Are your parents fit and active in their 70s?

[Anonymous]

Parents are 70.

Dad still bikes 20+ miles a day for fun. Has upped it since retiring a couple years ago (it used to only be weekends and a few miles to the office)

Mom walks a few miles a day for exercise. Will regularly walk to the shopping center across the freeway (4 miles round trip) to pick up an item from the grocery store or return an item to Costco.

It helps that they live in an area with perfect weather so they can comfortably do it all year. Family is mostly within a 3 mile radius so they frequently walk to get togethers.

We met up in Colorado last summer and they easily kept up on hikes. I know I’m lucky.

[Anonymous]

My mom is in her 70’s and dad in his 80’s. Honestly, a big part of it is staying on top of all their doctors and check ups and meds… they both walk a ton, eat very healthy - mostly grains and veggies, cooked from scratch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

That's sad. Couldn't she carve out time for her exercise routine while serving as his caretaker?

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.

We should all be thinking about this. My husband is older, and I plan to hire out services when he needs help. I'm already well versed in his whining to manipulate me, and I've learned through therapy to let him do that without changing my plans and behavior. My mom is going to face this sooner than I - my dad is the same age as her, but much less healthy. I don't want to see her decline when she becomes his caretaker. Her generation of women is more people pleasing and has a harder time self-advocating.

[Anonymous]

Well, we are the parents in our 70s. We use the gym. Avoid takeout food. Live in a city and walk 10,000 steps a day.

Do we tire more? Sure. Three ours in a museum can do us in and we need business class on long flights. Also my husband prefers uber to metro and I’d use metro more.

Now we have a close relative in her late 70s who is overweight, refuses needed knee surgery, takes no stairs, cannot walk more than a block, cannot roll her own suitcase, and drives across the street literally. This is ideally what I’d like to avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, we are the parents in our 70s. We use the gym. Avoid takeout food. Live in a city and walk 10,000 steps a day.

Do we tire more? Sure. Three ours in a museum can do us in and we need business class on long flights. Also my husband prefers uber to metro and I’d use metro more.

Now we have a close relative in her late 70s who is overweight, refuses needed knee surgery, takes no stairs, cannot walk more than a block, cannot roll her own suitcase, and drives across the street literally. This is ideally what I’d like to avoid.

I was really struck by what a difference this made for my mom. She lived with my dad in a house that had a flight of stairs to get into the house and a couple stairs to navigate throughout the main level and then up to her bedroom. Her mobility was OK, at least the stairs never seemed to be an issue. Then dad died and she moved in with my sister with a main-level bedroom. Never needed to take a step up. Her mobility seemed to deteriorate very quickly. A bout of pneumonia that put her into the hospital didn't help and she never seemed to get back to the earlier baseline since she could go through her day never doing more than walking from bedroom to sofa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

No shit. It’s stupid to pretend that because you can’t control everything you shouldn’t try to control anything, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, we are the parents in our 70s. We use the gym. Avoid takeout food. Live in a city and walk 10,000 steps a day.

Do we tire more? Sure. Three ours in a museum can do us in and we need business class on long flights. Also my husband prefers uber to metro and I’d use metro more.

Now we have a close relative in her late 70s who is overweight, refuses needed knee surgery, takes no stairs, cannot walk more than a block, cannot roll her own suitcase, and drives across the street literally. This is ideally what I’d like to avoid.

I was really struck by what a difference this made for my mom. She lived with my dad in a house that had a flight of stairs to get into the house and a couple stairs to navigate throughout the main level and then up to her bedroom. Her mobility was OK, at least the stairs never seemed to be an issue. Then dad died and she moved in with my sister with a main-level bedroom. Never needed to take a step up. Her mobility seemed to deteriorate very quickly. A bout of pneumonia that put her into the hospital didn't help and she never seemed to get back to the earlier baseline since she could go through her day never doing more than walking from bedroom to sofa.

Chicken-egg. At some point, steps are a bad bad idea for a senior. I’m not convinced keeping steps is a net positive, and neither are most physicians to patients in that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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!

My dad is fit and active at 77. He takes good care of himself. Walks a lot and does ballroom dancing. He will go on bike rides as well. He skied until 73 but gave that up due to an unrelated head injury (that could have happened to anyone). He doesn't want to risk another head injury.

He travels extensively. Seems to be able to keep up with us.

[Anonymous]

My mom was very careful about what she ate and exercised a lot. As far as I can tell this is the best path for everyone. You can risk not doing this, and wing it, but the best outcomes on average, come to those who maintain a healthy weight, don’t eat junk, and exercise as much as possible. That’s what I’m trying to do.

[Anonymous]

My mom would not have been able to even go on vacation with us in her early 70s. She died at 77.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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!

I’m in my 70s and I find your question interesting. We are active and always have been but we get tired. We just got back from seeing our 30something kids and they noticed and expressed concern. You noticed your parents are aging and thought about yourself.
Are you inquiring what to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

[Anonymous]

My mom was in her 70’s. She had double knee replacement in her 70’s and was able to more mobile. She’s 86 now and is slowing down. She uses a cane and has problems with balance.

My MIL is the same age is very mobile. She travels alone, does yoga, walks.

That’s what I’m going for. I lost weight and do cardio and strength training 5xs a week. I need to add yoga to my routine to stay flexible. I can’t burden my children with mobility issues.

[Anonymous]

My mom was fit and active until she hit 84, when she was diagnosed with leukemia; she died six months later. She stayed for both mentally and physically by doing water aerobics, taking French lessons, reading her scientific journals, visiting friends, etc.

My dad rode his bike 6 days/week until he was about 80, but he declined quickly after his dementia became more prominent - COVID did a number on him mentally because he stopped working; he’s an introvert, so that lack of social interaction did something to him. He died 6 months after my mom, also at the age of 84.

[Anonymous]

My mother has died but my father is active - goes to exercise classes, etc - but really needs to join a gym. He is unsteady on his feet at times and moves gingerly despite being in relatively good health at 77 because I think he's afraid to fall. However, he does keep very busy mentally, with adult ed classes and seminars, at least.

[Anonymous]

My parents are both 84 and they go for an hour walk every day together. I work in helthcare and it makes me sad to see that many people as young as people in their 50's (or even younger) neglect their health. I you can't walk far in your 50's or in your 60's and excercise is not a part of your life, you can imagine how you will be in your 70's. It's never too late to start but the older you are the harder it is to change your lifestyle.