60 yrs and up

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  • Timberlan127
    Timberlan127 Posts: 237 Member
    Melwillbehealthy wrote: »
    Ok, now I feel a bit silly.
    Ridiculous and Ann, you’re both right. I think I’m making excuses. Exercise does seem to give you more energy , as strange as it sounds.
    I’m going to try to drag myself to the gym tomorrow and see what I can do. I’m so tired of feeling drained and exhausted. Also, I need to just move my body, so I don’t feel so stiff.
    One reason my goal was 200 lbs. is that at that weight I hope to stop taking one of the prescription drug’s whose side effect is tiredness. I hope when that happens, my energy will increase.

    Don't feel bad. Remember exercise doesn't have to be at the gym. A short walk done every day. One of the short exercise classes on Silver Sneakers, AARP or You Tube can be a good start especially if you are tired all the time. Then work up from there. The lower the weight gets the better you will feel and the more you will feel like doing.
  • coblujay
    coblujay Posts: 688 Member
    Just received an infusion of inspiration from catching up on all your posts!

    I'm still struggling after getting back from vacation. I think a lot of it is I'm really busy and more stressed than usual. My local pool closed because they couldn't staff enough lifeguards. I found another pool further away, but with longer lap pool hours. I'm heading there on Thursday to check it out.

    Just a note for those of you who are trying to find the right exercise fit. One of my friends who is 70+ has discovered water aerobics. Exercise has never been her thing. She fell and broke her leg five or six months ago. In fact, it shattered in places. She is using a walking stick for balance and is going to water aerobics three times a week. She was frustrated that healing was taking so long and at her last visit, the doctor told her that most people her age who experienced a break like hers would be on a walker for the rest of their lives. Not only has she made significant progress, she's met a whole new group of friends.

    I would never have believed I'd find exercise that I love. It just required the right fit. I'm a lap swimmer and avid hiker now.
  • Timberlan127
    Timberlan127 Posts: 237 Member
    Melwillbehealthy wrote: »

    That's exactly what I'm talking about 🙂. Exercise doesn't have to involve a class, or a gym pass, or expensive equipment. Skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, paddling, walking.......they lift my heart in ways that a gym just can't. So it's not only the physical benefit that keeps me at it, it's the mental boost too. Plus I love spending time outside with my dogs 🐾♥️

    This is so true. I’ve been swimming in the pool, and enjoying it. I’ve always loved swimming, and at one point even took scuba, which I didn’t like😒. Very tired, but I can handle it. I do laps or I don’t do laps. I just make sure to move. I feel good about adding this activity again into my life.

    [/quote]

    Sounds perfect to me. I'm out with the dog walking and enjoying nature! I'm happy and I'm moving. That's my main exercise. I do try to do some other things too but I only miss my walks if the weather is bad because I enjoy them. You have to do what you enjoy so that you keep doing it.
  • Timberlan127
    Timberlan127 Posts: 237 Member
    It sounds like everyone is out enjoying the summer weather. I love seeing all the beautiful nature shots you all have posted. It sounds like you are all doing well to. We've had incredible weather here in RI. warm but not too hot and perfect for walking. I've learned to cope with my weigh going up and down because if I wait it out it does go down. It's a slow process but I've learned that I want a permanent fix this time so I have the things I want but keep the portions under control. It seems to be working well right now.
    Wishing you all a good day ! Enjoy what ever activity you choose!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Hi, everyone: I hope things are going well, and you're making steady, patient progress toward your goals!

    Things have been busy in my life, as I'm helping out with my club's learn-to-row class 5 days a week during June. Sometimes I row in a boat with a learner, sometimes I'm a coxswain, sometimes I just hang out and help carry boats or help new people guide their boat back onto the dock after rowing ("parking" is tricky!). It's really fun, because the new folks are so enthusiastic, and they make fast progress during the class.

    I'm also still doing my personal recreational rows 4 days a week with my rowing buddies (separate from the classes), and trying to fit in a bike ride on 2 other days a week. It's been hot here, for here (90 degrees F or more sometimes, 70% humidity also sometimes), so I'm sticking with easy pace on the rowing and biking.

