MEN: So...How many GOOD years do you think you have left?

[donheff]

I'm also a fan of "Younger Next Year" and try to maintain at least some physical activity despite some recent setbacks with complications from heart surgery and no sooner getting over that than having a bad fall and bruising the heck out of my leg. That will take another month to get over but I least I didn't break any bones. Then I'll be back at the gym three or four days a week, in the meantime it's walking a couple of times a day. My running days were over 25 years ago after knee surgery.

I read Younger Next Year after reading about it here and found it pretty compelling but was somewhat depressed by the command to "work out HARD six days a week for the rest of your life." That directive seems about as likely to be sustainable for most of us as staying hungry for the rest of our lives to stay slim. Then I read Body by Science, and lots of studies on the value of high intensity interval training, and embraced those instead. They counsel that very brief spurts of activity are all you need for health. So I do six core lifting exercises twice a week and do a few 30 second all out cycling sprints every week and that is it for basic fitness. I hedge my bets by cycling 50 - 100 miles a week in good weather with DW but those are "rambles" relatively speaking, not intense rides, and I can only sustain that activity because I enjoy them for their own sake.

I read tons of stuff on health and fitness and try to keep an open mind but I recognize my tendency to internalize stuff that confirms my bias towards easy does it. A guide on an African safari pointed out that lions don't run around for hours on end. They lay on their backsides 90 percent of the time, sprint briefly to take down a zebra, eat their fill and remain slim and healthy. I'm hoping the HIIT fans are right and we are constituted like that.

 

[eytonxav]

Lets see, at 55 wasn't even thinking about getting old, was still playing adult hardball; at 59 diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, so started to go the gym for first time in my life, after a few years was dead lifting/squatting 315, 225 bench presses; then last year at 66 bout of pancreatitis and gallbladder out, lost 25 lbs, didn't work out much for several months after that; earlier this year cataract surgery which curtailed my workouts again almost 2 months; will be 67 next month, my strength is way down, so no more heavy lifting and have concluded long layoffs are no good, but the good news is that when playing softball I am much faster. In our softball league we have players in the 55+ league that are over 80 yo, so am hoping to be good for at least another 10 yrs.

 

[Chuckanut]

I think worrying about how many good years do I have left is wrong-headed. When and if your years become other than good, you will know. Until then, laissez les bon temps rouler!

Ha

+1

I am not sure what the French quote says, but I think it means "Enjoy yourself, and keep on going".

Like my old grandpappy used to say " Enjoy Yourself! It's later than you think."

 

[txtig]

+1

I am not sure what the French quote says, but I think it means "Enjoy yourself, and keep on going".
]

Let the good times roll!!

 

[Cheesehead]

Someone above wrote:

I went out at 52 and would advise anyone with the means to retire, to do so as soon as possible. If I die tomorrow, I've had a great retirement and thank my lucky stars I was able to do what I did.

This is what I am starting to agree with, you never know when you'll have to stop your favorite thing or stop checking off the physical section of your bucket list, so I'd say to all the forum members under 55 DO IT NOW.

From my observations here at 64, at the late 50's point physical issues happen to men either slow, fast or permanent (sudden croaking). If NOTHING has happened to slow you down, or prevent you doing your hobbies in your 70's, then you are an Outlier! Lucky genes, no sports accidents while young, etc. When we go out with other couples I sometimes have to say, "OK guys! Let's stop talking about our medical conditions, alright? We're starting to sound like Old People!"

Slow: Such as my shoulders starting to ache over a few years and figuring out rehab, meds, supplements, surgery etc. won't help. So equipment goes on Ebay, CL or Salvation Army.

Fast: Something pops or breaks that would not have under the same circumstances 5-20 years earlier. Who knows why? Just a brittleness sets in I suppose? Tendons and ligaments get tight? Accidents from lack of balance, such as the Old Ladder Fall, that would not have happened ten years earlier change everything in an instant. I now am a lot more cautious on ice here in WI, I know if I start to slip I can't recover like I used to, and I am in good shape.

So then the Permanent: I mentioned how at the 40th HS reunion a lot of guys were dead but my morbid curiosity was, "How many were natural causes?" And I started this thread yesterday morning because I had an afternoon appt with the cardiologist, so the last few days I was dwelling on the thread's subject title because I have some heart issues. Fortunately I got away with: "Cut down to one drink per day and exercise 30 minutes a day 4X a week". But I digress again...

