A homeowner is somebody who is always seen walking out of a hardware store.  Bag of hinges, box of roach killer, toilet plunger, bucket of paint.  It's always something.  The weekend is quickly filled with an endless list of chores, or "honey-do's".  No problem if these chores are relaxing and provide stress relief.  For most, however, weekends have lost their value as stress-busters. 

Several years ago, I was involved in a Hilton Hotel survey of over 1000 people across the US.  Each was asked a series of questions about their stress levels before and after the weekend.  Surprisingly, over 80% stated that they were more stressed on Monday morning than they were when they left the office Friday afternoon. 

In terms of stress relief, most people got nothing out of their weekends. 

The reasons were myriad:

• the chores in the house
• doing the laundry
• the yard work
• taking the kids to their activities
• getting the dog washed
• car wash
• preparing for a dinner party



• cleaning up afterwards, etc. 

So the stress levels at the office were nothing compared to the chaos of the days "off" at the end of the week.  

My own patients tell me the same thing.  Stresses have never been higher, especially in today's economy, and the traditional "down time" seems useless at best.  That's why I've learned to value a true break from weekend stresses, just as we need a break from the mid-week stresses.  Even as a special treat once in a long while, there is great merit to a weekend "getaway".  Not to your own cottage, boat or tent, because the chores just change.  The real stress relief is to go to someone else's place, like a hotel, or boutique bed-and-breakfast. 

Now you can fully relax,  and know that there are NO CHORES to spoil your time.  You can even sleep in, then go back to bed a couple of times,  unless you brought young children with you.  Come to think of it, if you have youngsters, pick a weekend when it's their turn to be overnight at their friends' homes.

One of the amazing results is that you will be able to give in to your fatigue, even if you start off thinking of a very ambitious schedule of sightseeing or shopping. 

Bargains exist for great weekend rates, even in your own town (that way you don't need to factor in the cost or time of air travel).  A short drive can also add to the feeling of relief, by physically changing the scenery.  In Aspen, locals often travel to Denver for a weekend of city stimulation.  We live in Denver, and occasionally "take the mountain air" in Aspen.  For both directions, stress is relieved: the body gets a rest, the mind gets a break, and the face relaxes its furrows!

As we age, our faces become a visible indicator of our stress levels.  The invisible indicators, like blood pressure and cholesterol levels,  you will have to see your doctor about. 

For more information on how to take the stress out of your face, visit www.facemaster.com.  

For more information on Dr. Hanson's stress management techniques, visit him at www.peterhansonmd.com. 

If you want an affordable way to pamper yourself on a special Colorado weekend, visit www.aspenresidence.com. 

If you live elsewhere, and want to bring your pet along, visit http://www.petswelcome.com/. 

Aging is supposed to be a reward, not a punishment.  However, we live in a culture of youth, with media stars and fashion models all being (at least temporarily) young.  So images of health, happiness, sex appeal, charisma and energy are all demonstrated by young people, as if they owned all of these positive qualities.  By default, we think of our elders (if we think of them much at all) as having none of these attributes.  This is the basis of many misconceptions about our aging population, and, even more importantly, about the stereotype that we all carry about our own future.  The reason plastic surgery is so common today is that people are horrified to see themselves getting old.  Yet much of the prejudice about how our own body will age is wrong.  Let's take a look at some of the myths of aging (and take a bit of the pressure off ourselves in the process!):

1.  As we age, we can expect arthritis.  Wrong.  Arthritis is something that can happen at any age, including childhood.  When we see Grampa in shorts in the summer, we notice huge knees in the middle of noodle-thin legs.  Gramps is sure slow to get up from a sitting position.  But this does not mean the problem is arthritis inside the knee joint itself.  When muscles are not exercised, they atrophy.  Thigh muscles that once bulged are now concave.  Even with no change in the joints, the knees will start to look "nobbly" like those of a giraffe.  If Gramps is slow to get up from a sitting position, it is more likely from the lack of muscular strength rather than from arthritis.   

Action item: Exercise, but first consult your doctor and a fitness professional.  Pick activities that suit your interest, or you will quickly lose your enthusiasm.  Also pick something that suits your abilities, and won't cause any harm.  Consider yoga, pilates, aerobics on land or in the pool, or any one of the thousands of sports available from tennis to skiing.  

2.  As we age, our spines will become hunched over, like we are looking for quarters.  Wrong.  Ballerinas and professional models, even in late age, maintain great posture.  This is not by accident, but by discipline; they do daily routines of stetching and toning to keep standing tall. 

Body builder Jack Lalanne, at http://www.jacklalanne.com/jack.html shows amazing posture and energy at age 94 by keeping his muscles toned.  My partner, chiropractor Dr. Brian Stutz, just returned from a convention where he met hundreds of his colleagues, some still working in their 90's.  Even in their tenth decade, all had youthful posture.  Obviously there is something to all the alignment work they do on each other!   

Action items:  Modern work ergonomics are static, drawing our shoulders and necks into forward flexion.  We can see this when we are driving, working in front of our computers, or hunched over a desk reading.  To rebalance the body, start excercising the  muscles that extend in the opposite direction.  For instance, using pulleys or rubber bands to do "rowing" exercises will pull the shoulder blades together, and help oppose the stronger muscles on the front of the chest. Doing daily stretching will lengthen muscles that spend all day contracted: the hamstrings, as well as the pectoral muscles of the front of the ribcage.  Visit a chiropractor for an initial assessment, and consider occasional maintenance visits to treat your alignment.  By doing this you should be able to keep your spine from curving forward, and keep your body fit for vigorous activities for extra years.

3.  Wrinkled skin:  To be sure, none of us will be as smooth-skinned at 80 as we were at 20.  But much of what we assume to be "normal aging" of the face is nothing more than muscle atrophy.  Just like in the legs, this leaves concavities where the muscles once bulged.  Hence the sunken cheeks, drooping eyelids, and downturned mouth.  But your skin does not need to look as wrinkled as this photo: alright, this is an elephant, but you still don't want these wrinkles!

Action item: consider toning your facial muscles the way the professional spas do it.  Use the power of micro-electric current to stimulate your face, and to pump up all 22 muscles on each side.  The skin over top will still age, but muscle toning will take years off your face.  Visit http://www.facemaster.com/ to see Suzanne Somers show how it's done.  In today's economy, it is cheaper to buy your own machine than it is to have even one single treatment at a spa. 

So look aging directly in the face, and don't fear the future.  Not all the answers come from the plastic surgeon's menu.  Take control of your own muscles, and you will have more spring in your step, more height in your spine, and more joy in your face. 

Dr. Hanson welcomes your comments.  Visit Dr. Stutz at his site at http://www.peterhansonmd.com/.