Is 58 really THAT old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Health just changes so quickly after 50.

Self-fullfilling prophecy. Health changes quickly if you have lived an unhealthy life.

That is really not true. I know too many good people who, through no fault of their own, simply didn't live very long. And some folks who were hit with devastating diseases that have ruined their health. I've seen folks die way before their time in accidents. It is sad.

I also know of people - like Keith Richards - who seem to do everything wrong but keep on truckin'. I know fat people who drink and eat fried food on a regular basis and are still alive and kicking and having fun.

Life is a gift - we should enjoy it to the best of our ability. Exercise and eating healthy does make me feel good. It does not make me 30 again. But that's o.k. - 50 can be pretty darned good too.

There are always outliers for any situation--it is short sighted to count on being one of them. But absent an accident or another freak incident, lifestyle over a lifetime does indeed make a difference--diet, exercise, stress, etc. Chronic inflammation is a big issue due to our unhealthy lifestyle. Many cancers start 10-20 years before they are ever discovered. However, notwithstanding any of the above, if you tell yourself/believe that you are going to quickly go downhill simply because you are 50, it will indeed happen. The mind/body connection is huge.

I have managed to make it to 50 with nothing too scary looming over me - thank goodness. I've never had surgery (other than c-sections). I've only been in the hospital for my own birth and the births of my children. I'm doing o.k.

I have also seen people live right and not live long. I have seen decent, fit people live long with devastating diseases (like alzheimers). Do not get caught up on mere longevity. Live.

Live your life. Have fun. Eat right most of the time but allow yourself to indulge sometimes too. And love. Take time to really cherish all that is important to you - your kids, your spouse, your dogs, your hobbies...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Health just changes so quickly after 50.

Self-fullfilling prophecy. Health changes quickly if you have lived an unhealthy life.

That is really not true. I know too many good people who, through no fault of their own, simply didn't live very long. And some folks who were hit with devastating diseases that have ruined their health. I've seen folks die way before their time in accidents. It is sad.

I also know of people - like Keith Richards - who seem to do everything wrong but keep on truckin'. I know fat people who drink and eat fried food on a regular basis and are still alive and kicking and having fun.

Life is a gift - we should enjoy it to the best of our ability. Exercise and eating healthy does make me feel good. It does not make me 30 again. But that's o.k. - 50 can be pretty darned good too.

There are always outliers for any situation--it is short sighted to count on being one of them. But absent an accident or another freak incident, lifestyle over a lifetime does indeed make a difference--diet, exercise, stress, etc. Chronic inflammation is a big issue due to our unhealthy lifestyle. Many cancers start 10-20 years before they are ever discovered. However, notwithstanding any of the above, if you tell yourself/believe that you are going to quickly go downhill simply because you are 50, it will indeed happen. The mind/body connection is huge.

I have managed to make it to 50 with nothing too scary looming over me - thank goodness. I've never had surgery (other than c-sections). I've only been in the hospital for my own birth and the births of my children. I'm doing o.k.

I have also seen people live right and not live long. I have seen decent, fit people live long with devastating diseases (like alzheimers). Do not get caught up on mere longevity. Live.

Live your life. Have fun. Eat right most of the time but allow yourself to indulge sometimes too. And love. Take time to really cherish all that is important to you - your kids, your spouse, your dogs, your hobbies...

Why would you think that I am not doing those things. As I stated there are outliers to every scenario and we all know people who fall in both categories. The point made was in response to someone who said health rapidly goes down after 50, which goes not have to automatically be the case and can indeed be influenced by negative expectations. You are beating a dead horse here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Health just changes so quickly after 50.

Self-fullfilling prophecy. Health changes quickly if you have lived an unhealthy life.

That is really not true. I know too many good people who, through no fault of their own, simply didn't live very long. And some folks who were hit with devastating diseases that have ruined their health. I've seen folks die way before their time in accidents. It is sad.

I also know of people - like Keith Richards - who seem to do everything wrong but keep on truckin'. I know fat people who drink and eat fried food on a regular basis and are still alive and kicking and having fun.

Life is a gift - we should enjoy it to the best of our ability. Exercise and eating healthy does make me feel good. It does not make me 30 again. But that's o.k. - 50 can be pretty darned good too.

There are always outliers for any situation--it is short sighted to count on being one of them. But absent an accident or another freak incident, lifestyle over a lifetime does indeed make a difference--diet, exercise, stress, etc. Chronic inflammation is a big issue due to our unhealthy lifestyle. Many cancers start 10-20 years before they are ever discovered. However, notwithstanding any of the above, if you tell yourself/believe that you are going to quickly go downhill simply because you are 50, it will indeed happen. The mind/body connection is huge.