The Permanent. These forum brethren under say 55, they don't yet know that around the 60th bday mark, you get a LOT more notices of funerals and wakes you have to attend or at least your wife sends you to the store for a condolence card, at least we did. Just like when they were in their late 20's, early 30's they'd get a lot of wedding invitations. We get, "Did you hear what happened to X?" Around 60 you start to notice guys you know either getting The Grabber or gossip starts about so-and-so coming down with something terminally scary and you say to each other (assuming you're married), "Wow, he looked so great the other week."

So in sum, although at any age your number may be up, a bus with your name, meteor hits you, the problem with hitting 60 is when I look around it feels like a marathon where other participants are dropping off, and I think maybe I'm fortunate and I have to MAXIMIZE what time I have left, at least the physical stuff like scuba, kayak, skiing, etc., but certain parts of my body are saying, "Hey man, it's too late for this, OK?" I always wanted to take piloting lessons and figured it be perfect for retirement but I now realize, if I don't know where I parked my car in the shopping center parking lot, should I be analyzing a Cessna's dashboard at 5000'?

Sidebar: Finished a great non-fiction book, fantastic writer: A Thousand Naked Strangers by Kevin Hazzard. It's about a man working on an ambulance for a few years. The take away was how so many guys, otherwise healthy, over 60, he finds in situations where they suddenly...poof! Got me thinking....

In final summation, although the wife wants to go 1 or 2 more years to max her pension and me get to Medicare and collect SS, I am now cruising my business on auto pilot working 1 or 2 days a week. Making more money at today's returns, why bother killing myself? No pun intended. I visit this forum once a week or so trying to figure out how others wring a little more return out of their nest egg and it's now so negligible, if I only have "a few" good years left, meaning the ones where I can have FUN, then why bother working more to put more money away?

Sorry for my existential rant. Really enjoyed reading what others in their late 50's to mid 60's are experiencing. Thanks

 

[Mulligan]

Ah, at some point, you will think "Why even bother", and just sit in your rocking chair and enjoy the petunia on your front porch.

Is it depressing? No, it's just life. Life is not always about jumping up and down with exuberance. Life can be very sober, and even sad.

That is it in a nutshell...Its all at the point of life you are. If I was 35 reading this, it sounds horrible...But at almost 52, the transitioning has long ago started. When the aches and pains of an activity become too much, it naturally becomes no fun and you gladly surrender it after fighting the good fight and move on to something else. I used to love playing competitive tennis. I hate it now because it hurt my knees too much. Dont miss it, because my knees feel so much better. I used to run, it hurt my knees too much so I quit. Dont miss it because my knees dont hurt. I walk 7-10 miles a day, and enjoy it.
Went and gave blood yesterday, and got my BP checked 120/78. Not bad for an old man and take no meds of any type. I cant complain overall about surrendering a few activities and leaving them for the youngins to play.


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[Car-Guy]

MEN: So...How many GOOD years do you think you have left?

Not as many, nor as GOOD as I had in the past . I'm in my mid 60's and I'm definitely feeling the years. I really didn't notice (or pay much attention) to the aches and pains until my early 50's. Before that, the aches, pains and injuries seem to fade away in a short time. Now they come to stay and accumulate. If I were one of my old cars, I'd say it was time for a full body off restoration. Unfortunately, I don't think I can get all the replacement parts.

 

[Nemo2]

..But at almost 52........//..... Not bad for an old man

Non Sequitur..Non Sequitur........if you think 'almost 52' is old....well, as Bette Davis said, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

 

[SteveNU]

As the song says , I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was

https://youtu.be/ldQrapQ4d0Y


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[brett]

We do two things. We focus on the immediate future...the next nine months and where we will be travelling. And we focus on our health. We maintain our weight, eat a balanced diet, and exercise just about every day. No point in worrying about things we cannot control. Fortunately we have no health issues and take no prescription medication.

That is all we can do. We don't worry about the aging process. When that time comes we will switch out independent land trips for cruises. But we will still go!


I suspect the red wine has helped. At least that is my story and I am sticking to it.

