It’s no surprise that the pandemic led to American families taking up new hobbies to stay busy while remaining socially-isolated. 

Local hobby shop owners are experts when it comes to hobbies that are here to stay. Radio-controlled cars, trucks, drones, helicopters, and boats deliver exciting, high-performance action in cutting-edge designs that continue to capture the imagination long after other things have lost their luster.

Putting the Power in Your Hands

Radio-controlled vehicles speed up the fun factor in your family’s free-time. 

“There are certain things you can take everywhere. We have a really good trail system around here and you can go to the lakes with the boats. There’s just a lot you can do with them,” said Chris Taylor. 

His dad, Ken Taylor, opened Racing City Hobbies, selling radio-controlled vehicles, models and parts, 31 years ago. Father and son bonded over the activity, learning how to work on them and travelling together to races. 

When Ken died three years ago, Chris took over the store, refreshing the stock and expanding its indoor track. 

“It’s a really good raceway- it’s really fun and you see a lot of good action,” said Chris.

The 70 x 36 ft raceway has a 135ft run line. It’s open for racing during the store’s regular business hours. A racing league meets there from September through April. Entries to race were approximately 50 per day, pre-pandemic, a number that has dropped to approximately half of that since (as people instead opted to stay home, building courses and jumps in their own backyards).

Make it Your Own

In addition to their versatility, radio-controlled nitro and electric power vehicles, which come fully-assembled, are also almost infinitely modifiable. 

“There’s a lot you can do with customization, a lot of hands-on building and taking things apart with this hobby,” said Chris.

While buying online becomes a bigger and bigger business daily, it doesn’t hold up to Racing City Hobbies’ knowledge and ability to get you what you want faster.

“We’ve been in business for a long time and we have a great reputation, so we’re a high priority for manufacturers when it comes to getting new things and parts,” he said. 

There’s also a huge community, online manuals, and YouTube videos to give you even more tips and ideas.

“A lot easier to work on them than people might think. It’s really just nuts and bolts stuff – it’s really simple,” said Chris.

Leave ‘em in Your Tracks

Selling the latest radio-controlled vehicles, rockets, models and trains, Adirondack Train and Hobby in Saratoga Springs has been in business continually since 1990. 

Seeing the joy that these hobbies bring to adults who are just discovering them, and to the ones that are sharing something they’ve already become passionate about with their own kids, these local shops are the place to go to leave the stress in its dust. 

For more information, visit Racing City Hobbies at www.shoprch.com, Adirondack Train and Hobby at www.adirondackhobby.com, or find them both on Facebook.

WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH!
…adding new programs all the time.

MAY IS MEMBERSHIP MONTH!

Members are the backbone of our organization and help ensure the continuity of our mission. If you’re not yet a member, or if you’ve let your membership lapse, now is the time to be part of the family.Already a member? Consider purchasing a membership as a gift for a friend, family member or scholarship a senior in need. It’s $25 a year, and with a membership, you instantly get access to our services. Memberships can be purchased online at saratogaseniorcenter.org/membership. If you have any questions call the Center: 518-584-1621.

RAFFLE! 

Celebrate the gorgeous month of May by winning a great basket for Memorial Day: Koozie cooler, throw blanket, bottle of wine, flowers and a cake from Bread Basket Bakery. Raffle tickets are $15. BONUS! Purchase a $25 membership and $15 raffle ticket and get an extra raffle ticket. Call 518-584-1621 to purchase your ticket. Sponsored by United Healthcare.

OUR TENTS ARE BACK!

Weather permitting, we will hold classes, presentations and more on the lawn under the tents! Take advantage of our outdoor space and enjoy the Center again.

CHIT CHAT & MUSIC GROUPS ARE BACK! 

Mondays •  1 p.m. at the Center
Facilitated by Abby and Jackie, Summer Skidmore Interns. Join us for a fun hour of chit chat, laughs and music! Meet new friends and connect with old ones! 

