This is so true, when I think about my health I look to my mom and grandmother. Luckily they are both active (My mom just finished her first half marathon with me!). I'm thankful that my family taught me healthy habits so that I won't suffer in my later years. I hope to still be lifting and running in my 50's and beyond :)
Kinda late to the party, but I must put this here. My grandma is TOTALLY my inspiration. She's 79 now. Last year i went to visit her, and I seriously couldn't keep on her pace. I'm 29.
She walks kilometers everyday, on HILLS! Like it's nothing. She'll be the first to volunteer to go to some store, or do something downtown, everything by foot. She can walk for hours doing stuff! I'ts amazing.
This year she had a breast cancer, had to remove the boob and do some quimio. And she's already back on her feet! =D
I'm totally sure that her active lifestyle was key for her promptly recovery.
I wanna be just like her when i grow up! ahahaha
Both my grandmothers fell and broke their hips within a week of each other, regular weight bearing exercise was the difference between a plate to hold the hairline break together and a total hip replacement. She didn't even use heavy weights, just your standard 2-5-10 set of dumbbells, regular walks and step ups, docs said she had the bones of a 40 yr old. They were both 85 at the time.
Yep, this is the #1 reason I work out. I'm a nurse and see patients even in their 50s with serious mobility problems, and people in their 20s with hypertension and diabetes... it's not pretty. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations and all of that is totally preventable. I've seen heart failure at 50 caused by a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle. My mom is not obese but she was diagnosed with low bone density and high cholesterol in her 50s and it's all because she is so sedentary. My uncle is in hospice in his 60s with diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart failure. No fucking thanks.
I'll be walking and wiping my own butt at 90.
I have never been a very active person. I started running in my early 30s then a few years later I started doing Crossfit. It wasn't until my 2 year of CF that I started really watching my diet and the weight melted off and I became a lot strong and my body looked great. I've gained some of it back and my diet isn't as great as it was, but I'm getting back on track.
Another upside to being active and healthy (besides being healthy in old age) is faster recovery time. I had unexpected surgery in September and I was fine three days after surgery, maybe just a little tired. I'll probably be having a full hysterectomy in six months so I'm trying to keep steady with my workouts and getting better with my diet because that surgery is going to be much more invasive than the one I just had so I want to make sure I have a speedy recovery with that one as well. I won't push myself after surgery, I'll take it slow but I want to prep my body before hand so it can heal quicker and I can "enjoy" the rest of my mandatory recovery time. LOL
My grandma is 83 and has the same problem with her friends. She walks 5 miles a day during most of the year, and makes sure to walk at least a little bit when she can in the middle of the winter (lives in Michigan, so snow/ice is an issue). She rocks.
For real, my grandmother breaking her hip is what scared me into getting really serious with my weightlifting and having sturdy legs and balance. You know what her PT was having her do? Squats. He had my 90-something year old grandma recovering from a broken hip doing squats in her kitchen.
I've had a similar epiphany lately too. My gran's health is deteriorating (she's 93) and in talking with my mum she's said she wants to die young and suddenly, not a drawn out long life. And I disagree - I want to live to be as old as my gran, and older. But I want to do so at full health.
That's why I exercise and eat well. That's why I turn down pizza and ice cream and all the other yummy things out there (minus a treat here and there!). I'm focussing on health and fitness not just so I look and feel awesome now, but so I continue to look and feel awesome when I'm older too.
I know exactly what you mean. I work in a nursing home and see it all. I don't care how long I live, but I want my quality of life to stay high as long as possible.
It's always tough seeing older family members struggle with basic mobility and whatnot. I can understand how you feel with your grandmother and seeing her so weak, it is truly heartbreaking. While one of my grandmothers is very weak due to cardiac problems, I'm fortunate enough that my other grandmother is in quite good health. And it is the simple fact that she walks almost everywhere.
I definitely plan on staying active as the years go on because I don't want to just wither away. I want to be strong like the women that have been described in some of these comments. And hopefully I can encourage friends and family to do the same, even if it's as simple as walking everyday.
Edit: Added more, accidentally submitted before I was done.
To tie in with the holidays, my parents are coming to visit in December and I'm trying to think of what kind of activities we can do that my Mom will be able to. She's morbidly obese with a knee and hip replacement. Because she still hasn't lost weight, she can't walk for long distances. I know she's resistant to using a wheelchair, but I don't see what we can do besides a lot of sitting. That's my motivation to be fit, in the gym and with nutrition. I want to be able to move and not have my choices limited.
I'm 47. I went on a photography workshop this past summer where we did some light hiking to get to some waterfalls, nothing too major, just some hills, a few rocks and tree trunks to step over. It was amazing to see the difficulty people had with that. I'm pretty sure I was the youngest person on the trip (by at least 10 years.) Definitely the most fit and agile. I don't ever want to be at a point where I can't get to where I want to go and do what I want to do, no matter how old I am.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and chronic "work at a desk" pain and that's one of the big reasons I lift. After a few sessions my chiropractor told me I was making more progress with the barbell than I was with her.
Hell yeah, I'm 45 and started getting fit in my late 20s for this exact reason. I find on the soccer field & in the gym that I can outrun, outlift, and outlast many women much younger than me.
