Help! I'm trapped inside a 53 year old body!

[tangomonster]

What should a 50+ body feel like? (No comments from the peanut gallery!)

I do understand that aging can take some toll on the body and that things which were easy/quicker/more flexible twenty years earlier may not be quite so anymore. But lately I've been seeing a decrease in my endurance just doing three miles of pretty quick (15 minute mile) walking. The weather here has gotten cooler, so it's actually more conducive to walking. I have no health problems, eat very well, and exercise (walking or stationery bike) daily. DH is feeling it too. We aren't interested in doing the Appalachian Trail or climbing the Swiss Alps, but now we are beginning to wonder if we can do strenuous four mile hiking! It's not that I expect to live forever or feel exactly the way I did when much younger, but should the fifties really feel appreciably different than the forties ('specially if 50 is the new 40!)?

I know---only a Baby Boomer could be asking this! Fifty years ago, no one would even be questioning not having a lot of stamina when they were 53!

 

[Zoocat]

Well, I'm no expert but today I'm sick and the ER forum is one of my entertainments so I have lots to say on many topics! IMHO, as we get older we have to work harder to maintain the ole bod.

I wanted to have more energy hiking the mountains so last year I started a vigorous hill climbing regime, plus doing intervals on the elliptical at the gym. Also, weight training to maintain the muscle mass. The result? By spring, LOTS more stamana. I think the same is true for anyone, any age, but at our stage of life we have to be more deliberate about it.

Have you ever heard of Jack LaLanne, the godfather of fitness? Born in 1914 and still fit. The Official Jack La Lanne World Wide Web Site

 

[RunningBum]

I hope that's supposed to be 3 miles an hour, because "a mile an hour" isn't quick at all!

I don't think you should be seeing a noticeable decrease in endurance if you've been walking regularly. Maybe you need a couple days of rest, or maybe you're a bit under the weather, or you may just be at a plateau you need to break through; but if you continue to see your endurance decrease it might be worth seeing a doctor. Like you say, with age you'll lose some flexibility, strength, etc. but it should be a pretty gradual fall off if you're still active. If you were to keep track of your time I'm guessing that you might find yourself walking a bit slower time (can't even guess how much), but not really feeling anymore sapped of energy.

Now if you did a lot less working out this summer in the heat, and are trying to get back to where you were in the spring now, it wouldn't surprise me that it's taking you longer to get back up to the same endurance.

Have you put on weight recently? Dragging around extra pounds is tiring.

Have you changed what/when you eat before your walks? Maybe you're just running out of fuel.

My trail running club just put on a 100 mile race on a fairly rigorous trail this weekend. I had other things going on and am not up to doing a 100 miler (yet). Of the 20 finishers, the median age was 46. The top 5 were 46-53. The oldest finisher was 58. I think this was his first 100 mile finish. Lots of people are doing some incredible endurance feats into their 50s and well beyond.

 

[donheff]

The fifties shouldn't whack you too hard absent some particular problem. But you do need to exercise regularly. If you slack off a few weeks you will feel it - although you can get back to normal pretty quickly.

 

[Sandy]

Turned 50 this past year. If I miss the gym, the slide in strength and endurance is quicker and the recovery back to baseline is slower. Other noticeable changes include slower reaction times, less flexibility and aches and pains take longer to heal and I need work around them more gently. But, still do advanced step classes and weight lifting. I don't run well - never did, but this past spring checked it out and can still do a mile in the same bad time I used.

 

[Nords]

What should a 50+ body feel like? (No comments from the peanut gallery!)

Rich will no doubt be by shortly (he's putting on his exam gloves), but in the meantime take a look at this post on "Younger Next Year":
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/geezers-30224.html#post560086

Barring undiagnosed cardiovascular disease, it's a daily battle to fight back.

 

[twaddle]

Windsurf posted a link to 70 year-old Art De Vany a while back:

Art De Vany

Definitely worth checking out his writings.

