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Some is probably a rebellion against the people i hang out with - constantly cutting grass and cleaning. Like maniacs almost. Maybe Catholic guilt. I don't get it, so i am rebelling!!!
Some is probably a rebellion against the people i hang out with - constantly cutting grass and cleaning. Like maniacs almost. Maybe Catholic guilt. I don't get it, so i am rebelling!!!
I definitely spend as little time cleaning as possible.
I'm a multitasker. DH has often said that by the time I'm doing something my mind has already moved on to the next thing I'm going to do.
About ten years ago at sixty I realized that I need to learn how to be more mindful of the task at hand. This is especially true on stairways. Now I stop at the top and think about walking down before I step. If there's a railing, as much as I hate to hang on to those germ-laden things, I also use the handrail just in case.
Our stairways at home are winding ones and as such can be treacherous. I no longer carry things down the stairs if I can't see my feet. Carrying things up the stairs still works for me.
In all, I think the biggest change I've made is to not take for granted that I can just automatically do something physical. Now I stop and think about it first.
My dad had a huge vegetable garden in the country that he enjoyed working in the summer. I remember with sadness the day he told me that he had been on the ground weeding or something and when it was time to stand up his tired legs wouldn't do it. He said he had to crawl to his gardening truck and pull himself up to a standing position. The look on his face was hard to look at.
We made the choice to leave the midwest and move to Arizona.We are able to hike two or three times a week on trails in the winter and it has helped with my balance issues, strengthened my legs and improved my breathing. In the summer I swim laps once or twice a day. I thought I'd be suffering for the rest of my life with severe back problems (which will always have to be watched out for) , along with a persistent and severe hamstring issue in my left leg, and also asthma. It wasn't easy to leave the dear village we called home for so many years, and all the dear dear friends, my art life there, but the lifestyle change has made a HUGE difference to my physical well being, and my marriage has become like a second honeymoon as we explore our new lives here. The icing on the cake though is we are blessed to be able to spend time with our grandchildren.
I had to stop sitting at my computer though, triggers back issues, so I now stand at the computer to do any of my work on it. My days of stretching cannvas' around frames, or working on large paintings are over but hey, life goes on and I try to be creative in how I traverse the newly imposed limitations.
I haven't really made many lifestyle changes yet. I am 76 and I do not (and have never done "ladders"). Started a new yoga class, have enrolled in a Master Naturalist class for 3 months, and have started a new volunteer job at a parks/rec. My white hair and wrinkles bring plenty of help from the young for lifting and toting. I plan to stop driving at age 85 and make a decision then whether to go to independent living or assistant living. Wait - I no longer drive into the heart of the city nor do I drive to very remote areas in the county...don't know that is age related as much as it is "being alone". I have always done environmental work rather than my yard work...give me a meadow, not a lawn. We can learn from watching our same-age peers. I am aging: that is okay. I will accept the changes as they become necessary.
I haven't really made many lifestyle changes yet. I am 76 and I do not (and have never done "ladders"). Started a new yoga class, have enrolled in a Master Naturalist class for 3 months, and have started a new volunteer job at a parks/rec. My white hair and wrinkles bring plenty of help from the young for lifting and toting. I plan to stop driving at age 85 and make a decision then whether to go to independent living or assistant living. Wait - I no longer drive into the heart of the city nor do I drive to very remote areas in the county...don't know that is age related as much as it is "being alone". I have always done environmental work rather than my yard work...give me a meadow, not a lawn. We can learn from watching our same-age peers. I am aging: that is okay. I will accept the changes as they become necessary.
As much as I find a city a joyful cacophony for the senses as an artist, being in nature rejuvenates my soul. I never thought I could love hiking so much, but the weather here has made it possible.
I had to stop sitting at my computer though, triggers back issues, so I now stand at the computer to do any of my work on it.
Make sure you take frequent breaks even while standing, though. I did the 'standing' thing in my late 50s for the same reason (lower back pain) and ended up with plantar fasciitis in my right foot because I was unconsciously putting more weight on my right foot, while standing, than my left. As a result I now have to wear orthotics (and, subsequently, "old lady" type shoes) constantly in order to avoid severe pain in that heel.
The podiatrist told me that he is seeing more and more of this as the Varidesk-type arrangements have become more widely used. People think they can stand for a longer time than they can site, but that alone can cause problems -- especially if the floor beneath them is on a concrete slab, as it is in some workplaces. Mine wasn't (it was an upstairs oak floor) but the standing can cause issues just the same.
Which reminds me, I have used a gel coccyx cushion on my computer chair and in my car ever since my mid 50s. That's the kind that has a hole in the back so that your coccyx 'floats' instead of bearing any weight. There are tons of them on the market and not all work for everyone. I find the solid foam ones too hard; mine have a honeycomb type of gel inside. They're not made anymore and so if they ever disintegrate I will have a problem.
We used to paint our interiors, we have gradually given that up. We still will attempt small paint jobs.
I actually returned to gardening 6 years ago. DH and I clean up in the spring and fall, and do other outside tasks. I have planted many things, but I also have had larger things planted. This winter I think arthritis is going to cause me some problems. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to do.
We began visiting a gym 6 years ago, and we continue. Right now I am walking with the help of ibuprofen and determination. I am seeking help for the pain in my lower back, which manifests in my leg. So, I am facing some possible problems with mobility. I am hoping for the best.
My husband gave up running because of plantar fasciitis and no more tall ladder for both of us. I gave up my dream of homesteading, living off the land kind of thing. I’m now make do with my small tiny suburban lot.
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