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Thoughts on getting old vs aging
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If getting that thing is an enticement, you are old.0 -
allother94 wrote: »I turn 54 this coming March. In my early 40’s I decided I wasn’t going to get old lol. Had maintained a decent activity level, but could tell things were changing. Took on P90x and Insanity...then weight lifting. At 43 I started dirt biking....what a steep learning curve there...still going even though it’s tough. My first half marathon is coming up in May. I hate the idea of getting old and just laying around.....there are too many fun things to do and try in this short life
I’m in my early 40s. Any insights into what happens between now and 54? Anything you wish you knew before?
Yeah, ignore the 'old people' who tell you things will go downhill. Maybe it did for them but you have a choice (assuming no disease, accident, or other misfortune). Exercise and eat well consistently and never slow down. Physically your body will slow down but that doesn't mean you have to follow. Always give it your best effort and you'll never notice the small declines.
Amen to that advice, brother.
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I haven't read the other replies, but when I see a post like this, I wonder what "acting my age" means.
I like the poem but do not think it is appropriate at any age to "press alarms" or do things that needlessly inconvenience others.
At the same time, I sit on curbs to eat an ice cream cone. I wear my workout clothes everywhere--I'm highly likely to stick to my workout schedule if the clothes are already on. I don't color my hair and never did; I think I am beautiful in many ways. I laugh at silly jokes and make fun of myself. When I lose the ability to laugh at myself, my end is near.
Staying mobile is the #1 reason I want to lose weight. Moving gets harder if you are significantly overweight, I've found. I'm in the "really struggling" stage, where I am 61 (today), still jogging, still obese II, and feeling it. I could just give up, but I modify, knowing it will get easier if I lose the weight. I wish I could say "when." I'm too familiar with my old patterns to feel that confident yet.
I don't have a lot of patience for people who haven't matured as they age--they gain little wisdom or compassion. There is a huge difference between remaining immature and refusing to let age define you.
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I’m 52 today, and as silly as it sounds, I’m younger in health now than I was at 47 or 48.
Lost 70lbs. Started jogging. Then calisthenics. I have zero plans to stop.
Here is a before and after. I was I think 48 in the before. 52 as of today!
I am near your age and it does not sound silly. When I was at my heaviest I felt 20 years older. After I lost all that weight I feel 20 years younger. Basically I haven't been my actual age for quite some time.
I still have some areas where I feel older but I feel like at least some of that I can solve through physio and general fitness improvement. I just have to keep chipping away at it.
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I'm in my mid 60's and still hike and backpack.....with people in their 70's and 80's. I've gotten slower but I don't care. I plan on doing what I can for as long as I can.3
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A few things have worked well for me as I've aged. I stay physically active EVERYDAY. I'm either lifting weights or doing some sort of cardio or both. I eat within my calorie limits. I engage in still trying to learn things about the human body. I look for the good in every client and accentuate it with them. I stay POSITIVE regardless of how bad a situation can get. I'll work till I CANNOT anymore because stats show that people that keep working seem to live longer and stay more active. I'll still keep enjoying life.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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At 48 I've learned to be patient and go slow. Good form and reasonable weights is so important. I manage my recovery and protect against injury.
The irony is I have to take more time to make gains but I have less time left. lol1 -
At 48 I've learned to be patient and go slow. Good form and reasonable weights is so important. I manage my recovery and protect against injury.
The irony is I have to take more time to make gains but I have less time left. lol
I do competitive indoor rowing (it's a niche sport) at 55 years old. I'm working back from a bad disc injury last year. I've learned, though it's frustrating, you have to let the training come to you, not the other way around. You can't up your intensity/volume just because you want to. You have to really listen to your body and incrementally add it in. If it's too much, back it off. But most importantly, be consistent.
I'm not very fast currently but I'm doing nearly 300K meters a month. I'm back to body weight exercises and plan on adding back in heavier lifting soon (I told myself I wouldn't push the lifting until my body adjusts to all the meters again -- rowing is like light lifting for most of your body with the exception of shoulders and chest, so I mostly do pressups and pushups to supplement for now).
Patience isn't my strongsuit either but you have to be that way or injury will set you back dramatically.
It also helps to have training goals. I would like to race early next year against three of the top guys in my sport in the country (for our age group) out in San Diego. One trains the Navy Seals. One is still competitive nationally in Cross Fit and another is a WR holder on the indoor rower (so is the Navy Seal trainor). They'll all likely wipe the floor with me, but it would be fun testing myself against them. To prep properly means a very rigid but very planned training strategy that included lots of weight training and lots of volume. That has to be crafted carefully to avoid both fatigue and injury setbacks.3 -
What an inspirational group! I'm 58, and had been feeling pretty stuck health-wise since menopause at 50. I'm sure daily wine had nothing to do with it.
