Summer is officially here! After six months of notoriously finicky weather, mother nature has decided to reward us with beautiful blue skies and pleasantly mild temperatures. It has always been my favorite time of the year. I always look forward to the yearly tradition of storing away my bulky layers of winter clothing, hanging my summer dresses in my closet and best of all … shopping for bikinis!

So, now that summer is here, am I ready to wear less?

It has been a challenge, but I have worked hard to maintain a good sensible diet and I regularly to go to the gym as often as my busy schedule will allow.

Suppose that at a distance you see a short, stooped figure walking with short, slow steps. Most likely, you will conclude that the person is old. The hunched posture gives you the clue.

Why does aging contort so many bodies in this way? The reason is that many people, throughout their lives, never extend the neck to its full range, and so the muscles shorten. Long hours of reading, sewing, typing, or standing at a workbench take their toll. Eventually deposits of calcium salts in the joints complete the process of immobilization. Once this calcification takes place, nothing can be done to reverse it.