GENTLE YOGA FLOW with Leanne

Tuesdays • 11:30 a.m. via ZOOM      
Leanne will be leading a Gentle Yoga Flow class on ZOOM! Let’s give Leanne a warm welcome, try her class.

WE ARE BACK! GOLF LEAGUE

Tuesdays • 9 a.m.
Call the Front Desk if you are interested in joining our golf league. We play 9 holes at Spa State Park on Tuesdays usually around 9 a.m. We would love for the league to grow. We are looking for someone to assist the front desk in facilitating the league. 

BINGO & SOUP! 

Wednesdays • 12 p.m. 
Bingo: 12:30 p.m. Join us for homemade soup, $3 per cup and then try your luck at a rousing game of Bingo!

“WHY NOT WEDNESDAYS” SOCIAL CLUB

Wednesdays • 5 p.m. via ZOOM 
Our first meet together! We are having so much fun in our Social group! We laugh, share stories, sip on tea or our favorite wine! First in person get-together is Wednesday May 19, 4 p.m. at the Center under the tent! Bring snacks and your favorite beverage.

BREAKFAST & LEARN! 

Thursday, May 20 • 9:30 a.m. • $5 at the Center 
Under the tent weather permitting. Guest presenter is Maria Spagnola, Home Instead. Maria will discuss “Stress Management.” We all could use a little help managing our stress in these trying times. Please sign up as seating is limited.

VAN TRIPS ARE BACK! 

Lunch Bunch • Friday, May 14
Raindancer Restaurant. Enjoy lunch at the iconic traditional American restaurant in Amsterdam. After lunch stop at Waterwheel Village Country Store for here amazing cheese and an excellent selection of craft beers, old fashion candy more. We leave the Center at 11 a.m. Pay $10 at sign up. Please bring additional money for lunch and shopping. 

Dakota Ridge Llama Farm Tuesday, May 25
Do not miss this unique opportunity for a working farm tour at Dakota Ridge in Ballston Spa. You will have a personal hands-on experience as we bring out a llama for you to pet, brush, feed and walk. The tour will be outdoors so dress appropriately! Afterwards we’ll stop for lunch at Carson’s Woodside Tavern. Pay $20 at sign up. Please bring additional money for lunch. Leave at 10:30 a.m. Return about 3 p.m. 

Van Trip Protocol – Van trips are open to members only. You must sign up with the front desk. Masks must be worn on the van.

THE SENIOR CENTER IS THE PLACE TO BE!   

TUESDAY “TO-GO” MEALS
Every Tuesday the Senior Center will offer “To-Go” meals for curbside pick-up from 3-4:30 p.m. We ask that you preorder meals by 4 p.m. the day before: 518-584-1621. Sponsored by The Home of the Good Shepherd and Humana. 

• Tuesday, May 18: Chicken Stir Fry $11 hosted by Senior Center Staff. 
• Tuesday, May 25: Creamy Vegetable Soup $3. Available at 11 a.m. Hosted by Senior Center Staff. 

2021 EXCURSIONS
Collette Tours. Open to the Public

Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise
September 11-22, 2021

Pacific Northwest -Washington, Oregon & California
October 4-11, 2021

Greece Island Hopper
October 16 -26, 2021

Canyon Country Feat. Arizona & Utah
October 20 -27, 2021

Christmas on The Danube River Cruise
December 2-10, 2021

Spotlight on Sante Fe
December 5-10, 2021

JUST ADDED! Details Coming!

Spotlight on South Dakota
End of September

Bluegrass Country & The Smokey Mountains
Mid October

BUS TRIPS 2021

Maine ft. Portland & Kennenbunkport
September 20-23, 2021

Foxwoods & Mohegan Sun
October 25 – 27, 2021 • $287

ONE DAY BUS TRIPS Details Coming!

