"Healthy Life expectancy"

SouthCoastBoy

westv said:

Running? Isn't that bad for the joints?

It's is thought running may be good for the joints, https://complete-physio.co.uk/is-running-bad-for-my-knees/

Sarahspangles

If you look at the dataset, the survey question asked is:

‘How is your health in general; would you say it was… very good, good, fair, bad, or very bad’. If a respondent answered ‘very good’ or ‘good’ they were classified as having ‘good’ health. Those who answered ‘fair’, ‘bad’, or ‘very bad’ were classified as having ‘not good’ health and equate to those in ’poor’ health in this chapter

If I was asked this now, I’d probably say ‘Fair’ as I’ve had two bouts of respiratory illness this year and both dragged on. I’m aiming to get back to at least ‘Good’ when I retire. 

When I look at my grandparents and parents though, I’d say it was only when specific progressive illnesses (like angina and loss of sight) began to limit daily activities that their quality of life really deteriorated. Or do you tick ‘Fair’ if you have a bit of arthritis that stops you from hand sewing? 

westv

SouthCoastBoy said:

westv said:

Running? Isn't that bad for the joints?

It's is thought running may be good for the joints, https://complete-physio.co.uk/is-running-bad-for-my-knees/

That seems to refer to arthritis (which exercise can benefit). I was talking more about general wear and tear.

SouthCoastBoy

Sarahspangles said:

If you look at the dataset, the survey question asked is:

‘How is your health in general; would you say it was… very good, good, fair, bad, or very bad’. If a respondent answered ‘very good’ or ‘good’ they were classified as having ‘good’ health. Those who answered ‘fair’, ‘bad’, or ‘very bad’ were classified as having ‘not good’ health and equate to those in ’poor’ health in this chapter

If I was asked this now, I’d probably say ‘Fair’ as I’ve had two bouts of respiratory illness this year and both dragged on. I’m aiming to get back to at least ‘Good’ when I retire. 

When I look at my grandparents and parents though, I’d say it was only when specific progressive illnesses (like angina and loss of sight) began to limit daily activities that their quality of life really deteriorated. Or do you tick ‘Fair’ if you have a bit of arthritis that stops you from hand sewing? 

I think it depends what you hobbies are and therefore would they impact your quality of life. Mine are running, cycling, golf, football, walking and surfing, to enjoy these I most probably need to enjoy relative good health. As always there is not one uniform answer.

Sarahspangles

SouthCoastBoy said:

Sarahspangles said:

If you look at the dataset, the survey question asked is:

‘How is your health in general; would you say it was… very good, good, fair, bad, or very bad’. If a respondent answered ‘very good’ or ‘good’ they were classified as having ‘good’ health. Those who answered ‘fair’, ‘bad’, or ‘very bad’ were classified as having ‘not good’ health and equate to those in ’poor’ health in this chapter

If I was asked this now, I’d probably say ‘Fair’ as I’ve had two bouts of respiratory illness this year and both dragged on. I’m aiming to get back to at least ‘Good’ when I retire. 

When I look at my grandparents and parents though, I’d say it was only when specific progressive illnesses (like angina and loss of sight) began to limit daily activities that their quality of life really deteriorated. Or do you tick ‘Fair’ if you have a bit of arthritis that stops you from hand sewing? 

I think it depends what you hobbies are and therefore would they impact your quality of life. Mine are running, cycling, golf, football, walking and surfing, to enjoy these I most probably need to enjoy relative good health. As always there is not one uniform answer.

Would you expect to do the more strenuous of those well into your 80s though? Say you had to give up running, would that move you from Very Good to Good?

kinger101

westv said:

SouthCoastBoy said:

westv said:

Running? Isn't that bad for the joints?

It's is thought running may be good for the joints, https://complete-physio.co.uk/is-running-bad-for-my-knees/

That seems to refer to arthritis (which exercise can benefit). I was talking more about general wear and tear.

Not at expert but I could imagine there's a midpoint that is good.  Frequent marathons cause excessive wear whereas inactivity leads to loss of muscle which could in turn cause excessive wear on joints.

Saying that as I had a herniated disc this year after transitioning into a more sedentary lifestyle due to job and less 'me' time.  The decline probably took five years but it's a cautious road back to try and ensure it doesn't happen again.

Physio didn't work for me but I've had to accept  that preventing it happening again would be gradual thing as I need to work up toward everything more slowly now.   Sticking with cardio for now to lose some weight.  


 

Sarahspangles

hugheskevi said:

It is an area of quite a lot of research, as in Western nations we have done a good job of improving longevity, but not as good a job of improving healthy life expectancy. Having a large elderly population is expensive in itself, with a lot of them sick as well that just pushes up the cost of supporting them.

