When do you move from Go-Go to Slow-Go Years poll?

At what age do you move from "Go-Go" to "Slow-Go"?

  • < 65

    Votes: 8 5.9%
  • 65-69

    Votes: 8 5.9%
  • 70-74

    Votes: 40 29.6%
  • 75-79

    Votes: 58 43.0%
  • 80-84

    Votes: 16 11.9%
  • 85-89

    Votes: 3 2.2%
  • >90

    Votes: 2 1.5%

  • Total voters
    135
Still Go Go at 65. reducing pace a little. Hope we have 10-15 more years. I see it as a slope, not a cliff.
 
What’s sadder. I have a friend who is an 80 yo “go-go” - plays golf 3 times a week and always walks (no riding cart), exercise walks daily and always eats healthy. He’s in better shape than most guys 10-20 years younger.

His same age wife, became a slow-go years ago, and is now a no-go due to health issues. She has never been active. Very sad for both, and nothing they can do to change the disparity now.
 
I voted 80-84 but that was purely a personal guess. I see it as a slope of slowly decreasing vigor. I hope the slope continues to be slow and ends in a cliff. I'm 76 now and was diagnosed with Parkinson's four years ago. I took two trips to Europe this year and already have a bike tour in Portugal planned for next year. DW and I still ride bikes several times a week, but our rides are typically down to 15-20 miles, and we switched to ebikes.
When I look back at the nearly 20 years I have been retired, I can see that my activity level has declined - so far gradually. Looking at my own circumstances and those of friends I also recognize that "s**t" happens. Seniors trip and break hips. Cancer rears its head. In my case Parkinson's intervenes and could accelerate my decline without warning. I believe we can help keep the entropy at bay to a degree by staying active and engaged. Beyond that it's a crap shoot.
 
Last edited:
We have this all mapped out....LOL...and this will go according to plan.....Currently we are at 60 and we are wearing out our passport......knowing this will change....
It's hard to wear out a passport these days- no one stamps them! On my most recent trip, I just scanned my passport on arrival in London and when leaving- you had to wait in line if you wanted a stamp or needed it because you had some complicated status. Sweden stamped it on entry and Copenhagen stamped it when I left. Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland- nothing.

Anyway- at 71 I've had to slow down a bit because I get winded going up hills (mitral valve prolapse). I'm still taking 2 major trips a year with a tour group that tends to attract people 60 and over so I'm not scrambling to keep up with thirty-somethings. I hope to keep traveling for a very long time and might switch to more independent travel where I choose a base (Brussels, Vienna, London, etc.) and do a few side trips but set my own pace.

I don't even want to think about "no-go". My last trip included a few people 80 and over, some with mobility issues, but they were god about skipping excursions that were too much for them. One was dealing with arthritis and used walking sticks- her husband said her doc was astounded that she did as much as she did. You have to admire their persistence.
 
I'm too young to vote, but my DMIL had been doing trips with OAT rated "Moderately Strenuous" until around 80 or 81. She's slowing down a bit, but mostly by taking less demanding trips! I'd feel very lucky if I can be anything like that, as neither of my parents made it to 80, and only one made it to 70.
 
What’s sadder. I have a friend who is an 80 yo “go-go” - plays golf 3 times a week and always walks (no riding cart), exercise walks daily and always eats healthy. He’s in better shape than most guys 10-20 years younger.

His same age wife, became a slow-go years ago, and is now a no-go due to health issues. She has never been active. Very sad for both, and nothing they can do to change the disparity now.
Same thing happened to me. DW started going downhill rather quickly at around 70 and I was GO GO like crazy at the same time. Her last 5 years, mostly bedridden, put a damper on our "active" life as I became her full time caretaker until she passed away in 12/2022. I'm still pretty much Go Go at 81 now, but going it alone.
 
This makes me want to book all the trips NOW. We are both 64 and notice we're a bit slower than 4 years ago.
Time flies!
Constant conundrum for DW and I. I work seasonally but she still full time until 60. ( 6 yrs). Only so much we can vacation ( she does get 6 weeks off though). Also still on an accumulation of retirement assets budget too. So always looking for balance. I am 60 now so I still have no issues being active ( besides normal sports related aches and pains) Also have a German shepherd/ husky mix that I hate to put in boarding ( expensive as of now too). We are doing an 11 days Spain trip in late April though
 
I'm too young to vote, but my DMIL had been doing trips with OAT rated "Moderately Strenuous" until around 80 or 81. She's slowing down a bit, but mostly by taking less demanding trips! I'd feel very lucky if I can be anything like that, as neither of my parents made it to 80, and only one made it to 70.
We had neighbors that routinely went on Country Walkers trips well into their 80s. They walked a lot here to keep in training. Otherwise they went on cruises - usually family get together cruises. And they traveled quite a bit to grandkids graduations, etc. They would be gone all summer roadtrip which also included family visits.
 
Our neighbor, Joyce, is 92, does not own a car, walks or rides bus everywhere, travels to Europe 1-2 months of the year, speaks four languages. At least. She swims daily in our pool, and from what I've seen she does laps vs. just floating around.

That's our role model right there.

My parents, OTOH, are 92 and 88, mostly sedentary, obese, and are being kept alive by medications and a pacemaker. My dad has at least started doing some workouts because the son of one of the other assisted living residents has taken a liking to him and gets him to the gym or a local pool for workouts weekly. He may have even lost a few pounds. My Mom, on the other hand, hasn't left the building since COVID hit, except for when my brother occasionally takes her to the doctor, or when she falls and gets a ride to the hospital.

My great aunt lived to 102.

So I have good genetic odds for living long, but I also want to extend the GO-GO years as long as possible. On a related note, there are multiple trips on multiple continents in the planning stages...
 