Friesians of Majesty (rescheduled from last year)
Sonnenburg Mansion and Boat Ride on Lake Canandaguia, New York City and More!

“In order to manage risk, we must first understand risk…. What makes it so risky?”

This is a classic line from an episode of Seinfeld that was on last week. George had to give a presentation about risk management, a subject about which he knew nothing. I was reminded that risk is something most people either misunderstand, or don’t completely understand, so I think a quick refresher is in order. 

When people think of risk within their portfolio they typically only think of equity risk; that is the risk that the value of their stock investments will decline. While equity risk is an important factor to consider, there are several other types of risk inherent to your portfolio that you may not be as familiar with, and which can be just as impactful as equity risk.

In order to counter equity risk, many people will invest a portion of their portfolio in bonds. While this can help smooth out the volatility of their portfolio, bonds are not without risk themselves. Not the least of these risks is interest rate risk. This is the risk that interest rates will rise, which can force the value of bonds to decline. With interest rates at or near record lows, interest rate risk should be a major consideration when constructing your portfolio.

Let’s say you’re a bank, and for the last year you’ve been writing mortgages at 3%. Many banks will sell their mortgages to other banks. If interest rates increase to 5%, how likely will you be to find a buyer for your 3% mortgages? It will be difficult, and you’ll probably need to lower your price to entice a buyer and compensate for the rate difference. The same thing can happen with many of the bonds in your portfolio.

There is a fallacy out there that bonds are “safer” than other investment vehicles, and that a person’s portfolio should drastically shift toward bonds upon retirement. As an industry, financial professionals have not done a good enough job of combatting this line of thinking. 

One reason this is untrue is another type of risk: concentration risk. This type of risk occurs when a portfolio is tipped too heavily to one type of investment and is a result of having too many correlated investments. Stocks, bonds, commodities, real estate, etc., behave differently under different conditions; they are uncorrelated. When you have too much concentration in just one type of investment, they can all move in the same direction at the same time. This includes down!

Inflation risk and longevity risk go hand-in-hand. 

Inflation risk is the risk that your assets aren’t growing enough to outpace inflation. I’ve met many people invested primarily in CDs, who think their money is safe. In truth, because of inflation risk, they are simply losing money safely. Mitigating inflation risk to help ensure your assets maintain purchasing power is an important consideration in constructing and managing your portfolio.

Longevity risk is simply the risk that you will exhaust your assets before you die. The key to defeating longevity risk is in understanding how hard your assets must work in order to help ensure you are able to maintain your standard of living. Once you have determined how aggressively you must be invested, you can arrive at an investment mix which is appropriate. If you undergo a formal analysis to help make this determination, you may find that you are actually more aggressive than you need to be.

Managing risk is a trade-off. For example, in order to minimize inflation and longevity risk, you may need to subject yourself to more equity risk.

Once you have a better understanding of the various types of risk affecting your portfolio, you will start to view your investments in a different way. You’ll suddenly realize that a 100% bond portfolio can be very risky, when you account for interest rate, longevity, inflation, and concentration risks. In fact, a 100% bond portfolio can have more total risk than a portfolio consisting of 60% stocks and 40% bonds! 

Work closely with your Certified Financial Planner professional to better understand the types of risk you are facing, and how best to manage them. Together you can devise a plan that’s sensitive to your unique circumstances.

Stephen Kyne, CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs and Rhinebeck.

Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.

In light of Mother’s day that just passed, let’s discuss some of the common aches and pains that new mothers commonly experience.

Most new moms expect to deal with their fair share of pain and discomfort during pregnancy, but some may be disappointed to discover that it doesn’t end there.  Those discomforts just tend to shift and change.  Repetitive bending and lifting can put strain on the low back.  Constant holding and looking down at baby can overwork the muscles of the shoulders and upper back and strain the neck.  Stiffness of the SI joints can occur as your body recovers from pregnancy and birth and ligaments tighten back up.  The good news is there are ways to combat and prevent these pains so you can focus more on enjoying your new bundle of joy.

