Aging.

[LuckyCharms]

I'm 61.

Worked out for a long time. I'm glad for that.

But otherwise, I've stressed my body in stupid ways.

I shovel and snowblow my property, and two of my neighbors.

I know I have to get out there pretty soon.

I don't want to. I don't feel like it. Not feeling good. Everything hurts. Recent dental work is making me tear up. I'm hunched over a bit today. I have a headache. I have a rash.

When I was a kid, I used to go out and shovel snow for a few bucks. I keep looking out my window today for these kids that do that, but they don't exist around here anymore.

It gets worse every year, and I worry what it's going to be like in 5 years.

My health care provider said to try yoga.

I told her that I did not want to be responsible for the women in the class fainting because they are overcome with passion when they see me in yoga pants.

[keithbvadu2]

1. Do what we guys do who did not work out for many years. Wear larger, looser fitting pants.

Do what we guys do who did not work out for many years.

Wear larger, looser fitting pants.

[LuckyCharms]

3. Yes. I was just joking about the yoga pants.

I've actually been giving yoga some thought lately. There is a yoga studio less than 1/2 mile from me, so it would be convenient.

[Donkees]

21. Snow Shovel Yoga :)

vimeo.com/251496103

[LuckyCharms]

22. Thanks!

Will check them out soon. I can't see myself doing the last pic. Something would rip. And I don't mean my clothes.

[cilla4progress]

2. Well, Lucky, I hear you.

My husband and I are both 64. By god we get out and move every chance we get, continue our active hobbies.

My theory is if we stop, it will all go to hell. Takes a lot more motivation now, and sure is ugly to watch. I've always felt best when I'm in motion, so that helps. And I am quite protective of my
"free" time - a privilege that also impinges on socializing - unless they want to walk/hike/bike, etc. with me.

I think small steps. Movement is so important. I really love Miranda Esmonde, a Canadian former dancer, I think? Anyway, she's our age and has specials on PBS called "Aging Backwards," gentle movement and stretches that feel great! She's on during their fundraising, right now.

Good luck!

[LuckyCharms]

4. I have the same thought process as you.

That is what I was alluding to when I referred to stressing my body. I inherited a good/bad trait from my father, and that is...working until you drop. The past few years, I've worked on home projects for 20 hours straight. I've worked until I pass out, or puke.

But my philosophy is...if I stop, I die.

Thanks for the advice and thoughtful post.

[appalachiablue]

24. MIRANDA Esmonde-White on PBS for Yoga is great. Her daughter

Last edited Mon Dec 2, 2019, 01:28 AM - Edit history (1)

joins her sometimes and I love the tropical settings Miranda often uses, esp. Jamaica.

Miranda broke a bone in her foot when young I think, and that ended the dance career.

Her parents were on a public TV shows in Canada I think, maybe home improvement and gardening programs.

Thanks for mentioning Miranda!

"Aging Backwards" Miranda Esmonde-White.

[cilla4progress]

31. Thanks!

I've e only seem her in her studio in Toronto? Montreal? Vancouver? And yes, her daughter. Funny about her parents!

[underpants]

5. I'd suggest yoga over snowblowing your neighbors

[LuckyCharms]

6. I have to do theirs...

one is too old to do it, and the other is too stoned to do it.

[underpants]

8. God man. Kind.

[Harker]

9. You could lend your snowblower to the stoner...

they might get into the Zen of it and clear the neighborhood.

I'm 60. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and elbows like doorknobs from injudicious weightlifting in my youth. There are days when I can barely reach my shoelaces. My feet and my knees hurt much of the time.

I'm newly dedicated to reversing, or at least slowing down, the decay... by stretching and doing gentle range of motion exercises and some tai chi movements. It's helping, and I'm feeling better about my future.

I don't care if I never play tennis or softball again. I just want fewer painful days.

Hey. I figure anything past eighteen years is all bonus time!

[Adsos Letter]

7. Keep stretching, keep moving.

I was a painter for 35 years. Up and down ladders all day long.

I retired 12 years ago.

Went out to clean the gutters before our current rain storms hit. Hauled a 16’ extension ladder around the house, then up and down to get to the gutters.

Exhausted, I sat on the porch afterward and reflected on the fact that I painted the exterior of this place (2 coats) by myself last time it was done. All by roller and brush because it was too windy to spray, and no one to help me prep for it.