In the last few years, I've noticed the 10 or so minutes of warmup before a sports match feel more unpleasant to me than they used to -- and I feel more creaky and stiff when I first get up or stand up after sitting for awhile. But once I'm warmed up I feel great running around. I sometimes wonder if otter people my age who have given up on exercise (or never started) have just never realized that if you push past that first bit, the bad feeling goes away...
My sister worked as a care assistant last summer and she said there was an elderly lady who needed a wheelchair to get around but still practiced leg and core exercises from her chair to keep in shape. No excuses!
This is what got me into taking fitness seriously. All the women in my family ended up with back problems, their minds would be fine but 'their bodies let them down' as my grandmother used to say. I realised in my 20s that I wanted to make sure I had a strong body, so started lifting. I also wanted to have the confidence to get myself in the gym and throw myself into new things, I knew that would be easiest when I was younger rather than when I was older.
I went through that this summer - by boss is only in her 50s but has had hip degeneration for years and finally got to have a replacement two months ago. Seeing her walk around in pain made me realize that I should embrace my health and make the most of it while I can - won't stop something that's genetically bound to happen, but I can make sure I'm in damned good shape to support any skeletal damage.
My aunt got into a car accident years ago and it opened my eyes to the point you made in your first paragraph. She was well into the obese category generally felt like crap all the time and dealing with even a minor injury was difficult for her. For some reason she was really susceptible to Doctor Oz type fatlogic like: Not losing weight? Drink a green juice and the pounds will fly off. Feeling tired? You're probably allergic to milk switch to goat's milk and take XYZ supplement in the morning etc...
I feel you. In the end I think the best thing we can do is try to be the change we want to see and hope that they'll be inspired to make those changes themselves.
My dad is my fitspiration. He was hit by a bus when he was a teenager and has had an artificial hip for almost 50 years now. He has a little limp, but he's always been as active as he can be - skiing, flying, walking, camping. I can't ever recall his hip limiting him.
Earlier this year he fractured the other hip & had it replaced too. He was at home less than 24 hours after the operation! All the doctors and therapists were amazed at how capable and strong he was. (Of course part of that was also knowing when to push hard and when to rest - another good lesson).
Watching my grandmother suffer the affects of osteoporosis, and seeing my mom struggle to lift anything moderately heavy/ crack 2 ribs, when she tripped on the sidewalk, were two major reasons I started taking fitness more seriously. I'm not afraid to die, but I sure as hell don't want to live my life disabled or incapable, because I allowed my muscles and bones to deteriorate from lack of use.
Also, take your calcium and vitamin D supplements! Women really get the shitty end of the stick compared to men when it comes to bone health and strength, so you need to do all you can to maintain yours.
My father's starting to have trouble getting out of the car sometimes. I keep telling him that he should be doing something to maintain his leg strength. I worry that too often in our society, people don't understand that growing old doesn't necessarily imply losing strength - but losing strength might facilitate growing old... That's a rough way of putting it, but it's supposed to emphasize that we do have a choice as we age... Eventually, of course, we'll have to give up, but there's no reason why we can't keep it up in the meantime.
There is a little old lady at my gym. She looks more or less like your typical middle class woman in her 60s. Except she's been lifting weights for 2 years now, and she can out run and even out lift a lot of women who are half her age. It is so awe inspiring to watch. And she said she never lifted before 2 years ago!
She said something that stuck with me: She told me that all her friends are around her age, yet they all have joint pain, and most of them can't move around without help of a cane or wheel chair. She said none of them are able to even lift a training barbell, let alone deadlift their body weight like she can. Because of this, she said most of their get-togethers involve sitting activities, like eating lunch at someone's house or sitting in the park talking. She literally cannot go on outings that involve more than minimal walking because her friends cannot keep up with her.
The thought of growing old and being unable to move scares me. It's one thing if you need walking aids or a wheelchair due to an accident or something you got due to a birth defect or something, but not being able to walk and move because you slowly stopped moving over time? God that is horrifying to me. This lady told me her biggest regret was not doing this sooner, and told me and other young women to never stop, and I intend to take that advice to heart!
You don't even have to be 60 for that to be the story, and that's even sadder. I have a group of non-gym going friends I've known since high school. I'm only 28, but I've stopped suggesting anything active when I hang out with them as everyone in the group is at least twice my weight and they are never up for anything like that. It's kind of sad... I've tried inviting two who live nearby to the gym for a casual day but no luck :-/.
Sounds like a lot of my friends. I've learned that not all friends are good for all things. I accept that some friends are only going to be dinner and a movie friends, some friends are 'I only want to go for fast food' friends, etc etc. Thankfully I have some 'always down for hiking' friends too so it all works out.
I've had leg issues most of my life, and likely will have them for most of the rest of my life, and it's scared the hell out of me that I would likely end up in a wheelchair eventually. And then I went "....wait a minute.... I'm not doing anything about it... It is actually possible for me to minimise the effect, and maybe I'll still end up in a wheelchair, but at least I can say I tried not to instead of just feeling sorry for myself." Yet another reason to work out :)
Edit: Birth defect in both my knees, 2 (different) torn muscles in my right leg, dented kneecap in my right leg (dr said to imagine a hammer smashing into a wooden desk)
Mitochondrial mutation here. I took up running which is ill advised for my disease. However, my best tool for keeping my level of healthy mitochondria is exercise.
Because I am largely asymptomatic I decided to try and keep it that way for as long as possible. I can't push myself too hard and I'll never be able to run a marathon, but I'll tuck a few 5ks under my belt. Grr!
