A New Adventure

hugheskevi

It never stops surprising me how people are oblivious to what is happening with their bodies- to be in a top physical shape and health human being ideally needs a few hours of physical activity every day. So adding to it socialising and everyday chores there is little spare time left

Totally agree with this. Most of my colleagues don't seem to care less about their health. The majority are overweight, several severely. Some of the younger ones do exercise, but any aged late 30s and above don't seem to do anything beyond walking - and one time we were out they insisted on taking cabs for a 1.1 mile journey through central London instead of walking (on a pleasant summer evening).

Lunch is almost universally shop-bought sandwiches, and there is always an alarming amount of biscuits brought in for general consumption. Energy drinks and full sugar soft drinks are a common sight, despite everyone being sedentary office-workers.

When we go out for dinner it is astounding how much most eat, both in volume and particularly in calories. I'm a 6'2 male who does a lot of running and cycling, yet I eat less than half what several eat and my choices are a lot healthier. Then there is alcohol on top of that, both at the meal and later in bars.

None of my colleagues use the hotel gym (and occasional swimming facilities) when we are away from the office.

And yet most just seem to accept their various health issues as a fact of life, instead of a call to action. Back-ache, falls causing quite bad injuries, high blood pressure, high pulse, inability to run any distance, inability to climb several flights of stairs, regular sickness and slow recovery are just seen as normal.

Indeed, I am considered very strange for cycling about 80 miles per week to and from work and running about 30-35 miles each week, eating very healthily bringing in my own food and not drinking sugary soft drinks or alcohol even though these are all things I can easily build into my working day with little effort. Sadly that does mean I get far less benefit from sick leave than the others, but I guess that's a good thing.

Marine_life

hugheskevi wrote: »

Totally agree with this. Most of my colleagues don't seem to care less about their health. The majority are overweight, several severely. Some of the younger ones do exercise, but any aged late 30s and above don't seem to do anything beyond walking - and one time we were out they insisted on taking cabs for a 1.1 mile journey through central London instead of walking (on a pleasant summer evening).

Lunch is almost universally shop-bought sandwiches, and there is always an alarming amount of biscuits brought in for general consumption. Energy drinks and full sugar soft drinks are a common sight, despite everyone being sedentary office-workers.

When we go out for dinner it is astounding how much most eat, both in volume and particularly in calories. I'm a 6'2 male who does a lot of running and cycling, yet I eat less than half what several eat and my choices are a lot healthier. Then there is alcohol on top of that, both at the meal and later in bars.

None of my colleagues use the hotel gym (and occasional swimming facilities) when we are away from the office.

And yet most just seem to accept their various health issues as a fact of life, instead of a call to action. Back-ache, falls causing quite bad injuries, high blood pressure, high pulse, inability to run any distance, inability to climb several flights of stairs, regular sickness and slow recovery are just seen as normal.

Indeed, I am considered very strange for cycling about 80 miles per week to and from work and running about 30-35 miles each week, eating very healthily bringing in my own food and not drinking sugary soft drinks or alcohol even though these are all things I can easily build into my working day with little effort. Sadly that does mean I get far less benefit from sick leave than the others, but I guess that's a good thing.

I think that's very black and white.
I like to keep fit (exercise most days) but I love a sausage roll and pint.
As with all things, its all about balance.

mgdavid

Marine_life wrote: »

I think that's very black and white.
I like to keep fit (exercise most days) but I love a sausage roll and pint.
As with all things, its all about balance.

Completely agree; it's also about metabolic rate among other factors, people are different. I do no formal exercise whatsoever, and never have done. I eat like a horse and drink wine several days per week (while ensuring I have a minimum of 2 a-free days, as advised by a wise doctor many years ago). I'm 5'9", 75 kg, never ill and not on any medication.

I'm 70 this year and have no problem passing my annual race driver medical. However I build, maintain and fix my own cars so there's plenty of natural activity in that - a day up and down on the garage floor certainly tests how supple you are.
I'm lucky in that racing is much more than a hobby, it's my passion, and it involves motorhoming to various wonderful circuits in mainland europe so most trips become holiday breaks too.
Then there's the self-imposed discipline of planning and working to a deadline to get the car at its best in time for each event. That looks after the mental exercise too. The best bit about being retired is I will never again need to pull an all-nighter changing a gearbox because work travel prevented me doing it sooner.
Happy days.

cfw1994

Congratulations on making that leap!

I’m still nose to the grindstone, but mainly work from home so not too bad.

To those advocating no TV, I’d personally refine that to “no daytime TV, unless there is snooker on in the background”!
We regularly watch The Chase, and even find Tipping Point mildly entertaining in the background...general knowledge is good (we enjoy our local pub quiz, combines that with ale:D)

I most look forward to having no fixed need to be doing something at some time....catching up on DIY jobs.....like one or two here, I am also mildly obsessed with doing a campervan of some sort....I’d just like it to be not too big, watch plenty of build stories....might start by chopping my Volvo in for a “crew van” as a starting point.

I’d echo those suggesting no immediate major changes....and I can say I have seen others make this step, then within about a year, getting back into paid employment (esp. recently, with stock market falls...the concerns about not enough money weigh heavily on some, it appears!). Relax, and figure it out. But yes, do exercise!!

