Am I old yet?

[W2R]

Question for those of you already retired, especially if you retired from stressful jobs...

Did you feel a new breathe of life/youth when you stopped working? Did having freedom to sleep/exercise/putz around bring back vitality?

(I'm 52 - and hoping to retire soon... and hoping for that effect... I'm exhausted at the end of work days.)

Somewhat, yes, but not completely. I work on achieving this result. My "job" in retirement has been losing weight, working out at the gym, and so on. This, along with the tremendous stress reduction that comes with retirement, has helped quite a bit. In my case, I worked in a cubicle at a job that did not permit as much movement and exercise as I would have wished, so I am countering all those years of enforced sitting.

 

[jim584672]

You know you are old when you yell, "Get off the grass!" to kids playing.

 

[Mulligan]

I read an article recently from a newspaper writer who wrote a column about getting yelled at by his editor for attaching the word "elderly" to a specific name of a person. He was told only use that word in generalities, but not to a specific age or person as if offends the older readers who are the biggest subscribers to newspapers.


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[panacea]

I'm really envious of you geezers that don't feel old, just kidding about the geezer part . I'm "only" 51 but feel much older. Maybe it's my stressful life (ridiculously long work days, awful commute, DW's cancer fight...) I don't know, I just feel worn out, tired all the time, no energy (maybe it's low T?, yeah right) and I wonder how bad I'll feel when I really do get old I think I need a good long vacation...

I think stress has a lot to do with how old we feel. I swear I felt old from my mid 30s to mid 40s. Tired, achy, stressed...just exhausted all the time. I was convinced my aches and pains were primarily coming from looking at my computer all the time. Must be poor ergonomics, I thought. While I still have tough days I've never felt younger and healthier. Over the last 18 months, I've changed my diet, I get more sleep (not always the best sleep) and exercise about 6 days a week. My neck and shoulders don't hurt anymore, I'm more flexible, I'm at my ideal body weight and my mood is greatly improved. I find that I slide when I don't have enough to do... snacking too much and getting lazy. Kind of makes me wonder if I'll be able to keep this lifestyle up in retirement. Always thought I'd exercise more when I have more time but I think it may actually take more discipline. Well, there's no way I will go back to feeling as bad (and old) as I did before, so I guess I just answered my own question.

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

I'm 59, going to be sixty and was excited that I would Age up this year in triathlon rankings as I have always been slow. In previous years there have been zero or maybe one other over 60 women competing. So I did a small tri a couple of weeks ago, thinking I would place first or second. There were SIX women in my age group!!! I placed 4th! What an eye opener that there are lots of folks out there still kicking it around. The only time I feel old is when I have to remember something...so I just keep swimming....

 

[Nobulife]

Today I started digging over a small area to create a vegetable plot. I turned over about two thirds of the area and then decided to leave it and finish up tomorrow. I could say I stopped because I am older and have to pace myself. But I prefer to think that I stopped because I am wiser, and being retired have plenty of time to complete the task without straining my back and waking up tomorrow stiff as a board as I would have done if I had a job to go to and a family to look after.
I am 62 and don't consider myself or anyone in their 60s or 70s to be old. To me it isn't old age it is gold age.After a period of adjustment due to unexpectedly retiring and dealing with some stressful family matters I am now enjoying a golden time - nothing spectacular but a contentment with my life, an appreciation of what we have and a peaceful acceptance of what we haven't, a renewed sense of fun, a closer relationship with DH and all the time in the world to do as much or as little as I want from moment to moment. Truly a time to smell the roses.

 

[HFWR]

I am 62 and don't consider myself or anyone in their 60s or 70s to be old. To me it isn't old age it is gold age.After a period of adjustment due to unexpectedly retiring and dealing with some stressful family matters I am now enjoying a golden time - nothing spectacular but a contentment with my life, an appreciation of what we have and a peaceful acceptance of what we haven't, a renewed sense of fun, a closer relationship with DH and all the time in the world to do as much or as little as I want from moment to moment. Truly a time to smell the roses.

Well put!

 

[Khan]

Question for those of you already retired, especially if you retired from stressful jobs...

Did you feel a new breathe of life/youth when you stopped working? Did having freedom to sleep/exercise/putz around bring back vitality?

(I'm 52 - and hoping to retire soon... and hoping for that effect... I'm exhausted at the end of work days.)

Retired at 54.
Noticed I was losing weight without planning. Lost 80# over 3 years. Blood pressure went down to human.
Arthritis hurt less.

Some of the pains are coming back now as I age.

 

[H2ODude]

63, don't feel old at all. However, age and its effects are never far from our conscience here. Had MIL in home for 8 years and watched her decline until we finally placed her in assisted living. So we got a constant example of what happens to older bodies (well, especially those affected by chronic conditions as she is). So we're pretty intent on fitness; we like to eat and while DW is thin, I'm borderline overweight in spite of biking, running and walking a lot. I'm ok with that though as long as I feel "fit."

I find myself comparing what my parents were like at our current age and we are much more active and healthy. Of course many years of smoking aged both of my parents (and eventually took their lives). So we feel fortunate to be ahead of the game.

I like to read a lot of non fiction books that seem to include tales of escaping death and it seems universal that to do so gives one an incredible appreciation of life and the desire to enjoy each day as a gift. Thankfully I haven't had such an experience, but I endeavor to live as fully as possible each day and to look at each one as a gift; never know when the jig is up.

 

[Calico]

I don't feel old, but my next birthday will be 60! Oh my, how did that happen so quickly! I feel like I should be about 25. At any rate, the looming milestone birthday has me reading this thread with interest.

A friend of mine is celebrating her 60th birthday today. I will take her out to lunch tomorrow to continue the celebration, and in 18 months when my turn at 60 comes she will do the same for me. We both feel this is one of the best times of our lives, and neither of us feels old.