Never skip leg day

Good work to every one who is finding time to exercise. You should pat yourselves on the back.

My folks live in one of those 55 and older communities down in Arizona. They love it but grow a little annoyed at some of their friends always talking about their injuries or health. These same folks don't really exercise or take care of themselves. Seems like when we are younger we can get away with it but sooner or later, if you aren't taking care of your body it will catch up.

I'm impressed when I see older folks at the ski hill. Skiing is high impact but doesn't have to be a young man's game. Obviously there are short term benefits to working out but I also see it as an investment in older swimmy. I want to be able to do that when I'm older.

Oh and I appreciate the comments about stretching. I've neglected to stretch but have added this to my routine the past few months. That might be just as important when it comes to injury prevention as resistance training

In order to help some that might be on the fence or need a little motivation, would you agree that even a little bit goes a long way?
 
In order to help some that might be on the fence or need a little motivation, would you agree that even a little bit goes a long way?
Back in the day Dr. Cooper had a book about fitness and one point was that a healthy base level of fitness could be obtained by 20 min. of elevated heart rate exercise every other day. That is not a a lot. After I got heat stroke at a race in wenatchee I stopped racing (and even lost the motivation to train/workout), and it affected me physically and mentally. I also have several health issues (like lower back compression from so many years of running) from what I put my body through training and racing at such a high level. Too little and I get in a mental funk and notice it in my body when I play. Too much I'll get hurt again (back will go out and I can't do anything). BALANCE. If I hiked in the summer like many of you I would need more cardio/strength. But my body is just not up to it. I find one of the best things is using all the play ground equipment with the grandkids. Chasing, jumping, hanging (maybe a pull up), stairs, ect. But I also look at the parents who watch their kids, and remember back to just how tired and worn-out life can get you.
So in a long round about way, I agree that some regular exercise is good for both the physical body and mentally.
Days I don't get much exercise I have a heck of a time sleeping more than a couple hours, and that makes the next day harder as well.
 
For much of my life i raced bicycles and nordic skis, and swam competitively up through high school. On top of that my passion was always running. It was always about racing rather than health/fitness. When i quit i went through a spell of ‘all i have ever done is trained and i am over it’. Exercise is important but one needs to have a healthy relationship with it as others have said. Nowadays i need to drop a few and need to eat better. But on the whole i am much happer on a nice hike with the dog and skipping workouts to watch my son’s baseball or just hang out. Balance it out! I am relearning to love it.
My wife has it dialed in better. She achieved far more than i did racing (she raced on the mountain bike world cup and has won everything in norcal over the years) but has a healthier perspective re training and exercise.
 
Two 5ks a week, every day 75 push ups, everyday while sonicare toothbrushing one leg squats, 5 flights work stairs, and 3-4 miles kayaking about every other week. Found this to be a sustainable pattern with key high intensity 5 min daily. Ohhand cold showers daily to workup the brown fat.

Have to do the pushups and squats to safely lift the kayaks...
 
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You might do well to think of your new Medicare card as a trophy commemorating your retirement and freedom from steadily deteriorating employer medical plans.

While I have been very physically active all my life, retirement has really opened up a world of much greater opportunities to be active that aren't impacted by conflicting personal energy demands from an employer or even shitty weather. Running was a quick 'fast food' exercise fix (believe me, I know, as a former marathoner) that is easily replaced by walking, hiking, and exploring the world outside at a pace at which you can savor each moment.
You make an excellent point about Medicare. We are signed up for Part B and for PEBB and will have excellent health care.

I remember my good friend Dorothy (who died 15 years ago) lamented about feeling like she was still in her 30s mentally when she was turning 80. I myself was still in my early 40s when she told me that and thought it was such a funny comment. Now i know what she means.

Walking vs. running has has both good things and bad.
Walking vs. Running - What’s Good:

1. You don’t need to purchase running shoes as often. In order to protect my knees and hips I used to replace my Brooks Adrenalines every four months at $135 a pop. They were the most expensive shoes in my closet, (except for boots).
2. More friends accompany you walking. I had no more running partners my last few years.
3. You can walk in your regular clothes. No need to own special workout gear.
4. You are upright longer. This is important for back issues as you get older. Sitting too long is so bad! Lying in bed too long is too.
5. I can walk soon after eating.
6. I can do it more often. I can walk every day!

Walking vs. Running - What’s Not So Good:
1. Rain. Wind. You are in the inclement weather for a longer period of time. Rain feels wetter when you are walking.
2. It takes longer.
3. Not as much cardio.
4. Running races or running clubs were great incentives. I have no interest whatsoever in walking with groups of people.
5. No glory in walking. Running is one of the few things I was actually pretty good at and I didn’t even have to love it. Running a race well was a great feeling.