 

[W2R]

I think it may take longer to build up to a given level of exertion, or else maybe I am being easier on myself!

Start at whatever level you are at right now, work out consistently, and gradually build up from there. Let your body tell you when you can do more. Earlier this year I found out that little ol' unathletic me, at 59, can lift heavier weights than a lot of the younger women at my gym. All it takes is to keep at it. And do you think I was beaming with pride when I found this out? You're right!! I was!! It probably took me a lot longer to build up to that than it took the younger women, though.

Of course it's easy to preach - - I'm trying to get back to my habit of going to the gym more often.

I have also found that extended stretching at the stretching station at my gym is HUGELY helpful to me. What I thought was bad arthritis and sciatica was just tight tissues, I guess, because stretching really helps.

 

[haha]

I hope that's supposed to be 3 miles an hour, because "a mile an hour" isn't quick at all!

I believe she said a 15 minute mile, which is 4 mph.

ha

 

[Puzzley]

My mid-fifties is where I began to notice a significant decline in my physical abilities, especially endurance. 62 now, and further decline is evident. Although I can still walk just as far as I could at 55, I can no longer do it at 4+ mph any more for any significant length of time. My physical losses are what I dislike the most about the aging process.....

 

[RunningBum]

I believe she said a 15 minute mile, which is 4 mph.

ha

Before the edit the post said a mile an hour. Now I can't edit mine to remove the reference.

 

[mb]

Turned 50 this past year. If I miss the gym, the slide in strength and endurance is quicker and the recovery back to baseline is slower. Other noticeable changes include slower reaction times, less flexibility and aches and pains take longer to heal and I need work around them more gently. But, still do advanced step classes and weight lifting. I don't run well - never did, but this past spring checked it out and can still do a mile in the same bad time I used.

I turned 50 this year but I'm in denial.

The only reason why my 10k time is slower than it was 20 years ago is that I'm out-of-shape, over-weight and recovering from injuries.

Being over-the-hill has nothing to do with it and that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

MB

 

[toofrugalformycat]

I'm in the low 50's. I've been a regular at the gym for more than a decade. I'd been sliding on how much weight I could do without injury. I found that four short sessions with a trainer recently (I shared him with two other people so it didn't cost too much) made a huge difference. This guy showed me how to do things differently now that I'm a bit more rickety. There are noticeable improvements in only a month.
Although my creaky knees have never allowed running for any distance, I found my biking and stairstepping capacity improved dramatically when I added wind sprints.
Hiring a trainer for your body is like getting a tuneup for your car! Oops - do they still tune up cars?

 

[youbet]

My mid-fifties is where I began to notice a significant decline in my physical abilities, especially endurance. 62 now, and further decline is evident. Although I can still walk just as far as I could at 55, I can no longer do it at 4+ mph any more for any significant length of time. My physical losses are what I dislike the most about the aging process.....

I'm with you Puzzley.

I'm sixty. Both my canoeing partner and I noticed a loss of stamina beginning in our mid fifties. I retired at fiftyeight and have been focusing cash and time on my favorite outdoor activities because I can feel the end coming.

Three years ago, we did a week long fly in and paddle out canoe trip in Quetico Park. A great adventure and we made it OK. But today I doubt if we'd put ourselves in harms way like that again due to deterioration of our physical abilities.

So, time to schedule all those activities requiring physical strenth and stamina before they aren't fun anymore!

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

grandpa played about 5 hours or more of tennis almost every day of his life all the way into his 70s and even through our very hot florida summers. the only thing that slowed him was alzheimer's and that didn't even take his body at first but his mind. we eventually had to remove him from the courts because he was stealing everyone's rackets and balls. bad grandpa.

but i definitely notice a difference in my body from 10 years ago. not in endurance but in flexability (and i know i need to learn stretching, yoga and the like) and also in--not so much strength but in--what stresses the body can handle. where 10 or 20 years ago i was indestructible, today i'm careful not to push myself too hard in weight training and in swimming so that i don't pull something out of wack.

i'm 50 now and one of my big concerns in planning my next 20 years is what will i be able to do as my body inevitably weakens. should i hike & trek around different countries first or go sailing and snorkling in the islands? should i skip sailing, go treking and then just hop on a trawler later in life? which takes more physical effort? and on top of all that i have to wonder if it is pessimistic to plan my life according to how i will deteriorate?

