60 yrs and up

history_grrrl wrote: »

I’m especially interested in how people are handling exercise and aging. I used to have more options for activity, especially yoga and walking, but now have various restrictions due to a connective tissue disorder and related problems: can’t lift weights, do isometric exercises, or do anything too high-impact on my feet. I use a stationary bike at home, just started a chair yoga class, and am finding some good Pilates videos online and a channel called SeniorShape that I like a lot (though I can’t keep up quite yet). Would love to know what others are doing.

i'm a woman, 66, and i used to love working out in my 30s and 40s, but after a long illness in my late 40s through 50s and several injuries, i found i was weak as a kitten and had trouble mentally adapting to starting out at the weakest condition of my entire adult life.

i think i've found a balance that works for me, and i'm gradually seeing strength increases. i do resistance training, mostly with a cable tower with a 205 pound stack and an olympic barbell, which for now is unloaded when i do deadlifts. i ride a semi recumbent exercise bike, climb the stairs outside or use an aerobic step or stepper, and i recently got a tiny treadmill with a fixed 7% incline, which can be pretty challenging. i try and do at least 40 minutes per day on the bike or steps and treadmill if i'm not lifting, and work out 5 to 6 days most weeks.

I will continue to weigh every day and mostly ignore the number but instead plug it in to a spreadsheet to get the trend.

Before about six years ago, I weighed most days... sometimes... and other times went weeks or so between weighing in. I still kept the data. I can see that my real weight loss didn't happen until I made sure to always weigh every single day. It was a way to keep myself accountable. It did take a while to learn that the one-day number wasn't really that important. Like today I am three pounds heavier than yesterday, but not really since I know it's just a one-day thing. If you have been weighing daily for 40 years, you already have the understanding that the day-to-day variation can be large, so you're ahead with that.

When I go on long river trips or dive trips and am away from the scale, I have no feedback. My last Grand Canyon trip I gained weight over the month, and then kept gaining when I got back. My last Rogue River trip I mostly stayed the same, but I was extremely vigilant with calorie intake.

My scale gets a visit from my feet every morning I'm home, and that's how it's going to stay.

I'm considering weighing much less often mainly as something different to do. I've read so many articles about how fat loss is different from weight loss, and how clothes are supposed to be a more accurate way to tell whether we're making progress or not.

But every time I put the scale away, saying I'm not going to weigh for awhile, I find myself getting it back out again the next day. I like having that data too, even when the numbers aren't what I want to see.

Daily weighing is a strong habit at this point, and it's a real challenge trying to break it.

I just wondered what others' experiences have been.

@ThisMagicMoment …I am feeling the same after weighing daily for years. I don’t think the daily weighing is helping me, so trying something different…weighing monthly. Wish me luck I don’t gain! (But gaining even with daily weighing…so?) Still log my food tho.

Sorry to be a bit late in responding, but thanks to everyone who replied to my query about exercise and aging/medical challenges. I really appreciate the insights and feel inspired by how much people have adapted to new circumstances, adopting new strategies over the years when needed and also managing to keep yourselves strong enough over the years to be able to bounce back somewhat when you get knocked off course.

@Karlschaeffer: Walking was my passion and main form of exercise for many years. Unfortunately my feet now are so structurally problematic that it’s no longer advisable, and since I’m using a rollater walker outside, it’s just not fun. But I can commit at least to doing walking errands in my neighborhood. The senior centre in my neighbourhood has a walking group; I will look into it, as I suspect the group doesn’t go too far or fast.

@ridiculous59: Your wide variety of activity is really appealing! I tend to do the same thing over and over, and it not only gets a little boring but also means I’m not working on different parts of my body. For example, I’ve never done anything involving weights but recently got some very light weights (2 pounds each) and have done a few (video-guided) exercise sessions with those. It has honestly never crossed my mind that I can be even a little bit stronger. I’ve never been an outdoorsy type but am impressed by your range.

@Evamutt: You have been through a lot of medical intervention lately! I can relate. Despite not going to the gym, the 3 miles/hours a day of walking sounds great and more than enough. Almost all my exercise is at home right now, and I have to remind myself that it’s still exercise. I do like the idea of classes rather than solo exercise, but it sounds like, for you, the gym is useful for the equipment rather than the company? Maybe some gym-type equipment at home would help, or maybe you are doing plenty already.