Actually I think that i will be fine being an older person. And i hope to always be doing some kind of exercise. But our culture is all about beauty, youth, and anti-aging and being thin, especially for women. So i look forward to the stage where i worry less and can give a F ….and i think that only comes with age.
 
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Two 5ks a week, every day 75 push ups, everyday while sonicare toothbrushing one leg squats, 5 flights work stairs, and 3-4 miles kayaking about every other week. Found this to be a sustainable pattern with key high intensity 5 min daily. Ohhand cold showers daily to workup the brown fat.

Have to do the pushups and squats to safely lift the kayaks...

I guess this proves the point that it doesn't take much.

Boot is a physical specimen.
 
Walking remains one of the best things you can do, at 70 wife does two miles a day when not swimming or biking, and even then she'll take shorter walks with her pain in the ass mutt coupla times a day. Push away from the table, cut back on the sugars and fat, the booze. Joining a gym a hard ask when covid infection starting to ramp up again, can do plenty with power bands and light hand weights in the house. Yoga mat, Google how to do proper crunches, not sit-ups which stress the back. Basic yoga excellent for almost all, just a few moves does wonders. If doing push-ups, get some push-bars, much easier on the rotators. Good rowing machines offer excellent workouts as long as their are no back issues to deal with.
Ill comes down to body weight. What did you weigh in your 20's, what do you weigh now...there isn't a good doctor in the biz that won't tell you every surplus pound you lose will only improve your health. A good friend I started surfing with when we were kids went the easy road, ended up 40# over weight, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, was friggin miserable, and than had a mild cardiac event. He got a grip, spent a year re-modelling his health, is back in the water surfing after a 30 year break from it, slimmed down and no one in the water has a bigger grin.
 
You make an excellent point about Medicare. We are signed up for Part B and for PEBB and will have excellent health care.

I remember my good friend Dorothy (who died 15 years ago) lamented about feeling like she was still in her 30s mentally when she was turning 80. I myself was still in my early 40s when she told me that and thought it was such a funny comment. Now i know what she means.

Walking vs. running has has both good things and bad.
Walking vs. Running - What’s Good:

1. You don’t need to purchase running shoes as often. In order to protect my knees and hips I used to replace my Brooks Adrenalines every four months at $135 a pop. They were the most expensive shoes in my closet, (except for boots).
2. More friends accompany you walking. I had no more running partners my last few years.
3. You can walk in your regular clothes. No need to own special workout gear.
4. You are upright longer. This is important for back issues as you get older. Sitting too long is so bad! Lying in bed too long is too.
5. I can walk soon after eating.
6. I can do it more often. I can walk every day!

Walking vs. Running - What’s Not So Good:
1. Rain. Wind. You are in the inclement weather for a longer period of time. Rain feels wetter when you are walking.
2. It takes longer.
3. Not as much cardio.
4. Running races or running clubs were great incentives. I have no interest whatsoever in walking with groups of people.
5. No glory in walking. Running is one of the few things I was actually pretty good at and I didn’t even have to love it. Running a race well was a great feeling.

Actually I think that i will be fine being an older person. And i hope to always be doing some kind of exercise. But our culture is all about beauty, youth, and anti-aging and being thin, especially for women. So i look forward to the stage where i worry less and can give a F ….and i think that only comes with age.
All very good points!

The loss of social aspects of partners in exercise activities does become problematic as one ages. Most of the people I once hiked, climbed, ran, and bicycled with are either dead or became so sedentary that even mild physical activity is now impossible.

Some of my running partners were so extremely devoted to training for events (such as Iron Man) that they irrevocably damaged their bodies. Beyond certain points, more is not always better and 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is a rather simplistic/erroneous credo when it comes to extremes of physical activity.

In one particularly notable example my longtime running partner of many years early branched out into extreme distance running events and developed into a well recognized Iron Man competitor. Literally all he did was incessantly train. He is now completely incapacitated due to multiple knee surgeries, dual carpal tunnel surgeries from training on bicycles configured for that event, and an exercise induced enlarged heart that doesn't allow him to safely elevate his heart rate above resting state for more than 20 minutes.
 
All very good points!

The loss of social aspects of partners in exercise activities does become problematic as one ages. Most of the people I once hiked, climbed, ran, and bicycled with are either dead or became so sedentary that even mild physical activity is now impossible.

Some of my running partners were so extremely devoted to training for events (such as Iron Man) that they irrevocably damaged their bodies. Beyond certain points, more is not always better and 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is a rather simplistic/erroneous credo when it comes to extremes of physical activity.