• Bend from the knees and hinge at your hips to pick up the baby.
• Use a taller changing table when changing baby’s diapers so you don’t have to bend over. (Never leave baby unattended on elevated changing tables or any surface they could potentially fall off of.)
• Use a foot rest to elevate your feet while feeding or sitting with baby.
• Whether breast or bottle feeding, use a nursing pillow when feeding baby.
• Stretch daily to loosen tight muscles and ligaments.
• Go see your chiropractor to help with joint mobility and postural imbalances.
• Get a massage to work out trigger points and muscle tension.

Having just celebrated Mother’s Day this past weekend many individuals can feel a mix of dread, sadness, regret and pain. Mother’s Day can trigger a traumatic pain response if you have/had a difficult, complex relationship with your Mother.

Our first introduction into the world comes through our Mothers. Whether we feel safe, secure and valued starts the minute we are born as early attachment forms.  If this attachment is not formed in a healthy way, we can spend our adult lives trying to heal from something that feels incurable.

As we grow into adolescence and adulthood, the inner voice that we develop that governs how we think and feel models the voice of the parent we had the most conflict with.  If you had an overly critical, difficult to please Mother or Mother figure in your life, the inner voice you have will model that criticism and judgement to yourself and everyone around you.

The only way to heal from the inside out and move past poor parent attachment is to become the parent you wanted and needed.  For example, if every Mother’s Day you try to please your difficult Mother by sending cards, spending time with her, visiting her home and then feeling a giant emotional hangover from your time together, it’s time to let the healthy parent step in and offer some guidance and support.

This starts by becoming the parent you needed as a young child. For example, instead of spending another holiday trying to please your difficult parent, you stop and pause. How would I protect my younger self in this situation? You have to begin to work on forming a healthy bond and attachment with your spirit, heart and soul and begin to set the boundaries you didn’t have as a child.

When I work with individuals who have complicated relationships with their mother, the question I get the most is, “Isn’t that so mean, I mean this person is my mother, don’t I owe her?” 

No doubt guilt can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate; however, when you abandon yourself to please a difficult parent, you continue the cycle of dysfunction and pass the baton down to the next generation.

The most wonderful, healthy gift you can give yourself every single day when the sun comes up is to be the parent you wanted and needed. This means taking care of yourself in the small basic ways, healthy food, water, rest. It also means taking care of yourself in the more emotionally complex ways as well.  You would never want your child around a dysfunctional person so why continue to put yourself in toxic situations at the hopes of pleasing an impossible to please person?

The key to healing is to start with you. Don’t spend another Mother’s Day feeling guilty, stressed out, angry. Stop the cycle today and start to be the Mother you wanted and needed yourself TODAY and EVERY DAY.

You are worth it!

Meghan Lemery Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing teletherapy at Fritz, Stanger & Associates.  For more information visit www.fritzstanger.com

I was reading over my columns for the past few months, and was marveling at the fact that, while my January and February articles were pandemic-focused (like almost all of last year’s), I actually wrote about other things in March and April! I read an article recently that argued there wouldn’t be a “stop” to the pandemic — a particular day on which we’d all be free of this scourge — but that it would be a gradual process. Like, one day you’d realize that it’s been over, or in the process of being over, for a while. The fact that I found other things to write about for the last two months is, I think, one of those things — a part of the process of the pandemic ending in our part of the world.

In fact, my life these days is a definite mixture of Pandemic and Before Times (which I guess are technically After Times). My big boys played Fall sports in March and April, which was thrilling — watching them run Cross Country is one of my very favorite things.

They were all on the same team, which made my chauffeuring duties pretty easy, but now they’re playing baseball and they’re not on the same team, and each night as I drag myself to bed earlier than usual, I’m remembering how exhausting spring has always been with all the baseball teams and practices and games and who needs to be where when (usually at the exact same time that another boy has to be at his field across town). Since we didn’t do our normal spring stuff last year, I’d forgotten a little how intense it can be.