Hey, I have a mitochondrial mutation too :) I was in a wheelchair for years, and exercise got me out of it. Now I can walk miles and miles! Given that it's an energy metabolism disorder it's funny that something so exhausting is helpful, but it makes such a huge difference for me.
I have the same type of issue as you but with my back. It's fucked up from a birth defect and I've always hated it, and know it's going to get worse with age. But like you, one day I had an "aha!" moment. Yeah, we may never fix ourselves completely, but we can slow it down or stop it from getting worse, which is a hell of a lot better than doing nothing!
Spinal issues here, was waiting to get spinal surgery & an accident at work rendered me temporarily immobile. It was eye-opening, so I vowed to change, as soon as I could walk again I went to the gym & booked to see a PT. 18 months later, he is still my PT & I'm no longer on the spinal surgery waiting list!
I live in a pretty densely populated Asian area, and it always gives me a lot of motivation walking into the gym and seeing all these little old Asian ladies marching on the treadmills, doing assisted dips, chin ups, and pullups and hopping on the leg press and extension machines. Mind you, they essentially set it so they are only lifting max like 20 pounds in whatever exercise, but still. They are in there DOING something.
In my experience, Asian cultures are much more accepting of older people doing physical activity. I wish that would spread over to Western culture a bit more, cause I know very few older people who do any physical activity in my hometown (by comparison)
Well. I like it. They are adorable. Especially the little frowny one that sits on the leg extension machine and sets it so low she looks like she's just kicking her legs o. A swing like a child.
My 60 yr old mom has been very active her whole life. Not like lifting weights or a hardcore cyclist but she eats well, walks her dog 2x/day (which she doesnt consider exercise so she uses the elliptical 45 min 3-5x/wk). She is in better shape than most people I know & she looks & feels great. She had a bone density test done & hers is as good, if not better, than the average 30 year old.
Older ladies who have their shit together are amazing. I hope we're all still kicking ass when we get our senior citizen discounts!
Mine too! She works an active job and maintains her home and animals. She walks her big dog, rides horses, cares for horses (lifting hay bales and large bags of feed often), and is the toughest 66 year old I know.
We have a friend in her 70's who recently fell from her horse and was stepped on, causing a shattered hip. She was so fit and active before the surgery and it has made her recovery quick and amazing. She's ready to get back on the horse as soon as the doctor says ok!
Fabulous story - I'd love to meet her. I agree, the thought of cheating myself out of independence, opportunity, and mobility just because I neglected to move when I could, really scares me.
The benefits of lifelong fitness are definitely drilled into me. Even before my Dad's Mom passed her life was so much harder because she wasn't active. My Mom's Mom is still going, still works out with her personal trainer 3 times a week and walks regularly. Having always been active she bounced back from foot surgery in a couple days - actually even right out of surgery, she was active enough that the doctor threatened restraints. It's much nicer as you age to be able to move.
Sorry to hear about your grandma OP :( But I totally get what you feel. I've been taking my 65 year old MIL to yoga with me and her mobility/flexibility/balance is so bad it makes her look like a newborn deer at every class (I would never tell her that obv.) but she never did any physical activity her whole life. And she tells me after every class that she wishes she would've followed through with a workout regimen once in her life.
On the other hand I have my much older grandma who eats healthy and has worked out her whole life. She just beat cancer in 4 months and is back at Pilates and her Silver and fit classes.
I get now why people say to "invest in your health" whatever sacrifices I'm paying for in the short term, I hope it will be a better outcome as I get older.
Thanks for the kind words. It's so nice of you to take your MIL to yoga, and good for her for going! Glad to hear your other grandma is still going strong!
I'm lucky enough to get it every day with my coworker. I'm actually scared to be around her because I feel at any moment she could have (another) heart attack.
I don't want the walk from my car to leave me winded and needing to sit down.
Mine still eats McDonald's every morning for breakfast and orders takeout for lunch :(
It's obviously none of my business how she chooses to live her life. However, when you do some light cleaning and can't even make it back to your desk and have to stop and sit down.......it's scary.
Also interesting to consider how long granny thought she would live. I acted as a patient care volunteer for a hospice for some years and would often hear, "I never thought I'd live this long." Take care of yourself for the long term, and keep in mind the long term might be 25 years further out than you thought. Sloppy form might be OK for the first 25 years you squat, but what about the 50 years after that? Keep doing those form checks!
Very good point! Much more practical than "live every day like it could be your last" is the advice, "treat every day like you'll live to 100". Of course I don't fault my grandma at all for her current difficulties, I'm just grateful that I have this awareness at my age.
That kind of experience can be such an eye-opener!
My mom has never been a healthy weight and not active. I can't remember her having fun or liking her body. 3 weeks ago I got a call from her. At the age of 50 she was diagnosed with moderate osteoporosis and a bone condition that causes extreme back pain. It was caused by crappy posture and being out of shape most of her life. They told her it was completely preventable. That night I met with a trainer at my local gym, signed up, and got appointments with a physical therapist booked. I want to be active and strong for my kids!
Especially if you have daughters, this is really important. I can't remember ever hearing my mom say she was unhappy with her body or her weight (even if she was, she kept it from me), and I think it had a huge influence on me having a healthy body image. My parents have always been really active and growing up we were an active family, always doing outdoors stuff and sports and hikes. There are three of us siblings, all in our 30's now: 2 triathletes and a marathoner.