    I should be getting more house, yard and garden work done, too . . . but that tends to take a back burner to the fun stuff. (Self-disciplined adultiness is not my strong suit, especially in retirement)

    If anyone feels like giving an update, please chime in: It's always good to know how things are going with you. Hoping you have a wonderful weekend!
  • GoRun2
    GoRun2 Posts: 478 Member
    I'm happy, I'm down 2 lbs from my weight before I sent on the all inclusive scuba diving trip. (returned last Saturday). I'm also half way to my goal weight. Sadly, it is really windy today so I'm delaying my walk until tomorrow. I walk about 4 miles 5 times a week.
  • bethe
    bethe Posts: 80 Member
    Still trying to figure out the best macro ratio for my body type. I'm a post-menopausal woman who is "skinny-fat", so I have skinny arms, legs, and shoulders, and a sizable spare tire. I've been focusing on keto, but internet sleuthing suggests that's not the best diet for skinny-fat women. Based on my current actual weight, recommendations are to eat 300 calories below my recommended maintenance diet (1750 - 300 = 1450), and it should consist of 35% protein, 45% fat, and 20% carbs - which is a bit different from keto. I'm also supposed to focus primarily on muscle building exercises (Oh yay. Not...). At this point though, anything I do will be muscle building so it's not as daunting as it sounds. Anyway, that's what's going on with me right now.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    @ridiculous59 , what are the grades in dragon boating education about, if you can explain?

    All we have in rowing is novice (first year of rowing), and open or age group - for competition.

    Sometimes camps/classes recognize an intermediate level, too, with diverse criteria depending on the specific class or camp.
  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 317 Member
    Hi, everyone! It's fun to see what everyone has been doing now that summer is officially here. Wasn't sure it was coming as the first couple weeks after Memorial Day were cold and rainy. Our Y took the aqua classes outdoors starting Memorial Day. It was really cold those first couple weeks but it's amazing how fast you warm up when you MOVE. So now the Temps this week and next will be in the high 90s and low to mid 100s. All I can say is be careful what you wish for. Lol.

    I love having aqua aerobics outdoors
    They have doubled the number of classes outdoors and I have been taking 2 hours back to back. The first class is a fast paced class like aqua tabata or aqua boot camp and the 2nd is in the lazy river where we run (forwards , backwards, sideways), swim, hop, and whatever else the instructors can think of to throw at us, both with and against the current. Also dodging buckets of water that are continuously filling and dumping. It's such fun. My legs are like jello afterwards.

    So I had worked up to walking 60-70 minutes a day. With the extra water classes I'm taking I have cut back on that but still get some land walking in also, especially on Saturday when I don't take any water classes.
  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 317 Member
    @bethe I also don't love strength training and I know that is one thing I am lacking with my exercise. My aqua aerobics does incorporate a lot of use of water weights in the classes and running against the current is definitely a leg strengthening exercise but I know I need more. Since I've been a yoyo dieter in the past, I know as I've lost weight and regained it I've ended up with less muscle than I have had in the past. Something to work on.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    bethe wrote: »
    Thank you, AnnPT77 and Pdc654 - I appreciate your encouragement and comments. Re: strength training - it's funny, but I used to be sort of a gym rat in my 20s. I do not relish the idea of weight training in my 60s though, lol. But at this point I am so weak, even gentle yoga is giving me quite the workout. I had a (thankfully) mild case of Guillain-Barre Syndrome last year, and it really nailed me. It gave me an strongly increased understanding of the difficulties faced by anyone who suffers from any type of permanent disability. Anyway, I am recovered now but still weak, especially in my legs. Ah well - it could have been much, much worse.

    I think yoga is quite under-rated, in the popular understanding, for strength purposes. When we do poses that support a fair fraction of our bodyweight - especially if we're still somewhat overweight - it can be gradually beneficial to strength, as long as muscularly challenging. There is a "too gentle" range, but if it challenges current strength, there can be benefits . . . it's just likely to be a slower route than something like weight training, which is likely to be the fastest, most efficient route to strength or muscle mass gains. That can be OK, even best, as an on-ramp.

    Progress is pretty much always possible, and IMO always beneficial.
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,910 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    @ridiculous59 , what are the grades in dragon boating education about, if you can explain?

    All we have in rowing is novice (first year of rowing), and open or age group - for competition.

    Sometimes camps/classes recognize an intermediate level, too, with diverse criteria depending on the specific class or camp.

    @AnnPT77 I was talking about the kids being in grade 6 and 7 in school i.e. 11 and 12 year olds. Sorry for the confusion! A handful of teachers use it as their classes' end-of-school-year outing. Our boathouse is in a public park so they come to the park, do some scavenger hunt type stuff on the trails, picnic, and go out in the dragon boat. It's a fun day. We haven't been able to do it for a couple of years due to COVID so only committed to two classes this year, in case we'd lost our touch LOL (but we hadn't! 🙂).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    @ridiculous59 , what are the grades in dragon boating education about, if you can explain?

    All we have in rowing is novice (first year of rowing), and open or age group - for competition.

    Sometimes camps/classes recognize an intermediate level, too, with diverse criteria depending on the specific class or camp.