Our neighbor, Joyce, is 92, does not own a car, walks or rides bus everywhere, travels to Europe 1-2 months of the year, speaks four languages. At least. She swims daily in our pool, and from what I've seen she does laps vs. just floating around.

That's our role model right there.

My parents, OTOH, are 92 and 88, mostly sedentary, obese, and are being kept alive by medications and a pacemaker. My dad has at least started doing some workouts because the son of one of the other assisted living residents has taken a liking to him and gets him to the gym or a local pool for workouts weekly. He may have even lost a few pounds. My Mom, on the other hand, hasn't left the building since COVID hit, except for when my brother occasionally takes her to the doctor, or when she falls and gets a ride to the hospital.

My great aunt lived to 102.

So I have good genetic odds for living long, but I also want to extend the GO-GO years as long as possible. On a related note, there are multiple trips on multiple continents in the planning stages...
We had a "Joyce" in our building. She was 90 and volunteered as a docent at three local oceanographic oriented endeavors. She still drove (though I never enjoyed riding with her.) :cool: She eventually had to give it up but she had quite a life story to tell.
 
I'm too young to vote, but my DMIL had been doing trips with OAT rated "Moderately Strenuous" until around 80 or 81. She's slowing down a bit, but mostly by taking less demanding trips! I'd feel very lucky if I can be anything like that, as neither of my parents made it to 80, and only one made it to 70.
Unfortunately some people slow down at a "too young" age. I voted even though i'm only 45 because a bad hip replacement and significant chronic back pain have already slowed me down and it'll only get worse. I envy those who are able to make it even to 60 for the Go-Go years. Don't take it for granted, you never know when you will lose it.
 
I didn't answer because I don't know yet, and hope I won't know for many years. I turned 70 this year and went on a bicycle trip in France. Self-organized because I like to plan my own routes, and on a regular bike, not an ebike. I rode nearly 650 miles. I've been going on bike trips all of my adult life. I know I ride more slowly now, but hills still don't bother me much. I also use my bike for running errands and for recreation. I typically put more miles on my bike each year than I drive my car. I also walk a lot. I can do nearly all of my grocery shopping on foot.

I went on a couple of non-biking trips during the past year, one to Panama & Costa Rica, the other to Andalucia Spain & Morocco. I plan on traveling somewhere later this year, and want to go somewhere else in January or February. I'm still studying possible destinations.

My dad played tennis regularly until he was 85 and my mom was still quite physically active until she was 93. Both lived for many more years after that.
 
I chose 75-79. I am going on hopeful sibling history. I have 2 older brothers who turn 75 and 74 this year, and an older sister who is 71. All three are fairly healthy - no chronic physical ailments - and still physically active with travel, exercise, golf, bowling, etc. So I am hoping my future is the same.

My Dad died at 72 but was active until about 3 months into his 6 month terminal cancer battle. My mom stayed active into her early 80s.

I am not taking things for granted, and we are trying to do as much physical activity and travel now and in the next few years. We are already seeing friends in their early 70s slowing down. For example, the man that I have golfed with most often for the last 7 years is 10 years older than me. Over those years I have seen him go from being able to walk the course several times a week, to walking it once a week, to now maybe once a month (and not a the pace he used to walk). This year he has lost confidence in his game to where he now prefers to play late in the afternoon when the course is less crowed (he used to enjoy being the first one out of the course in the morning). I have also notice his regular walking gait change over the years as well.

I am getting a little concerned about DW since she fractured her ankle last fall. Though the doctor has said she has fully recovered, she seems reluctant to get back into physical activities. I think she is concerned about injuring it again (though the injury came about from trying to do something I would not have recommended she try if I were present), and maybe feeling that she is now more prone to injuries requiring a long recovery. But she wants to work herself back into that past level of activity, so that is a good sign.
 
We have this all mapped out....LOL...and this will go according to plan.....Currently we are at 60 and we are wearing out our passport......knowing this will change....

GOGO 54-74
GOSLOW 75-85
NOGO 86+ (if we make it there)
Here is our actual experiences
GOGO 69-77
GOSLOW 78-81
NOGO 82-86 and counting
 
My mom traveled internationally until her second bout of cancer at 84. She was always like the energizer bunny. She had more energy than any of her kids:)).
 
I voted 70-74, at least for males.

The successful (male) early retirees I've know were all retired by age 55.

And by their early 70s there were no more "go-go" years for them.

I'm just hoping to reach that age, given most males in my family die around then.

Though I expect my (female) spouse could live well into her 90s.
 
Retired three years ago @ 55. We are full on gogo. I like this thread because it helps with planning. We are blessed that we have a military COLA pension and SS (plus "free" health care) that covers all of our expenses starting at age 70. I told my wife today that all we need to do is slide into age 70 with enough shekels to cover LTC.
 
based on my family the previous generations who didn't die young stay/stay very active. Obviously go-go looks different at 89 than 79, but even in their 90s the long living parts of the family were staying super active for their age until just before they passed.
 
So, I selected the age group 75-79, which I see many others selected (40%). I've lived in a Florida neighborhood for 10+ years with lots of 60+ residents and I observe first-hand the travel habits of many friends and acquaintances. Lots of mid-70s folks are traveling.
 
We are 63 and 69 and still go-go. Routinely get 15K+ per day walking on vacation and not shy about hiking pretty rugged terrain. Just did a part of the Bruce Trail which was a 5 mile hike that registers 110 floors climbed. But not on stairs! Bonus is a refreshing swim at the halfway mark!

Penny outlook lower log dump.JPG


stormhaven.JPG
penny stormhaven.JPG
 
Back
Top Bottom