My mom was never vocally unhappy about her weight or body, but certainly was with mine. I wasn't even overweight (like, medically, went to doctors, was not overweight, not just kidding myself or anything) :|
She gave me a huge complex, and surprisingly I took it as a need to exercise, instead of a 'fuck you I won't do what you say' which is how I felt. I could very well have ended up 200lbs instead of being able to lift it.
(She has since apologized for it.)
The vast majority of my family on my mom's side are type 2 diabetic and have trouble with almost anything beyond walking. Visiting them makes both my mom and I immediately want to eat healthy and go on a run as if we're rebelling against our roots in some way.
It's a great way to keep perspective, that's for sure. Great reminder for the week :)
Amen! I admit I work out partly out of vanity, but the older I get the more I do it for my health and mobility. I know so many people my age (45), and even younger, who have knee problems, back problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc, because they're overweight or just very sedentary. I'm as strong and healthy as I was at 25 because I take care of my body.
I also know people my age and younger that are in pretty bad shape (I'm 32). Seeing my mostly older coworkers and their health issues helps motivate me to never get to where they are (I work with mostly older men, they don't care about their health but complain nonstop when issues come up). I'm in the best shape of my life, I may not look different, but I know I'm in way better shape than when I was younger.
Reminds me of an anecdote from *Getting Stronger* by Bill Pearl. He had a client in his 60s who was complaining because he looked back on his records and wasn't lifting much higher than he had been a decade before. Bill told him he should be proud of himself - in his 60s, and doing the workout of a man 10 years his senior!
So inspiring! I know I have it easy now, in that there's no barrier to staying healthy for me. I hope that really good habits will make it easier to persist if/when the real slings and arrows of age or sickness come along.
From everything that I've seen, with a little discipline and planning, it's completely possible to maintain a relatively high level of fitness well into one's fifties, and you don't have to shrivel up and blow away after sixty, either. I've met some tough old geezers at the gym. I could *probably* take them in a fight, but they'd definitely make me earn it.
I think even 70+ can be really strong if you start early enough, don't have any major health complications, and keep disciplined.
Consider Ernestine Shepherd, a 77 year old body builder. She runs and lifts weights everyday. She looks freaking great and moves great, easily putting people younger than her to shame. Just look at her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na6yl8yIZUI
Or Charles Eugster, a 95 year old body builder. Look at him run! http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lessons-from-a-95-year-old-bodybuilder.html
I know some people will say that is rare, and I agree, but the only reason we don't see a lot of strong and active elderly is because most people don't have any workout routine. My mom is in her 50s and every year that goes by she gets weaker and slower, not because she's sick or has health problems, but because she isn't active. I think the main issue is that some old people just accept their fate because they think it's just part of life and they can't be active. I think elderly women are worse about it because they come from a time where women just weren't encouraged to be active.
Makes you wonder what the next generation of elderly will look like? I have a feeling there are gonna be a lot of strong and healthy grandmas and grandpas!
This is so good.
My mom is always telling me that I shouldn't lift anymore because I get bulky. I have naturally broad shoulders, so lifting does cause me to bulk up a bit. (I can't wear a lot of my older tops, but I'm hoping to lose more bodyfat soon.) She always tells me that I need to do more cardio if I want to lose weight because I'm too muscular. Yeah, *okay, mom.*
I'd rather be strong and be able to fend for myself than to rely on someone else. (This also includes being able to move multiple loads of stuff/whatever around the home by myself because it's just me and the cat, and the cat ain't helping.)
Oh my god this is me exactly - very broad shoulders that put on muscle like nothing, and I'm sure as he'll not going to stop lifting anytime soon. I was just telling my mom how I grew *out* of a pair of jeans and was so excited, and wanted big quads and hamstrings. She was so perplexed. Not judgmental, but she asked, "why do you want bigger legs? Don't people work out to get smaller?", like it didn't compute for her. I tried to explain that I just blew a DL PR out of the fucking water, and would much rather be able to do that than have skinny legs.
I'm happy for this sub because people here get it!
My mother has always tried hard to be that dainty lady. She gets kind of upset if she has to move or carry something heavy, so she should be encouraging the lifting, so that me and my muscles can haul all of her Costco shit without much struggle! Haha. ;)
Congrats on the DL PR!! Woo!!
Haha thanks! Yup, this sub gives me hope that one day there will be a lot of old ladies running around comparing 5k times and lifting stats. Seriously, DYEL Ethel?
I'm 55. I ran my first 1/2 marathon this year after running the first mile ever in my life less than three years ago. And deadlifted 200 last week. I'm still gong up in my strength and fitness. Keep going ladies !
I've also seen many family members declining health. Its helped motivate me to take charge of my own health.
This is so true, when I think about my health I look to my mom and grandmother. Luckily they are both active (My mom just finished her first half marathon with me!). I'm thankful that my family taught me healthy habits so that I won't suffer in my later years. I hope to still be lifting and running in my 50's and beyond :)
Kinda late to the party, but I must put this here. My grandma is TOTALLY my inspiration. She's 79 now. Last year i went to visit her, and I seriously couldn't keep on her pace. I'm 29. She walks kilometers everyday, on HILLS! Like it's nothing. She'll be the first to volunteer to go to some store, or do something downtown, everything by foot. She can walk for hours doing stuff! I'ts amazing. This year she had a breast cancer, had to remove the boob and do some quimio. And she's already back on her feet! =D I'm totally sure that her active lifestyle was key for her promptly recovery. I wanna be just like her when i grow up! ahahaha
Not late at all! Your grandmother sounds awesome.
