Age Discrimination?

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Replies

  • curlytoes79
    curlytoes79 Posts: 95 Member
    My mom will be 65 in July. She does some formal exercise (yoga, treadmill, etc) in the winter, but in warmer weather, she's an avid gardener and does all her own lawn care. She also still works part-time as a nurse. So she gets plenty of exercise, and frankly she's stronger than I am. She just really likes to stay active. She hauls bags of soil, moves furniture, etc. I'm amazed at her sometimes, but it all boils down to the fact that she takes care of herself and has been fortunate enough not to develop any neurological or other issues that might limit her. If you take care of your body, it'll probably continue to take care of you as you age.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    Next time someone tells you old age is a limiting factor look at something that happened to me nearly 20 years ago... http://www.ms50.com/1996/RSLTS96.htm Look at the 12th, 14th and 16th place finishers of this 50 mile run.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    Next time someone tells you old age is a limiting factor look at something that happened to me nearly 20 years ago... http://www.ms50.com/1996/RSLTS96.htm Look at the 12th, 14th and 16th place finishers of this 50 mile run.

    Lol, you didn't fare so well there did you?

  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    luluinca wrote: »
    AllanMisner wrote: »
    Next time someone tells you old age is a limiting factor look at something that happened to me nearly 20 years ago... http://www.ms50.com/1996/RSLTS96.htm Look at the 12th, 14th and 16th place finishers of this 50 mile run.

    Lol, you didn't fare so well there did you?

    I finished. And I was able to see a man more than twice my age cross the line before they closed out. What you don’t see is the 12 who didn’t finish. So, we’re really just middle of the pack.
  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    I'll take middle of the pack any day.............. :)

    At my gym I have people watching my lifts and I'm always reminding them I'm just average..........but I'll take that...
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    And when I told her I was lifting, my doctor said.... "Good for you!". Then cautioned me to be careful about my joints and not overdo anything.

    Not like I'd have stopped if she'd been negative, though.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    All kinds of older guys play tennis, and tennis, with all the quick movement and running on cement, is a lot harder on you than weight lifting.
    I don't know. But they sure seem and look a whole heck of a lot healthier than those old guys I see putting in 15 minutes with the light weights at the gym.
  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
    I haven't read the article you're discussing, but if it is aimed at 65+ who are new to exercise, it makes sense. You cannot, at any age, just start going hard in the gym if you've been a sedentary lump. The man's doctor should have referred him to a physical therapist to demonstrate proper form/exercises to help with knee pain, or it could be that the man is genuinely over-exercising. I can't say.

    You have chosen your hobby wisely, but it does make you an outlier. I can understand that you're frustrated with your outlier status, but you can't take it personally. It might take the meatheads aging and being treated the way you describe to figure out where you're coming from, but they'll get it eventually.
  • Soy_K
    Soy_K Posts: 246 Member
    @luluinca you rock. as a woman in my 40's I often wonder what my body will do in my 60's. I have to say that women like you inspire me. I met a woman in my acrobatics class who is 60 - gorgeous, no plastic surgery, wearing her hair natural and silver and still doing back bridges and handstands. I love love love seeing and hearing about people who don't let their bodies go as they age. My own mom is in er 70's and has been learning tae kwon do!

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    @Soy_K, I haven't seen this thread in a long time. Thanks for the comments. I still plug away at it and try to inspire others on my friend list, women and men, to do as much as they can at any age!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    In a "use it or lose it" life, most people lose it by the time they are 65. The doc, if you can realize it, was just a dude punching a clock, waiting for quitting time. He was taught to the average, he's paid to the average, and he treats you as the average. My doc, for example, told me for years "lose weight", and then was surprised when I did.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    edited August 2016
    luluinca wrote: »

    So.......the moral of this story is just because we, or you, are getting older, doesn't mean we can't achieve a level of health through diet and exercise that compares to many people much younger than we are.


    I agree completely, last year (at 59) I got PBs in 10K, half-marathon & sprint duathlon distances, this past weekend I won my AG at a sprint duathlon (and we had on participant in the 70-74 AG). For Fathers Day this year my kids bought me a membership at the gym, you're still kicking my butt at deadlifts but I'm closing in fast.

    While exercise may not be the fountain of youth I'm convinced that many of the indignities that get heaped upon us as we age can be mitigated or reversed though a well designed exercise program. And I don't agree with people who call us outliers, that's just making excuses for the vast majority of us.

