Poll:Age-related issues in retirement

[Elbata]

I got to see this guy speak last night. I'm not sure he still is, but at one time work out trainer for Ellen DeGeneres.

Two comments he made that got me to thinking:
1: Eat you water. (By that he meant foods such as vegetables and fruit. The average person eats 92% of calories either meat or processed foods. With foods containing water, the water is delivered as needed throughout the body. By drinking water, it collects in the stomach. Not sure how true this all is, but did make sense.)
2. He doesn't use the word "exercise". As in going to exercise and doing practically nothing the rest of the day. That's me. I thought exercising I did my thing, I'm good for the day. He said we should think "movement". Moving our bodies, stretching, etc.

John Pierre does bootcamp with Ellen DeGeneres | John Pierre

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I bicycled a lot and worked out at the gym almost daily when younger, but started getting lazy and gaining weight by the time I retired at 48. A diagnoses of prediabetes scared me into losing weight, but too slowly. Although I lost 80 pounds by Jan 2017, I had progressed to full diabetes. I improved my diet (a lot), upped my exercise and started daily insulin and a statin.

I have since lost 28 more lbs, dropped my A1c from 10.9 to 5.8, cholesterol from 234 to 111, triglycerides from 596 to 79, etc. While I still cycle, I mostly walk now, twice/day 2-4 miles each time. Eat a lot of spinach salads, greek yogurt, meat (mostly fish now instead of beef), and burrito bowls.

 

[donheff]

I picked 65-70 because I decided to lose weight and pay closer attention to healthy eating about 5 years ago. But, as I thought about it I could also pick 30 since that was when I started going to the gym which I have kept up ever since.

 

[athena53]

Mr. A. gets comments at the Dr. for the shape he's in. I mean, he has no gut, no moobs, and his legs have muscles you can see. I guess that's just plain astonishin' at his age. He can belt his pants at his (very nice) natural waistline. You'd think it was mandatory that any man over 70 have droopy boobs, a big flabby gut, toothpick legs, and belt his pants just under his arms. But no, plenty of them take good care of themselves and it shows.

You (and Mr. A) are fortunate! It's sad when people accept poor physical condition as inevitable after a certain age. My FB friends post memes about how out-of-shape they are ("If you see me running down the street, call the cops because someone is chasing me") and when I look for birthday cards for friends and family in my age group, most of the cards are jokes about what terrible shape we're in. It takes discipline and a bit of luck, but it doesn't have to be that way.

 

[Kristinia]

I have always been a fitness enthusiast but since retiring 2 months ago I have taken it to a new level. Joined a yoga studio and take a class at least 6 days a week. Nothing like hot yoga to get you going. In addition I ride my bike outdoors (except in cold weather!) and if it is too cold I do the stationary bike. PLUS I have started a dog boarding business and last week I walked 35 miles with one of my pups! I now need new walking shoes - a good problem to have

I highly encourage everyone on this forum to take up some form of exercise not only for the body but for the mind. For me fitness has always been a part of my life but now I know that it will provide my life more quality

 

[Tadpole]

I should have read the first line before voting. I seem to be the only one that minds that someone can set a poll to show the actual usernames of the answers. Since most polls here deal with finances, I think I am through participating in polls.

 

[Danmar]

So far (I’m 67) my health has been excellent. Take statins for cholesterol, have to watch my blood sugar as diabetes runs in the family, but otherwise no issues. My stategy is to remain very fit by working out almost everyday and keeping my weight down. Since retiring 11 years ago, it’s much easier to keep the workouts up.

My doctor described my fitness level as “remarkable” for a guy my age. Still ski and bike. My thinking is “use it or lose it”. Not sure how long I can keep up this rigorous regime, but hoping for at least late 70’s plan on fighting it all the way. Obviously, this could change very quickly.

 

[braumeister]

I should have read the first line before voting. I seem to be the only one that minds that someone can set a poll to show the actual usernames of the answers. Since most polls here deal with finances, I think I am through participating in polls.

Interesting. First time I've seen a public poll here. Seems it would discourage participation, but maybe an accidental choice by the OP?

 

[athena53]

So far (I’m 67) my health has been excellent. Not sure how long I can keep up this rigorous regime, but hoping for at least late 70’s plan on fighting it all the way. Obviously, this could change very quickly.

I hear ya. I'm a bit worried that one day I'll turn into a news story about the 60-osmething lady who dropped dead during a 35-mile bike ride or a sprint triathlon- our local corporate athletic competition (in which I still participate as a retiree) has an award named after a local business owner who suffered a fatal heart attack during the triathlon. While there are worse ways to go, I want to be around for my granddaughters!

This year I scared the crap out of myself on one of the charity bike rides- came home feeling awful and had agonizing pain in one knee (which I'd banged up falling off the bike 10 miles in, while simultaneously trying to pedal and unwrap a granola bar). I crawled into bed, swilled down 2 liters of club soda, and was fine the next AM except for a mild ache in the knee. I had gotten dehydrated. Lesson learned.