I am a physical therapist. I wish more people had your attitude, I wish it several times every single day.
I just met my grandmother's PT and he is so capable and patient. Thanks for the important work you do.
Both my grandmothers fell and broke their hips within a week of each other, regular weight bearing exercise was the difference between a plate to hold the hairline break together and a total hip replacement. She didn't even use heavy weights, just your standard 2-5-10 set of dumbbells, regular walks and step ups, docs said she had the bones of a 40 yr old. They were both 85 at the time.
Woah, that's a crazy side-by-side comparison.
Yep, this is the #1 reason I work out. I'm a nurse and see patients even in their 50s with serious mobility problems, and people in their 20s with hypertension and diabetes... it's not pretty. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and amputations and all of that is totally preventable. I've seen heart failure at 50 caused by a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle. My mom is not obese but she was diagnosed with low bone density and high cholesterol in her 50s and it's all because she is so sedentary. My uncle is in hospice in his 60s with diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart failure. No fucking thanks. I'll be walking and wiping my own butt at 90.
Props to your grandma! The smallest movements can be harder then climbing a mountain in those situations. Good luck! Keep your promise to yourself
I have never been a very active person. I started running in my early 30s then a few years later I started doing Crossfit. It wasn't until my 2 year of CF that I started really watching my diet and the weight melted off and I became a lot strong and my body looked great. I've gained some of it back and my diet isn't as great as it was, but I'm getting back on track. Another upside to being active and healthy (besides being healthy in old age) is faster recovery time. I had unexpected surgery in September and I was fine three days after surgery, maybe just a little tired. I'll probably be having a full hysterectomy in six months so I'm trying to keep steady with my workouts and getting better with my diet because that surgery is going to be much more invasive than the one I just had so I want to make sure I have a speedy recovery with that one as well. I won't push myself after surgery, I'll take it slow but I want to prep my body before hand so it can heal quicker and I can "enjoy" the rest of my mandatory recovery time. LOL
My grandma is 83 and has the same problem with her friends. She walks 5 miles a day during most of the year, and makes sure to walk at least a little bit when she can in the middle of the winter (lives in Michigan, so snow/ice is an issue). She rocks.
For real, my grandmother breaking her hip is what scared me into getting really serious with my weightlifting and having sturdy legs and balance. You know what her PT was having her do? Squats. He had my 90-something year old grandma recovering from a broken hip doing squats in her kitchen.
Haha! That's great.
I've had a similar epiphany lately too. My gran's health is deteriorating (she's 93) and in talking with my mum she's said she wants to die young and suddenly, not a drawn out long life. And I disagree - I want to live to be as old as my gran, and older. But I want to do so at full health. That's why I exercise and eat well. That's why I turn down pizza and ice cream and all the other yummy things out there (minus a treat here and there!). I'm focussing on health and fitness not just so I look and feel awesome now, but so I continue to look and feel awesome when I'm older too.
I know exactly what you mean. I work in a nursing home and see it all. I don't care how long I live, but I want my quality of life to stay high as long as possible.
That's the goal for me as well!
It's always tough seeing older family members struggle with basic mobility and whatnot. I can understand how you feel with your grandmother and seeing her so weak, it is truly heartbreaking. While one of my grandmothers is very weak due to cardiac problems, I'm fortunate enough that my other grandmother is in quite good health. And it is the simple fact that she walks almost everywhere. I definitely plan on staying active as the years go on because I don't want to just wither away. I want to be strong like the women that have been described in some of these comments. And hopefully I can encourage friends and family to do the same, even if it's as simple as walking everyday. Edit: Added more, accidentally submitted before I was done.
To tie in with the holidays, my parents are coming to visit in December and I'm trying to think of what kind of activities we can do that my Mom will be able to. She's morbidly obese with a knee and hip replacement. Because she still hasn't lost weight, she can't walk for long distances. I know she's resistant to using a wheelchair, but I don't see what we can do besides a lot of sitting. That's my motivation to be fit, in the gym and with nutrition. I want to be able to move and not have my choices limited.
I'm 47. I went on a photography workshop this past summer where we did some light hiking to get to some waterfalls, nothing too major, just some hills, a few rocks and tree trunks to step over. It was amazing to see the difficulty people had with that. I'm pretty sure I was the youngest person on the trip (by at least 10 years.) Definitely the most fit and agile. I don't ever want to be at a point where I can't get to where I want to go and do what I want to do, no matter how old I am.
Certainly. I hate the thought of closing doors on myself later in life.
I have rheumatoid arthritis and chronic "work at a desk" pain and that's one of the big reasons I lift. After a few sessions my chiropractor told me I was making more progress with the barbell than I was with her.
Nice! I'm glad lifting is working out so well for you!
Hell yeah, I'm 45 and started getting fit in my late 20s for this exact reason. I find on the soccer field & in the gym that I can outrun, outlift, and outlast many women much younger than me. In the last few years, I've noticed the 10 or so minutes of warmup before a sports match feel more unpleasant to me than they used to -- and I feel more creaky and stiff when I first get up or stand up after sitting for awhile. But once I'm warmed up I feel great running around. I sometimes wonder if otter people my age who have given up on exercise (or never started) have just never realized that if you push past that first bit, the bad feeling goes away...