@AnnPT77: I’ve seen some of your other posts, and I’m struck by how well you know your body. This post is no different; having deep knowledge of what works and doesn’t for you, based on physical challenges and what does and doesn’t give you pleasure, is such an important approach. I also appreciate the reminder that activity can start later in life. Rowing is popular in my area (in fact, I have two colleagues and a student doing it now, and they adore it) though not within my capacity health-wise. I have always wished to bike outside (limited by visual problems), so the stationary bike is my substitute. It might be time to upgrade; I have a little low-tech Marcy, but the Schwinn at my physiotherapy place allowed for greater – though still comfortable – exertion. You have also reminded me that I’m missing the massage therapist at the PT place (haven’t been for many months). I see a physiatrist about once a year, and he’ll be pleased that I’m actually doing some of what he has been suggesting.

@Zebasschick: Like you, I am struck by how physically weak I am once I get started, but your (and others’) comments are a great reminder of the need to keep it up, even in small increments. I always feel better when I manage to do something – anything! – every day. The last week has been challenging, perhaps because of the weather (the Great Lakes are not always a protection against the heat!).

Again, thanks to everyone for so much wonderful food (ha) for thought.

historically i have to hold myself back or i overdo and hurt myself, and well, 20 minutes on the treadmill (with its 7% incline) followed by exercise bike i could do, but doing hip abductions and then having to run up and down stairs at my son's condo left me in a world of hurt. i'm doing better, and can't wait to get back to my bike next week!!

I'm 77 and just been told I have high blood pressure which has pushed me into being more serious about weight loss. I need motivating and encouragement so I hope this group will provide both. I want to lose around 25 - 30 lbs

Agree with Trekkie. I have a love/hate relationship with the scale. I weigh weekly, if that, and let my clothes tell me about my weight. But that’s me. You have to find what works for you! Plenty of advice and support here. You Got This!

By the way, welcome to the new participants! I think @fabgeekmom, @simlovgin96083, @lizhumphreys2013 are all new to the thread, and I fear I may've missed greeting others by name, but happy to see everyone taking the reins, driving in a positive direction, and joining us here in 60&up-ville. :flowerforyou:

Evamutt wrote: »

Do any of you use the Happy Scale app? It gives the average. You can go into settings & disable the up/down arrrows it gives after each weigh in. I'm in maintenance & gave myself an 8lb range

Happy Scale is good, but I think it's only available for Apple/iOS.

There are other similar apps that give a person a statistical smoothing & projection. There's Libra for Android (which I use and like), Trendweight (IMU one needs a free Fitbit account, but not a Fitbit device), Weightgrapher on the web, and others.

It's useful to realize that they're just making statistical projections (estimates) about trends. It's not a magic crystal ball. I remember one guy here on MFP who was angry that one of these weight trending apps didn't tell him his "true weight". (Personally, I don't think we even have a single "true weight" - more like a current range, and a longer-term trend (up, down or level).

Well, so much for that. I'm a daily weigher, and no matter how many articles I read about "ditching the scale", I most likely won't.
Like others have said, it's just too interesting having all that data. Yes, I do understand my fluctuations, and hopping on the scale is usually just something I do.

I was just toying with the idea of reducing the number of times I hop on the scale as something different to do, but I realize that it makes me more nervous not "knowing my number" than seeing numbers I probably don't like every day. Weighing really does turn into a difficult habit to break, but I suppose it isn't something I need to worry about anyway.

I’m finding some inconsistency in my relationship to the scale. I did get a new one recently, after realizing my ancient one, which I rarely used, was way off (10 lb below my doctor’s office reading!). Also, I have not-great vision and really couldn’t read the tiny numbers. Not sure about the new scale, because my bathroom floor tiles are a bit textured, so the numbers change if I move the thing a few inches. Finally I found a level piece of wood to place underneath, so I think I’m getting consistent, if not totally accurate, data from day to day. But the daily change has been negligible lately, so it’s not much of a source of inspiration and I might switch to weekly for a bit, just to see how that feels. I’m still feeling my way along with my food and exercise situation, and I expect my attitude about the scale’s value is reflecting that.

I weigh weekly, my BH weighs daily. Agree with Anne, we’re all cults here and hopefully we all can figure out what works for us.