 

[Amethyst]

It is because fitness gets really demanding as you age, especially if there are any underlying issues, which there are in my case. I experience chronic, low-level (say 2 or 3) pain at all times, and am prone to back and shoulder problems. Mr. A. has exceptional genetics and hasn't had an ache or a pain. Trying to maintain some level of fitness takes me 12+ hours in the gym every week, plus other stuff at home, and it's starting to feel like a full-time j*b. I'm not really surprised that others prefer the couch potato/I'll-just-take-more-pills life.

You (and Mr. A) are fortunate! It's sad when people accept poor physical condition as inevitable after a certain age. My FB friends post memes about how out-of-shape they are ("If you see me running down the street, call the cops because someone is chasing me") and when I look for birthday cards for friends and family in my age group, most of the cards are jokes about what terrible shape we're in. It takes discipline and a bit of luck, but it doesn't have to be that way.

 

[Alan]

Interesting. First time I've seen a public poll here. Seems it would discourage participation, but maybe an accidental choice by the OP?

If it was a mistake then it can easily be made private if the OP requests it.

 

[Danmar]

I hear ya. I'm a bit worried that one day I'll turn into a news story about the 60-osmething lady who dropped dead during a 35-mile bike ride or a sprint triathlon- our local corporate athletic competition (in which I still participate as a retiree) has an award named after a local business owner who suffered a fatal heart attack during the triathlon. While there are worse ways to go, I want to be around for my granddaughters!

This year I scared the crap out of myself on one of the charity bike rides- came home feeling awful and had agonizing pain in one knee (which I'd banged up falling off the bike 10 miles in, while simultaneously trying to pedal and unwrap a granola bar). I crawled into bed, swilled down 2 liters of club soda, and was fine the next AM except for a mild ache in the knee. I had gotten dehydrated. Lesson learned.

Yes. I sometimes tell Mrs D that it’s quite possible I will die during a workout. Hopefully not for quite a while. This is one of the reasons we like to do them together.

I am very lucky that I have never had any issues with my knees, ankles, etc. Biking is about as good as it gets for these types of issues I think.

 

[kcowan]

Interesting. First time I've seen a public poll here. Seems it would discourage participation, but maybe an accidental choice by the OP?

Yes. Is there some way to
a. See the results by participants, and
b. Change it to be anonymous?

 

[6miths]

Not sure how to answer. Making reasonably good health choices has always been a priority but my crystal ball is foggy when it comes to my future health. When it goes south that is when I will be most concerned unless I am lucky enough to not have time to be concerned. Hoping to be active and lucent into our 80s and beyond if possible. Time will tell.

 

[kcowan]

Yes. I sometimes tell Mrs D that it’s quite possible I will die during a workout. Hopefully not for quite a while. This is one of the reasons we like to do them together.

I am very lucky that I have never had any issues with my knees, ankles, etc. Biking is about as good as it gets for these types of issues I think.

See if you can get an angiogram. That will eliminate the risk of a sudden heart attack. That is what would have helped Bill Clinton. You might have to pay for it since there are no symptoms.

 

[Alan]

If it was a mistake then it can easily be made private if the OP requests it.

As requested by the OP, the poll is now private.

 

[kcowan]

My apologies for not making the poll anonymous. Alan has fixed that. Thanks.

(The intention is that the age is when you seriously embraced a healthy lifestyle.)

In my case, I took a golden handshake from megacorp at age 49. The immediate pension gave me some flexibility to pursue what I wanted in an independent consulting career. Those were not great years from a health perspective. In Kuala Lumpur, I was walking at noon on a Saturday and had a serious bout of dehydration which displayed symptoms easily confused with heart attack. Had a thorough set of tests upon my return.

Upon really retiring at 59, I adopted an exercise regime and actually got life insurance at substantially less than the key man policy taken out 5 years earlier. That continued for 10 years. Then I had a number of setbacks. Lower legs had plantar fasciitis, ruptured tendon, spider bite with cellulitis and phlebitis, 3 broken bones. That got me out of daily walking, hiking and biking.

Also I was diagnosed with COPD and HBP. Both of those are under control with medication. But my advice to to keep active as long as you can. Use it or lose it! Had an angina attack and been diagnosed with tachycardia.

 

[Alan]

I was extremely active in sports until a series of injuries stopped me at age 42 and over a period of a few years I gained 35lbs weight. At work at age 40 I did a routine treadmill stress test as part of an executive physical and was told I had the heart and lungs of a 30 year old. 5 years later I did the same test and was really puffing and blowing after only 8 minutes and was told I was just fine for my age, but I could see that I had lost a lot of aerobic capacity over the 5 years since I was 40.