In February I wrote about how sorry I am that my youngest especially has missed out on seeing some of the people that have always been a part of my daily motherhood — our friends at the grocery stores and the Triangle Diner particularly — but since then, I’ve actually felt comfortable enough to bring him to the store with me a few times! And my mom and I are planning a diner date very soon.

At the same time that these marks of “normalcy” are back in our lives, though, the pandemic is clearly still with us. I can’t imagine that I’ll ever be able to remember without crying how it prevented one of my boys from running in the Cross Country League Championship. I know such a thing is small potatoes compared to the loss of life and other horrors of the last year both locally and globally, and my son himself has a better sense of perspective about the whole thing than I do, but the toll all this has taken on young people is heartbreaking to me. I had to buy new masks recently, as the slow losing of them in backpacks and in the wash finally caught up with us. I was really hoping that the last bunch I bought was, in fact, the last — that the end of masking would come before I had to buy more — but no. The fact that it’s spring allergy season and allergy symptoms are similar to COVID symptoms adds an interesting layer of nervousness to daily life. And the hold this horrible virus currently has in India is a stark reminder that the pandemic is not over and that suffering and death continue.

I heard on the radio recently some tips about easing back into normal life, because some people are experiencing anxiety now that things are opening back up. I saw that some (many?) vaccination sites are no longer requiring appointments — you can just show up. I was able to attend my boys’ Cross Country meets in large part because my husband was still working from home so I could leave some of the kids with him, but now he’s back to work at the office so attending the baseball games isn’t as easy. I check the COVID stats for Saratoga County every morning and have been watching the number of positive cases decrease and plateau and decrease again since the peak back in the winter. This time is such a mix of good news and bad news, cautious optimism and frustrating setbacks, things getting easier and things getting harder, but it all seems to be heading in the right direction.

A history professor I know said that he recommends reading diaries and journals from times of plague and epidemics to see how it affected the daily life of regular people — I think of this column that way, both Before, when it was a record of motherhood in Saratoga Springs in the first part of the twenty-first century, and now, when it’s a record of motherhood in Saratoga Springs during the COVID pandemic. I imagine one day someone will read this account of life here, now, and have hope that time marches on and bad things eventually end.

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 16, 14, 12, 11, 9, 7, and 2. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

AS WE HEAD INTO SPRING, warmer weather and a season of more light, we may take a look outside at our lawns and flower beds and see that we have some work to do. 

Before you can make room for new growth you have to prepare the soil, clear out the old and have a vision for what you would like to plant.

If you feel stuck in old patterns and it feels like you are far away from the vision you have for what you want emotionally, financially, physically and spiritually, start clearing away the old.

One of the quickest ways to feel better about old habits is to start clearing out your physical space. Take small steps by clearing out a closet or drawer at a time and get rid of anything you don’t like or use.  This action step will help you feel less overwhelmed and anxious in every day life.

Once you have begun to work on your physical space, take some time to think about what you want to change in all areas of your life.  Start thinking about the people you spend time with and ask yourself if you feel refreshed and energized after time together.  If the answer is that you feel drained and grumpy, it’s time to pull the weeds and make room for healthier relationships in your life.

Part of growing and improving our mindset is to reflect on what we have outgrown.  Sometimes we hang onto the weeds because we think we have to, we feel guilty pulling them, or we are afraid to let go.

Any person, place or thing that keeps you from growing is a weed in your life.  Take inventory on your garden of the people in your life and begin to pull the weeds out. 

Spring is a time of renewed hope, energy and light.  Take the time you need this month to do an inventory of the weeds in your life and begin to pull them from the root.  Every time you deal with a weed in your life, you make room for new growth, opportunity, energy and joy. 