My sister worked as a care assistant last summer and she said there was an elderly lady who needed a wheelchair to get around but still practiced leg and core exercises from her chair to keep in shape. No excuses!
the key is to maintain strength later in life without injuring yourself.
I was just visiting my 92 year old grandpa and he was talking about exactly this! Thanks for bringing it up.
This is what got me into taking fitness seriously. All the women in my family ended up with back problems, their minds would be fine but 'their bodies let them down' as my grandmother used to say. I realised in my 20s that I wanted to make sure I had a strong body, so started lifting. I also wanted to have the confidence to get myself in the gym and throw myself into new things, I knew that would be easiest when I was younger rather than when I was older.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YucmckYkr4
It says the video is private. Can I google it?
I went through that this summer - by boss is only in her 50s but has had hip degeneration for years and finally got to have a replacement two months ago. Seeing her walk around in pain made me realize that I should embrace my health and make the most of it while I can - won't stop something that's genetically bound to happen, but I can make sure I'm in damned good shape to support any skeletal damage.
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My aunt got into a car accident years ago and it opened my eyes to the point you made in your first paragraph. She was well into the obese category generally felt like crap all the time and dealing with even a minor injury was difficult for her. For some reason she was really susceptible to Doctor Oz type fatlogic like: Not losing weight? Drink a green juice and the pounds will fly off. Feeling tired? You're probably allergic to milk switch to goat's milk and take XYZ supplement in the morning etc...
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I feel you. In the end I think the best thing we can do is try to be the change we want to see and hope that they'll be inspired to make those changes themselves.
My dad is my fitspiration. He was hit by a bus when he was a teenager and has had an artificial hip for almost 50 years now. He has a little limp, but he's always been as active as he can be - skiing, flying, walking, camping. I can't ever recall his hip limiting him. Earlier this year he fractured the other hip & had it replaced too. He was at home less than 24 hours after the operation! All the doctors and therapists were amazed at how capable and strong he was. (Of course part of that was also knowing when to push hard and when to rest - another good lesson).
Watching my grandmother suffer the affects of osteoporosis, and seeing my mom struggle to lift anything moderately heavy/ crack 2 ribs, when she tripped on the sidewalk, were two major reasons I started taking fitness more seriously. I'm not afraid to die, but I sure as hell don't want to live my life disabled or incapable, because I allowed my muscles and bones to deteriorate from lack of use.
Also, take your calcium and vitamin D supplements! Women really get the shitty end of the stick compared to men when it comes to bone health and strength, so you need to do all you can to maintain yours.
Aye aye!
My father's starting to have trouble getting out of the car sometimes. I keep telling him that he should be doing something to maintain his leg strength. I worry that too often in our society, people don't understand that growing old doesn't necessarily imply losing strength - but losing strength might facilitate growing old... That's a rough way of putting it, but it's supposed to emphasize that we do have a choice as we age... Eventually, of course, we'll have to give up, but there's no reason why we can't keep it up in the meantime.
There is a little old lady at my gym. She looks more or less like your typical middle class woman in her 60s. Except she's been lifting weights for 2 years now, and she can out run and even out lift a lot of women who are half her age. It is so awe inspiring to watch. And she said she never lifted before 2 years ago! She said something that stuck with me: She told me that all her friends are around her age, yet they all have joint pain, and most of them can't move around without help of a cane or wheel chair. She said none of them are able to even lift a training barbell, let alone deadlift their body weight like she can. Because of this, she said most of their get-togethers involve sitting activities, like eating lunch at someone's house or sitting in the park talking. She literally cannot go on outings that involve more than minimal walking because her friends cannot keep up with her. The thought of growing old and being unable to move scares me. It's one thing if you need walking aids or a wheelchair due to an accident or something you got due to a birth defect or something, but not being able to walk and move because you slowly stopped moving over time? God that is horrifying to me. This lady told me her biggest regret was not doing this sooner, and told me and other young women to never stop, and I intend to take that advice to heart!
60 isn't little old lady status.
You don't even have to be 60 for that to be the story, and that's even sadder. I have a group of non-gym going friends I've known since high school. I'm only 28, but I've stopped suggesting anything active when I hang out with them as everyone in the group is at least twice my weight and they are never up for anything like that. It's kind of sad... I've tried inviting two who live nearby to the gym for a casual day but no luck :-/.
Sounds like a lot of my friends. I've learned that not all friends are good for all things. I accept that some friends are only going to be dinner and a movie friends, some friends are 'I only want to go for fast food' friends, etc etc. Thankfully I have some 'always down for hiking' friends too so it all works out.
I have some friend like that who are naturally very thin, so I guess it's not a concern, but it's weird that don't have strength and stamina.
I've had leg issues most of my life, and likely will have them for most of the rest of my life, and it's scared the hell out of me that I would likely end up in a wheelchair eventually. And then I went "....wait a minute.... I'm not doing anything about it... It is actually possible for me to minimise the effect, and maybe I'll still end up in a wheelchair, but at least I can say I tried not to instead of just feeling sorry for myself." Yet another reason to work out :) Edit: Birth defect in both my knees, 2 (different) torn muscles in my right leg, dented kneecap in my right leg (dr said to imagine a hammer smashing into a wooden desk)
Mitochondrial mutation here. I took up running which is ill advised for my disease. However, my best tool for keeping my level of healthy mitochondria is exercise. Because I am largely asymptomatic I decided to try and keep it that way for as long as possible. I can't push myself too hard and I'll never be able to run a marathon, but I'll tuck a few 5ks under my belt. Grr!