 

[NW-Bound]

Oh boy. If a youngin reads this thread, he/she will want to quit his/her job immediately and leave town in a used motorhome.

Talk about how our unfortunate friends and acquaintances die early, who does not know someone who died in his 40s or 50s? Here one day, gone the next. Quite a few whom we knew were claimed by cancer. You can watch your blood pressure, your heart rate, your blood glucose all you want, but there's no telling when the big C calls on you.

Keep this talk up, and I may up my WR and go out to get a loud and obnoxious cigarette boat.

Just kidding...

 

[Chuckanut]

One fellow I admire a lot had the various minor health problems of the 60+ crowd. But, instead of moaning and groaning about them, he adapted. Long drives became a hassle for him so he took the train, bus or airplane more. He allowed himself more luxury when traveling (less camping and Motel 6 rooms, more upgraded rooms at Hampshire Inn). He hired people to do the big gardening jobs around the house. Later He sold a very nice home with a view on a steep hill with many stairs, for a condo with everything he needed to live on one level (guest rooms and storage were on the 2nd floor.)

One day he realized that making left turns onto heavily trafficked roads was getting on his nerves. So he got a map of his local area, marked his home and all the places he usually drove to, and then mapped out routes that were mostly, if not all, right turns. It turns out he was ahead of his time. A study by UPS found that cutting back left turns made for more efficient delivery times.

Being realistic is a great way to stretch one's dollars, health and time.

 

[hesperus]

The key to active good years: keep your LEGS STRONG.

I'm 57, and am still skiing 50+ days a winter, hiking/climbing 13-14'rs, and generally still in great shape. In fact, I'm skiing better now than I was when I was in my 20's-30's. In the offseason I work my legs regularly, with hiking, cycling and power lifting in the gym so that my foundation for an active lifestyle is maintained. It helps that we have here in Durango a fantastic mountain playground and weather to match. Now, there's no doubt that my recovery time is much slower, and it's easier to overdo it, but what helps me stay this way is maintain a dedication to training for my favorite activities. I think that my training (power lifting) program I started a few years ago has literally reversed some of the aging I would otherwise be going through.

 

[Mulligan]

Non Sequitur..Non Sequitur........if you think 'almost 52' is old....well, as Bette Davis said, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

Probably true! But I am committed to keep the definition of old as a fixed point. Not something that keeps moving back 10 years older than what a person 's current age is. When I was 20, 50 was OLD! So it will be that today, also. But I do not view old as negative or a thing to fear. It is what it is, and I don't really ponder about it too much. I am just happy I am alive.


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[Car-Guy]

Oh boy. If a youngin reads this thread, he/she will want to quit his/her job immediately and leave town in a used motorhome.

Talk about how our unfortunate friends and acquaintances dying early, who does not know someone who died in his 40s or 50s? Here one day, gone the next. Quite a few whom we know were claimed by cancer. You can watch your blood pressure, your heart rate, your blood glucose all you want, but there's no telling when the big C calls on you.

Keep this talk up, and I may up my WR and go out to get a loud and obnoxious cigarette boat.

Just kidding...

Maybe the young ones should read and heed this thread, to a point. Yes, a number of my friends have died "early". By cancer and heart attacks to name a few life ending ailments, in their cases.

When I retired, I based my WR on living to 100. (better to over plan I guess) Five years into retirement, I now realize that's not even a remote possibility (reasonably) for me or the DW. (YMMV) No obnoxious cigarette boats, or space flights, but I'm adjusting accordingly, and plan on keeping a good cushion, just in case.

 

[UpAnchor]

A Ford Pinto is considerably less complex than a human body, and those things broke down all the time

True enough. But as I seem to see more Model A's still running than Pintos, I'm thinking there's something to be said for good "bones"...

 

[NW-Bound]

... When I retired, I based my WR on living to 100. (better to over plan I guess) Five years into retirement, I now realize that's not even a remote possibility (reasonably) for me or the DW. (YMMV) No obnoxious cigarette boats, or space flights, but I'm adjusting accordingly, and plan on keeping a good cushion, just in case.

We are never the ones to think we will live till 100. Heck, I was thinking more like 80, and then I was still disappointed when getting a close call that almost not let me get even a penny back from SS (even now, I am still not eligible). Life is never fair.

