Thread for older fitness enthusiasts. A forum to discuss unique fitness challenges for us

jan110144

I am 74. I have always been somewhat active but have really focused on fitness for the past 8 months (along with losing weight).

I try to do a variety of things. My main passion is riding my horse (typically 6x per week for aound 1 hr per ride). I ride upper level dressage, which is quite physical (cardio and core).

I also use the rowing machine e 3x per week fo 20 min (cardio), weight training for 60 min 3x per week (strength), pool exercise 60 min 3x per week (primarily range of motion and stretches) and 30 minutes a day a home of planks. Balance and stretches.

This works out to about 2.5 hours per day. I have to say that I have never felt better and I think I am in the best overall shape ever.

jan110144

33gail33 wrote: »

My challenge at age 53 is knee arthritis. I have been in physio for months but it is still chronically swollen. I gave up what little running I was doing (maybe 10 miles per week) and have switched to biking instead. Maybe someone in this thread can help me with some insight? I have tri-compartmental OA which means that offload bracing is not an option. Has anyone seen an improvement of their arthritis enough to go back to running through weight loss when all else failed? I would prefer to never have to have a knee replacement.

I had knee issues for years. Three things that I found very doable were the rowing machine, pool exercises and riding my horse.

I did have a right knee replacement about a year ago. My only regret was that I did not do it sooner. Was walking unaided pretty much from the beginning. Started driving at 10 days and back riding at 4 weeks. By 2 months post surgery, I really didn't even think about it. I have no limitations with it, though kneeling feels weird

33gail33

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

If you haven't already, get your name on the list to see an orthopedist. Even if you have to wait 6 months, you need an expert. My husband had knee issues. His knee would swell to the size of a canteloupe. Ice usually helped, but eventually they had to drain the synovial fluid from it. To put off the time of surgery, he tried shots in his knee. Not cortisone, but a product called Synvisc. There are similar ones with other names that are all essentially artificial synovial fluids. They pad the joint when the mensicus no longer can. His first shots worked for about a year. He was able to do a long distance hike afterwards (6 months, 2700 miles.) The second set of shots worked for about 6 months. Eventually he ended up with a knee replacement. He was able to go back to hiking, but not at his previous level. A good friend who is a runner did the shots for several years, then got a knee replacement. She was back to running HMs in six months.

Yes an older gentleman in my office had some sort of shots in his knee that lubricated it. Probably the same thing. Maybe I will call the sports medicine/pain management doc that treated my frozen shoulder while I am waiting for my ortho appointment - he did my cortisone and could probably do this as well.

33gail33

AnnPT77 wrote: »

33gail33 wrote: »

aokoye wrote: »

33gail33 wrote: »

My challenge at age 53 is knee arthritis. I have been in physio for months but it is still chronically swollen. I gave up what little running I was doing (maybe 10 miles per week) and have switched to biking instead. Maybe someone in this thread can help me with some insight? I have tri-compartmental OA which means that offload bracing is not an option. Has anyone seen an improvement of their arthritis enough to go back to running through weight loss when all else failed? I would prefer to never have to have a knee replacement.

I am not "older" in the context of this thread by any stretch of imagination. That said, I have had 4 major knee surgeries and years of physical therapy. Questions - have you seen an orthopedic surgeon and have you had any imaging done on your knees (and if so what type)? Also how frequently are you doing your physical therapy exercises and how closely does your ortho (if you have one) and your physical therapist work together?

I'm assuming the answers to those first two questions are yes. If so I would say go back to your ortho and let them know that you're not actually seeing any improvement. There might be something different that can be done, a additional diagnosis that may end up being made, etc that could change the course of your treatment. Also don't be afraid of second opinions.

You might end up having to give up running (I know very active people younger than you who have had to), but it's far too early to tell.

