health Archives | No Geraniums

Have you Ever Thought of Ballroom Dancing as a Form of Exercise?

February 22, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

My parents used to go to Benidorm every year for 8 months. So I would visit them at least once every winter season. My mother loved walking through the surf and most of the time I would accompany her then.

When we walked in the morning everything was quiet, but if we were late and it was already afternoon, we would hear music long before we were on the boulevard.

This music came from several big cafes where they had cleared the centre of tables and chairs to create an empty spot that served as a dance floor.

What is Digital Health and what Good is it to Us?

February 10, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

Digital health has seriously taken off during the past few years. But what is digital health? No computer, as yet, has been able to cure any ailments.

Is digital health perhaps about those cute little digital dogs, called Aibo? They keep you company when you’re lonely.

Or is digital health about those numerous digital health-training programs for medical staff? Or the advanced computer storage and processing devices, without which no nurse or doctor would be able to perform their job. Even more complicated are surgical robots.

Our Mobility Defines our Quality of Life Substantially

February 8, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

The importance of mobility is demonstrated by the enormous leap in the quality of life of older people took over the last 20 years.

This improvement is predominantly attributed to denser public transport, cheaper cars, scoot mobiles, rollators, improved electric wheelchairs, taxis-to-share and the like.

Our quality of life is defined by our mobility. That sounds a bit odd from someone who spent a substantial part of his life in traffic jams and overcrowded trains. But there is another side of the coin. Another type of mobility that is even more important.

Does Vaccination Protect the Herd in Case of Dreaded Infections?

January 20, 2022 by Tom van Oosterhout

Does vaccination protect the herd in case of infectious diseases?

This is open for debate. We, for instance, dodge vaccination against seasonal influenza. This can lead to hilarious situations.

At some point, our GP’s system failed and we were called by mistake for the yearly flu jab.

When I asked the assistant ‘How come?’, she responded: “Oh, that’s right. You’re flu refusers”. And yes, that’s how it is, we dodge the flu.

The Importance of Life Expectancy for your Unique Personal Situation

February 2, 2022March 16, 2021 by Hannie Mommers

The most interesting question I ever got was “How old are you going to be?”. There had been a vague notion in the back of my head, but until then I had never put an actual number on it.

The importance of life expectancy is huge. Not just for life insurers but especially for your personal situation.

Why? Well, let’s say you will live to be 100. And that you retire at age 67. That means 33 years of not having a job and maybe more costs because of declining health. Which in turn means that you’d better have made preparations while you were still working.

Do I Retire Early or Not? That is the Most Exciting Question

February 12, 2021 by Tom van Oosterhout

Do I retire early or not? What motives could I possibly have to retire early or to postpone retirement?

The answers to these questions are a very personal matter. However, in practice, when we contemplate on them, we will very quickly realize that the answers are not easy to give. This is because so many concerns are at stake.

Money is an issue, of course. Our wellbeing. Our health. Our partner will have some idea. When employed, the employer usually has made proper arrangements. However, in the end, the decision comes down to us.

2018.10.14 Yoga with kids

November 13, 2021October 14, 2018 by Hannie Mommers

For my morning exercises, I have 3 routines I do alternately. One is all kinds of stretching exercises, the second is power training with weights (actually 2 water bottles, because my halters are in the storage), and the third is yoga. Son and grandsons also do yoga, so one of the mornings they were here, … Read more

2018.07.31 I got a present today

November 14, 2021July 31, 2018 by Hannie Mommers

This strange-looking stuff is Tibicos, better known as water kefir grains or Japanese water crystals. I got it as a present from Sebastian. The stuff grows if you take good care of it, and you’re more or less supposed to pass it on to others once you have too much. And why would anyone take … Read more

2018.07.10 You take my breath away

November 19, 2021July 10, 2018 by Hannie Mommers

For some reason, the theme of today turned out to be smoking. Which is kind of odd since we are both avid non-smokers. It started with a business appointment in a small room where the owner obviously had just put out the last cigarette. Making me cough and not too keen to discuss health insurance … Read more

2018.04.19 Taking the stairs is healthy

November 20, 2021April 19, 2018 by Hannie Mommers

We are staying in a spa hotel at the moment. Lots of facilities over here. Or as the hotel says Bienvenido a un mundo diferente. It’s a nice hotel. And as usual, there is something that is nagging us. We wouldn’t be our critical, thinking selves if there wasn’t:Why is it always so hard to … Read more