live longer

[dmpi]

No one pushes the limits without it being for bragging rights and ego.

I’ve been a competitive runner for over 25 years. I’ve found that competition provides me with additional motivation to keep running and to stay fit. If “bragging rights and ego” helps motivate you to keep exercising, I say that’s a good thing. Everyone is different, use whatever works for you.

 

[AltaRed]

I’ve been a competitive runner for over 25 years. I’ve found that competition provides me with additional motivation to keep running and to stay fit. If “bragging rights and ego” helps motivate you to keep exercising, I say that’s a good thing. Everyone is different, use whatever works for you.

Fair enough, I don't disagree everyone has their own motivations. But the point that started this was the implication that taking fitness to each new level inferred living longer. It simply doesn't work that way. It doesn't take reaching the top decile in competitiveness to get to the 90% solution as Rich said.

 

[dmpi]

Fair enough, I don't disagree everyone has their own motivations. But the point that started this was the implication that taking fitness to each new level inferred living longer. It simply doesn't work that way. It doesn't take reaching the top decile in competitiveness to get to the 90% solution as Rich said.

I don't think there is a relationship or formula that correlates amount and intensity of exercise to lifespan. That said. Go to the park, and find a runner and a walker. I think you'll find the average runner is healthier (lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, less heart disease, etc) than the average walker.

 

[wabmester]

I don't think there is a relationship or formula that correlates amount and intensity of exercise to lifespan.

The biggest difference is between no exercise and moderate exercise.

Another aspect of the MacArthur Study looked at how twins fared in relation to their aerobic exercise habits. Aerobics blew genetics away. Individuals who walked briskly or jogged for 30 minutes just six times a month had a 40 percent lower risk of dying than their twins who did not exercise.

Edit:

Here's the study: Relationship of leisure-time physical activity and mortality: the Finnish twin cohort.

The hazard ratio for death adjusted for age and sex was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.81) in occasional exercisers and 0.57 (95% CI, 0.45-0.74) in conditioning exercisers, compared with those who were sedentary (Pfor trend <.001). Among the twin pairs who were healthy at baseline and discordant for death (n=434), the odds ratio for death was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.46-0.94) in occasional exercisers and 0.44 (95% CI, 0.23-0.83) in conditioning exercisers compared with those who were sedentary (P for trend, .005). The beneficial effect of physical activity remained after controlling for other predictors of mortality.

 

[mathjak107]

Key word is walked briskly.Walking after a certain speed is grossly inefficiant and can be great cardio training,thats why we are  more comfortable as well as dont look so dorky when we break out into a run.For most of us we need to get above 4-5 mph walking to be in the aerobic range of running.Very very few people ever do it at that level who use walking as their main exercise.Most people walk normally at a 2.5-3.5 pace that i witness at our local jogging path.

 

[mathjak107]

Also the term fit is a big catchall that means whatever you want it to.Life expectancy is more genetic than anything else.I FOR ONE ALREADY SPENT MORE TIME EXERCISING THAN IT PROBLEY ADDED TIME TO MY LIFE.Yeah maybe we can extend it a little bit out by eating right and exercise but for the most part genetically our die is cast.So the term fit really means to me being able to do the things you want to do at the level you want to do them and no more.Lance armstrong may have high cholestrohl,can we say he isnt fit?He may not be considered in great health with certain factors not in normal ranges but he is certainly fit.

 

[Caroline]

My "father-in-law" has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Inoperable, golf-ball-sized tumor. He's getting chemo and radiation at the same time -- a delaying tactic at best.

His wife of 56 years is deeply depressed and almost non-functional. His children are beside themselves. It's torture for him and everyone who loves him, and everyone who loves anyone who loves him.

I know you've heard it a thousand times, but in case the thousand-and-first is the one that does the trick...

STOP. SMOKING. NOW.

 

[Nords]

STOP.  SMOKING.  NOW.

As if that's gonna change someone's behavior.

