One day last week, I spent maybe 30 - 45 minutes leaning, bending, and picking weeds (or trimming them by hand) in and around my front driveway. It wasn't terribly demanding, and getting it done was enormously gratifying.

My entire body ached like bloody hell for the next four days. Only yesterday and today have I been relatively pain-free. So, of course, my desire to get out there and DO something (there is a lot that needs to be done) is rampaging again.

I just turned 73 a few days ago, so I'm not that old. My grandmother did fairly demanding yard work well into her eighties, but then, she had been doing it for as long as I could remember. She had an incredible green thumb (which I don't) and loved to do what she called "puttering" in the yard.

I'm not the least bit depressed, let alone suicidal. I'm just annoyed as all-get-out that less than an hour's worth of weeding rewarded me with about four days of near-immobility.

I know there are other senior citizens here. How do you guys cope with physical limitations? Most of you know that I had a total shoulder replacement just three months ago, and of course, I have to cut some slack for that.

Advice would be appreciated. Not snarkiness, though.

73 is young. Being in shape will make you younger. My Mom is 88. She still gardens and hits golf balls. 12 years ago (76) she was hurting all the time. She was 80 lbs overweight and mostly sedentary. My brother and I got tired of her whining about how much she hurt. We confronted her and told her to stop bitching because her situation was her fault. We hooked her up with a nutritionist and she started walking. Not far at first, but added a few hundred yards each day. She joined a water conditioning class at the community pool. Started eating good and moving more. It took a year and a few months to lose 70 lbs. about 1 1/4 lb a week. Her joints, muscles, and attitude got much better. She feels good now. Keeps her mind sharp with crosswords and reading, instead of watching TV and listening to the radio all day. Says she feels 20 years younger. Without loading up on drugs or Advil. Good luck. Pain sucks. Do everything that you can to stay in shape.

My church just suffered a major flood from freak thunderstorms. The water went waist-high! So it's all hands on deck, to rip .out the wallboard, down to the studs. Let them fan-dry for a week or two, then back to work to throw up new sheetrock.

I just turned 74. Wish me luck!

(Think we ought to ask the local stake in some missionaries would like to work on a nice ecumenical project?)

I'm only 51 and moan the same thing. However, I was diagnosed with arthritis in my 30's and have chondromalacia in one of my knees. I have hypermobility in some of my joints, which means I can extend them far beyond they should. That has lead to dislocating my shoulder at least twice in the last 3 years.

Each of us has a different lot in life and I just consider each day a gift. Some days are bad, some are better.

We take each day one at a time,

RMM

Chondromalacia is the worst. I have it in both knees. Sometimes one goes, sometimes the other. The right one is on now. The last couple of summers I enjoyed deep water exercise class with a couple of friends but no way this year. I tried jazzercise and my knees quickly informed me that wasn't going to happen for me. It rains in PacNW a lot so walking is out a good part of the year. I have had a nasty cold and allergies but I will get out in the yard and work on the berry bushes soon. I am also going to hook the Wii back up, I have several exercise games for that. But yes, getting older is a PAIN!

The first two days I worked on my deck this year, I felt the same way afterward -- almost immobilized with pain and out of commission for the next day. But now I can do a few hours of physically demanding work and not feel it so much. I think it's just a matter of getting your body used to it if you haven't been doing it for a while. I had previously been going out for walks, but I guess that wasn't enough. I also needed to do bending, stretching, lugging things, etc.

I'm hoping to join a gym at some point, but with the pandemic, that will have to wait. But for now I'm trying to stay active at least a few days each week.

A good program of exercise and stretching can help if done on a regular basis. Eating "right" - which can really mean almost anything instead of just "health food" - helps.

More than anything tho - a regular bit of exercise helps a lot.

We were promised some sort of telemere growth thing and jet packs.

I'm waiting, Science. Get on it!

Seriously, what's the best exercise regimen for you?

"The one you'll actually do!"

I will answer though my name is not Beth cuz my elderly TBM mother keeps remarking that I am the only one in the family with the great health---and the only one who drinks coffee and wine but she doesn't mention that.

I developed my own old folks excercise routine if it interests.

I got a mat and do a version of sit ups with bent knees and upper legs at right angle to my body. The sit ups where you lay flat and jerk up are bad for your back. The last five I hold a few seconds in the up position. Push your lower back hard to the floor as you do this. 25 reps

I lift 15 LB weights for the arms. Curls, and the kind where you hold it against your body and lift to the arm pit to work the back of the arm. 30 reps each.

I stopped my carpal tunnel when I stopped doing push-ups.

I lift 5 lb weights over my head with straight arms keeping my arms to the side. 30 reps. Did wonders for my shoulders. They stopped shrinking and I have square shoulders again.

I drop the 5 pound weights to my side, put my head back looking up, raise my shoulders, and then push them back as hard as I can. This is great for posture and keeps you from getting hunched cuz our old bodies want to hunch. I do nine and then hold the last one for twenty seconds pushing extra hard. This will give you a sexy back which is our last hope for being sexy as the rest . . . well , you know.