There are several key things that can be done in regard to healthy life expectancy, and it is important to note that preparation for old age healthy life expectancy starts decades earlier:

• The usual good advice about diet, exercise, sleep, alcohol, tobacco, etc
• Doing strength work, especially as muscle mass starts to decline from about age 40. This is important to maintain strength, have a strong core, and that all helps prevent frailty, falls, etc, as well as promoting good health and capability in general.
• Having a high VO2 max from the age of 40 - this gives a high base from which to decline.
• Type of work done, eg, shift work and physical work will take a toll.
• Be well off - wealth is almost always associated with better outcomes

Even so, it is a game of probabilities, so you can push the odds in your favour but cannot guarantee a good outcome.

I currently have access to the NHS Shape Atlas (used for service planning); some of the public health datasets were a surprise (to me). Like traffic noise and air quality. I mean I know those things influence health but it’s sobering to see that I live in an area that is significantly impacted by these, when I tend to think I live in a relatively affluent and green bit of the world.

SouthCoastBoy

Sarahspangles said:

SouthCoastBoy said:

Sarahspangles said:

If you look at the dataset, the survey question asked is:

‘How is your health in general; would you say it was… very good, good, fair, bad, or very bad’. If a respondent answered ‘very good’ or ‘good’ they were classified as having ‘good’ health. Those who answered ‘fair’, ‘bad’, or ‘very bad’ were classified as having ‘not good’ health and equate to those in ’poor’ health in this chapter

If I was asked this now, I’d probably say ‘Fair’ as I’ve had two bouts of respiratory illness this year and both dragged on. I’m aiming to get back to at least ‘Good’ when I retire. 

When I look at my grandparents and parents though, I’d say it was only when specific progressive illnesses (like angina and loss of sight) began to limit daily activities that their quality of life really deteriorated. Or do you tick ‘Fair’ if you have a bit of arthritis that stops you from hand sewing? 

I think it depends what you hobbies are and therefore would they impact your quality of life. Mine are running, cycling, golf, football, walking and surfing, to enjoy these I most probably need to enjoy relative good health. As always there is not one uniform answer.

Would you expect to do the more strenuous of those well into your 80s though? Say you had to give up running, would that move you from Very Good to Good?

I'm hoping to carry on enjoy physical exercise as long as I live. I don't want to get old and sit in an armchair all day. I see my father in law who is 93, he used to be quite active and has now lost his mobility and he finds it very frustrating.

MattMattMattUK

I plan to maintain my physical and mental health as long as possible and I have made lifestyle changes to that end, none of them are rocket science but they do take a bit of time and effort. I hear many people say that they do not have the time, but the reality is if they can find the time to spend hours on their phone, or watching TV, then they can find the time to improve their lives.

Exercise - This is they key one for maintaining a healthy life, I aim for an hour a day, though some days I will do two. I mix cardio and weight training, nothing excessive but enough to raise my heart rate, keep me fit and to have good muscle tone which helps reduce the chance of injury or long term damage.

Posture - This is important for reducing the risk of back and joint problems, it took some time and effort, I used one of those vibrating posture devices for a while but it is not engrained.

Diet - Everything in moderation, including moderation. I eat pretty much whatever I want, but in reasonable quantities, lean meat, healthy fats, plenty of green vegetables, I avoid eating to excess, I do not eat ultra-processed food and I enjoy good food.

Alcohol - Again, in moderation. I only drink 2-3 times a month, on occasion I might drink to excess, but never follow that with another day of drinking.

Smoking - Never

Stress - I have chosen and trained myself not to get stressed in reaction to stressors, I work to maintain a calm and focused outlook. Where I feel that stress is building up I will alleviate that through self care, from a good run, playing a game, an hour reading etc.

Mental health - Similar to the above, but also with the addition of making sure I read and keep learning new skills to boost mental stimulation. 

Planning - Genetics and family history mean that I should have high blood pressure, clogging arteries, high cholesterol and a likelihood of a heart attack by sixty. However I decided that I did not want any of that so I have worked to improve my health. I currently have ideal blood pressure, a resting heart rate of 54, ideal cholesterol, low arterial build-up and am in good health. 

None of what I am doing is rocket science, none of it is complicated, all of it is advised by the NHS and other health professionals (apart from the 5-6 times a year I drink to excess), all of it is stuff that nearly everyone can fit into their lives. I cannot mitigate random chance, but I can do everything in my power to tackle the things I am in control of head on. If I end up with a condition having done all I can to avoid it then so be it, but if I got a condition because I was too lazy, unwilling to control my consumption or because I made excuses rather than doing something then I would not be happy with that. 

MattMattMattUK

westv said:

SouthCoastBoy said:

westv said:

Running? Isn't that bad for the joints?

It's is thought running may be good for the joints, https://complete-physio.co.uk/is-running-bad-for-my-knees/

That seems to refer to arthritis (which exercise can benefit). I was talking more about general wear and tear.

It is generally fine if done sensibly. Running marathons will do damage, running 10k three times a week is unlikely to. Joint damage is often related to excess weight, running with excess weight is particularly damaging, but so is excess weight in general so for most healthy adults running is fine.