Please report back after 6-12 months with your findings :T

k6chris

justme111 wrote: »

It never stops surprising me how people are oblivious to what is happening with their bodies- to be in a top physical shape and health human being ideally needs a few hours of physical activity every day. So adding to it socialising and everyday chores there is little spare time left

Very important to me! More time for 'getting out there' is one of the prime drivers for my decision. I have a 40 mile run in May and training after work, in the dark, is not much fun! In fact the #1 item on my 'list' is "making use of sunny days"......

justme111

I am not as committed as Hugheskevi - I chomp on biscuits and do not have enough exercise but at least I am not kidding myself that I am doing enough with 2 half an hour gym sessions a week - I guess it is a phenomenon of moving limits of acceptable - when most do sod all those who do those 2 half an hour sessions feel as if they were fine in comparison.
I personally aim for one episode of physical activity a day - gym, fitness classes, walk, cycle, squash, run, gymnastisc. All short/ish , some minimal - my run is 5 minutes jog and 7×80 meters sprints , together with walk back home takes about half an hour . In practice I never achieve the target of doing something every day and I am acutely aware of not doing enough but for couch potatoes I am an epitome of fitness .Another bugbear of mine is the stupid and patronising and ridiculous " 5 a day" thing. When one handful of grapes or one satsuma is considered "one". People seriously thinking if they eat 2 bananas, 2 satsumas and 15 grapes a day they consume enough fruit and vegetables!
Good to hear you have your priorities right, k6chris and it is amazing how work gets in a way of fitness and congratulations on taking the plunge.

hugheskevi

I am not as committed as Hugheskevi - I chomp on biscuits and do not have enough exercise but at least I am not kidding myself that I am doing enough with 2 half an hour gym sessions a week - I guess it is a phenomenon of moving limits of acceptable - when most do sod all those who do those 2 half an hour sessions feel as if they were fine in comparison.

I'm being particularly virtuous at the moment thanks a mid-life crisis of refusing to accept that my days of being able to run sub-20 minute 5,000 metres have slipped away. Back in my 20s, running under 20 minutes for 5K was trivial. Now aged 41 and not having run at all between 2010 and 2016, it has taken a lot of work to get my personal best down to 20 minutes 14 seconds, and now it is the final push to find those last 15 seconds.

In the process, I've joined running clubs and my social life has changed significantly. Whereas socialising a few years ago would almost always involve pubs with work colleagues, it is now much more likely to involve an early morning run followed by brunch somewhere with a lot of (mostly) fit people eating healthily. I imagine that retirement presents a rare opportunity to change social life, potentially for a more positive lifestyle.

Once you get into good habits and surround yourself with similarly minded people, I find it amazing how outlook and motivation changes. Over the last few years I've lost nearly 20kg of weight and changed my diet completely to get down to a very healthy near-ideal running weight whilst strengthening legs and core significantly.

Even so, it is alarming to think that despite the work I'm putting in, I am still a lot slower than I was 20 years ago when I didn't do a huge amount of running training at all, although I did do a lot more gym and rowing work back then. The ravaging of aging is a very real thing, and can only be mitigated, not avoided :mad:

Whilst I may well dial-back the work I'm doing now at some point in the future, I'll certainly keep up a decent amount of training work. A key motivation in this is seeing the fastest 65-69 year old men at races, they are still very quick and healthy. Whereas a lot of people many years younger than that can barely run and have a number of health issues.

MallyGirl

I walk the dogs every day but know that this is not enough so I joined a running club on 4th Jan. I am 51 and have never been a runner - I did couch to 5k about 8 years ago but didn't keep it up. I have improved from a 40 min 5k to a 36 min 5k so far which I am pretty pleased with. I am aiming to do a 10K in May - I have never run this far so it is quite a goal for me. I know that strength training is important in combating osteoporosis which runs in our family. This is proving a challenge to make time for at the moment but DD started driving lessons this week so freer evenings are in sight.
I want to be fit enough to enjoy the early retirement when I get there.

Vespaboy

K6Chris - well done.

I have followed various threads on this site and am very pleased for you

Enjoy your new found freedom and well done on a 40 mile run - respect , I have done a number of marathons but never further, not sure my knees and back would make it now. I now have other challenges - 2 long distance swims this year , long walks and a cycle challenge. I do love a challenge but at times my brain is writing cheques my body can't honour.

I still have a 5 to 6 year work journey until I feel financially comfortable but do have a plan B in case. I think ( dream) of retirement, and think most do in their 50's (whatever their line of work) hence the lurking on this site but am not sure I am quite ready for that leap, I guess I will know when I am finally ready but in the meantime it is for me about trying to enjoy life and not wishing my time away until the next stage of the adventure. Advice and peoples stories here are a great inspiration so thanks for that

Back to lurking in the shadows for me........

LHW99

Back in my 20s, running under 20 minutes for 5K was trivial.

Hmm, even as a teenager that was beyond me! Walking, gardening, running up the stairs multiple times of day have to do. But I'm not overweight, still fairly supple and not on meds yet.