I have managed to make it to 50 with nothing too scary looming over me - thank goodness. I've never had surgery (other than c-sections). I've only been in the hospital for my own birth and the births of my children. I'm doing o.k.

I have also seen people live right and not live long. I have seen decent, fit people live long with devastating diseases (like alzheimers). Do not get caught up on mere longevity. Live.

Live your life. Have fun. Eat right most of the time but allow yourself to indulge sometimes too. And love. Take time to really cherish all that is important to you - your kids, your spouse, your dogs, your hobbies...

Why would you think that I am not doing those things. As I stated there are outliers to every scenario and we all know people who fall in both categories. The point made was in response to someone who said health rapidly goes down after 50, which goes not have to automatically be the case and can indeed be influenced by negative expectations. You are beating a dead horse here.

I was speaking generally not specifically about you. And I'm actually not talking in terms of outliers. Simply making it to old age does not mean that old age will be a fabulous experience for you. Not making it to old age is not always an indication that you lived unhealthily. One could even call the truly active/fit world traveling 70/80 year olds to be outliers. Fact is, most of the 80 year olds that I know do not spend a great deal of the year globe trotting - it's simply not as easy to get around. Once you've reached the magic age of 50, the future is not quite as certain as it was when you were 30 (sorry, death rates do go up). I do think that a healthy, active lifestyle will reap you immediate benefits TODAY. I know that I sure feel better when I eat close to nature and get daily exercise in. When I let my diet go off the rails and get lazy I feel - bleh.

I do not think that your health necessarily goes "rapidly downhill" after 50. And certainly you would not be helping yourself by buying into the notion that your health is all downhill from here. Definitely control what is under your control. Plan to live for years to come. Live well. But don't obsess.

[Anonymous]

Self-fullfilling prophecy. Health changes quickly if you have lived an unhealthy life.


That is really not true. I know too many good people who, through no fault of their own, simply didn't live very long. And some folks who were hit with devastating diseases that have ruined their health. I've seen folks die way before their time in accidents. It is sad.

I also know of people - like Keith Richards - who seem to do everything wrong but keep on truckin'. I know fat people who drink and eat fried food on a regular basis and are still alive and kicking and having fun.

Life is a gift - we should enjoy it to the best of our ability. Exercise and eating healthy does make me feel good. It does not make me 30 again. But that's o.k. - 50 can be pretty darned good too.
There are always outliers for any situation--it is short sighted to count on being one of them. But absent an accident or another freak incident, lifestyle over a lifetime does indeed make a difference--diet, exercise, stress, etc. Chronic inflammation is a big issue due to our unhealthy lifestyle. Many cancers start 10-20 years before they are ever discovered. However, notwithstanding any of the above, if you tell yourself/believe that you are going to quickly go downhill simply because you are 50, it will indeed happen. The mind/body connection is huge.


I have managed to make it to 50 with nothing too scary looming over me - thank goodness. I've never had surgery (other than c-sections). I've only been in the hospital for my own birth and the births of my children. I'm doing o.k.

I have also seen people live right and not live long. I have seen decent, fit people live long with devastating diseases (like alzheimers). Do not get caught up on mere longevity. Live.

Live your life. Have fun. Eat right most of the time but allow yourself to indulge sometimes too. And love. Take time to really cherish all that is important to you - your kids, your spouse, your dogs, your hobbies...

Why would you think that I am not doing those things. As I stated there are outliers to every scenario and we all know people who fall in both categories. The point made was in response to someone who said health rapidly goes down after 50, which goes not have to automatically be the case and can indeed be influenced by negative expectations. You are beating a dead horse here.

Yes your health goes down after 50. You are clueless if you think otherwise.

[Anonymous]

PP. I can improve my health and the way I feel today by simply eating right and taking a nice walk outside in the fresh air.

Or I could order pizza, drink beer and wake up feeling like crap every day this week.

You do have some control over how you feel - even after 50. Don't tell yourself that you don't . Because you do! You can not, however, go back to being a kid. That ship done sailed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP. I can improve my health and the way I feel today by simply eating right and taking a nice walk outside in the fresh air.

Or I could order pizza, drink beer and wake up feeling like crap every day this week.

You do have some control over how you feel - even after 50. Don't tell yourself that you don't . Because you do! You can not, however, go back to being a kid. That ship done sailed.

Right, we can make healthy choices, but we continue to age and experience the natural and normal effects of aging. We can make the most of ourselves and be active and involved, but we cannot turn back the clock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP. I can improve my health and the way I feel today by simply eating right and taking a nice walk outside in the fresh air.

Or I could order pizza, drink beer and wake up feeling like crap every day this week.