In one particularly notable example my longtime running partner of many years early branched out into extreme distance running events and developed into a well recognized Iron Man competitor. Literally all he did was incessantly train. He is now completely incapacitated due to multiple knee surgeries, dual carpal tunnel surgeries from training on bicycles configured for that event, and an exercise induced enlarged heart that doesn't allow him to safely elevate his heart rate above resting state for more than 20 minutes.
All so true. People who get laser-focused on training also tend to neglect rest. Rest is the most underappreciated part of training, but VERY necessary.
 
Use it or lose it!!

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I never had it.

Woohoo! Loophole!
 
Stoked to see everyone taking such great care of their bodies. Congrats to all those who have discovered the benefits of low impact activities sooner the later. Nutrition, mobility, strength training and recovery are all core components of my daily routine. Many wonderful suggestions in this thread. Intermittent Fasting (8/16) has worked really well for me. In addition, I have found tremendous value in balance training as the years fly by.

Apologies for the lack of fly tying materials.
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Rest and recovery are key.
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The body is an amazing machine, treat it well!
 
I am a strength and conditioning coach at the HS where I coach football. Human performance has always been fascinating to me and I'm as deep down that rabbit hole as I am fishing/hunting. I have more barbells at my house than I do fly rods. I built my home gym in 2015 when my oldest son was 12 and schedules made it impossible to train together at the facility I used.

I have been all over the place in my own personal training. I have gone from being a crossfit competitor to power lifter. In the last year I went back to training myself the same way we train our player's during the offseason and I feel the best I have in a long time.
 
You make an excellent point about Medicare. We are signed up for Part B and for PEBB and will have excellent health care.

I remember my good friend Dorothy (who died 15 years ago) lamented about feeling like she was still in her 30s mentally when she was turning 80. I myself was still in my early 40s when she told me that and thought it was such a funny comment. Now i know what she means.

Walking vs. running has has both good things and bad.
Walking vs. Running - What’s Good:

1. You don’t need to purchase running shoes as often. In order to protect my knees and hips I used to replace my Brooks Adrenalines every four months at $135 a pop. They were the most expensive shoes in my closet, (except for boots).
2. More friends accompany you walking. I had no more running partners my last few years.
3. You can walk in your regular clothes. No need to own special workout gear.
4. You are upright longer. This is important for back issues as you get older. Sitting too long is so bad! Lying in bed too long is too.
5. I can walk soon after eating.
6. I can do it more often. I can walk every day!

Walking vs. Running - What’s Not So Good:
1. Rain. Wind. You are in the inclement weather for a longer period of time. Rain feels wetter when you are walking.
2. It takes longer.
3. Not as much cardio.
4. Running races or running clubs were great incentives. I have no interest whatsoever in walking with groups of people.
5. No glory in walking. Running is one of the few things I was actually pretty good at and I didn’t even have to love it. Running a race well was a great feeling.

Actually I think that i will be fine being an older person. And i hope to always be doing some kind of exercise. But our culture is all about beauty, youth, and anti-aging and being thin, especially for women. So i look forward to the stage where i worry less and can give a F ….and i think that only comes with age.
If the itch gets bad enough, you're one set of handlebars away from instant and permanent relief. I hear the darkside calling.. 🚴‍♀️
 
I love exercise, but I struggle to motivate to work out just to work out. I play soccer once a week but that’s not enough so I’ve been waking up and doing good ol’ sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, and jumping jacks. But here is my idea of a workout: moving 3 yards of 5/8 minus crushed rock and 25 sandbags around my property. I’m building a little paver pad and decided to put a new layer on the driveways as long as I was at it. I’m beat!

Get a running start to get the wheelbarrow up here
E043EB5A-6CA8-441C-9441-A09E9628B75E.jpeg
Then reverse and back up this step 46DCF4B9-C686-48D6-BF07-BC6E8CFB195E.jpeg
To dump here:
80B0F148-CECF-438B-8104-2C3F6DAC7727.jpeg
Then I ran the plate compactor all over that and the driveways. I like a productive workout. I had to take a day of vacation to do it though!
 
'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is a rather simplistic/erroneous credo

Take my couch for instance. It does not kill me. Nor does it make me stronger. Same for Ice Cream. Or combing my hair. There's very few things that make me stronger and yet don't kill me. I guess I envy those people who find things that don't kill them make them stronger. When they come over, not only are they probably really strong, they get stronger still just by eating my ice cream while sitting on my couch. Meanwhile even if in casual conversation I mentioned-

"for me-that what doesn't kill me.... makes me older"

Would be followed by:

"Everything you say Boot"

Watching them eat my chocolate ganache ice cream

"just makes me stronger..."

And I would conclude that the whole moronic interaction was time (and ice cream) I won't ever get back
 
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