I was fat as a kid (fat with freckles is the ultimate bully target), lost weight and was generally healthy until my kids left the nest, career fizzled with 2009 market crash, and I turned to wine, which impacts daily physical activities. I've been 95% plant based for a few years and have never taken chronic meds. I've gone up 3 sizes since 50, regardless of a 1200-1500 calorie/day diet w/ exercise 4x/week (I track). I have skin issues, joint issues, low libido, gut issues, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues, etc.
I'm taking an extended alcohol break (heading into 6 weeks), and have decided to try bio-identical hormone replacement therapy after reading quite a bit and realizing how much of a role hormones (and hormone loss/imbalance) play in health. I have a slew of post-menopausal and aging symptoms I'm hoping to influence as part of a healthy lifestyle. Curious if anyone else (male or female) has experience with them?2 -
mainelylisa wrote: »What an inspirational group! I'm 58, and had been feeling pretty stuck health-wise since menopause at 50. I'm sure daily wine had nothing to do with it. I was fat as a kid (fat with freckles is the ultimate bully target), lost weight and was generally healthy until my kids left the nest, career fizzled with 2009 market crash, and I turned to wine, which impacts daily physical activities. I've been 95% plant based for a few years and have never taken chronic meds. I've gone up 3 sizes since 50, regardless of a 1200-1500 calorie/day diet w/ exercise 4x/week (I track). I have skin issues, joint issues, low libido, gut issues, hot flashes, mood swings, sleep issues, etc.
I'm taking an extended alcohol break (heading into 6 weeks), and have decided to try bio-identical hormone replacement therapy after reading quite a bit and realizing how much of a role hormones (and hormone loss/imbalance) play in health. I have a slew of post-menopausal and aging symptoms I'm hoping to influence as part of a healthy lifestyle. Curious if anyone else (male or female) has experience with them?
Can you be more specific about the post-menopausal and aging symptoms you're experiencing?
Hormone therapy can work out fine for some people, but there are certain things it's common to attribute to menopause or aging that can be improved in other ways, as well. Bodies are complicated! :flowerforyou:
(Truth in advertising: I'm postmenopausal (20 year-ish), but haven't and wouldn't consider HRT. This is an individual issue: Having had multiple estrogen-fed malignant tumors that tried to kill me (stage III cancer) a couple of decades back, HRT is very, very contraindicated for me. But, for myself and as part of cancer support groups (along with training as a peer support volunteer), I'm familiar with some non-HRT measures that can help with symptoms. In my cancer-type subgroup, it's standard to take drugs that block or prevent in-body synthesis of estrogens, so extremes of menopausal symptoms are fairly common. In most menopausal women, there's still some estrogen from adrenals and fat cells; the cancer treatments block these.)1 -
Can you be more specific about the post-menopausal and aging symptoms you're experiencing? Hormone therapy can work out fine for some people, but there are certain things it's common to attribute to menopause or aging that can be improved in other ways, as well. Bodies are complicated! :flowerforyou:
Hi @AnnPT77 First of all, congrats on beating the big C! And awesome you support others.
I think I'm experiencing classical symptoms--mentioned most of them (that I'm willing to mention publicly--hah!) I'm going to be careful with the hormones--get a full panel, etc. Learned that skin issues are often related to gut/IBS issues, so also looking for some supplements and possible food removal. But def open to additional measures if you have any suggestions.
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mainelylisa wrote: »Can you be more specific about the post-menopausal and aging symptoms you're experiencing? Hormone therapy can work out fine for some people, but there are certain things it's common to attribute to menopause or aging that can be improved in other ways, as well. Bodies are complicated! :flowerforyou:
Hi @AnnPT77 First of all, congrats on beating the big C! And awesome you support others.
I think I'm experiencing classical symptoms--mentioned most of them (that I'm willing to mention publicly--hah!) I'm going to be careful with the hormones--get a full panel, etc. Learned that skin issues are often related to gut/IBS issues, so also looking for some supplements and possible food removal. But def open to additional measures if you have any suggestions.
I'm going to say some things about supplements, but will preface that by saying you really should have blood tests for deficiencies as a starting point, because it is possible to overdose some micronutrients (especially fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and some minerals). Also I am not a medical professional, so what I'm intending to do here is suggest things you could look into, and review with your actual doctor. Some are obviously completely harmless, but for anything with even slight risk factors, please talk with your doctor!
For hot flashes:
* Some people are helped by supplementing B6, E (research support is mixed)
* Some research suggests hot flashes are related to a change in what amounts to our "internal thermostat", so that we over-respond to small changes in external temperature. Therefore, avoiding externally-caused warmth can minimize the number of flashes (so dressing lightly for the conditions, and in layers with attention to removing layers before getting really hot), drinking cool drinks in warm weather, avoiding direct hot sun when possible, and that sort of thing.
* At night, a cooled gel pack (from your local drugstore) can be a help for a period of time each night; under one's neck near the major blood vessels may be especially good; use a towel over the pack if it's too cold for direct contact.