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

For more information visit www.fritzstanger.com or email fritzstanger@gmail.com

I was talking with someone recently about what my boy house is like, and I was laughing at the ways that my boys consistently think about things differently than how I do now, or how I did when I was their ages. For example, there are some things that they, as a group, really seem to hate, like:

PRINCESS MOVIES, AND DOLLS
My boys have zero interest in any of the Barbie-type movies and other princess-y shows that I see listed on Netflix in the kid section, which I get, but the movies and shows they do watch sometimes get a little close to the “princess movie” line than they like, especially when it comes to romance. 

Even in their Star Wars and superhero movies, there’s often a romantic subplot and any time they catch a whiff of it they start yelling, “Don’t even think about kissing!” I put “The Little Mermaid” on recently for the little ones, which I know is the kind of movie that tests their patience, but we hadn’t seen it in a while, and I wanted to watch it with them. I thought my seven-year-old actually enjoyed it, as he watched it quietly all the way through, but when Ariel and Eric shared their final kiss, he said, “If this movie was the exact opposite, it would be a lot better.”

They also hate dolls. I’ll never forget how one of my boys had nightmares after seeing my niece’s baby doll with eyes that open and close.

CLEAN CLOTHES, AND BEING WARM
When I do the boys’ laundry, I fold it and put it in piles on their desks — this is the signal that they are to put their clothes away. Our laundry set-up is unconventional in that no one has a dresser (there isn’t enough space in their bedrooms); rather, they each have shelves or drawers of their own in the laundry/mudroom. Despite the fact that a couple of them are fairly particular about wanting to have a supply of clean clothes, which would seem to negate the idea that they hate clean clothes, they all are terrible about putting their clothes away in a manner that preserves the clothes’ cleanliness. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found remnants of their pile of clean clothes toppled off their desks onto the floor and then apparently walked on and kicked around for a couple of days. Most of them shove the neatly folded piles onto their shelves or into their drawers, which, as you all know, is not the way to keep things neat and unwrinkled. We had family pictures taken recently and I’d washed everyone’s chosen outfits the night before — it was a special thrill for me that everyone was wearing clean clothes, which isn’t something that could be counted on when everyone was little — and the first thing one of them did when we arrived at the place for the pictures was roll around on the ground. So he’s in our photos with muddy knees. 

They also hate being warm. Every day during the winter they argued with me when I told them that, yes, they need to wear winter coats and pants when they leave the house when it’s colder than 30 degrees.

PLEASANT FAMILY RIDES, AND QUIET OF ANY KIND
Ever since we started having kids, my husband and I have used car rides as a way of maintaining (or restoring!) our sanity. It’s always been a relief to buckle the kids into the van, especially after a long day of misbehaving — they’re safe and restrained and I have them seated in such a way that I’ve tried to keep apart the boys who cause trouble together. When they were all little, it was heaven. But as they’ve gotten older, it’s become less and less peaceful to have them all in the van together. They constantly bother each other by pulling on each other’s seat belts, pulling each other’s hair (they all have short hair, but when they’re determined to torment each other, they find a way), throwing things at each other, putting their feet on each other’s seats, sitting too close, sitting too far, having private conversations that they yell at other brothers about wanting to hear … any time all the boys are in the van, I spend a good amount of time yelling at everyone to, “Turn around! Quiet down! Stop bothering your brother!” 

They really just seem to hate quiet of any kind. I’ve been marveling recently at how loud our house is — the noise has increased exponentially as the boys have gotten older, and I myself have reached decibels I didn’t know I was capable of in trying to have myself heard over the din.

It could be as much a pack mentality as anything else — each of them on their own can be quiet (I’ve seen it!), and on their own they might not mind a love story every now and again (especially if there are also weapons), and I know some of them have tendencies toward order and cleanliness, but the opinions presented above seem to be ones they can all agree on when they’re together. Or at least when they’re within earshot of me, and that might be part of it too — they definitely love to drive their mother crazy! I’ll tell you what, though: when I’m not yelling, I’m often laughing — what personalities these kids have! It’s such a privilege to watch them grow up.

