Now that I’m entering my 30s, I see many people I know in their 50s and 60s who have serious health problems. Chronic pain, limited mobility, expensive medical problems, etc. Generally not life threatening issues but more issues that really seem to limit a person’s mobility, energy and ability to live pain free.
So what can a person do to avoid this happening?
It seems like the biggest thing to do is avoid a job that is bad for your body. Avoid jobs with repetitive motion, or that involve standing on hard surfaces all day, or that involve constant heavy lifting.
Is that the most important thing? What if you can’t avoid that?
Other things that I’m sure will help:
Strength training
Aerobic exercise
Stretching exercises (yoga, tai chi)
Various supplements (deficiencies in vitamin D, magnesium, protein, omega 3s, etc can make your joints more vulnerable)
Ergonomic movements and good posture
Wearing good shoes with good insoles
Maintain a healthy weight
My understanding is the most common causes of disability are:
Mental health problems
Musculoskeletal problems (back, knee, other joints)
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Type II diabetes
Lung disorder
Blindness
My big concern is avoiding musculoskeletal problems. What is important to do that I haven’t listed?
I’m certainly no expert, but it was on the SDMB that I was pointed to the book Younger Next Year, and it inspired me, at age 41, to start exercising seriously. I’ve kept it up for almost 18 months now. It feels good, so I’ll recommend the book. Anyway, if I remember, the major recommendations are (1) exercise, (2) quit eating crap, and (3) have good relationships.
Easier said than done, probably. Check back with me in 50 years and I’ll let you know how it’s going.
I would say diet and exercise are key. I had the entire summer off when I got laid off from my company. I spent pretty much every other morning running (up to about 4 miles) and going to the gym.
Also relationships and activities that help you maintain a positive outlook on life. The old saying “you are only as young as you feel”, while a bit trite, is somewhat accurate. Some people just seem older or younger than they actually are. Compare two guys I know around the same age (38ish). One is actively involved in a number of hobbies like cooking, ran the marathon for the first time last year, has an active social life and routinely dates much younger women. The other guy is somewhat of a joyless mope. A real glass is half empty kind of guy. The dude has basically been a 50 year old man for the 20 years I’ve known him.
I understand getting a bit down because you feel you are getting older. But I don’t understand people in their 40s, 30s or even their 20s who just sort of opt out of life because they think they are “too old”. What ends up happening with these people is that it becomes a self-fullfilling prophecy. They get fat, stop exercising, feel they are too fat and old to do “young people stuff” and sort of withdraw into their own isolated world of getting fatter and older.
My mother is 73 years old and is going strong, so I watch her and try to do what she does. Here’s her tricks:
she’s always been active. By “active” I mean she tries to get out and exercise at least 3-4 times a week. She doesn’t kill herself - she flat out says “I hate sweating” - but when she was younger she went to dance classes, now she walks or does aerobic tapes. In the summer she walks briskly for 30-45 minutes just about every day, first thing in the morning.
she eats healthily, and in small portions. She doesn’t deny herself sweets, but she only eats a cookie or a handful of M&Ms, not the whole package. She cooks just about every day. They don’t buy a lot of processed food.
She stays social. She has friends she gets together with.
She stays mentally active. She has a Facebook page. She reads books. She’s better on the computer than many people my age (40) or younger.
She has purpose in life. Right now, that’s taking care of HER aging mother. I think this last point gets missed a lot - no matter HOW happy you are, I think you’re happier if you have something important that you do every day. Whether that’s taking care of others or volunteering somewhere or whatever, I think it’s important to wake up every morning and know why you’re getting out of bed.
That’s all I’ve got for now. So far, it’s working for me, but I’m not all that old (yet). I’ll be sure to dig up this thread in 30 years and report on how it turned out.
I think your list is really good for the physical side (there is also new evidence that sitting for hours at a time is bad for you, regardless of how much other exercise you do), but mental and emotional disabilities can also be fought. Keeping your brain sharp will pay off your whole life, and your brain needs exercise as much as your body. Doing puzzles, or playing games that require mental ability (like bridge, just as an example) can do a lot. Emotionally, I think it’s healthier to be in a stable romantic relationship, if possible, and/or have good close friends that give you companionship and an emotional outlet.
Roddy
I’d list the most important items in the following order:
Exercise, exercise, exercise. Particularly cardio exercise. Blow out a quadricep and you limp around for a couple of weeks. Blow out your heart and they tend to carry you off in a box.
Keep those excess pounds off as much as you can. Every extra pound you carry eventually does a lot of damage to your aging knees and back.
Don’t smoke. Stop right now if you’ve started.
