Older and fitter

Ilona

Nebulous2 wrote: »

Many people have become used to the idea they are helpless passengers in this, without realising they can shape their own luck, and it's never too late. Changes can bring benefits even later on.

Exactly right. I'm amazed at the amount of people who I know, in my age group, who have some kind of ailment brought on by a sedentary lifestyle and incorrect diet. They don't make the connection with you are what you eat, and if you don't use your muscles and joints they cease to function as they should do. I see them hobble past my house on their way to the doctors surgery.

One neighbour who was passing while I was in the garden asked me if I had any trouble getting my meds, as she had to wait for hers. I said no, I don't take any meds of any kind. She said, what none. She was surprised, must have thought everyone took tablets.

I follow Doctor Rangan Chattergee, Doctor in the House. He makes a lot of sense.

ilona

lessonlearned

Just discovered this thread.

You lot are inspirational.

I am going to follow (and join in).

I am 67 and not as fit as I should be. Time for action.

trailingspouse

Welcome, lessonlearned.

I don't think you can really convince people to look after their health - it's similar to people who are struggling with debt, or addiction, until they have their lightbulb moment it's hard to do anything. It has to come from within.



I missed my gym session today, but I'm hoping to make up for it tomorrow. They're running a competition for December to see who can amass the most 'effort points' during the month. You get effort points for each minute you spend in each zone - up to a maximum of 4 points for every minute you spend with your heart rate above 80% of maximum. Out of the 222 members who've signed up to the challenge, I'm currently in 17th place - well inside the top 10%. And I'm very competitive, so I can't afford to miss a session!!

warehouse

Great thread.

My wife turned 50 this year and started using the "couch to 5K" app on her phone. She's now running several 5K's every week and a regular at the local park run. She's decided to try for some 10K's next year.

I'm 54 and started the same app in August. From not being able to run 100 steps without being out of breath I can now run 5K in 28 minutes.

I'm still 2 minutes behind the wife though!

trailingspouse

That's just wonderful warehouse (and Mrs Warehouse).
It's an amazing feeling to realise you can do something that you couldn't do before. Even now, after 7 months of going to the gym 3 times a week, I'm still seeing progress - fewer 'unscheduled' rests, a faster speed on the treadmill, heavier weights. And I find myself actively looking forward to the next session. I'm so cross that I missed the gym today, will def be there tomorrow, I don't care what the weather throws at us!
Ilona - yes, people look at you like they don't believe you when you say you don't take anything! I think good nutrition (without being faddy) is the other side of the coin - you have to be physically active, but you also have to give your body the nutrition it needs in order to be able to function well. Sensible quantities of wholesome food - it doesn't fill many magazine pages, but I really do believe that it's the way to go.

fred246

trailingspouse wrote: »

I find myself actively looking forward to the next session.

I woke up early yesterday and went and did a high intensity class. Only 30 minutes but really good exercise. Afterwards I was sat in the jacuzzi with another pensioner. "Isn't life good", he said,"Can you remember your grandad's retirement?". I could only remember him pottering around the house arguing with grandma. I had never really felt sorry for him before. I am not sure what I would do if I didn't enjoy going to the gym. I remember reading some analysis that said you could live 2 years longer if you went to the gym BUT you spent 2 years AT the gym. So if you enjoy going go and if you don't just accept the earlier death.

trailingspouse

fred246 wrote: »

"Can you remember your grandad's retirement?". I could only remember him pottering around the house arguing with grandma.

My grandad thought he would be able to just sit by the fire and watch the snooker when he retired... Luckily for him, grandma had other ideas. First of all he had to decorate the house throughout, then they took up sequence dancing. He wasn't keen on the sequence dancing to begin with, so they agreed that she would go swimming with him and he would go dancing with her. He got really into it in the end, to the point where she was ill one week so he went on his own!!
He was actually quite a fit man, and could swim a length under water well into his 70s. Sadly he'd also smoked since he was 9, and died of a smoking-related disease at 77.

trailingspouse

Well, I finally made it to the gym this morning. Should have gone on Friday, that's my usual day, but due to an incident on Thursday evening where my parked car got itself involved in a crash between two other cars, I spent Friday on the phone.
So I planned to go yesterday - but all that talk of freezing rain made me decide that, for once, staying by the fire with a pot of tea was the best plan. I made banana bread - so not an entirely wasted day!


Back to my normal gym session tomorrow, all being well. Wonder how the body will react to two gym sessions in two days!

maddiemay

Hi I am 69 and although I have previously been pretty active I have spent the last 6 years collecting a series (6 in total now) of fairly serious medical conditions, mostly auto-immune stuff, which has left me far less fit than I should/want to be.

I will read back and look for tips, but I really wanted to mention weight bearing exercise to Nebulous2. My OH is 76 and has been cycling since his teens, aims for about 5,000 miles p.a. He has one friend, now in his mid 80's who is in a terrible state with Osteoporosis because he has cycled all his life and rarely walked if his bike could take him there and had a sedentary job too. Most of our cycling friends do walk, but there are a couple that might have cause for concern. Hopefully not relevant to you, but thought it worth a mention.

Nebulous2

maddiemay wrote: »

Hi I am 69 and although I have previously been pretty active I have spent the last 6 years collecting a series (6 in total now) of fairly serious medical conditions, mostly auto-immune stuff, which has left me far less fit than I should/want to be.

I will read back and look for tips, but I really wanted to mention weight bearing exercise to Nebulous2. My OH is 76 and has been cycling since his teens, aims for about 5,000 miles p.a. He has one friend, now in his mid 80's who is in a terrible state with Osteoporosis because he has cycled all his life and rarely walked if his bike could take him there and had a sedentary job too. Most of our cycling friends do walk, but there are a couple that might have cause for concern. Hopefully not relevant to you, but thought it worth a mention.

Hi Maddiemay - that's pretty good mileage your other half is doing there. I'll need to get a pension before I manage that!

I'm aware of the need for weight-bearing exercise, and have a family history of osteoporosis, so need to watch out for it. In addition to cycling I have a dog and walk 3 miles with him every day. Weekends are double that. I also seem to get involved in lots of diy type stuff. In my summer holidays I carried over 30 tonnes of rubble from my garden to the recycling centre, and last weekend we cleared a relative's house, prior to putting it up for sale. So it tends to be ad-hoc, occasional stuff, but it is there. My job is almost half-and-half, 50% out on site visits and 50% office time. I cycle for most of my visits as well.

I wish you well with the medical conditions. Auto-immune things can be very difficult to manage.