 

[grumpy]

I have been swimming laps daily for the past 30 years and periodically keep track of my time for a one mile swim. The times have lengthened gradually and steadily over that period, despite staying at the same perceived level of exertion. In my 30's I could do a mile in under 30 mins. Now that I've hit 60 it takes me around 35 mins. That's not too steep a decline. My stamina has also declined. Until a few years ago I would generally swim up to 1.5 miles of continuous freestyle. Now, completing one mile is about my limit and some days I only do a half to three quarters of a mile.

I used to enhance my cardio fitness by varying my breathing patterns (e.g. only breathe every 4th or 6th or 8th stroke). Now, due to back problems, I mostly use a snorkel (to reduce twisting). I've also given up flip turns and due to my back I hardly kick at all (causes foot and leg cramps). This puts extra stain on shoulders and elbows which sometimes requires me to take a day or two off.

Overall I think the declines in strength and stamina have been modest. If it weren't for the back problems I think I would still be capable of times close to those in my 30's. I generally end each swim by hyperventilating and swimming 50 yards without a breath. That ability has not suffered over the years.


Grumpy

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

grumpy that's excellent swimming you do. i also don't do flip turns but for a different reason. they make me seasick. i can't go on amusement rides that put me upside down either.

i used to use catalyst hand paddles and zoomer fins to strenthen my stroke & kick but the paddles put too much stress on my shoulders and the fins upset the arthritis in my feet so now i just swim without them.

 

[donheff]

I'm in the low 50's. I've been a regular at the gym for more than a decade. I'd been sliding on how much weight I could do without injury. I found that four short sessions with a trainer recently (I shared him with two other people so it didn't cost too much) made a huge difference. This guy showed me how to do things differently now that I'm a bit more rickety. There are noticeable improvements in only a month.
Although my creaky knees have never allowed running for any distance, I found my biking and stairstepping capacity improved dramatically when I added wind sprints.
Hiring a trainer for your body is like getting a tuneup for your car! Oops - do they still tune up cars?

I am also a gym regular and am tempted to pursue the trainer avenue (at least briefly) but I am not sure which of the trainers really understand aging issues. Can you share some of the tips he or she gave you in addition to the wind sprints?

 

[Sarah in SC]

Don, find a certified trainer. Have an interview with him/her and ask specifically about issues related to aging. Strength and Conditioning coaches are worth the money in my experience, but don't waste time with the "trainers" at the gym, unless they are actually certified. My trainer spends a lot of time doing CE and he knows his stuff, especially nutrition. To look at him, though, he's a meathead bodybuilder!

 

[REWahoo]

I've been seeing this thread title for the past two days and resisting the temptation to post something about some of us being interested in finding a young(er) 53 year old body to get into...

Nahhhh. Nevermind...

 

[grumpy]

grumpy that's excellent swimming you do. .

Lazy,

Thanks. Swimming has been a lifelong passion. I taught swimming and was a lifeguard as a teenager. I met Mrs. Grumpy when she was also a lifeguard. Our kids learned to swim at age 6 months through the Water Babies program. My son grew up to be an elite swimmer - 4 time ACC champ in college, ranked 25th in the world in 1995 in the 200M Breast. This meant we were always involved with swimming as meet officials and club volunteers. We selected the 55 or better community where we now live based partly on the fact that there is a very nice indoor pool here. It is a 5 min. walk from the house. I use it almost every day along with the hot tub (feels great on my aching back).