I spend an hour at the gym most every day (30 minutes of which are spent pedaling hard on the stationary bike). I don’t smoke, but I like to eat too much, and should really drop fifteen pounds if I want to follow my own advice.
Exercise and good diet are covered pretty well already.
A simple goal that ties the physical and mental aspects: learn new things. Pick up new sports or skills. Learn a new language. Get into a new hobby. Change your routines. Keeping active both physically and mentally helps a lot with avoiding loss of fitness and the onset of senility.
I’m certainly no expert, but it was on the SDMB that I was pointed to the book Younger Next Year, and it inspired me, at age 52, to order it a minute ago. I’ll let you know, E. Thorp, how it goes. Thanks!
Ahem. Now, then, I suggest paying particular attention to two spine issues.
Number one, learn in particular how to move to avoid blowing out a disk in your lumbar spine. These damn things will mess up the nerves into your leg(s) if they do it in a certain way. There are some moves that are really asking for trouble and not all that hard to avoid.
Number two, pay attention to cervical spine aging. It’s pretty common for gradual bone spur buildup to damage the spinal cord and/or the nerves branching out there, and there are surgeries that deal with it pretty easily and effectively.
Both of these topics can involve the spine hurting, but more to the point they can involve damaging nerve performance, which is a real hallmark of debility in aging, and which is itself much harder to repair than muscular and skeletal issues per se. Many old people have difficulty walking or balancing or using their hands because their nerves don’t work well.
This is an enigma to me. I am sure I remember reading of a study that separated people who drink nothing because they are alcoholics on the wagon from people that never drank. The study found that people who never drank enjoyed the best health, and only by lumping these populations together do you get a nondrinking population less healthy than the population that drinks a little.
I also think I’ve heard of a few other studies since that found the same thing.
What is enigmatic is that I also continue to hear of studies that do not consider this point, and announce that drinking a little appears helpful. How could anybody who is studying the health effect of drinking ignore this point and produce such misleading advice, given that this point is sometimes considered and described in the literature and even the popular press?
I don’t have peer-reviewed studies, or statistics, or facts (so you can stop reading at this point…), but there are seemingly an amazing number of fencers who are very active and very healthy into their 70’s and 80’s. The basic physical principles of flexibility, balance, practice of hand-eye-foot coordination, short and concentrated aerobic exercise, or whatever may be conducive to older folks, and as such may be conducive to older folks staying active in the sport. I’ll hazard that there are not too many soccer or football players in their 70’s or 80’s who actively compete each week and can hope to win. I fence with a man who’s nearing 70 and he can run circles around me.
Moderation in all things (but get at least a little of most things). Life is too short to get to the end and wish you had eaten more chocolate.
I had a revelation about exercise - everyone always says, “Find an exercise you enjoy, and do that.” Well, that was an excuse for me to do nothing - I don’t particularly enjoy exercising, and I never will. I do, however, HAVE to exercise, so I exercise like I floss my teeth - daily because I have to. I can tolerate walking and biking at home, so that’s what I do. Maybe I should go to a gym and do a full body workout, but walking every day is better than sitting on the couch every day.
**
This is sooo much a huge deal! ** I spend many years doing repetitive motion jobs the ruined my ankle, and a few more years pounding cement floors for 8/9 hours a day which messed up my feet and knees. I’m exhausted and beaten.
I am 66 and play at least 10 hours of racketball a week. I walk my dogs everyday too.
The guys I play racketball with are from 25 to 81 years old. They are far, far healthier than the norm. We have been playing together in a group for nearing 30 years. We allow anyone who wants to join the group. If they are not good ,we will teach them.
I’m 42. Not to boast, but I can run circles around most people who are half my age. Some things I have done, and not done:
I never played sports in school. Say what you want, but I attribute much of my well-being to have never played sports. I have no chronic pains.
I don’t smoke.
I jog at least three times a week. This keeps my CV system in shape.
I am anal about what I eat. I eat very little fat. I never eat fried foods. I never drink soda or other sugary drinks. I eat a high-fiber diet. I am very careful & conscientious about everything I put in my mouth. This also helps to keep my weight in check.
I brush and floss twice a day. My teeth are very healthy.
I don’t take illegal drugs.
I’m not on any prescription drugs.
I have never owned a motorcycle. I try not to take physical risks.
My biggest vice is beer - I love beer. Sure, alcohol is bad for you. But I’m hoping the damage I am doing by consuming beer is canceled by my good habits in other areas.
Sure, alcohol is bad for you. But I’m hoping the damage I am doing by consuming beer is canceled by my good habits in other areas. 