Early 70s parents can't walk well at all. How to avoid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I'm surprised your parents aren't on any medications, especially your mom since she is overweight. Or is it that they just don't go to the doctor? Anyway, it might be a sign you have good genes and their habits and mentality might be more of the issue.

I'm in my 50s its just starting to hit me how my choices now could affect me 20 years from now. A recently joined a local running club (but am still just walking now). And many of the folks in the club are 60 and over. They are super inspiring to me.

That's awesome about your running/walking club. Supportive/motivating environment and great exercise for you, a win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I'm surprised your parents aren't on any medications, especially your mom since she is overweight. Or is it that they just don't go to the doctor? Anyway, it might be a sign you have good genes and their habits and mentality might be more of the issue.

I'm in my 50s its just starting to hit me how my choices now could affect me 20 years from now. A recently joined a local running club (but am still just walking now). And many of the folks in the club are 60 and over. They are super inspiring to me.

OP here. My overweight mother has some eyesight issues but is on no medications at all. She does the bare minimum as far as going to the doctor's but it's baffling that her cholesterol levels are fine when her diet and lifestyle are not. My father has diabetes and that is purely genetic, all the men in his family have it He's not on insulin yet but takes something for it. It hasn't seemed to affect him too much but he still eats sweets way more than he should, it's crazy. Anway, thanks for your insight. I hope their situation is more related to habits and mentality than genetics.

Kudos to you for joining a running club. That's awesome!

[Anonymous]

I am 68 years old and ride my elliptical machine 5 days a week and also walk 3 1/2 miles 5X a week. I was never an athlete, but have always been active—clean my own house and do yard work. My motto is keep it moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 68 years old and ride my elliptical machine 5 days a week and also walk 3 1/2 miles 5X a week. I was never an athlete, but have always been active—clean my own house and do yard work. My motto is keep it moving.

You go girl!

[Anonymous]

OP you could be dead of cancer by 65.
Just keep trying to stay mobile and hope for the best. There are literally no guarantees.

[Anonymous]

I mean it just depends. Knee issues, for example, you might not be able to do much about and I’d imagine being really active younger might actually increase your chances of needing a knee replacement (like distance running).

Same with lower back issues, arthritic changes and disc degeneration you may only have limited control over.

Both my mom and my in-laws are very early 80s and have slowed down a lot with different kinds of mobility issues for different reasons despite all being thin and having long had an exercise routine.

Obviously being at a normal weight, and staying active is on average going to benefit you but all kinds of issues crop up.

I’m early 50s and I’m hoping to stay active but I have some foot issues that cause me pain and concern me in terms of my future mobility. It’s painful and it’s not something where exercise is going to make a difference. So, I hope for the best but you just never know.

[Anonymous]

Knee problems are often the result *of* exercise. Often athletes have knee problem.

Op, I would get off your high horse about how much better you're going to be, with your better choices, blah blah. Great for you. Or you could die of cancer next year. Have some compassion. Things happen. Sometimes out of anyone's control.

[Anonymous]

It's harder than you think. I used to swim 3 to 4 times a week and walked to work --about 20 minutes--5 days a week. I had osteopenia by age 60. I've done everything possible but it progressed to osteoporosis.

You have to do weight bearing exercise. Swimming and biking do nothing for the strength of your bones. Walking 10,000-20,000 steps a day though is overkill. You plateau before you reach 10,000 and then you actually start having diminishing returns.

Scientists seem to disagree on how much is enough, but all the studies I've seen--and I've looked--says the best point is somewhere between 6,000 and 9,000 a day. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/far-fewer-than-10000-steps-per-day-can-boost-health/ The number of steps you need declines as you age because the older you get the less efficiently you walk. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/you-dont-really-need-10-000-daily-steps-to-stay-healthy/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-you-really-need-to-walk-10000-steps-to-see-health-benefits#Should-older-people-walk-the-same-number-of-steps?

And don't forget diet and sunshine--calcium and vitamin D.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t be fat or even a little overweight
Work out every day. 10-20k steps a day plus weights and hard cardio

+1 - ish. Depending on your height and build, 10-15 lbs is not ideal, but is manageable. Beyond that, it really has consequences.

I'm not fat-shaming/body-shaming. I gained a lot of weight - like 50lbs due to depression and drinking too much. I have lost 35lbs and the difference in how I feel is massive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you could be dead of cancer by 65.
Just keep trying to stay mobile and hope for the best. There are literally no guarantees.

It is absolutely mind-blowing to me how many people here expect to be in control of their health outcomes in late life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 68 years old and ride my elliptical machine 5 days a week and also walk 3 1/2 miles 5X a week. I was never an athlete, but have always been active—clean my own house and do yard work. My motto is keep it moving.

Move it or lose it. I’m a 61 year old male, run 100 miles/month, take a break when something hurts, and invest in good shoes. Eventually, I’ll get a bike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you could be dead of cancer by 65.
Just keep trying to stay mobile and hope for the best. There are literally no guarantees.

It is absolutely mind-blowing to me how many people here expect to be in control of their health outcomes in late life.

Our sense of aging is distorted. People think “only early seventies” that’s old!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you could be dead of cancer by 65.
Just keep trying to stay mobile and hope for the best. There are literally no guarantees.

It is absolutely mind-blowing to me how many people here expect to be in control of their health outcomes in late life.

Yes. MS, ALS, cancers, other autoimmune diseases, accidents, etc can disrupt the best laid plans to live to 95.

[Anonymous]

1. Don’t be overweight.

2. Don’t skip PT after surgery.


This isn’t hard, people!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP you could be dead of cancer by 65.
Just keep trying to stay mobile and hope for the best. There are literally no guarantees.

It is absolutely mind-blowing to me how many people here expect to be in control of their health outcomes in late life.

Yes. MS, ALS, cancers, other autoimmune diseases, accidents, etc can disrupt the best laid plans to live to 95.

The original post is about health-span, not life span. We have some salty people in here convinced it’s impossible not to just crash land at some point. That’s just not true. Outside a list such as the above, most Americans age poorly because of their life choices. That’s the reality.

So, as the further above post. Do the best you can and hope for the best. Not, I’m going to drink a handle of Jack and not move because F it.