Thanks for your response. I have not yet seen an ortho. I have had Xray, ultrasound and MRI through my family doctor. I was referred to the rapid access knee and hip clinic at our local hospital, my knee and my images were assessed by a physiotherapist, and I was advised that I would not be able to see an ortho until minimum 6 months conservative (physio and anti-inflammatories) therapy because the next step is cortisone and they don't like to do that too early lest they run out of tools in the arsenal. (Yay Canadian health care) This was in February after starting physio in November. They advised me to get a custom brace, but the brace consultant doesn't feel like it will help much due to the tri-compartmental arthritis. If they unload the medial compartment, it might just cause more pain in the lateral. And the "worst" of my arthritis is sub-patellar which can't really be braced. I do about 30 minutes a day of physio (at home) and see my therapist once a week now.
I am just kind of at the end of my rope and feel like I am getting brushed off because my pain isn't extreme and I can still walk and function. But I am only 54 (next month) and have been told that having such severe unilateral knee arthritis at my age is unusual without a pre-existing injury. By the time I was diagnosed my knee had been chronically swollen for 12+ months (yes I let it go at first not realizing how bad it was) and I couldn't fully extend my knee.
I have gained 40lbs over the last few years so my hope now is that losing that weight again will help. So was really hoping to hear some success stories in that regards. I really, really, really do not want to eat a keto diet - lol - but I am even considering that given what I have heard about it helping with inflammation.
And yeah I began physio with the caveat that I didn't wan't to stop running - but at this point that is seeming less and less realistic. I am off running *temporarily* to see if that helps.

I don't have the extent of OA you do, and am uncertain of type (I have at least one torn meniscus and mild knee OA in both knees, so the meniscus is more my focus). In my case, weight loss made a very material improvement in extent and frequency of pain, not a full relief, but much more manageable much more often. I hope for the same for you!

I also found that getting to a healthy weight, maybe entirely by itself, seems to have reduced systemic inflammation (based on self-assessment of symptoms, tbh, not tests - though tests show other health markers improved). My diet includes most of the same things I've long eaten (even while obese), because I've long been a fairly healthy eater (just too much, in the past, mostly). I'd say I do eat relatively more veggies/fruits than previously, so that's another possible explanation (though I never ate really few of them). I've not eaten low carb or keto, usually eat around 200g carbs +/- in maintenance, close to that while losing, because I'm vegetarian.

Bizarrely, wool knee warmers (all day/all night) seem to help me sometimes when there's a flare, and either ice or heat (under different circumstances) sometimes help. Massage helps with tightness/imbalances that develop in compensation for discomfort, maybe worth trying if that's something you can afford. I very unexpectedly got fairly lasting relief from an acupuncturist once (even though I'm not really a believer!), but have not repeated (it was done by my kung fu teacher who's an acupuncturist in a distant state, during a rare visit here).

Hope you find something that helps!

Thanks for your anecdotal experience, that is exactly what I was hoping to hear! I eat a *pseudo* vegetarian diet that includes a little bit of seafood and eggs, but haven't had any other meat in about 20 years. So glad to hear you reduced your inflammation with just weight loss and your regular diet. I could live on spinach, beans, and quinoa so ..
My bmi is the highest it has ever been now at 28, so hopefully getting down into the healthy range will have a positive effect for me as well.

33gail33

jan110144 wrote: »

33gail33 wrote: »

My challenge at age 53 is knee arthritis. I have been in physio for months but it is still chronically swollen. I gave up what little running I was doing (maybe 10 miles per week) and have switched to biking instead. Maybe someone in this thread can help me with some insight? I have tri-compartmental OA which means that offload bracing is not an option. Has anyone seen an improvement of their arthritis enough to go back to running through weight loss when all else failed? I would prefer to never have to have a knee replacement.

I had knee issues for years. Three things that I found very doable were the rowing machine, pool exercises and riding my horse.

I did have a right knee replacement about a year ago. My only regret was that I did not do it sooner. Was walking unaided pretty much from the beginning. Started driving at 10 days and back riding at 4 weeks. By 2 months post surgery, I really didn't even think about it. I have no limitations with it, though kneeling feels weird

That's great it worked out for you! Good to hear a success story in case it come to that.