Aging Progression and Getting Old

I’ve noticed over the past year that the 12 foot ladder i was ok to climb now strikes fear in me. I’m soon to rollover to 51 and believe that I have good genes based on life spans of relatives. However, this year I noticed I feel like I’ve changed as I don’t want to get up that ladder every again nor do I really want to be in deep bodies of water. Not sure where the fear is coming from. Perhaps it’s just wisdom that I’m finally acknowledging.

I recently had double jaw surgery that caused me to be on a liquid/puréed diet for two months. I remember eating the puréed foods and thinking “this is what babies and old people eat”. Now I’m having to relearn how to eat as my teeth are in their correct place with the jaws moved but they don’t work as intended since the teeth have been worn down from the prior incorrect jaw placement. It’s taught me the unexpected consequences of surgery.

I realized, too, that the progression of aging can be very rapid and occur within a blink of an eye. I was never a gym person or athlete and usually walk for about 40 minutes a day for cardio. But recovery from the surgery has definitely taken a toll on me and making me realize that my longevity might be shorter than I think and making the decision to FIRE should be re-examined on a more regular basis.
 
There are a lot of theories about aging and I tend to agree with the general idea that as an organism one of our main goals is to procreate and raise our children. With that in mind we (girls) reach child bearing age roughly between ages 12-15 meaning the ability to secrete an ova and maintain a pregnancy. Jews (one of the ancient religions) have the age of adulthood at 13 years and I think this is the reason and they celebrate this with a Bar Mitzvah and one of the commandments is to be fruitful and multiply. So, this raises the idea to a tribal level and affirms childbearing at 13. Modern ideas are different but biologically this is the way we are designed.

If you add in another 13 years to raise children then you come up with an age of 26 to achieve the main goal of living which is to replicate. If you add another 13 years to that you come up with 39 and this gives the ability as a grandparent to assist with the raising of children. So, as an organism we only need to live to the age of 26 and some additional to help raise children and take over should a parent die early.

If you accept all of that then you look at essential biological systems you see redundancy built in and I have accepted the common idea that full life is achieved at 39 and everything is downhill after that. So, you can count every day after your 39th birthday as a bonus. All systems start to degrade after that and depending on lifestyle, genetics, and luck you get to live longer.

As an example in 1971 I was in the Army and was detailed (I was in "casual" status waiting for a school to start its cycle) as a technician to a project looking at longevity for military retirees. This data is continuously updated and used as the basis for projecting budgeting and workload for supporting military retires. I recall the average age of death for Army retirees in 1971 was 47 years old. This reflects the age of death for veterans of WWI, II, Korea, and Vietnam in various combinations and was used to project long term trends. I believe that number is now something like 73 years of age which reflects how battlefield casualties are treated, long term support, lifestyle changes such as in 1979 we established minimum body fat levels and earlier in 1975 we established fitness tests for adults not in military schools. Prior to that there were no requirements for that at all. The military also began an intensive program to stop smoking and very slowly stop alcohol consumption. Both have always been associated with the military and in fact combat rations up until 1979 you got cigarettes in them. Anyway, my point is that lifestyle changes at an organizational level have a direct influence on longevity. I believe now the US government is regretting this as now a large portion of the military budget goes towards supporting retirees and veterans and is perhaps unsustainable. This is why they are watering down military retirement benefits.

My point is that these ideas are not new and can be reflected in fiscal policies and sometimes influence larger populations. Now we have global over-population and we are living longer. However, recent changes in American lifestyles are being reflected in the mean age of death dramatically going down which in general reflects bad things in a society. Add in the social engineering towards non-reproductive sexual concepts, marriages later in life and the more affluent having less children and you see the effects on the long term survival rates. Things are changing rapidly and being a cynic I tend to think this is actually the plan.

