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Thoughts on getting old vs aging

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Replies

  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,902 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Love it! I'm 48 and my wife would probably grant me a solid 13.

    I see much of this as focusing on the wrong things. There is no diet that is going to fundamentally change society. Supplying that which has not been earned is an insult.

    Man requires purpose to thrive. If you drill down to every negative act it comes down to loss of purpose.

    I do an annual run with my teammates and those leading the pack are well into their 60's. These are men who never lost their sense of purpose, but transitioned this from work to something else that they can do as they age.
    I love that statement.

    You know, I saw an article yesterday - people are buying young peoples plasma in the hopes that having it introduced to their systems it will slow down aging...Here it is.
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-19/beware-of-buying-young-people-s-blood-to-prevent-aging-fda-says

    Why for Gods sake? I might miss being able to bounce the way I used to, but I really do like where I'm at and have no fear of the future. ugh.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Fabulous topic! I have been in a position to see people of all ages, stages, activity levels, and health levels. It seems to me that those who heal faster from injuries/illness/surgeries are those who are more active. Poor nutrition (particularly low protein intake) can also impact healing. Many factors influence health and aging healthy, but why not influence those factors as best as we can. I love seeing someone who is staying active at an age where many would tell them not to anymore. I think keeping physically engaged is important to keeping you emotionally engaged. All part of aging as healthy as possible.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    Phirrgus wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    My Dad's 90, and he's extremely active, on a personal level and in his community. He goes to the gym 3 days a week, meets friends for breakfast and lunch most days, is very involved with his church and taking care of members who need support or just company (most of them are younger than him). He belongs to two senior groups and goes on overnight trips with them twice a month.

    I want to emphasize that he is blessed with very good genetics and has no chronic diseases or debilitating injuries that would make it harder for him to maintain this level of activity - the point I'm making is that just the fact that he's 90 hasn't caused him to alter his lifestyle to conform to anyone's stereotype of what being elderly looks like. I believe continuing to do what we love to the degree possible as long as we can (and finding new things to love if we have to give up old ones) even if would be considered inappropriate for our chronological age is key to living vs existing, as @Phirrgus has noted.

    Thank you for sharing about your Dad. I find that very inspiring and (yes I'm going to say it) want to be like that when I grow up :)

    Thanks @mph323 :)

    Me too!
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,902 Member
    AgileK9 wrote: »
    I'm 49 and decided a year ago that I was going to hit 50 in the best shape of my life and am working towards that goal. I'm actually loving this age because my son is old enough now that I can refocus my energy on myself which is awesome. I firmly believe you are only as old as you believe and I seriously cannot grasp that I'm going to be 50. I picked up mountain biking last year and most of the women I bike with are half my age which surprises them when they find out. I keep up with them and in some case bike better and longer than they do.

    I actually got my son into mountain biking and have more endurance than he does!

    I have goals for biking and plans to try new things in the coming years. I think the minute you give up either physically or mentally, you get old. I train dogs for my other hobby and if that doesn't keep you on your toes, nothing does.

    This is a great thread!

    I completely agree - and dogs are awesome :)

    It is so nice hearing others who feel like I do ....
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I find that hard to believe. As we age, our kids are older and on their own more and work becomes less of a competition. We actually have the time to take care of ourselves ... and at some point, if we don't, we get a wake-up call to do so.

    54 years old here - and I'm usually the oldest one in my group fitness classes at the gym, too - and have been for years now.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    I'm 59 tomorrow and if the weather is kind I'm planning on cycling 59 miles to mark the occasion.

    Aging is a battle we will all lose someday, I'm just intending that the days up to that point are the best I can manage in terms of physical, mental and emotional health.
    I retired at 58 and it's been great, loads more time to do the things I enjoy, far less time stuck at a desk, new challenges in the form of a (very) part time job.