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 16, 14, 12, 11, 9, 7, and 2. Follow her at www.facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

When you’re thinking about hiring a financial advisor, it’s important that you do your due diligence to help make sure you and your advisor are well matched. Ideally, you and your advisor are both looking to establish a very long-term relationship, and part of that involves being very open and honest about your expectations, and asking probing questions. It’s also very important that your advisor be forthcoming with their expectations. Here is a shortlist of questions to ask.

1. Are you a fiduciary? 
An advisor who is a fiduciary is legally required to put your interests ahead of their own, and ahead of the interests of their employer. 

2. Are you independent?
It’s important to consider whether the advisor works for a company with proprietary products to sell. Generally this will be common with insurance and mutual fund companies. Even with the best intentions, if your advisor is limited to, or incentivized for using, their employer’s products, you might not get the result you’re looking for. 

When the only tool in your toolbelt is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail. An independent advisor will generally have access to a universe of products, and be beholden only to you. 

3. How are you compensated?
There are a few compensation models in the industry, and it’s important for you to know how you will be paying for the services you will receive. 

Commission Based – This “eat what you kill” compensation model means that your advisor only gets paid when a transaction takes place, and it had been the traditional model for decades. 

It has fallen out of favor with both clients and advisors because of the inherent conflict of interest it presents. 

Fee Based – Most advisors now operate under a fee-based structure. What this means is that they charge a stated fee for providing advice, as opposed to earning a sales commission. This fee is often a percentage of the assets they manage, but could also be hourly depending on the scope of work. Since the fee is assessed as a percentage of your balance, it changes as your accounts grow or shrink, and you and your advisor now have the same goal; to be careful stewards of your assets over time. 

Because certain important products, like life insurance, are inherently commission-based, a fee-based advisor has the latitude to provide these solutions as well. Here, again, it is important to understand if the advisor is an independent fiduciary.

4. How much education can I expect from you?
The financial industry is full of jargon and acronyms. Every client has a different level of financial literacy, and a good advisor will act as an educator to make sure you understand their recommendations. Most advisors don’t intend to talk over your head, but if you find them using language you’re not familiar with, don’t be shy about asking for terms to be defined or strategies to be better explained. 

Good communication is the cornerstone of any relationship, and it’s crucial that you and your advisor are speaking the same language. 

5. How long have you been in practice?
There is no substitute for experience. Every advisor can look like a rock star during good times, but it’s important to know that they have been battle-tested and have the temperament to keep their head even if you’re losing yours, when volatility strikes.  In order to help shepherd you through the inevitable periods of uncertainty, they need to have been there before, and know the way through. 

6. Are you, or members of your team, a CFP®?
A Certified Financial Planner® professional is an advisor who has been through a rigorous education and examination process beyond the regular licensing requirements for the industry. A CFP® has demonstrated a level of proficiency across a wide range of planning topics, and has committed to a higher code of ethics. If your advisor is not a CFP® it could be beneficial to you that they are, at least, working directly with one in formulating their recommendations.

Depending on your needs, there are many other questions you should consider asking. The bottom line, though, is that you feel comfortable asking your advisor anything that you feel is important. Your advisor will be better suited to meet your expectations if you are clear about what they are, and you won’t be blindsided by any surprises down the line if you are thorough in your interview process. 

Stephen Kyne, CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs and Rhinebeck.

Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.

I’m a little nervous to say this…but I think Spring is here! 

If you are like me then you are itching to get back on the road or back on the trails and resume running. If your running days are over or you prefer walking, then this article is for you too. Today I would like to talk about Plantar fasciitis, how to treat it and what you can do to minimize your risks of developing it.

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the arch of the foot from the heel to the base of the big toe. The plantar fascia is a continuation of the calf muscle along the achilles tendon into the heel and bottom of the foot.