Those days are long gone. Discouraging, because it was an undeniable reminder that the body wears out, and life ends.

Wear those yoga pants.

[cilla4progress]

10. Can't recommend her enough

for us oldsters!

Miranda Esmonde-White https://g.co/kgs/tK1Smt

Miranda Esmonde-White is a Canadian fitness trainer, former ballerina with the National Ballet of Canada, and The New York Times bestselling author of books on aging, health and fitness. Wikipedia

[Jane Austin]

20. Our PBS station is carrying a special by her tonight

called Aging Backwards. It's fundraising time, so there are all kinds of random things on this week.

I always feel so much better when I follow along with one of her shows.
TiVo it for a more civilized time of day.

[cilla4progress]

23. Yes!

I bought a couple of the DVDs!

[demmiblue]

11. YouTube has a lot of yoga videos. Here is a gentle/uncomplicated one to help your lower body:

Try it a few times... you'll be amazed!

[Martin Eden]

12. I'm 62, and I know I have to make a greater effort to keep moving

I've had a desk job for the last 16 years, but I haven't been inactive physically. Most of my vacation time is spent hiking & backpacking, and I'm a lifelong slowpitch softball player. I've always played at least 2 nights a week in local leagues, and since I turned 50 I've competed in senior tournaments as an outfielder.

Unfortunately, in the first tournament this year I tore the rotator cuff in my right (throwing) shoulder, and I still have months of recovery since my surgery 2 months ago. My physical activity has been greatly curtailed, and I haven't made up for it. I was already about 30 lbs overweight, and I've put on more.

It sucks when your body can't do what it used to, but I'll just have to suck it up and make a more consistent effort to keep moving and recover my strength if I'm going to rejoin my very competitive 60 Major team. I was an all tournament player when we won the 2018 World Championships, sweeping the brackets in a field of 46 60AAA teams (which got us bumped to major).

I'm not ready for that phase of my life to be over, and this thread reminded me what I need to do.

[MFM008]

13. Dr meant try yogurt!

That yoga crap looks to involving....

[Baltimike]

14. Nowadays, the kids don't knock on the door...they use the web

and you should too. If you don't use social media, there's always craigslist.

[Jane Austin]

19. Don't forget the Nextdoor app.

You can find helpers there, and if not, you can ask.

Next-door is a wonderful resource.

https://nextdoor.com

[Vinca]

15. I've got almost 10 years on you and all I can say is keep on keeping on.

I'd rather by achy and miserable and still active than bedridden or even waited on hand and foot. Although hand and foot would be nice every so often. LOL. It's snowing here, too. Shoveling and plowing, shoveling and plowing. It's what we've chosen staying up north.

[Raftergirl]

16. I'm 63 and I take a yoga class

twice a week. I love it. My class is for 55 and over (I could take a non 55 + class but I really like this particular teacher.) We do a ton of stretching, balance moves and deep breathing. Many yoga poses help with posture, too. The last few classes she even had us do the snow shovel stretch which emphasized the correct way to shovel.

I always feel great and much less stressed after class. I take it through my towns Parks and Rec so it’s pretty inexpensive.

People of all shapes and sizes are in my class. And for those not in the greatest shape there are chair yoga classes.

It’s really important to keep flexible as we age.If you don’t - you’ll lose it.

It’s also important to try and get outside and walk - even if it’s only around the block (or walk the mall in bad weather.)

I play tennis once a week too, which keep me active in a different way.

[erlewyne]

17. 5K a day under an hour and by nightfall a 12 pk of beer

I'm 72 and I do this to stay alive. I earned my social security
and served over seas, I think being tired is a good thing and my
goal is reaching 80. Oh, I have daily routines and enjoy this
DU board to pass the time.

Thanks to you great persons.

[beveeheart]

18. I'm 76 and shovel a small area, rest for a while, go out and shovel

a little more. If I'm lucky, one of the neighbors or kids in the neighborhood will come over and help me. 2 teenagers helped me this past Tuesday with the 15 inches of snow in really cold weather

[nolabear]

25. Yoga. Turmeric. CBD (research brands; some are bs)

I’m trying to go the anti-inflammatory eating as much as possible route (Thanksgiving was brutal and I feel it). I take NSAIDS daily. I know there are cautions but so far so good and I can move. But those three things really do help.