You do have some control over how you feel - even after 50. Don't tell yourself that you don't . Because you do! You can not, however, go back to being a kid. That ship done sailed.

Right, we can make healthy choices, but we continue to age and experience the natural and normal effects of aging. We can make the most of ourselves and be active and involved, but we cannot turn back the clock.

That. In a nutshell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 55. I know NOT to run on sand for any length of time. I am able to go 5 miles easily and bike 50 easily. My knees work, but running on sand, or I would guess "trails" just is not a wise thing to do at my age.

I once was doing 4 miles on sand, for every day and by the end of the week, my knee was killing me. After a few months, and it did not go away, had MRI and it was torn meniscus. Doctor wanted to operate, claims he does it all the time. I waited for another few months, and after 6 months the pain went away, and after a year, I was running again.

But again, I will never run in sand again. Those days are past.

Just saw this. No, I would not run on sand or even try to walk long distances on sand on a regular basis. The trails I used were packed dirt trails - freakin awesome. Way, w-a-y better than concrete. Concrete is brutal over time.

[Anonymous]

Without reading every post, I have to say that I am not sure what your question is. Why in the world would your wife's view of what retirement years are like affect your choice of how active to be? For heaven's sake ... go do what you have always wanted to do!! You only get one go around ... no regrets!! She either joins you, peaceably lets you by you, or gets out of the way!

[Anonymous]

Not to an 80-year-old.

[Anonymous]

There is no reason that you can not visit your kids AND pursue your dreams. Your wife is right - time is not standing still and one day you won't be as active and as physically capable as you are right now.

You seem to see your wife's priorities (spending time with your grown kids) as being at odds with your own priorities (traveling, going back to school, etc.). I really do think that you can do both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again. Mt dad is a retired professor. His intellectual vitality and curiosity have not diminished with age. He keeps writing. His new book is coming out in two weeks.

I never understand why professors even bothering retiring.

To stop wasting the university's money since they are generally no longer research active? When they retire they make way for younger faculty who have a less entitled mentality, don't ask for course release/sabbatical every time they turn around, and are competitive for top research grants. Tenured full professors who only teach a couple of times and year and don't contribute useful research are an economic drag on universities and prevent them from having the resources to hire people are more relevant in their disciplines in the 21st century. If PP's father is still research active and doing useful, relevant research, he is in the extreme minority.

[Anonymous]

I can't wear heels. I'm only 46. Sniff.

[Anonymous]

58? That is hardly old unless you think of yourself as old, which you don't. It sounds as if your wife is dealing with something other than your particular age. I'd ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Self-fullfilling prophecy. Health changes quickly if you have lived an unhealthy life.


That is really not true. I know too many good people who, through no fault of their own, simply didn't live very long. And some folks who were hit with devastating diseases that have ruined their health. I've seen folks die way before their time in accidents. It is sad.

I also know of people - like Keith Richards - who seem to do everything wrong but keep on truckin'. I know fat people who drink and eat fried food on a regular basis and are still alive and kicking and having fun.

Life is a gift - we should enjoy it to the best of our ability. Exercise and eating healthy does make me feel good. It does not make me 30 again. But that's o.k. - 50 can be pretty darned good too.
There are always outliers for any situation--it is short sighted to count on being one of them. But absent an accident or another freak incident, lifestyle over a lifetime does indeed make a difference--diet, exercise, stress, etc. Chronic inflammation is a big issue due to our unhealthy lifestyle. Many cancers start 10-20 years before they are ever discovered. However, notwithstanding any of the above, if you tell yourself/believe that you are going to quickly go downhill simply because you are 50, it will indeed happen. The mind/body connection is huge.


I have managed to make it to 50 with nothing too scary looming over me - thank goodness. I've never had surgery (other than c-sections). I've only been in the hospital for my own birth and the births of my children. I'm doing o.k.

I have also seen people live right and not live long. I have seen decent, fit people live long with devastating diseases (like alzheimers). Do not get caught up on mere longevity. Live.

Live your life. Have fun. Eat right most of the time but allow yourself to indulge sometimes too. And love. Take time to really cherish all that is important to you - your kids, your spouse, your dogs, your hobbies...

Why would you think that I am not doing those things. As I stated there are outliers to every scenario and we all know people who fall in both categories. The point made was in response to someone who said health rapidly goes down after 50, which goes not have to automatically be the case and can indeed be influenced by negative expectations. You are beating a dead horse here.

Yes your health goes down after 50. You are clueless if you think otherwise.

It hasn't so far and I am well past 50. I have poor genetics but every doctor I have ever seen said it is lifestyle choices I have made that have allowed me to beet the odds and in my family the odds aren't good.