I would like to introduce Jennifer and Jeff and to thank them for for joining us on Greatful Moments and helping our readers look at retirement planning from both sides — financial preparation and preparing our health for the life we hope to enjoy
When we think about preparing for retirement, most of us immediately think about money. How much have we saved? Will our investments last? What will our monthly income look like? Will we be able to travel, spend time with our grandchildren, or stay in the home we love?
But there is another part of retirement planning that can sometimes get overlooked: our health.
After all, what good is having plans for retirement if our health makes it difficult to enjoy the things we’ve worked and saved for?
That is what caught my attention when Jennifer Scherer and Jeff Smith of Fitness & Finance Radio shared their thoughts on preparing for retirement from both the financial and physical sides. Their message is simple: retirement isn’t just something we financially prepare for. It is also a chapter of life that we can prepare our bodies and daily habits for.
Jennifer and Jeff remind us that we don’t have to suddenly become athletes or completely change our lives. Small, consistent steps can help us build strength, mobility, and healthy routines that may help us remain active and independent as we grow older.
I especially appreciated their reminder that it’s never too late to begin. Whether retirement is still years away or already on the horizon, there is always another useful step we can take.
So I invited Jennifer and Jeff to join us for a written Q&A about the connection between health, finances, and preparing for the retirement we hope to enjoy.
When people think about retirement planning, they usually focus on saving and investing. Why should health be considered part of that planning?
Jeff: We ask people what they want their retirement money to do. Often, the answer is travel, spend time with grandchildren, stay in their home, or simply have choices. Their financial plan helps make those things affordable. Their health helps make them possible.
Jennifer: That’s why we say health and wealth rise and fall together. You can’t control every diagnosis or expense, but you can work on the strength, mobility, and daily habits that help you participate in the retirement you’ve planned.
Fidelity estimates that a 65-year-old retiring in 2026 could spend an average of $185,500 on health care and medical expenses throughout retirement. What can people do before retirement to better prepare for those potential costs?
Jeff: First, put health care in the retirement budget instead of assuming Medicare will cover everything. Look at premiums and likely out-of-pocket costs, and understand what coverage you’ll have if you retire before Medicare eligibility. An HSA may also be useful if you’re eligible. The $185,500 is an estimate for one person, so your own plan needs to reflect your circumstances.
Jennifer: On the health side, start with the basics you can repeat: move regularly, build strength, eat in a way that supports your health, and keep up with recommended care. Those habits cannot guarantee a lower medical bill. They can help you prepare for retirement with more physical capacity and confidence.
You describe good health as an asset. What does “training for retirement” actually look like for someone who may not currently exercise regularly?
Jennifer: Think about the activities you want to keep doing. Can you get up from the floor, carry groceries, climb stairs, walk through an airport, or play with your grandchildren? That gives us a much more meaningful starting point than a number on the scale.
Someone who is new to exercise might begin with short walks and two manageable strength sessions a week, then build gradually. Balance matters, too. The goal is a routine that fits your current ability and helps you do more over time. Federal guidance for older adults includes aerobic activity, muscle strengthening, and balance work, but you do not have to reach the full recommendation on day one.
What are some realistic, low-cost habits people can start now that may support their health and independence as they get older?
Jennifer: Walk for ten minutes after a meal. Practice getting up from a sturdy chair. Use resistance bands or body-weight exercises a couple of times a week. Make room for protein-rich foods at meals and keep a consistent sleep schedule. Choose one or two habits you can actually maintain, then add to them.
Jeff: Give those habits a place in your calendar, just as you would an important financial appointment. Consistency is where the value builds.
For someone who is already approaching retirement and feels like they should have started preparing their health years ago, what would you tell them?
Jennifer: Start where you are. We work with people who are beginning again after years away from exercise, an injury, or a major health change. You don’t need to make up for lost time in a month. Find a safe starting point and build from there.
Jeff: The same is true financially. A late start may change the plan, but it doesn’t make planning pointless. Look honestly at where you are today and take the next useful step. Retirement is a new chapter, and you can prepare for it on both fronts.
Thank You to Jennifer and Jeff
A big thank-you to Jennifer Scherer and Jeff Smith of Fitness & Finance Radio for taking the time to answer our questions and share their perspective with Greatful Moments.
I love the reminder that preparing for retirement isn’t simply about reaching a certain dollar amount. It’s also about thinking about the life we want to live and taking steps today that may help us enjoy that life tomorrow.
Whether your retirement is decades away or much closer than that, you don’t have to do everything at once. Start where you are, choose one useful step, and build from there.
Thank you again to Jennifer and Jeff for joining us on Greatful Moments and helping our readers look at retirement planning from both sides — financial preparation and preparing our health for the life we hope to enjoy.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
