.
Gift cards are easy wins. If fashion or style is important, gift cards to stores like Target or H&M let them choose what feels right without you worrying about sizes or trends.
Accessories matter. Looking cool isn’t always about big purchases. Items like a fun phone case or affordable sunglasses can go a long way.
Encourage individuality. Remind them that being cool often means being themselves. Even small compliments (“That shirt looks sharp on you”) build confidence.
Advanced Tips (if you’re more comfortable with tech or trends)
Follow youth trends online. Browsing TikTok’s trending page (TikTok Discover) or Instagram Reels can give you clues about what styles or brands are popular.
Help with digital cool. Many kids want to look stylish online as well as in person. You can support by helping with good lighting for photos, or suggesting simple photo editing tools like Canva.
Supporting your grandkid’s desire to “look cool” is less about buying the trendiest thing and more about showing interest and giving them tools to express themselves safely, affordably, and confidently.
On Tech
How to Use FaceTime and Video Calling Apps to Stay in Touch
Video calls are a wonderful way to see and hear family and friends when you can’t meet in person. This guide will help you get started (basic), and then give bonus tips if you want to do more (advanced).
Basic Section (for beginners)
These are simple, step-by-step instructions for people who may not be very familiar with technology.
What you need first
A device that can show video (smartphone, tablet, or computer)
An internet connection (WiFi is best, because it often costs nothing extra)
The app installed, or already available (FaceTime if you have an Apple device; WhatsApp, Zoom, or Skype for others)
Using FaceTime (on Apple devices)
Turn on FaceTime by going to Settings → FaceTime and making sure it’s switched on.
Open the FaceTime app and tap New FaceTime. Type the name, phone number, or email of the person you want to call.
Tap the video icon to start a call.
When someone calls you, tap Accept to answer or Decline to reject.
For a step-by-step article, see this guide for seniors on FaceTime.
Using WhatsApp (works on iPhone and Android)
Open WhatsApp and go to Chats.
Select the person you want to call.
Tap the video camera icon to start a video call.
You can read more in WhatsApp’s help center.
Using Zoom (great for group calls)
Download the Zoom app on your phone or computer.
If someone sends you a meeting link, just click it. Or open the app and tap Join Meeting to enter the meeting ID.
Choose whether to join with video or without.
For a simple walk-through, see this Zoom guide for seniors.
Advanced Section (bonus tips for more tech-comfortable users)
Group FaceTime: Call multiple people at once to include family members in different places.
FaceTime links for non-Apple users: You can now create a FaceTime link that Android and Windows users can join through a web browse.
Noise control and background blur: On newer Apple devices, you can use Portrait mode to blur the background or Voice Isolation to reduce background noise.
Save your data: Always use WiFi if you can, since video calls use a lot of data. You can also turn off video and just use audio if needed.
Better lighting and angles: Sit facing a window or lamp and hold the device at eye level for a clearer, more natural look.
Practice first: Call a family member just to test it out. Learning how to mute, unmute, and end calls ahead of time makes real calls smoother.
Find additional support in Apple’s instructions or in the ARRP’s guide.
On Health
Helpful heath gadget: Grab Bars for Bathtubs and Showers
Fashion Over Fifty
Unscramble
Unscramble the letters to find a famous person, event, or object! Be the first to reply with the correct answer, and we’ll send you a free gift in the mail.
Today’s clue: Famous rock star from the 50s.
VILES RELYPES
Want to Earn in Retirement?
Help a life story get told, earn thousands: Refer someone to MemoirGhostwriting.com and earn 12% of what they spend (for an average project, you’ll make $4,140). Find out more here
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