    When old age pensions were first introduced in Germany it was a miracle if people lived to 65 now with improved healthcare, sanitation diet etc that's no longer the case. Most of us can, if we have the desire, lead healthy and active lives well into our 80s..... I plan on going into old age running, biking & lifting heavy stuff! (even though it is nice to get the senior's discount on race entry fees B) )


    cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/powerlifting-record-breaking-senior-1.3617512

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    Exactly Brian! Even through injuries and other setbacks, there's no reason we can't keep going IMO. I was diagnosed with frozen shoulder in Jan of this year. Had to stop swimming, lifting things over my head and a few other related lifts. I started running and focusing on calisthenics and just kept going. Now I'm healed and back to all the lifts and swimming, but I still run and do calisthenics. ;)

    No excuses! And I won't let anyone else make excuses for me or try to convince me that I'm pushing myself too hard. I know exactly how hard I can push myself.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I'm 65. Age and sex discrimination in the weight lifting community is very common. While it is generally well intended (they don't want older people and women to get hurt), it is misguided and those giving the "advice" don't realize that it does seniors and woman a disservice by preventing them from realizing their full physical strength and potential.

    The only thing we older people and woman can do about such "advice" is to ignore it to the extent that it limits our desire and ability to get stronger and fitter. However, we cannot ignore the fact that we (seniors and woman) have certain physical limitations based on our age and/or gender that may subject us to greater risk of injury as we put greater physical strains on our body.

    As long as we take this risk into account, there is no reason why seniors and woman cannot do things far beyond what is commonly believed that seniors and woman can do in terms of lifting weights or other physical activities. Heck, I just saw a young female powerlifter do a full squat w/475#'s at a local match this weekend, which was more than most of the male competitors could do!

    I know that I am far stronger and more fit than my mother and father (who were born in 1914 and 1913 respectively) were at my age and the current perception of the feebleness of seniors is largely based on the lack of strength and physical activity of people of that generation.

    We of the baby-boomer generation (those born between 1946-1964 who are now 52-70 years of age) are a much different lot but the perception of the physical strength and fitness of this generation has not yet changed, because we are just becoming "of age" and it is just becoming known how much stronger and fitter we are when compared to our parents.

    So, I think the perception but that will take time. In the meantime, we seniors and woman should just do what we know is best for us in order to remain strong and fit in preparation for those days when we get even older.

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    @sgt1372, I agree the difference between our generation and the one before is pretty remarkable. I just wish even more men and women our age would pursue physical activities. I have very few friends, male or female, outside of MFP, who spend any time at the gym or exercising at all really. I would be more discouraged about it except I do see so many people here who are changing their health for the better through diet and exercise.

    I do have one sister in law, age 69, who's running a 5K with me later in the month though! :)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    luluinca wrote: »
    Except that weight lifting increases bone density..................but thanks. I don't think I am an outlier really though. I just put the work in and don't make a bunch of excuses. I think progress is a little slower as we age but as long as we don't have a debilitating illness or serious physical limitations we can get there.

    Progress isnt as optimal as some twenty years olds, but it really depends on your goals.

    My 50 year old buddy wins alot of races from 5k-halfs.

    Myself, I have a progressive joint disease that has crippled me twice, cancer that took a year of treaments and surgeries, and two failing kidneys.

    I still managed to pull a state record for total lifted in the USAPL on my first meet and looking to pad thst in two weeks and grab the squat record.

    Illness and physical limitations are of the mind in many cases and doctors are the first ones to tell you that you can't.
  • timsla
    timsla Posts: 174 Member
    Ever need to prove someone wrong show them the IPF masters division.
    Watched a 70 year old Japanese woman crush 70kilos at world bench press championships. She benched her age !!! Like a boss.
  • ContraryMaryMary
    ContraryMaryMary Posts: 1,780 Member
    One of the best things I ever did (and completely by accident) was to get a doctor who's a runner. The first thing he asks every time I see him, regardless of what it's for - and it's usually the children - is "how the running?"

    I've been having issues with my big toe - it's lost some of it's flex which is throwing my gait and causing all sorts of issues - my physio tried to tell me it's because I'm getting older and implied that I should just suck it up and live with it. I'm 43, for crying out loud - I intend to live for at least another 43 years, ideally 60, and the only way I'll enjoy that is if I remain fit and healthy.

    When I first joined a running club 10 years ago and was put in the 6:30 mins/km pack, my pack leader was a 75 year old woman - and so much fitter than me. As I progressed I moved up packs and I remember having long conversations with a 72 year old man in the 6 minute pack about all the marathons he has done in the past and those he's got planned for the future. And when I say long conversations, they were pretty one sided - basically he chatting for two hours non stop while I gasped out the occasional question.

