Over 60 still trying

@Longing4Maui
Keep it up. You are doing great. Working on my next 30 pounds down to get to the 200 mark. We can do this together.

@alteredsteve175 , I see so many referenced of HITT for fitness exercise, guess I am old as I don’t know what that means?

Inspirational 72- year old in a cross-fit gym... I have never been this fit at any point in my life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OUdO2Y_Mm8

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Longing4Maui wrote: »

@alteredsteve175 , I see so many referenced of HITT for fitness exercise, guess I am old as I don’t know what that means?

HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training. It means alternating periods of very high intensity (max effort) with lower effort. It's really trendy right now and

1. It's being oversold as to benefits, especially for beginners, and
2. Many things are being described at HIIT that don't actually qualify as HIIT in the form that was researched to identify those benefits that it actually does have.

Steve's right: A couple of times a week max would be sensible for real HIIT.

HIIT (like rowing machine Tabata intervals) is something I've done as part of training for racing in the past, and it does have some useful benefits. But doing it every day is really not a great plan, and many things people describe as HIIT aren't HIIT in the classic definition (though they're still good & useful exercise modalities on their own). Steady state (slower, consistent pace) cardio for longer durations is also helpful, and so are regular intervals (moderately higher intensity alternated with easy intensity for multiple repetitions).

Thank you, Ann. Great synopsis on HIIT. Really just another way to get a workout in.

Recently I have been doing sled sprints. The sled has a low crossbar and upright pipes so that you can push it from either end. I load the sled with 50 lbs. Push it as fast as possible 25 yds on the turf - low bar one way - upright the other. Every minute on the minute. I've done 12 without stopping. I've done 18 with a couple of one or two minute rest periods. My legs and lungs are burning when I finish. But I can't imagine doing that more that once or twice a week. My goal is twenty reps without a long rest period.

skytuner wrote: »

Inspirational 72- year old in a cross-fit gym... I have never been this fit at any point in my life!

<excellent video snipped, for reply length, see it in post above>

Very inspiring!

Major fitness progress is achievable at any age, with patient attention to sensible, gradual progress, assuming we don't fall prey to "a tyranny of low expectations".

At least that's what I keep hoping, and counting on.

I’m 57, I lost 35.6 lbs in 58 days! I wanted to quit every one of those days! All you can do is take it one day at a time and rely on small victories to keep you going. Good Luck and stay busy😉

alteredsteve175 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Major fitness progress is achievable at any age, with patient attention to sensible, gradual progress, assuming we don't fall prey to "a tyranny of low expectations".

At least that's what I keep hoping, and counting on.

That is a great insight, Ann. I need to remember that phrase.

I stole the phrase from CSARdiver here, though he was talking about something entirely different from aging (but it's a phase that's been used by speechmakers for decades, it turns out).

But I find the concept really meaningful and important when it comes to activity and aging. Too often, so little is expected of us, and we even come to expect little of ourselves, "because I'm getting too old for that". Very low ultimate goals are set for us (sometimes by ourselves).

There's nothing we're too old to try, and - absent true roadblocks (age is not one) - to improve at.

I'm not saying that there are no roadblocks. Injury (or clear and present vulnerability to it) can be a roadblock, body mass can be a roadblock, disease or disability can be a roadblock, weakness or lack of flexibility can be a roadblock, and more. Some of those may be more common with age, or risks of them loom larger, but those things are not synonyms for aging, and they're all experienced by young people, too. And some of those "roadblocks" are things we can chip away at, and improve at, or find ways to work around, if we choose to do so.

I'm not saying everyone needs to try everything, or do everything, or risk everything. That would be silly.

I'm saying that we can be clear-eyed about what issues and limitations we personally actually have, decide what we'd like to work on or achieve, figure out how to work around or through personal roadblocks, work persistently and patiently . . . and surprise ourselves with what we can achieve. At 60+, we're often better at some of those things (clear-eyed self-assessing, planning, persistence, patience) than a lot of younger folks.

Low expectations - our own or others' - shouldn't be a roadblock. That would be silly, too. :drinker:

Sorry about the sermon. :flowerforyou:

P.S. I think this post by one of my MFP friends is a stellar example, and there are many others here as well.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10296584/18-months-and-going-strong-w-pics

(and she still keeps going!).

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Sorry about the sermon. :flowerforyou:

Preach it, Reverend Ann! I enjoy reading your posts. They are always insightful and well-reasoned. Don't ever stop!

I lose more weight during the nice weather too like mkcuts13 & it's coming quick. I did lose a pound. Been doing alot better not eating after dinner. Today I worked at my part time job then went out for 2 walks with the dogs, saw a friend & got to talking so I just finished dinner. I have to admit I did lower expectations of myself as I got older & now that I hit 65, I lowered them still although I think I did actually go down a notch the past year but I honestly don't know if it's in my head or if I really did physically. I'm at a cross roads as what to do with Eleanor dog. She's a stray I found on December 19. We put her in our daughter's back yard because we have 6 dogs & didin't know how she was with dogs. Found owner after almost a month, gave her back then owner gave her back to our daughter when she saw how sad her & kids were. I started taking her out for walks & dog park so she jumped the fence between our houses to be with us all the time & didn't want to go back to her. This is where the age thing comes in. I don't know if I feel up to having a young dog around. Also I wanted to volunteer with the animal rescue i'm involved in some mornings & not walk the dogs on those mornings since most of my dogs are seniors so if I keep her I feel responsible to take her out every day. Today the friend I ran into was her former owner. She can walk her every morning & wants to take her back if I decide I don't want to keep her. We have a quiet home with our dogs & I like it. Eleanor is like having a child around again. I don't know what I want yet, I do want what's best for her but also have a little more freedom.