* Cooling bandanas or headbands may help (the kind with crystals inside, that you soak in water, maybe even refrigerate, then wear).
* Some studies have shown benefits from acupuncture for hot flashes. Others have not. Probably not injurious to try, if available.
* Lots of us cancer people carry a paper fan. People don't stare as much as you'd think.
* Obesity/overweight and smoking, according to research, increase hot flashes.
* In most people, hot flashes decline over time.
* Some of the interventions (like bandanas, gel packs, etc., take a bit of time to work - try for a couple of weeks if tolerable, before giving up.
* There's some evidence that serotonin is involved in hot flashes. While I suspect your doctor wouldn't recommend it (in a person for whom HRT isn't severely contraindicated), if you need treatment for other issues, SSRIs might have benefits for the hot flashes as well.
Sleep:
* Rule out or treat other (non-menopausal) sleep issues. I'd always been a good sleeper, but had sleep interruption insomnia after cancer treatment/menopause (I can't separate the two, because chemotherapy put me in menopause). I was diagnosed with sleep apnea (and still have it, after weight loss). I assume I'd had it previously, but at a threshold level where it didn't show up until the post-chemo/post-menopause effect was stacked on top.
* At the risk of invoking a woo-factor: Hypnotherapy, from a licensed psychologist, helped my sleep more than almost any other intervention I tried, and I pretty much tried them all. I'm science oriented and skeptical, but was at my wits's end from lack of sleep, so tried it. I didn't get 100% resolution, but it helped. (There's also research suggesting that targeted hypnotherapy helps some women with hot flashes, BTW).
* Magnesium supplemenation helps some people. (Also can help if constipation is part of the gut issues.)
* Consider the nature of your sleep problems. If it's hot-flashes-related, then of course working on hot flashes may help. If it's waking up and not being able to go back to sleep (or failing to get to sleep initially) because of cycling cognitive activity (whirling thoughts, etc.), then cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may help. So may a meditation practice, or guided imagery/meditation recordings or apps. (There's some limited evidence of those practices helping hot flashes, as well.)
Related to sexual function:
If vaginal dryness is a factor, of course try gels and lubricants. If hormones are needed, prescription intra-vaginal hormone creams or inserts can minimize systemic estrogens, for people concerned about them.
Diet:
* Some benefit from avoiding spicy foods and/or caffeine
* Some report benefits from foods containing phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Soy foods, per most current research, seem to be safe even for cancer survivors like me, up to a couple of normal servings daily (and perhaps more - it's just that evidence is limited for higher levels); safety of soy isoflavone supplements in the post-cancer group is not established.
* Good overall nutrition is a always a good plan, of course, including the wide range of varied/colorful veggies and fruits.
* Sometimes digestive issues are helped by probiotic foods as a regular part of eating, alongside prebiotic foods (Probiotic foods are the fermented foods, such as live-culture yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, raw sauerkraut/kimchi, etc. Prebiotic foods are certain types of mostly veggies that contain human-indigestible fiber that one's gut bugs like to eat - probably best to google for ideas, because they're diverse and you'd want to pick things you like/tolerate well. I like jicama, onions (and others in the family like garlic, leeks, etc.), aspargus, apples . . . ).
Other supplements:
* Mixed evidence for value or safety of other "natural" treatments, like Black Cohosh, Red Clover, etc., in food or supplement form. Examine.com is a good neutral and research-based site for learning about evidence for supplements for this and other things, but some of their reports will be for subscribers only (that's their business model; they don't accept outside advertising).
Other issues:
Have you been tested for proper thyroid function (normal TSH, but also full panel to look at T3/T4 conversion)? Hypothyroidism is extremely common among women as we age (I have it), and some of the symptoms you report are also hypthyroidism symptoms. My joint stiffness/pain, in particular was relieved by treating my thyroid condition, and digestive issues (I've been diagnosed with IBS-C) improved.
Repeating what I said at the beginning: I am not a health professional. I am not qualified to give you health advice. Do not supplement vitamins/minerals without deficiency testing (taking them now may make future deficiency tests invalid/inaccurate). Consult with your doctor or a registered dietition about significant dietary changes or supplements, let alone actual medications.
The above is some of what I can think of off the top of my head, that you could look into, within those caveats. Hope you're able to find some solutions, be that HRT or other strategies!2 -
Not the person you are responding to, but I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you, AnnPT77! I am not menopausal yet but beggining to experience some changes which are probably the start of perimenopause and this post has been very informative and interesting for me, I really appreciate all the thoughtfulness that went in it.2
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@Wiseandcurious I echo your gratitude towards @AnnPT77 . Thank you very much. I'll def look into these things that I'm not familiar with, and get testing whenever I can do that again. I will say that I've cut out alcohol for now, but not willing to cut spicy nor coffee. I LIVE for spice!1
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