I'm falling apart

[Zen]

My mother is 73 with a whole page of health problems and a pill to "fix" every one of them. ...She's not going to change...

your mother belongs to a different generation. She most likely wasn't encouraged to participate in sports.

... takes it personal if we won't eat a huge piece of her cake.

Food=Love

It's frustrating watching people you love ignore the obvious and not do anything to change their situation.

Sometimes you just have to accept things for the way they are.

[Bike Chick]

You are very right, Zen! As frustrating as it is for me, I know in 20 years my kids will be echoing their frustration with me

[Crankin]

My DH's family constantly tells us we are too thin and "crazy" for doing what we do, with the "at your age" left unsaid. With a family history of cv disease on both sides, it's hard for me to take. My family is pretty good; even if they don't do what I do, they know how important it is to me. My mom was the athletic one who cooked healthy foods and when she died, my dad's eating went to hell. He had a stent put in last year and I know he's still smoking (sneakily) and he says, "I won't let anyone tell me what to do," (like exercise). I know he's almost 85 and very active for that age, but still. If I was out there in CA, I would make him do this stuff. My brother, who is ten years younger, used to run, etc. but now he's into gourmet cooking and it's showing.
And don't get me started on my friends (with the exception of my cycling friends).

[ACG]

So today on our ride I did better than I thought. I iced by back during the ride when it started to hurt. I ate a healthy breakfast prior to the ride. Drank a ton of cranberry juice yesterday and before/after the ride. The last 5 miles I was just slow, but made it back within a few minutes of everyone else. 65 miles about 3500 feet of climbing. I'm still here and not in any pain. Just starving. I guess it is a frame of mind.

If I am going to fall apart, I'm going to fight it the entire time.

[cylegoddess]

Im 41
I have a immune system problem( they dont know why)
Chronic fatigue
Tendinitis
Shingles on lower back
Arthritis in hands and fingers
Various aches and pains in shoulders

I get IVs every two weeks( chelation) plus b 12 shots and take about 15 vitamins a day plus eat health food, organic and take herbs and Chinese meds.
I also work on my feet all day, moving heavy things( Visual Merchandising).
Every day something hurts BUT>>>
Today I rode in my first race!!

[sundial]

Crankin, I suspect that you and I are rowing very similar boats.

Can I row too?

I came with a lousy joint package and as I get older I have to become more creative in keeping fit while not stressing the joints. I am a little slower but more tenacious so I'm spending longer periods in the saddle with more frequent small breaks. I've decided it's not about the ride, it's about the destination.

[solobiker]

I have noticed that the older I get the slower my body seems to want to recover. I will be 40 this Feb ( I know it is not old) and I can't push my body like I could in my early 30s due various reasons. I have found that if I keep on top of my stretching routine and work on core strengthening activities I can still do most of the acitivities I enjoy almost pain free. I have a friend who will be 59 this Jan and she is one powerful and energitic women. She is amazing in every aspect. She is also a cancer survivor which is awesome on its own.

[shootingstar]

No, I don't have any medical issues thus far. However in the past 5 years, I do tend to be more vigilant on what I eat, my balance so I don't fall.(After 2 unexplained incidents of severe vertigo..), etc. I'm 50 which I consider experienced in life, but still "young" and still much learn.

As mentioned months ago here, I do have a warped perception of aging because my partner is 16 yrs. older and he is cycling-fit, active, with occasional problems with a knee from an old injury decades ago. And our lifestyle is cycling oriented anyway without a car. We're friends with several cyclists in his age group so this messes me up how people normally "look" and move in their 60's and 70's.

I do come from a family, where there is clear evidence to me, that lifelong reasonably (though not always perfect) healthy diet, means ..less medical complications when one become truly sick/ill.

I would not say that in my family the previous generation did sports, etc. Their physical fitness was more due to physical labour/lack of mechanization for certain activities.

Attitude of one's own physical capabilities is important also. If a person believes that walking is not a huge effort, but an enjoyable daily activity then that also contributes to overall physical and mental well-being. Saw that in my partner's mother who walked to store for grocery shopping for 2 kms. or so in winter snow ..up to when she was 88 yrs. She didn't drive. What determined her physical decline, was when she could no longer walk her dog daily without tripping and falling over the dog leash several times (and breaking her glasses, bruising her face, etc.).

It was rather amusing when she in her early 80's was pals with another woman in her late 60's. The woman in her late 60's was suffering alot more (cardiopulmonary problems) and greater mobility problems...because she didn't eat healthy during her lifetime. She still nixed veggies much to the disgust of her older friend. It's wierd to see an older woman refuse to eat vegetables. Like part of childhood never left her.

[cylegoddess]

My Dad sent this;

'Welcome to the over the hill gang. The first requirement to join the gang is "every thing hurts." To become an officer in the gang it requires that "every thing hurts all of the time." To reach emeritus status it requires that "every thing hurts all of the time and it is going to be that way forever.'

He once said, dont get old kid, it sucks!

But my first love Jaque Cousteau ( the undersea diving legend, whom I adored at age 5 and up) said, he dove every day, as at 70 if he gave it up,he wouldnt be able to get back into the water.

Also, at the race two days ago - they made a special category for age 80 to 85 as they had one 85 year old.She hobbled up to get the award on a cane with ankle brace. Thats one tough cyclist!

[cylegoddess]

Solobiker ,

I had quit yoga for about 2 years or so, as the class was canceled and no others near me.

Thats when I got sicker, had more pains and felt creaky.
Needless to say, Im back at yoga!

[shootingstar]

Also, at the race two days ago - they made a special category for age 80 to 85 as they had one 85 year old.She hobbled up to get the award on a cane with ankle brace. Thats one tough cyclist!

Impressive.

Absolutely also agree with others here that yoga and other stretching exercises done regularily keeps one more limber, flexible, relaxed and less prone to muscular pain.

[Laterider21958]

As I read through the threads and the discussions around getting older etc. it brought to mind my husband's elderly uncle (no longer with us) who used to ride his bike to our place to visit his 94 year old sister. At the time he was in his late 80's. Uncle Lewis rode his old fixed wheel bicycle with confidence, but the mount and dismount was a little precarious as he struggled to raise his leg over the rear mudguard. Once he was mobile he was fantastic. Walking any distance was difficult for him but riding was a breeze.

[Zen]

Uncle Lewis rode his old fixed wheel bicycle with confidence, but the mount and dismount was a little precarious as he struggled to raise his leg over the rear mudguard. Once he was mobile he was fantastic. Walking any distance was difficult for him but riding was a breeze.

Bless Uncle Lewis' heart.
I have the same problems.
My clueless sister asks "if you can't walk, how can you ride a bicycle?"

It's like one of those commercials for The Scooter Store; my bike gives me mobility

[katluvr]

It's like one of those commercials for The Scooter Store; my bike gives me mobility

LOL!

[lo123]

Bless Uncle Lewis' heart.
I have the same problems.
My clueless sister asks "if you can't walk, how can you ride a bicycle?"

It's like one of those commercials for The Scooter Store; my bike gives me mobility

Ditto.. For me, arthritic hips and feet mean nothing on the bike, but walking is almost always painful.

Obviously this phenomenon is more common than I originally thought -- I've read that Georgena Terry can't walk long distances without mobility aids.