My father can quit whenever he wants... why, he's done it hundreds of times!

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

My "father-in-law" has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Inoperable, golf-ball-sized tumor. He's getting chemo and radiation at the same time -- a delaying tactic at best. I know you've heard it a thousand times, but in case the thousand-and-first is the one that does the trick...

STOP. SMOKING. NOW.

Caroline,

I'm terribly sorry for your family's ordeal.

I work in a cancer center. Outside the entry on the way to the parking ramp is a small area for smoking, out of the way, kind of like a leper colony. It is always in use. Amazing to me. What a powerful addiction. Sad.

 

[Caroline]

(quote)My father can quit whenever he wants... why, he's done it hundreds of times! (/quote)

LOL! I hear you on this one, Nords -- I've given up sugar and lost that extra 10 lbs. about a grillion times... I keep finding it again, though.

Still, you never know! My dad quit a number of times, but the last one, 25 years ago, finally "took" and he's been off 'em ever since. He didn't do it for health reasons, but for frugality's sake. "When a carton got up to $5 out at the base I figured I'd had enough."

His method was to wean himself off -- light one and smoke half, then put it out, then put one in his mouth but not light it... and so on.

My mother quit about 15 years ago -- went cold turkey. She just "made a decision" one day and that was it. She still had a few old packs around the house, but says they never tempted her because she'd made up her mind about it.

I'd like to think that hope springs eternal, and that if one method doesn't work, there's another one out there that might. And with my FIL's diagnosis, I am TRULY glad that my parents didn't let their first failures convince them that they shouldn't keep trying. I told them so this weekend.

You smokers out there -- keep trying, you can DO it!!!!! Your kids will thank you for it, and you'll be around to say "you're welcome."

P.S. Thanks, Rich_in_Tampa, for the kind word.

 

[TromboneAl]

Very sorry to hear that, Caroline.

I'll never forget rushing from a funeral of a young friend who died of smoking-related cancer to a big band gig. It was surreal to watch some of the players smoking during break. I wanted to make a scene, but I didn't.

 

[LRS]

I went to a local restaurant years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was glad to see that they had recently converted to a completely smoke-free environment. Right behind me was a group of middle-age ladies who were complaining loudly that they were accostomed to smoking at lunch, they were outraged at the change, and so on. One woman was saying "All of that smoking causes cancer stuff is just b.s. ... "

My mom quit smoking for years, then she started smoking again and had a stroke within a few months. She quit again, but had a fatal stroke about a year after the first one. She was 68. My sisters both smoke and they don't want to hear that mom died of smoking. They will go to extreme lengths to deny it. There's no use trying to talk to them about it. One of my sisters has a bad heart, too. There's denial for you.

I don't know if I will live longer--my dad just died at age 72--but at least I can stay as healthy as possible as long as I can. I don't smoke, I do exercise, and I am losing weight.

 

[Caroline]

Just got word that my father-in-law's lung cancer has spread to his liver -- they're suspending chemo and radiation (after only 5 days of treatment) and calling in hospice.

I have (thankfully) no experience with this, and don't want to ask too many questions of MIL -- she's on the edge as it is. What little I learn is 4th hand.

I know each case is different, but does anybody out there have the misfortune of knowing what this might mean, generally speaking? If they end treatment, are we talking months, weeks...??

Thanks for any guidance here...

PS: and in case I didn't already say it... stop smoking, y'all. today. right now.

 

[astromeria]

My father was diagnosed with serious lung cancer at age 87. He opted to forego any treatment and got hospice instead. He was gone in 6 weeks. The last 2 weeks he spent a lot of time under the morphine, but he perked up when my daughter (his eldest grandchild) came to visit, and died later that day.

I'm very sorry, Caroline. I wish strength and closeness to your whole family.