To address your question at a personal level. I was and am very physically fit and workout roughly 3 hours a day. I used to run marathons up until I was around 40 then shifted to triathlons which I did until I was age 50. I always did things like snowboarding, swimming, hiking, mountain biking and road cycling and still do the latter. We have a pool and I do stationary swimming (on a bungie cord but I add short training fins, hand paddles, snorkel and mask to add more resistance) for 30 minutes every day when the water is warm enough (roughly April through October). I ride a recumbent bicycle for 30-60 minutes every day and now exercise 20 minutes a day on a whole body vibration platform. I also do a 30 minute yoga routine every day and whenever I am idle I toss in 10 pushups and 10 situps several times a day and before bed every night. I use dumbbells on the WBV board on alternate days and do a stretching calisthenics on opposite days. So, at the age of 66 I am in great physical shape. I also make home made yogurt I designed myself with strains that have been proven to help the immune system and lower body fat, blood glucose levels and lower cholesterol. There are also strains that prevent dental carries. There is a clear link to dental disease and heart cardiovascular disease. I have had no dental work for over 30 years (I had a filling I got at the age of 13 replaced when it fell out last year) but see a dentist every 5 years anyway and am told I need nothing at all not even cleaning. My mother at age 94 still has all of her teeth so maybe it is genetic but my brother and children have horrible problems so it is hard to say. I also have 3 15 minute sessions in our sauna every other day and I do a hot yoga workout while in the sauna. We eat well and healthy with no preservatives or chemical additives. They are not used at all nor are they approved for use in Europe. Hungary also bans anything with GMO foods in them and it is illegal to use long acting pesticides here so basically everything is free range and organic. Hungarians do not have long life spans though but it is improving (similar to Russia for the same reasons). Mostly this is due to alcoholism and cigarette use which is still very prevalent here. Their diet is also extremely high on fatty foods very similar to deep fried southern cooking in the US. But lifestyle changes are obvious here so the lifespan is increasing dramatically as well.

A lot of it is lifestyle choices. I am not saying physical fitness is something necessary or that workouts are necessary. I am only saying this is what I do. My wife is the opposite. Both of us have centenarians in our lineage although men on my side rarely live beyond 80. I am hoping I will be different but will not be upset about anything earlier. I have lived a full life and have never shied away from doing anything risky or intensive. For fun periodically I will do something outrageous like a 100 mile bike ride or a 50 mile hike. I don't have to train up to do those which is why I think I am in good physical shape.
 
Chuckanut said:
I think there is a good deal of truth in what you say. My time in the gym was filled with gym rats always urging me on to greater and greater feats of strength and endurance. Nothing was good enough. Feel the Burn! Shred that body! Take these supplements to survive being burnt and shredded! What nonsense for a guy in his 60's.

I look at videos of parks in China where dozens if not hundreds of older folks are doing Tai-Chi, Quidong, and other such slow moving routines. They build and maintain strength, help keep us flexible, improve balance (important since falling is a big No No for older people) and sharpen the mind.

There is a lot of space for health improving/maintaining activities between being a couch potato and 'shredding' your body.
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Absolutely! Yoga is another great example.

Fortunately our neighborhood workout room has no such gym rats, although it can be noisy when people who can’t hear well anyway have the TVs blaring to overcome the noisy machines!

Love it when no one else is in there, or the younger (fifties) generation that prefers their AirPods over the TV system.

Anyway I ignored the “no pain no gain” crap years ago.

Of course you expect a little gentle soreness from muscles rebuilding if it’s been a while since the last exercise, but beyond that you’re probably overdoing it and risking injury. The older we are the longer it takes to recover, sometimes dramatically longer as reiterated by several anecdotes on this very thread!

Balance is so important in aging. Yoga specifically works on that and I need it!
 
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kgtest said:
I hear ya. Little to no travel, little to no social life, little to no real engagement outside the TV etc.

One reason I had children, they sure keep me young (it comes at a cost).

I feel old at 38, certainly not 20 anymore. Lots of older people I work with try hard to appear younger, even though we all know the real age!

I hope I can be done at 50. Pretty sure people will be shocked when I retire..I look like a schoolboy at almost 40 lol.
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I don’t know, sometimes I think I was never forced to grow up precisely because I did not have children!
 
HNL Bill said:
I just visited a bunch of family, including my father, his sisters, and their husbands. Almost all overweight, and almost none exercise. Most are around 80 (78-82) and still kicking, but a couple are having some serious health problems, and have a lack of stamina. I think if they had a regular exercise regime, and were willing to lose weight, they'd feel a lot better.

So far, at almost 54, I'm keeping up with much younger scuba divers, and am outlasting them on most dives. I'm just not as stable on the hikes up and down the cliffs.

Thoughts?
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If they’ve made it to 80 in poor shape, it’s going to be very slow going to improve their health by trying to “get in shape” now, and they probably feel like they’ve beaten the odds anyway.
 