Plantar fasciitis accounts for around 8% of all running injuries and is common among runners of all ability levels. It is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel and approximately 2 million people are treated each year for this condition. Plantar fasciitis is often diagnosed as an “inflammation” of the plantar fascia, but it may in fact be a degenerative process without inflammation.

The most common risk factors are: 

1. Excess Body Mass (i.e. obesity)
2. Prolonged Standing (occupational)
3. Increased running (walking)
4. Lack of ankle dorsiflexion motion (related to excessive heels on sneakers/shoes)
5. Lack of great toe (i.e. big toe) extension motion 

There are a variety of treatment options recommended but unfortunately there is no clear choice for everyone. Every case is unique. This is a point I would like to make sure is emphasized because unfortunately we make assumptions that the treatment that works best is one that works for everyone. Sure there are similarities, but identifying your specific issue is often the difference of a reasonable outcome with a prolonged agonizing outcome. 

Physical therapy is one of the most effective (consistently effective) for those suffering from plantar fasciitis. There are other common treatments, but when I did research and reviewed the actual scientific studies there were only a few consistently effective solutions.

1. Inserts (i.e. orthotics) for 2-12 months (Inserts should be a TEMPORARY SOLUTION…not a long term plan) This can be off the shelf OR custom orthotics. 
2. Heavy loading/strength training (foot/calf)
3. Manual therapy (specifically trigger point release techniques) 
4. Stretching has only a mild effectiveness at best. 

For those of you that know me or have heard me talk, you will know that I advocate for strengthening the foot. This is especially important for plantar fascia health. I prefer to avoid long-term use of inserts because joints that don’t move leads to the muscles that cross them to get weaker. Recent studies have shown that shoes that limit or prevent motion lead to weakness in the muscles of the foot. The same authors have also found that people that use “barefoot” style shoes (no support at all) will see improvement in strength of the foot in a matter of weeks. 

Inserts are incredibly helpful at times and similar to how we use splints and casts to protect our bones and joints when they are injured, inserts can serve a similar function. But when we are in a cast for weeks allowing the bone to heal, our muscles atrophy and our joints stiffen. For some people, wearing inserts can have the same effect. 

The bottom line:
STIFF FEET= WEAK FEET 

On the other end of the spectrum you will see a lot of runners wearing shoes with extra cushion. The idea is that more cushion will absorb forces and “protect” us somehow. Unfortunately this is not the case.

The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine published a study that concluded,  “runners experienced a higher impact peak and increased loading rate with the “maximal” shoes.” They calculated that the “Vertical force impact peak (VFIP) was significantly longer in the soft shoe,” resulting in MORE IMPACT, not less!!

These discoveries may explain why shoes with more cushioning do not protect against impact-related running injuries.

Modern shoes try to manipulate the “natural foot” movements by one of two ways:

1. Controlling motion (i.e. inserts)
2. Controlling shock absorption (i.e. more cushion)

Trying to control your feet or use them in an unnatural way may be part of the problem. What we do know is that in the last 50 plus years of trying to manipulate our shoes, there is no evidence of these technologies actually reducing injuries. 

Let me direct you back to the main risk factors that are associated with plantar fasciitis that can be addressed with exercise, specifically strengthening of the foot and calf muscles. Physical therapy can help by providing you with exercises to strengthen the muscles that are unique to you and can ensure you progress safely. 

If you are experiencing pain at this moment, my therapists and I recommend a full body assessment to ensure you are addressing where you are weak, or where you may have mobility “cheats” that are contributing to your issues. At Goodemote PT, we also perform manual therapy to improve blood flow and reduce pain and allow for a safe progression back to activity. 

There are a variety of treatment options but unfortunately there is no clear choice for everyone, find a guide because every case is unique!

Thanks for reading my articles. If you want to contact my office, please call 518-306-6894, email me at goodemotept@gmail.com, or at www.Goodemotept.com.