Are your parents fit and active in their 70s?
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Anonymous
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On vacation with my parents and they tire easily and aren’t the most fit. They weren’t really ever active (no regular exercise, etc.) and I’m thinking a lot about the future when I’m in my 70s.
If your parents are fit, what sorts of things have they done to get that way or stay that way? Did they eat certain things, exercise a certain way, etc. Thanks! |
Anonymous
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My parents are both overweight and in poor health in their 70s. They never exercised and have had poor eating habits since they were in their 30s though.
One thing my DH and I resolved to do is keep a lifestyle that requires walking as our main form of transportation. It means living in walkable neighborhoods, which can be hard in the US, but I think is worth it. Use it or lose it. |
Anonymous
| My mom is 77 fit and active. She was active and athletic as a young woman (tennis, hiking). She didn’t exercise much when we were kids (single mom, worked a lot). She has always eaten healthy. Since retirement she walks 5 miles a day, takes Pilates and eats very healthy. She is also involved in many intellectual pursuits, groups, tutoring, etc. Some of this is also just good genes - her parents were in remarkable shape into their early 90s. |
Anonymous
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My mother ate very healthy, exercised a ton, and had neuropathy in her extremities by her mid 70’s that led to frequent falls, multiple stays in the hospital and rehab, and the need for a walker.
Aging is not always predictable, or the fault of the person getting older. |
Anonymous
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One parent has always been moderately active— never had a gym membership or jogged but did do a lot of hiking and continues to walk a lot. They are in great shape.
Other parent has been less active and is still reasonably mobile. |
Anonymous
| Not at all. 77 and 79. We have to limit walking to about a block or less. It's really hard to vacation with them. |
Anonymous
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My parents were extremely fit and mobile their whole lives. Key for them was moving from the big, car-dependent house in the suburbs to a condo in the middle of a big city. They ditched the car and walked or took transit everywhere. They made friends with other seniors in the building and went for daily 3-mile walks with them in the morning.
I don't know whether this contributed as much, but they also had a small breakfast, big lunch, and just a few snacks for "dinner". My mom in particular was really big on this. |
Anonymous
| My parents are not very mobile at all in their mid seventies. Dad has degenerative disc disorder and is not a candidate for surgery. Mom broke her leg about 9 months ago, and is mobile again now but no stamina. |
Anonymous
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No. They had "on your feet all day" jobs but did not exercise or eat well. This has been complicated by medical conditions that exercise doesn't prevent, which is important to remember - even the fittest people get problem diagnoses. But in general, they are paying for years of being hard on their bodies.
My ILs go hard in the other direction - very restrictive diets, daily exercise, lots of wellness trends. It's annoying to be around but I have to admit they are in much better shape than my parents. They have been lucky to avoid bad diagnoses plus had the money to retire early. Given the choice, it's better to be like them. |
Anonymous
| My mom is about to turn 70, and she is super fit and active. She mountain bikes and road bikes in the spring to fall and cross-country skis in the winter with her friends (they retired to an active ski town). My dad, at 70, is still downhill skiing and still running his business, but he's starting to slow down. He rides an ebike next to my mom on her regular bike. |
Anonymous
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My parents were pretty active into their mid-late 70s. Dad golfed 2-3x a week (they lived in a golf community) and Mom went to a "Curves" gym that had a nice community.
Unfortunately, Dad's health started to decline, Mom's caretaking responsibilities meant she stopped her exercise routine, and her mobility declined quickly. Dad died at 85. By 80, mom needed a walker. She's now 84 and PT has helped some so she mostly gets around with a cane. But, still, really doesn't want to do much away from home. |
Anonymous
That's sad. Couldn't she carve out time for her exercise routine while serving as his caretaker? |
Anonymous
DP, but this is really hard. Lots of older people don't want strangers in their homes. Sometimes the caretaking spouse won't take time for themselves and sometimes the care-needing spouse won't let them (my mom wants my dad around all the time but "doesn't need an aide"). Adult kids are busy or far away. If OP is trying to future proof for this, she should be saving for eldercare services and also setting agreed-on triggers for activating those services. |
Anonymous
| No. People get older and bones and joints hurt. It gets tougher to move for some. It’s not their fault but a function of the body aging. |
Anonymous
She probably could have eventually but a lot of factors contributed to it not happening. The biggest challenge was that her gym location closed and a couple friends she'd exercised with moved away (to live near/with their kids). Her strength/mobility had declined quickly during the time she'd stopped exercising, adding another barrier. She'd never really exercised consistently until she became a part of that gym community so it wasn't a thing she was used to making time for. The community part mattered a lot. We made some suggestions for alternatives (my sister lives near her) but without a friend her age nudging her to go, she lacked the motivation. She's made gains in strength when it's been mandated via physical therapy rx but she doesn't stick with it after that. |