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bloom2708 said:
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You will feel better than at any time from 20 on. You can do it at 30, 50 or 70 or 90.

Research a "whole food, plant based" lifestyle. I have nothing to gain from this advertisement. Live long and prosper.
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I cut out any processed junk (wasn’t eating much anyway) and but otherwise I am doing the opposite - increased meat, cheese, dairy, eggs and non-seed oils and most importantly no grains, legumes, and tubers at all and I feel terrific and my health has dramatically improved. Sorry, I consider the plant-based dogma to be food politics and far from ideal for human health.
 
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audreyh1 - I agree with you. Yoga for me is the baseline exercise I use with all the rest just for fun. The exception is the Whole Body Vibration platform. That has been truly revolutionary for me. I lost all the cartilage in both knees back in the 90's and was told I needed both knees replaced. I am not a big fan of surgery so changed my lifestyle instead and stopped running entirely and shifted to low impact stuff like swimming, cycling, and yoga. It has been okay and tolerable but not great. I have been waiting for when the pain gets too bad and then will get the surgeries. I thought that day was coming soon as the last time I went snowboarding it was awful and very painful. However; the WBV has improved my knees and spine so much I can't praise it enough. I have zero arthritis now after 3 months of use and the pain is nearly gone completely. I still get a twinge in cold wet weather but nothing like it was before. It was getting pretty bad before and previous injuries from parachute landings or snowboard jumps gone wrong were plaguing me in my knees, back and neck. The WBV is the only thing I have added differently and it has really dramatically solved my issues. I added toe raises on the WBV and my balance is now amazing and I can hold one legged poses easily without any balance issues. That was a problem before and a surprise to me that just this simple exercise on a vibrating platform can affect your balance so much. I suppose it makes sense but really I was surprised.

Personally, I switch styles of yoga alternating daily with either Kundalini or Vinyasa styles. The former is for stress relief and the latter is for flexibility and strength. Both involve meditation. I have a set routine I use for each which takes roughly one hour and is fairly intense but very slow. The really nice thing about yoga is you can literally do it anywhere. When we are traveling this is what I do and don't bother with anything else. But, we also tend to walk more than 5 km a day when traveling so it balances out.
 
audreyh1 said:
I don’t know, sometimes I think I was never forced to grow up precisely because I did not have children!
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Ditto.

I've also realized there is no good reason to strain your body to be in good health.You've heard of the "Blue Zones" Longevity in these countries.
https://www.bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9/


1. Move Naturally
The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They grow gardens and don’t have mechanical conveniences for house and yard work.
​
4. 80% Rule
“Hara hachi bu” – the Okinawan, 2500-year old Confucian mantra said before meals reminds them to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 percent full. The 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it. People in the blue zones eat their smallest meal in the late afternoon or early evening and then they don’t eat any more the rest of the day.

5. Plant Slant
Beans, including fava, black, soy and lentils, are the cornerstone of most centenarian diets. Meat—mostly pork—is eaten on average only five times per month. Serving sizes are 3-4 oz., about the size of a deck of cards.




​
 
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audreyh1 said:
I cut out any processed junk (wasn’t eating much anyway) and but otherwise I am doing the opposite - increased meat, cheese, dairy, eggs and non-seed oils and most importantly no grains, legumes, and tubers at all and I feel terrific and my health has dramatically improved. Sorry, I consider the plant-based dogma to be food politics and far from ideal for human health.
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+1

My doctor was very pleased at the improvement in my health after I started eating as you describe. Not only do I feel terrific but I also dropped some excess weight.
 
Amethyst said:
I believe it comes from having a genuine interest in other people, especially your own kids (so their friends and interests are naturally interesting to you).
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Observing 90 year old mom, I'd say her #1 key to staying sharp (and still alive) is her interest in other people. She genuinely likes talking to people and staying abreast of their lives, what they're doing etc.

I'm always amazed at how she might meet someone she hasn't seen in a few weeks or months and pick up right where she left off: "how did your vacation go? how did Johnny do with his college exam? how was hubby's surgery?" and so on.

When she gets to Florida its the same thing with people she hasn't seen in 8 months...like she saw them yesterday. She's naturally outgoing but truly interested in other's lives...in a good way.
 