    @AnnPT77 I was talking about the kids being in grade 6 and 7 in school i.e. 11 and 12 year olds. Sorry for the confusion! A handful of teachers use it as their classes' end-of-school-year outing. Our boathouse is in a public park so they come to the park, do some scavenger hunt type stuff on the trails, picnic, and go out in the dragon boat. It's a fun day. We haven't been able to do it for a couple of years due to COVID so only committed to two classes this year, in case we'd lost our touch LOL (but we hadn't! 🙂).

    Oh man, I totally misunderstood: Sorry!

    But that sounds like So. Much. Fun!

    On a few rare occasions, I've had an opportunity to help with scout troops or Y camps or something, getting a rowing experience by rowing in a barge (which is like rowing your living room, totally safe/stable). Such a good experience (for me *and* them)!

    For other readers, this is what the barge looks like (with adults in it).

    n5asquh95bdh.jpg

    Versus what a skinny racing-style rowing shell looks like, from the rower's perspective - me, in this case.

    x6dn8c57qbtk.jpg
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    Glad to catch up on your posts. I worked everyday this week. Good to hear most everyone is doing well. :-)
  • Seabee_74
    Seabee_74 Posts: 26 Member
    66 here and looking for some new motivated friends.
    I recently returned after a few back surgeries but I'm hitting it hard, gym, logging my food, open diary and encouraging my friends etc. 😄
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    Seabee_74 wrote: »
    66 here and looking for some new motivated friends.
    I recently returned after a few back surgeries but I'm hitting it hard, gym, logging my food, open diary and encouraging my friends etc. 😄

    Welcome Seabee_74. Were you in the Seabees?
  • GoRun2
    GoRun2 Posts: 478 Member
    I was doing pretty good. I lost 15 lbs or half of my weight. I need to buckle up and get back with the plan. I'm thinking if I tell all of you that I'm getting with the plan and have a talk with myself it will help. I was feeling frustrated with something yesterday (not food related) so I ate a lot of low flat flavored yogurt, not because I was hungry or it was on the plan, just because I was frustrated. sigh
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    GoRun2 wrote: »
    I was doing pretty good. I lost 15 lbs or half of my weight. I need to buckle up and get back with the plan. I'm thinking if I tell all of you that I'm getting with the plan and have a talk with myself it will help. I was feeling frustrated with something yesterday (not food related) so I ate a lot of low flat flavored yogurt, not because I was hungry or it was on the plan, just because I was frustrated. sigh

    Sympathies, @GoRun2 . . . I think all of us probably have an off day here and there. Still, a bad day is just one single drop in the ocean of life.

    It's a good idea IMO to spend a few minutes thinking through how to handle things differently next time similar circumstances arise, but guilt about it is 100% optional (and feels icky 😉).

    After that, if you can get back on your normal healthy track, things will turn out just fine. After all, it's the majority of our days that determine the majority of our outcomes, not that one off day here or there.

    Best wishes going forward!
  • Timberlan127
    Timberlan127 Posts: 237 Member
    Hi Everyone!! It sounds like you are all taking advantage of the better weather and getting out to do all kinds of sports. I love walking with my dog so that is my main exercise. I also do the elliptical a few times a week. I desperately need the strength training but don't seem to be able to make myself do it consistently. The weight loss is still up and down but at least it is very slowly going down. Sometimes by only .2 of a pound in a week or staying the same but even that is progress. I have also been staying with the 25% protein for each meal when ever I can. Since I'd like to lose at least 60 more pounds it is discouraging when the loss is so slow. But I am determined to make this a life style so if it take 2 or 3 years to reach goal as long as I'm eating healthy that's ok. Pdc654, I can relate to now having less muscle because of all the yoyo dieting. Your water aerobics will really help you with that I would think. I still haven't found any place here. I will keep looking. I have been looking online for some leg strengthening exercises and found a good routine the other day. So now I've just got to make myself do it.
    Keep working at it everyone. I loved reading about all your adventures!!
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    My usual elliptical but today I felt good at 18 miles so I continued to 26.25 miles once again. This time my pace was slower so it took me 372 minutes. When I did it before, May 29,2022, it was 337 minutes. About a 14+ minutes/mile compared to sub 13 minutes/mile the earlier time.

    @Timberlan127 Just noticed your picture of your dog. Is it a Yorkshire Terrier or a Silky Terrier? I have my third and fourth Yorkie right now. My first, she had 3 litters, (kept 1, so I could tolerate, finding them new homes) when I was a stay at home mom. It's a lot of work with such small dogs. Making sure they are adequately gaining.
  • Pdc654
    Pdc654 Posts: 317 Member
    Thanks @Timberlan127. Yes, there is strength training involved with the water aerobics. The water alone provides resistance and we use aqua dumbbells in many of the classes. So it's helping. I feel it afterwards. However, I know lifting is more effective. I hope to start doing that soon. Like you, I just need to make myself do it!

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