The parts are wearing out. I guess it’s inevitable but might as well do what we can.

[sprinkleeninow]

36. I bought turmeric supplement but not taken it yet.

It's not harsh on one's tummy, is it?

Danced strictly ballet for ten years in my younger days and wonder if any kind of damage was unknowingly inflicted affecting my physiological condition now.

[nolabear]

39. I don't notice a problem. Be sure it contains pepper.

Interestingly, a tiny bit of black pepper is necessary to make it absorb. Good supplements have some included.

Yeah, our youths come to fruition don’t they? Hope it helps.

[sprinkleeninow]

40. I like pepper. Black especially. My mom-in-law and I were copacetic on that.

I hafta watch out for tasty buttery and oil laden foods for the last few years. Tomatoes, esp. cooked like pasta sauce, etc. have me grabbing the antacid bottle.

Nice chatting with you! 🙂

[Binkie The Clown]

26. I'm 75. Take it slow, rest often,

and you'll be surprised what you can accomplish.

I don't know about yoga, but staying active is important. I walk 2 to 3 miles a day, every day. And when it's too cold or wet outside, I use my treadmill. I truly resent having to walk on those days that I don't really feel like doing it, but though I resent it before I do it, I never regret it after it's done.

And if you want some really radical cardio, get a VR headset and play a game called "Beat Saber" for 15 minutes every morning. Very fun, and very exhilarating.

[Eyeball_Kid]

29. This morning at the gym,

I told a friend that I really don't want to be here today, that my heart's not in it. She understood completely. She has the same tendencies. She's in her early 70s and works out on the stair master for 90 minutes a day. On some days, it's simply a struggle that we can see past, so we feel the reluctance, but just move on. And then it's okay.

[AJT]

27. I am 61 also. The ten years between 50 and 60 have changed me so much.

I won't go into detail, but my body......yuck.

[Eyeball_Kid]

28. Well,

I'm several years older and it's comforting, in an odd way, to hear about hurting to move. Someone else has the same issue. I do lots of gym work and wonder how much worse I'd feel if I didn't.

Somewhere in this story of aging there's a silver lining, but I fear that the lining gets thinner as we get older because it gets harder to move. Stillness has its limits. I've seen yoga as a fall-back method of staying in shape, but I'm expressing an obscure bias. Yoga keeps people at the pinnacle of physical health to the extent that they can control their health. That health care provider has the right idea. It's a quality of life issue.

Before and after shoveling/snowblowing: Strong coffee before and a bowl after.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

30. I'm 71. I can shovel my sidewalk and driveway, not that I

have to do it that often as we don't get much snow in Santa Fe.

And I can still touch my toes on the first try.

And if shovelling the snow is hard, make friends with some teens in the neighborhood and figure out what the standard pay is. It will be well worth it.

[Rollo]

32. I'll be 68 in a month and some things get a bit harder every year...

Partly because I rode motorcycles for a few decades and have broken bones in all my limbs. But it was fun.

Looked for Essentrics; my local PBS station doesn't carry it.

Had to go up on the roof last week to patch it before the big rainstorm. It was much harder to do than a few years ago! So maybe I need to do some sort of yoga/stretching before it's too late. I do try to keep active - replaced a fence along one side of the property last summer. And then there is the tree trimming, mowing, hauling, etc. Part of my current problem may be that I started a Keto type of diet over the summer. The aches and pains seem to have intensified... as well as some new ones. But the weight loss is too good to give up on.

Luckily there's no snow were I live in Cali.

[csziggy]

33. I'm thinking about taking up Tai Chi

Less stressful to my aging body than yoga - which I was never flexible enough to do when young - and probably better for my balance, too.

I see a new physical therapist on Wednesday and will talk to them about it then.

[Major Nikon]

34. I prefer to watch winter on TV

[secondwind]

35. You are too young to talk about aging.

[YOHABLO]

37. Move South.

[Fyrefox]

38. The decline of snow-shoveling kids...

Yeah, snow days when I was a kid meant a great time to go out and shovel a few walks and drives to rake in some bucks! Now the kids can't be bothered to put down their cell phones...