Retirement may be hazardous to your health

[haha]

We can be more out of shape than we realize. Last Thanksgiving I decided it was time to return to kettlebell exercises that I used to do and enjoy. This was about 6 months post hip replacement, and I had been hill walking and indoor rowing regularly. So I figured I would start light, and low rep. I picked up a modest bell and did about 20 two handed swings. Waited a few days, no noticeable soreness or other issues. So I upped the bell weight modestly, and did 100 reps. This gave me back pain that hung around close to 2 months. I had never had back pain from kettlebells or almost any other weight lifting before.

The pain is gone now, but I am a bit nervous about trying again, though kettlebell swings are an awesome exercise .I figure I lost a lot more strength than I knew while on cane and crutches waiting for my operation. Even though I kept moving all this time, it was different in ways that I could not foresee

Many of us (definitely including me) kind of jump in and figure out the details later, but this can be hazardous!

Ha

 

[Amethyst]

And it's not just older folks that get out of shape and suffer the consequences...at age 25, I was laid up for several days with terrible back pain from a day trip to a "gold panning" site (some gimmick where the water is "seeded" with gold flakes, and you pay to play at panning for a few hours - ending up with about as much gold as you'd get in a bottle of Goldwasser cordial). As a desk worker, I took daily walks to "stay in shape," but being so young, I'd never given a thought to core strength.

Amethyst

We can be more out of shape than we realize. Last Thanksgiving I decided it was time to return to kettlebell exercises that I used to do and enjoy. This was about 6 months post hip replacement, and I had been hill walking and indoor rowing regularly. So I figured I would start light, and low rep. I picked up a modest bell and did about 20 two handed swings. Waited a few days, no noticeable soreness or other issues. So I upped the bell weight modestly, and did 100 reps. This gave me back pain that hung around close to 2 months. I had never had back pain from kettlebells or almost any other weight lifting before.

The pain is gone now, but I am a bit nervous about trying again, though kettlebell swings are an awesome exercise .I figure I lost a lot more strength than I knew while on cane and crutches waiting for my operation. Even though I kept moving all this time, it was different in ways that I could not foresee

Many of us (definitely including me) kind of jump in and figure out the details later, but this can be hazardous!

Ha

 

[Sojourning]

Yeah, on a serious note, some people retire and then suddenly become more active after years of sitting behind a desk. Common sense should tell them you don't suddenly jump into physical activity but then if common sense were indeed common (everyone had it), the term 'common sense' would have no reason to exist.

 

[shasta]

I worked out everyday when I was at megacorp - I still do it after FIRED but I dread the ultimate having to slow down some day.

Working out and stretching regularly helps keep my joints and range of motion in tact. Diet is good to get straight too.

 

[jcretire77]

I've always kept my weight down as I was a rabid tennis player. Eventually enough injuries and fear of another surgery caused me to switch to golf. Long story short, less exercise, more aches and pains, especially in my left knee. The other day during the review of a doctors visit that indicated my blood sugar was too high I've made some drastic reductions in sugar, started taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate again and I feel a ton better. Plus down about three pounds in the last month.

 

[Chuckanut]

Stop bragging and keep working.

Work will set you free.

 

[ls99]

For the overly ambitious, one can always partake in picking cotton.

 

[H2ODude]

This thread definitely resonates with me. Been retired 1.5 years. At first I started jogging and got a nasty case of plantar fasciitis that took several weeks to heal. Started riding my bike instead. Problem solved. Then, I started doing manual labor around the house, such as building a retaining wall and cutting down several dead trees and splitting the wood. This resulted in 3 or 4 different occasions of severe back injury... in bed for a week each time. Both knees have a tendency to swell up as well with too much hard physical labor.

I've learned to pace myself better since those early days and I also hire out the more physical tasks. Still, with the combination of riding my bike, low-carb diet, reduced work stress, and increased physical activity, my overall health has improved dramatically since ER. My advice is: don't try to do too much early on. The sedentary lifestyle of a Megacorp workaholic does not prepare one for moving large stones or tree trunks.

I treated my plantar fasciitis by easing off running and taking up mountain biking. That got me a broken collar bone; I thought the continued pain was the titanium plate but that turned out to be "frozen shoulder;" which I'd never heard of. So now I hike, mountain bike slower, and use the gym. Seems to be working. Run now and then but really don't want the PF back.

 

[LinCella]

I'm certainly having more neck and back pain but I was pretty lazy for the first year of retirement, but I had so many work injuries that I would never go back! The laziness I can take of, but the shoulder and hand problems from work will never be 100% back to normal.