Anyway, speaking of material things, if I were to die soon, I would not know what I would want to splurge on. How is making a run around the lake in a fast and loud boat is going to make me feel better about dying soon? I do not believe in a bucket list. If I made such a list, it would be very long, because there are so many things in life to do and see that a person can never exhaust.

Money cannot buy life, not even health. Most it can do is to let you die in less misery. And it does not really take a lot of money for that.

 

[RunningBum]

The key to active good years: keep your LEGS STRONG.

I always figured it was even more important to keep your back strong and healthy. Maybe it's because I don't have a strong core, so I have to do some good core exercises, or else my back will ache. Also I take care in how I lift things (until I'm alone and need to move something awkward up or down stairs, and don't have patience to wait for someone). My legs have always been strong.

 

[Fedup]

I also avoid making left turn. I'm like the post office. Only right turn if I can help it.

 

[pmac]

I'll be 62 in Oct and I'm shooting to retire at the end of the year. Like many guys on this thread, I've been active my whole life, primarily biking,bikepacking and hiking over the past several years. My decision to retire is being driven primarily by the question posed in this thread. Three years ago I had a case of toxoplasmosis that led to an acute pancreatitis attack which then lead to a massive pancreatic psuedocyst that had be removed in pretty complicated surgery. About 3.5 weeks hospitalized over about 6 months with about 4.5 months off of work spread out over a year. Felt like **** for a year, but good to go now.

As we all know, your health can fail without warning. You don't want to spend your last years thinking about what you might have done with your last good years instead of working.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Three years ago I had a case of toxoplasmosis that led to an acute pancreatitis attack which then lead to a massive pancreatic psuedocyst that had be removed in pretty complicated surgery. About 3.5 weeks hospitalized over about 6 months with about 4.5 months off of work spread out over a year...

From the Web:

Toxoplasmosis is a disease that results from infection with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, one of the world's most common parasites.​

Before disaster struck me out of the blue, my son came down with a sudden liver infection caused by a strain of strep bacteria. It was initially misdiagnosed by several doctors, because they did not expect a young healthy guy in his 20s would be afflicted by a disease that only old and feeble people would contract. It could have cost him his life. They never did figure out how he got it.

 

[marko]

Before disaster struck me out of the blue, my son came down with a sudden liver infection caused by a strain of strep bacteria. It was initially misdiagnosed by several doctors, because they did not expect a young healthy guy in his 20s would be afflicted by a disease that only old and feeble people would contract. It could have cost him his life. They never did figure out how he got it.

Now that you mention it, today (May 26) is my fifth "anniversary" of a horrible sepsis infection.

Five years ago tonight I almost died and it took 10 days in the hospital and over a month of heavy antibiotics to get me through it.

Life: it's a good thing.

 

[Lsbcal]

Age 68 and don't have any impressive near death health stories to share.

I do worry a bit about my runs in very rocky hills (state park behind our house). But I love the runs. Maybe once every year or two I have a fall. Just takes a trailing foot clipping an embedded rock sticking up a few inches. I have to remind myself to raise up those steps.

Recently I've added walks in between run days. DW will be getting a gym membership and I might join her. I could perhaps do a little upper body work and swimming.

Thanks to all for sharing your experiences here.

 

[LuckyDog]

I will be 61 very soon and have been ER'd since 53.

One thing that I do notice is that, while still pretty strong, my endurance has dropped off a bit...either that or my desire to tear into things is waning. This despite exercising 4 or 5 times a week. So, I break my hard work tasks into smaller bites than in the old days. Currently staining the house and instead of finishing the job in two 12 hour days, I will finish it in seven or ten 3 hour days. Hey, I AM retired!

Some of my acquaintances of similar age are falling apart. While I have no idea how many good years left, I have nothing to complain about...

 

[razztazz]

I will be 61 very soon and have been ER'd since 53.

One thing that I do notice is that, while still pretty strong, my endurance has dropped off a bit...either that or my desire to tear into things is waning. This despite exercising 4 or 5 times a week.

That might be your problem. Some time back, going on 2 years. I was noticing the same thing. Exercising more wasn't helping. So I curtailed the exercise and began aging in reverse. Stamina went UP instead of down. And I workout with more weight now not less weight. We are nearly the same age. I think we've reached the point where we starting to eat into the principal. And long past the point of capital gains.