    My mother in law is 62 and she was horrified when I suggested when they visited us, before leaving on a 12 hour flight, that they should walk the 3.2km round route with me to drop the children at school. I said, "it'll be a nice stretch for your legs before sitting for so long". She physically recoiled at the idea (although did actually do it in the end). She keeps using the "I'm getting old" excuse, wilfully ignoring the fact that her own mother only died last year at the age of 90. She's got a lot of old ahead of her!
  • ttippie2000
    ttippie2000 Posts: 412 Member
    I don't share the OP's outrage. In fact, I get a kick out of being underestimated. And after being taken down a peg or two a lotta younguns often turn out to be pretty nice. But their eyes do tend to get a bit big the first time. (Shhhh...don't tell 'em.)
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    edited August 2017
    luluinca wrote: »
    I can't believe this isn't an important issue to anyone but me????

    eh . . . i guess i find you slightly confusing. on the one hand, if the doctors are so in the wrong then none of your peers need the encouragement or the example you think you present, right? on the other, if the doctors are right then you're an outlier and i don't really grok why you're bent out of shape with them not knowing it instantly just because you are you. either one would be valid in isolation, i think. but the combination of both is confusing to me.

    65 is still far enough off for me that any opinions i might have on the subject would just be me flapping my gums about something i know nothing about yet, anyway. i've certainly met people who wouldn't take me seriously, but i don't really cross-analyze to find out what their problem is.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    Ernestine Sheppard. 80 year old female bodybuiker. Here's a link.

    http://www.boredpanda.com/oldest-female-bodybuilder-grandma-80-year-old-ernestine-shepherd/

    Discrimination of any kind is just wrong, to think someone can't do something because of thier age is total crap!
  • senor_jeff
    senor_jeff Posts: 47 Member
    I'm running more than I ever have and i'm 57. Don't worry what people say.. only thing i noticed detrimental for my age is injury recovery times, so I tend to be careful and work on my technique to avoid that. But hey older is wiser so that's no biggie right?. Also my vo2max nearly always measures about 52 from a normal slow run, which according to the net is better than most 20 year olds. I haven't pushed myself to the extreme to see what the max would be.

    Sounds like to me many people use age as an excuse to slack off :)
  • Okiludy
    Okiludy Posts: 558 Member
    "The Barbell Prescription: Strength Training for Life After 40" by Sullivan and Baker

    It strongly advocates for compound barbell movements be trained far later in life. Author is a doc and a Starting Strength coach.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    I completely agree with the OP that ageism is a problem and that anyone's actual health and fitness level should be taken into account for things like doctor visits... though there is a difference between being told and made aware of real changes and concerns in an aging body (good doctor) and being told you shouldn't do something even if at your fitness level it's safe and beneficial (ageism/bad doctor).

    That being said yes you are an outlier because most 60+ individuals have not put in the work or achieved your results (*yet*) but I agree is that they most certainly can and shouldn't be discouraged. To be fair most young individuls haven't either. So to be honest you don't really have a right to be upset about a video aimed most likely at beginner 60+ individuals... because most seniors looking up a video on BB.com are going to need to start there, and as a clearly very dedicated and strong person you should be looking at more advanced videos. Now if you are frustrated specifically that more older individuals don't care enough to get healthy and/or aren't encouraged enough that is completely different but not really the makers of the videos fault...they are just making a video aimed at the most likely group of users (that would be like a body builder getting upset that a Jillian Michaels DVD wasn't hard enough, it just doesn't apply!).

    Someone who has not exercised for their whole life or recently at your age, will in fact have weaker bones, so they would absolutely need to start light... that's not ageism, it is a fact that as we get older if we havent put in the work we become more prone to injury. This is true for overweight individuals or anyone new to working out, it's not discrimination when we suggest that new members on here take it easy, it's common sense... now if and when someone is told they should stop because of these things even though they are physically capable that is absolutely bulldung.

    Also to the person who wrote "ageism yes descrimination no" I truly hope that was a joke, considering that is the definition of ageism... descrimination of a person based on their age (I am sure it was a joke but just in case!).
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  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    By the time I got to my age I stopped caring about what "other people" were saying about most things. I'd listen, on the off chance there was something worth while there, but really just listening to my body and doing what I wanted and thought I needed to do. In reply to the doctor, or anyone else, suggesting we "back off": "That's not going to happen, what else do you have."

    First Half marathon at 61 (2:17:10) and still going.
  • PokernuttAR
    PokernuttAR Posts: 74 Member
    luluinca wrote: »
    So.......the moral of this story is just because we, or you, are getting older, doesn't mean we can't achieve a level of health through diet and exercise that compares to many people much younger than we are.

    I just came across your thread and couldn't agree more. I used to click on those links about exercise recommendations for people over 40, and now I avoid them. I'm convinced that your exercise regimen should be based upon your ability and goals, not your age.

    A few years ago in my early 40's, I got into boxing. Most of my family, friends, and doctor didn't think I was capable of doing this. But, my trainers/coaches treated me based upon my ability and goals. I experienced progress beyond my own expectations and started to box against 20 year old guys with more experience. I'm thankful that my gym paired up sparring partners based on ability and not age. As a result, I competed and won a sanctioned amateur boxing match at age 43.

    For those of you who think we can't do it because of age, think again! If you still don't believe, step in the ring with me and I'll give you a free boxing "lesson." :)
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