EDIT My father was a smoker, too, but quit in his late 60s/early 70s (hard to remember...he quit so many times). He had a very bad case of pneumonia the year before, and we later suspected the cancer may have started to grow at that time.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I know each case is different, but does anybody out there have the misfortune of knowing what this might mean, generally speaking?  If they end treatment, are we talking months, weeks...??   

For medicare, hospice means...

they must be certified by a physician to be terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or less. While they no longer receive treatment toward a cure, they require close medical and supportive care which a hospice can provide. Hospice care under Medicare includes both home care and inpatient care, when needed, and a variety of services not otherwise covered by Medicare. The focus is on care, not cure. Emphasis is on helping the person to make the most of each hour and each day of remaining life by providing comfort and relief from pain.

- I'm so sorry about this, I remember going through similar issues with my father

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Just got word that my father-in-law's lung cancer has spread to his liver -- they're suspending chemo and radiation (after only 5 days of treatment) and calling in hospice.

I know each case is different, but does anybody out there have the misfortune of knowing what this might mean, generally speaking? If they end treatment, are we talking months, weeks...??

Caroline,

I'm very sorry for your family suffering. It's always hard.

You got it right when you said that every case is different, on top of which without technical detals speculation is not worth much.

That said, it is likely that progressive weakness will occur, poor intake (not worth trying to force nutrition - doesn't work), perhaps a level of somnolence. Maybe pneumonia will hasten things, or perhaps progressive liver failure with gradual coma. With good palliative care it can be managed with minimal pain, and even terminal sedation if that becomes necessary.

My suggestion to the family is to accept what is, enjoy the hours of meaningful exchange, and create no resistance. Many dying people really value company even if there is no talk, so just being there a few minutes at a time is helpful. Watch your MIL closely, and give her "permission" to leave, get some sleep, take a walk, and generally keep herself together - spell her once in a while.

Another thing is that many spouses in particular feel a need to be present at the moment of death. While this is understandable, it is a moving and unpredictable target - you can spend so much emotional currency on trying to time that moment that it interferes with the quality of what time you do have. Being there means generally being there, not literally being there every second, so that's another area where you can offer support and "permission" to not focus on that target.

Just some random thoughts. Hope they might prove helpful.

 

[Caroline]

Astro, Master, Rich... these are all VERY helpful comments.

Clearly, we're not going through anything a lot of other folks have not experienced already -- my sympathies right back at you, and special thanks for chiming in on what is a sad issue no matter how you slice it.

I just hope I can support my sweetie during this time. He was hoping to do a personal history or oral history with his father. I hope he still has the time to commemorate at least a part of his dad's life.

Best to all,
Caroline

 

[Zoocat]

Caroline,
My deepest sympathies are with you and your family.

 

[samclem]

Caroline,

My father also died of lung cancer in 1982. He had smoked since he was a kid. I recall my sis and I asking both he and mom to quit smoking many times as we were growing up. They did quit several times, spent money on all kinds of programs, but never did stay off the things for long. It can be an incredibly difficult addiction to break. Try not to dwell on the causation part of your FIL's plight, it isn't helpful. You'll have the rest of your life to be filled with rage at what tobacco addiction has cost your family. It will subside, but not quickly.

Like your FIL, my Das's tumor was inopeable when they found it. He went through chemo and radiaton treatments, and lived for almost two years after diagnosis. Every case is different, and I don't know how much time his treatments bought us. It sounds like your FIL might be farther down the road than my Dad was. Pain medications: Use enough of them. I've read that the science/art of pain management has really come a long way, and I'm sure you'll find experts within the hospice environment.

As usual, I can't improve on Rich's comments. This will be a tough road for your family. It sounds trite, but during my Dad's sickness and even after his death, I kept asking myself "what Dad would really want me to be doing?" I knew he'd want me to be looking after my sister and taking care of things, not dweling on what a rough hand we'd been dealt. But, just sitting at the bed and talking, or being there with him as he rested and having quiet solitude to think about all manner of things, was true quality time in retrospect.

Best wishes.