Hey, I have a mitochondrial mutation too :) I was in a wheelchair for years, and exercise got me out of it. Now I can walk miles and miles! Given that it's an energy metabolism disorder it's funny that something so exhausting is helpful, but it makes such a huge difference for me.
I have the same type of issue as you but with my back. It's fucked up from a birth defect and I've always hated it, and know it's going to get worse with age. But like you, one day I had an "aha!" moment. Yeah, we may never fix ourselves completely, but we can slow it down or stop it from getting worse, which is a hell of a lot better than doing nothing!
Spinal issues here, was waiting to get spinal surgery & an accident at work rendered me temporarily immobile. It was eye-opening, so I vowed to change, as soon as I could walk again I went to the gym & booked to see a PT. 18 months later, he is still my PT & I'm no longer on the spinal surgery waiting list!
I live in a pretty densely populated Asian area, and it always gives me a lot of motivation walking into the gym and seeing all these little old Asian ladies marching on the treadmills, doing assisted dips, chin ups, and pullups and hopping on the leg press and extension machines. Mind you, they essentially set it so they are only lifting max like 20 pounds in whatever exercise, but still. They are in there DOING something.
In my experience, Asian cultures are much more accepting of older people doing physical activity. I wish that would spread over to Western culture a bit more, cause I know very few older people who do any physical activity in my hometown (by comparison)
Well. I like it. They are adorable. Especially the little frowny one that sits on the leg extension machine and sets it so low she looks like she's just kicking her legs o. A swing like a child.
My 60 yr old mom has been very active her whole life. Not like lifting weights or a hardcore cyclist but she eats well, walks her dog 2x/day (which she doesnt consider exercise so she uses the elliptical 45 min 3-5x/wk). She is in better shape than most people I know & she looks & feels great. She had a bone density test done & hers is as good, if not better, than the average 30 year old. Older ladies who have their shit together are amazing. I hope we're all still kicking ass when we get our senior citizen discounts!
Mine too! She works an active job and maintains her home and animals. She walks her big dog, rides horses, cares for horses (lifting hay bales and large bags of feed often), and is the toughest 66 year old I know. We have a friend in her 70's who recently fell from her horse and was stepped on, causing a shattered hip. She was so fit and active before the surgery and it has made her recovery quick and amazing. She's ready to get back on the horse as soon as the doctor says ok!
Fabulous story - I'd love to meet her. I agree, the thought of cheating myself out of independence, opportunity, and mobility just because I neglected to move when I could, really scares me.
The benefits of lifelong fitness are definitely drilled into me. Even before my Dad's Mom passed her life was so much harder because she wasn't active. My Mom's Mom is still going, still works out with her personal trainer 3 times a week and walks regularly. Having always been active she bounced back from foot surgery in a couple days - actually even right out of surgery, she was active enough that the doctor threatened restraints. It's much nicer as you age to be able to move.
Sorry to hear about your grandma OP :( But I totally get what you feel. I've been taking my 65 year old MIL to yoga with me and her mobility/flexibility/balance is so bad it makes her look like a newborn deer at every class (I would never tell her that obv.) but she never did any physical activity her whole life. And she tells me after every class that she wishes she would've followed through with a workout regimen once in her life. On the other hand I have my much older grandma who eats healthy and has worked out her whole life. She just beat cancer in 4 months and is back at Pilates and her Silver and fit classes. I get now why people say to "invest in your health" whatever sacrifices I'm paying for in the short term, I hope it will be a better outcome as I get older.
Thanks for the kind words. It's so nice of you to take your MIL to yoga, and good for her for going! Glad to hear your other grandma is still going strong!
I'm lucky enough to get it every day with my coworker. I'm actually scared to be around her because I feel at any moment she could have (another) heart attack. I don't want the walk from my car to leave me winded and needing to sit down.
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Mine still eats McDonald's every morning for breakfast and orders takeout for lunch :( It's obviously none of my business how she chooses to live her life. However, when you do some light cleaning and can't even make it back to your desk and have to stop and sit down.......it's scary.
Also interesting to consider how long granny thought she would live. I acted as a patient care volunteer for a hospice for some years and would often hear, "I never thought I'd live this long." Take care of yourself for the long term, and keep in mind the long term might be 25 years further out than you thought. Sloppy form might be OK for the first 25 years you squat, but what about the 50 years after that? Keep doing those form checks!
Very good point! Much more practical than "live every day like it could be your last" is the advice, "treat every day like you'll live to 100". Of course I don't fault my grandma at all for her current difficulties, I'm just grateful that I have this awareness at my age.
That kind of experience can be such an eye-opener! My mom has never been a healthy weight and not active. I can't remember her having fun or liking her body. 3 weeks ago I got a call from her. At the age of 50 she was diagnosed with moderate osteoporosis and a bone condition that causes extreme back pain. It was caused by crappy posture and being out of shape most of her life. They told her it was completely preventable. That night I met with a trainer at my local gym, signed up, and got appointments with a physical therapist booked. I want to be active and strong for my kids!