It's all in your head. If you think you're getting old, then you are. Sure there's nothing we can do to halt the aging process, but there's plenty we can do to slow it down. To me, that starts with thinking and acting like a younger person. That attitude will transfer to your body. And as far as the body goes, it's use it or loose it. I'm in my 70's. I don't look or feel my age. I'm active (go to the gym regularly), eat right, divorced with an active sex life. Sure, some day reality will catch up. I accept that. But I will do whatever I can to fend off the inevitable as long as possible. Some people look at me and my lifestyle and say "You're not acting your age". All I do is look at them and say "Yup, you're absolutely right!"
 
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marko said:
Observing 90 year old mom, I'd say her #1 key to staying sharp (and still alive) is her interest in other people. She genuinely likes talking to people and staying abreast of their lives, what they're doing....
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Same for my 90 yo MIL. She goes out to lunch with friends and relatives several times a week and goes to exercise class 3 times a week. And on the phone with friends/relatives several times a day. Seems like social interaction keeps her going.
 
Ronstar said:
Same for my 90 yo MIL. She goes out to lunch with friends and relatives several times a week and goes to exercise class 3 times a week. And on the phone with friends/relatives several times a day. Seems like social interaction keeps her going.
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For my mom at 86 y.o., she still works at her own business about 15 hours a week bringing in 35k a year.
She also goes to the gym 6 days a week which includes some spinning classes.
 
Dtail said:
For my mom at 86 y.o., she still works at her own business about 15 hours a week bringing in 35k a year.

She also goes to the gym 6 days a week which includes some spinning classes.
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My dad is 86 and doesn’t do jack sh*t lol
 
In fact, it is important to start earlier, like 36. But it's never too late to get going.

aja8888 said:
Thanks, great summary article. At 76, I need to pay attention about this.
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Amethyst said:
In fact, it is important to start earlier, like 36. But it's never too late to get going.
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Although I am in good health for my age, this article is a good reminder to focus on what's needed on a continuing basis. Now that my new replacement hip is a month old, I plan to hit the gym again after Christmas.
 
That's the spirit. I wish you all the best!

aja8888 said:
Although I am in good health for my age, this article is a good reminder to focus on what's needed on a continuing basis. Now that my new replacement hip is a month old, I plan to hit the gym again after Christmas.
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Old Microbiologist said:
DFW-M5, Thanks for the article. It is a problem for us getting older. I use a whole body vibration platform with dumbbells for resistance training.

Here are some scientific articles about WBV and sarcopenia:https://www.researchgate.net/public...and_whole_body_vibration_training_an_overview
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I usually end my workouts on a FreeMotion vibration machine doing body weight squats and calf raises for 2 minutes. I was told it is good for preventing neuropathy and muscle soreness, and some use it as a warm up before exercise. There probably is a better protocol for using the machine, but I do not know what it is.
 
I do a bunch of different stuff on it. I alternate one day exercises without weights and the other with dumbbells. I do 4 sets of squats (straight feet, toes in and toes out which works different muscle groups) and the last set in crow position bent over and straighten the knees which seems to fix my knee problems. I also do pushups on it as well as sitting leg extensions. Pretty much I tried to adapt whatever I was doing without the WBV to try and do it on the machine. Some exercises had to be adapted a bit. I believe because the muscles are trying to compensate for the vibrations it adds a lot extra workout. Sort of like using free weights is better than static machines because of the micro balancing effect movements so this adds much more to that. I feel like I am working out twice as much this way. If I am doing multiple sets it goes over 30 minutes. Single sets of 15 reps is roughly 15 minutes. I stick to a set routine mostly as that is how I remember what to do. But, I also do real workouts like cycling, hiking, and swimming. I also cycle 30 minutes a day on a stationary recumbent cycle. Generally I also try and fit in a 30 minute yoga routine and I toss in all day 10 sets of 10 reps of burpees and pushups. I don't seem to suffer any serious illnesses or have any medical issues at least not yet. Just a bunch of little stuff. I will say though that my arthritis is nearly gone after using the WBV for 4 months. That is a nice surprise.
 
One learns something new from this site every day. I never knew there were vibration machines to help with exercises. Are they mostly at gyms?
 
Chuckanut said:
One learns something new from this site every day. I never knew there were vibration machines to help with exercises. Are they mostly at gyms?
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Yes, one learns a lot here, the articles posted in this thread so far are interesting.

I think vibration machines/accessories for personal use have been on the market for a while. One example is from Soloflex (not a recommendation for or against).

http://www.soloflex.com

https://soloflex.com/collections/whole-body-vibration
 
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