Grumpy

 

[toofrugalformycat]

Donheff wrote: "...I am not sure which of the trainers really understand aging issues. Can you share some of the tips he or she gave you in addition to the wind sprints?"

It's tough because the information is so specific to my problems. I am not a trainer and don't want anyone to follow my advice and hurt themselves. First I'd encourage you to find a good trainer. Get to know the people at a gym and ask around, don't just believe the certification (although certification is comforting). I've known this guy for years, and watched him working with other geezettes. He's no spring chicken, either.

As partial answer to your question, my problems involved mostly proper form - wrist position and posture. He had to show me (and sometimes shove me) to do it correctly. Also I was using momentum (just swinging the weight) rather than pausing and holding. And he had me do more reps at lower weights. But really, it's specific for each person, especially if you have old injuries.
Oh yeah, he greatly improved my walking speed by having me stand up straighter and take shorter steps.

 

[mb]

Somebody mentioned the benefits of doing sprints intervals.

This is from an old thread but I think that it is also relevant to this thread:


I decided to post this after reading the "Die at 80" topic:

http://outside.away.com/outside/body...raining-1.html

It is an article from Outside magazine suggesting that brief, very intense physical exercise can increase natural human growth hormone (HGH) production and presumably slow the aging process.

I recall hearing many years ago that HGH production starts to decline in the 20s but that exercise stimulates production but have never bothered to research it.
(I'm an aerobic sports addict anyway so I would probably continue to do it even if it was unhealthy!)

The downside?* It hurts and it is easy to get injured.* I relearned that this week when I pulled a hamstring while doing 400m running intervals (part of the normal routine).

MB

 

[TromboneAl]

I've been seeing this thread title for the past two days and resisting the temptation to post something about some of us being interested in finding a young(er) 53 year old body to get into...

I'm not sure you want to be trapped in a younger body, though.

 

[Beststash]

What should a 50+ body feel like?

I retired at 52 (now 56) and prior to my retirement I walked around a track in our office complex everyday at noon. In the summer Austin heat that was enough to "break a sweat". At the time I knew that I was not in good shape but I considered it better than just sitting at my desk all day.

I began a walking regime immediately upon retirement. I started at about 1 mile and gradually over about a year worked up to about 8 miles a day (2 hours).

During this year I dropped about 40 lbs. and I was constantly sore but not to the level of real discomfort and I also went through a period of just pushing myself in terms of breath and also energy.

I have kept up this routine for the last 4+ years (now 56) and now I am probably at a point where I will see no more changes unless I change or add my exercise routine. During this time I gradually began to add back weight slowly but in muscle. I am still about 25 lbs. less than I was before but my body has changed dramatically. My legs are pure muscle and the changes were very noticeable in terms of stamina and tone. Even during my youth my legs were not in that good of shape - it is really cool. I lost weight overall but the most noticeable was my waist and lower body. Walking does very little to the upper body in terms of toning but a change is noticeable in terms of weight loss. Now I am never out of breath at any time and that feels good but I still do not have the strength or stamina that I had in my earlier years. In general I feel great but still occasionally do get the tinge of arthritis, etc. I have found that I do much better to rest for a day about every 3-4 days but I usually let the weather take care of that for me.

Once you get into the habit - if you miss a over a couple of days you will not feel as well and because I have so many other vices - I view my short 2 hour exercise as a small "exercise credit" to help offset some of my other not so good habits.

I am very thankful that I found an exercise that seems to be just perfect for me - I cannot imagine now how much different my life would be otherwise.

I think whatever level of exercise you do will help offset some of the aging process in terms of qualify of life but their is just no magic pill. You will still have aches and pains, be unable to do what you did in your youth but it is not really that dramatic a difference - usually you don't do those things anyway (throwing frizbee, flag football, etc).

IMHO, the most important thing is to stick with your plan and gie it time as you slowly progress. Once you get through the short term stress, pain, your body will reward your mind and spirit.

Have fun!!

Peace