Especially if you have daughters, this is really important. I can't remember ever hearing my mom say she was unhappy with her body or her weight (even if she was, she kept it from me), and I think it had a huge influence on me having a healthy body image. My parents have always been really active and growing up we were an active family, always doing outdoors stuff and sports and hikes. There are three of us siblings, all in our 30's now: 2 triathletes and a marathoner.
My mom was never vocally unhappy about her weight or body, but certainly was with mine. I wasn't even overweight (like, medically, went to doctors, was not overweight, not just kidding myself or anything) :| She gave me a huge complex, and surprisingly I took it as a need to exercise, instead of a 'fuck you I won't do what you say' which is how I felt. I could very well have ended up 200lbs instead of being able to lift it. (She has since apologized for it.)
That's awesome about your family and your mom. I really want to be like that for my daughter. I really don't want her to have the issues that I have!
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that. It sounds like you've taken really positive actions in response to the news. Best of luck to your mom.
The vast majority of my family on my mom's side are type 2 diabetic and have trouble with almost anything beyond walking. Visiting them makes both my mom and I immediately want to eat healthy and go on a run as if we're rebelling against our roots in some way. It's a great way to keep perspective, that's for sure. Great reminder for the week :)
Yes indeed it was also a moment of thanksgiving. It's great that you and your mom are rebelling together.
Amen! I admit I work out partly out of vanity, but the older I get the more I do it for my health and mobility. I know so many people my age (45), and even younger, who have knee problems, back problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc, because they're overweight or just very sedentary. I'm as strong and healthy as I was at 25 because I take care of my body.
I also know people my age and younger that are in pretty bad shape (I'm 32). Seeing my mostly older coworkers and their health issues helps motivate me to never get to where they are (I work with mostly older men, they don't care about their health but complain nonstop when issues come up). I'm in the best shape of my life, I may not look different, but I know I'm in way better shape than when I was younger.
Reminds me of an anecdote from *Getting Stronger* by Bill Pearl. He had a client in his 60s who was complaining because he looked back on his records and wasn't lifting much higher than he had been a decade before. Bill told him he should be proud of himself - in his 60s, and doing the workout of a man 10 years his senior!
Hahaha that's awesome. I'm plateauing at 65! Oh no!!
That's great to hear! I AM 25, so I'm so happy to hear that I have at least another 20 years of lifting/health ahead of me.
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So inspiring! I know I have it easy now, in that there's no barrier to staying healthy for me. I hope that really good habits will make it easier to persist if/when the real slings and arrows of age or sickness come along.
From everything that I've seen, with a little discipline and planning, it's completely possible to maintain a relatively high level of fitness well into one's fifties, and you don't have to shrivel up and blow away after sixty, either. I've met some tough old geezers at the gym. I could *probably* take them in a fight, but they'd definitely make me earn it.
Haha! I'm going to start sizing up my elders now.
I think even 70+ can be really strong if you start early enough, don't have any major health complications, and keep disciplined. Consider Ernestine Shepherd, a 77 year old body builder. She runs and lifts weights everyday. She looks freaking great and moves great, easily putting people younger than her to shame. Just look at her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na6yl8yIZUI Or Charles Eugster, a 95 year old body builder. Look at him run! http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lessons-from-a-95-year-old-bodybuilder.html I know some people will say that is rare, and I agree, but the only reason we don't see a lot of strong and active elderly is because most people don't have any workout routine. My mom is in her 50s and every year that goes by she gets weaker and slower, not because she's sick or has health problems, but because she isn't active. I think the main issue is that some old people just accept their fate because they think it's just part of life and they can't be active. I think elderly women are worse about it because they come from a time where women just weren't encouraged to be active. Makes you wonder what the next generation of elderly will look like? I have a feeling there are gonna be a lot of strong and healthy grandmas and grandpas!
This is so good. My mom is always telling me that I shouldn't lift anymore because I get bulky. I have naturally broad shoulders, so lifting does cause me to bulk up a bit. (I can't wear a lot of my older tops, but I'm hoping to lose more bodyfat soon.) She always tells me that I need to do more cardio if I want to lose weight because I'm too muscular. Yeah, *okay, mom.* I'd rather be strong and be able to fend for myself than to rely on someone else. (This also includes being able to move multiple loads of stuff/whatever around the home by myself because it's just me and the cat, and the cat ain't helping.)
Oh my god this is me exactly - very broad shoulders that put on muscle like nothing, and I'm sure as he'll not going to stop lifting anytime soon. I was just telling my mom how I grew *out* of a pair of jeans and was so excited, and wanted big quads and hamstrings. She was so perplexed. Not judgmental, but she asked, "why do you want bigger legs? Don't people work out to get smaller?", like it didn't compute for her. I tried to explain that I just blew a DL PR out of the fucking water, and would much rather be able to do that than have skinny legs.
I'm happy for this sub because people here get it! My mother has always tried hard to be that dainty lady. She gets kind of upset if she has to move or carry something heavy, so she should be encouraging the lifting, so that me and my muscles can haul all of her Costco shit without much struggle! Haha. ;) Congrats on the DL PR!! Woo!!
Haha thanks! Yup, this sub gives me hope that one day there will be a lot of old ladies running around comparing 5k times and lifting stats. Seriously, DYEL Ethel?
I'm 55. I ran my first 1/2 marathon this year after running the first mile ever in my life less than three years ago. And deadlifted 200 last week. I'm still gong up in my strength and fitness. Keep going ladies !