At age 46 I started eating better and exercising on a treadmill at home as well as lifting weights. I lost all the weight I had put on and continue to be very health conscious. (I am now 62)

 

[jollystomper]

I was very active in sports through my early 30s, then kids growing and work slowed that down until my mid 40's. In my early 40s I had my first comprehensive physical and my cardio health was assessed as someone in their 60s. I was also diagnosed with borderline HBP. So I started to get back to regular workouts. I notice I tended to "hit a wall" very frequently during workouts. Through an echo cardiogram, I was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. The root cause was a inherited heart defect that was getting worse, but fortunately could be repaired with minimally invasive surgery. Once through that I made a much more conscious effort to get and stay in shape.

Two other motivating factors that also occurred during this time:
- our oldest sons got into wrestling and martial arts in high school, and developed very strong physiques through those programs. So naturally my vanity did not want my kids to see that they were in much better shape than I was.
- (trying to keep this g-rated ) As part of improved marriage communications, DW and I discovered that we both wanted to prioritize and improve the "physical aspect" of our marriage... great in our early marriage years but the worries and responsibilities of life had turned our attention away from it. Being in good physical shape would help improve and sustain that for us for as long as possible.

Since that time, staying physically fit, and eating better, has been a priority for me since them. I am far from perfect, but my consistency is definitely improving. The older I get the more I observe how people who keep fit and moving have a better quality of life for a longer time. The year of our 25th wedding anniversary we took 2 "honeymoon" vacations and ran into couples who were married twice as long as us but were in fantastic shape... that is the vision we hope to achieve.

The other nice benefit is that DW and I do not have many leisure activities in common, but keeping fit by going to the gym, hiking and biking are shared activities which helps our closeness and improves our communications.

 

[Scuba]

I used to think I'd rather enjoy whatever food and wine I wanted even if that meant a shorter lifespan. Then in my 40's, a good friend pointed out that my lifespan could be similar, but the quality of it could be very adversely affected by things like diabetes, heart disease, etc. Diabetes runs in DH's family. In our mid-40's, we went to a nutritionist together and both dropped around 30-40 lbs. Since then, we have taken good nutrition and exercise much more seriously.

I can attest based on the people I know in their late 70's or 80's that physically fit people seem to have a much better quality of life than those who are overweight couch potatoes. It's a constant struggle for DH & me to maintain a healthy weight and stay fit, but we are trying. It would be so much easier if we didn't love our carbs and wine!

 

[youbet]

If it was a mistake then it can easily be made private if the OP requests it.

How do you tell if a poll is public before participating?

 

[REWahoo]

How do you tell if a poll is public before participating?

You will see this notice at the top of the poll:

Be advised that this is a public poll: other users can see the choice(s) you selected.

 

[mickeyd]

Voted 70-75 because that's where am today. I have had a very healthy life until a few years ago when a series of little things began to "act up".


I now realize that age 73 is now on the downhill part of life and I need to take better care of myself in the future if I want to make it to age 100 as my plan dictates. Stay out of the sun (skin cancer), exercise regularly, eat in moderation, drink in moderation (diabetic neuropathy/agent orange), slow down smell the roses (everything else).

 

[Persn]

I remember the exact date I became health conscious; it was a few weeks after my 40th birthday when I decided to quit drinking. DH had quit a few months before me. Two years later I started running. That led me to quit my 26 year smoking habit and began a love affair with running marathons. Through running DH and I made great friends and ran dozens of big city races with those friends. After several years, age and injury began to whittle down our group. I continued to run but started to struggle with COPD from all those years of smoking. I also started to find that recovery from hard efforts was much more difficult.

When I retired almost seven years ago I actually got lazier about taking care of myself. I gained weight, not quickly but just a couple pounds here and there and it added up to about 15. I stopped running marathons but still ran shorter races and biked a bit. Every time I would start marathon training I would get injured or sick and give up. Then about two years ago I was told I was pre-diabetic. Since then I have changed my diet to a low carbohydrate, high fat approach and lost the 15 pounds. But one of the best effects of the dietary change has been that I seem to be able to work out again without needing days of recovery. I have added twice weekly spin class and strength training and still run 3-4 times a week, yet I feel better than I have in years. I don’t know if I will ever get back to marathons, but I am happy with the direction my health is taking these days - and I am on zero medications.

 

[braumeister]

I remember the exact date I became health conscious; it was a few weeks after my 40th birthday when I decided to quit drinking. DH had quit a few months before me. Two years later I started running. That led me to quit my 26 year smoking habit and began a love affair with running marathons.

Similar story here. I was a heavy smoker (two packs a day). Tried to quit many times but it never lasted. Then I came down with double pneumonia and was unable to smoke for a couple of weeks. When I finally started to recover, I said to myself that it was a perfect opportunity to really quit smoking for good, one day at a time.

At the same time, I started running as an extra incentive to get my lung capacity back. When I started, I couldn't even manage one lap of the local quarter mile track, but I kept at it day after day, gradually improving.

That was 44 years, multiple marathons, and countless half-marathons and 10-Ks ago (and zero cigarettes). I was never fast, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the effort. What I do today would be better described as fast walking instead of running, but I still enjoy it just as much.