    I see quite a lot of evidence of a generational shift from my parent's generation to mine as regards exercise. My gym has a load of older people not just exercising but training hard and purposefully. I also see a lot of quite old cyclists doing long distance events and it always strikes me how common the correlation between physical fitness, a social setting and a challenge is reflected in their joie de vivre.

    Happy Birthday!
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,902 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Love it! I'm 48 and my wife would probably grant me a solid 13.

    I see much of this as focusing on the wrong things. There is no diet that is going to fundamentally change society. Supplying that which has not been earned is an insult.

    Man requires purpose to thrive. If you drill down to every negative act it comes down to loss of purpose.

    I do an annual run with my teammates and those leading the pack are well into their 60's. These are men who never lost their sense of purpose, but transitioned this from work to something else that they can do as they age.

    I totally agree with that. Having a purpose as we age gives us a reason to get out of bed. My husband and I have been talking about this a lot recently. He is close to 50 and I'm in my mid 40's. Our kids will be out of the house in just a few years. We both want to move into careers that have a greater purpose. Right now, I've stayed in my current position because it is stable, pays well and is extremely flexible. But it's just a job to me. I have no passion for it. I want to use my time on this earth to make a positive difference in people's lives. To make the world just a little better. Not just to collect a paycheck. Once our financial obligation to our kids is over, we both are more than willing to take lesser pay to have a more fulfilling job. And I don't see myself not working (either in a paid or unpaid capacity) until I'm probably in my 80's or more. My grandmother was a nurse and was still taking care of people into her early 90's. I have excellent genetics and plan on living until at least 100 so I want to make the most out of it. Staying mentally and physically active is important to achieving my goals.

    @mom23mangos - my wife and I frequently discuss that. We're both aching to move into something better, something that adds something good to peoples lives and we just can't leave our current jobs yet. I wish you and your husband all the good fortune making your move. :)

    @sijomial - Happy Birthday!

    @TheRoadDog - I missed your post earlier - I love hearing experiences like yours. Thanks.
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,902 Member
    @mph323 - You....are what this thread is all about. Very inspiring and I hope others follow your example. Thanks for sharing your story. :)
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    @Phirrgus The Blue Zones researchers make it really clear that while the diets of people in the BZs are important, there is a pretty good chance that their healthy longevity comes from their lifestyles - they still work, play, socialize, etc right through their 90s and past 100. In the book they talk to a 100+ man who still herds his animals walking several miles with them every day. Our assumption that being past a certain age means becoming a dependent lump I think really handicaps us in western society.

    My parents are in their 70s and just retired to VA. They had a 2 story house built on a decent sized piece of land, and everyone told them they were nuts to make their retirement home with stairs and a big yard to care for. But their philosophy is use it or lose it. If I have to get up the stairs, I'll prioritize being capable of getting up the stairs.

    I"m 61 and this is it in a nutshell for me.

    At 54, I finally decided to lose weight and get active and its been a game changer. My energy level is very high, leading to lots of opportunities to do fun things now that our kids are grown. The other thing that my wife and I have done is to associate with a group of friends who are very active. This has led to many great times as our group plans trips together, everything from a cycling day trip, to "racing vacations" where we travel to a resort and build a vacation around racing events, such as marathons or triathlons. Most of us are in our late 50s or early 60s, but we see no end in sight, since this is a lifestyle. We are happiest when we are working towards a goal, and that often means training for a race.

    And for anyone who doubts that rigorous exercise is possible or even advisable for those in their late 60's, 70's and beyond, just look at the participants list for any Ironman race. Simply find a race and check the age group participants list. You will typically see 60-75 entrants in the Men's 55-59 age group and over 20-30 entrants in the 60-64 group. And there are always entrants in their mid-late 70s. It is very inspiring!

  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    My gym has a load of older people not just exercising but training hard and purposefully. I also see a lot of quite old cyclists doing long distance events and it always strikes me how common the correlation between physical fitness, a social setting and a challenge is reflected in their joie de vivre.

    EXACTLY!