I go for a walk up a steep hill four or five times a week. I get pissed off now cuz some people are doing this without masks and I swear, which works out the tongue. Very important to keep the tongue agile.

When I started this I could barely do five reps but even old muscles will build.

Anyway. Works for this 70 year old if it is of any interest to anyone else. I could never go to a gym.

+Beth:
"We were promised some sort of telemere growth thing and jet packs.

I'm waiting, Science. Get on it!"

==You are a scientist. Don't be lazy. Pick up the books and study. Then buy the equipment from the net and do research at home.

~~~~iceman9090

My mother is almost 80 and in good shape. She can do yard work. She goes for 1 h walks. She walks to buy groceries. I told her to ride a bike but she is not used to it and is afraid. I suppose if you are lazy and use your car to get around for everything, you will end up paying the price.

~~~~iceman9090

I have studied and read on the subject of the old and the physical a lot and what I have gleaned all comes down to the old saying: "Use it or lose it."

Keep a going the best you can. Nothing in the body is at a standstill. Our muscles are either growing or shrinking from use or disuse. We are either gaining or losing weight. Our mental acuity is either waxing or waning. Read a challenging book often.

I watched a special once on a group of 90 year olds who began weight training--gently slowly gradually but always building up. They went from sedentary and unable to do much to being able to reach things in the cupboards again, open a jar. and do all kinds of things they hadn't for years.

I am 70 and working a 65 hour week. I relax by gardening on a steep hill. I plan to "use it." Only thing that makes sense to me.

So many things can happen to take that "use it" ability out of the way though and that is why I don't like being old. The probabilities of so many things happening now are growing. I am not tired of being old, but scared of it.

Start taking 500mg ginger 2x per day. Seriously.

For those not afeared of the dreaded S word. Last night in the NYT Science Section an article on a study regarding what to do to have a chance at avoiding Alzheimers. They started with 73 year olds and up who did not have Alzheimer's. I forget all the details, but what I remember is the ones who didn't get Alzheimers had the following things they did in common.

Coffee

Alcohol low levels or in moderation

Physical Exercise regularly and didn't have to be a lot.

Mental Exercise regularly, reading intense subject matter for one. Things not in your comfort zone.

Mediterranean diet---Olive oil and lots of leafy greens
specified in particular.


No guarantee of course, but the findings so far indicated this was majorly helpful. Wish I'd have saved the article.

My mother taught dancing, retiring at 89. I've never been able to keep up with her. At 92, she's just now beginning to complain about slowing down and a few aches and pains here and there, bitterly complaining that she can't do what she used to do.

I teasingly said, "Listen lady, if you get to the age of 92 before you start complaining about aches and pains, consider yourself fortunate.

I'm 61 and I'm always complaining about aches and pains. Walking the dog is very difficult on my knees. I always have to sit down after being up for more than 10 minutes at a time.

Aging is not for sissies. I just remind myself of the alternative. But yeah, it's not fun.

Walk for 1/2 to 1 hour every day. Look up a light weight training program on google and stick to it. You can buy little weights from 1-10 lbs and do what the Internet program tells you to do. You have to be consistent....it’s a pain, especially the first week, but then you’ll look forward to it. It will help you sleep better. I’m older than you and have been thru my share of injuries and operations, but still in pretty good shape. Also, never lift anything too heavy, once your back is injured, it’s never the same.

Good luck, remember to stay consistent.

Me too. My 81st is on the fifth. I used to walk 2 miles a day, but this lockdown has me only riding a stationary bike for a little bit.
Still gained weight.
Made myself another cup of coffee.
I do puzzles and read a lot, shop really early and wear my designer masks outside.
Hoping for the best.

Looks like we all have 'similar' experiences in the area of getting older!!!! Hang in there!!!

"So how are you feeling Mr. Twain?"
"Not bad, considering the alternatives."

Also:
"Age is a matter of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

Will only be 64 next week but I bike walk and lift weights. I used to swim and do aquafit but with Covid the Y is closed. I have a place in Toronto as well as a cottage and practically the only time I use my car is to drive from one place to the other.I bike at the cottage and walk in Toronto. I used to take transit in Toronto too but with Covid I only really go check the condo,do laundry and come back up north where the infection rate is lower although it might not stay that way if city people keep coming to the beach.

The 10ish pounds I lost (out of 15-20 needed) since this started in March have really improved the arthritis in my knees.

Try chair yoga. There are lots of YouTube videos about it. I taught it to people over 60 for 10 years and it could make a huge difference in flexibility and general fitness. It’s not as strenuous as some regular yoga and you don’t have to be a pretzel. My students would thank me for introducing them to this life changing exercise.

A joke...

And I grant you that it could sorta work both ways ...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XkDFmFLv06mrARE10lvbJF2UsLFVXxHi/view?usp=sharing

My advice: Get a Gardner. (I have one.)