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Not nearly as good as I did at 60 and lightyears downhill from how I felt at 50.
I'm not sure how one defines "fit" at this age, honestly. My weight is not a problem (I'm 5' 4.5" and weigh 124 which is right in the middle of the ideal range) and have a BMI of 21.3 so am okay there. Don't smoke or drink. Could I play any kind of sport without getting winded pretty much immediately? Probably not. So I guess I'm not what today's culture considers "fit." I don't exercise. Zero motivation, to be honest. It sounds prissy but I don't like to sweat. Or as my Victorian great-grandmother would probably say, "perspire."
What's a gym?
Just a simple one-a-day basic-RDA multivitamin without minerals or iron, twice a week. If I take it any more frequently all multivitamins will cause reflux within less than two days. Obviously one or more of the "ingredients" causes it but it's impossible to know which one. I have never been able to take any supplemental iron or zinc, both cause painful urinary system problems; doc says that it's rare to be hypersensitive to ferrous sulfate but some people are.
Lower back, coccyx, and multiple sections of my right leg and foot. Also cannot kneel on any uncushioned surface without knee pain (although xrays and MRIs show normal) ever since my mid 50s. On the bright side, in the years since retirement my early stage carpal tunnel syndrome gradually disappeared. I used to have to wear the wrist brace every night but after about six years retirement I no longer needed it. It's ironic because I probably spend almost as many hours at the computer in retirement as I did when I was working but maybe it was the combination of keyboard time at work AND at home that was the tipping point. Anyway I'm glad I no longer need to wear that thing. On the flip side, I never had lower back or right leg problems back then so it's a tossup which was/is worse. The back/leg thing probably.
I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised you don't feel as good at 70 as you did at 60. You're going to be more tired and have more aches and pains. Why would anyone expect this not to be the case?
2 years ago, at 74, among other things, I laid carpet in a room. Just two years later,deteriorating discs in lower back now causes pain just to vacuum the damn thing.
Same reason has me using it as an excuse to skip exercising which is going to result in being able to do less and less and can't be blamed on just age.
I can still physically kick myself in the ass and guess that's one exercise I need to do.
I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised you don't feel as good at 70 as you did at 60. You're going to be more tired and have more aches and pains. Why would anyone expect this not to be the case?
We tend to delude ourselves that we are going to live forever, it is a part of human psychology. To me it's a natural defense mechanism since to constantly be aware of your mortality is a major disability. Lots of people live to 80 or 90 or older with minimal quality of life, you have to wonder - is this a good thing?
Compared to many my age, I'm doing pretty good. Some aches when first getting out of bed, but some stretches help me loosen up.
Just talked to my cousin, who's one year older than me. She's had both knees replaced, with one knee needing it's third replacement! Don't those knees come with warranties? Anyhow, I still have all my original parts...
We've really modified our diets over the past few years. No more white, processed, yeasty carbs. Cut way back on sugar, too. That was hard, I dearly love chocolate and fruit pies (topped with ice cream, even better!) But bye-bye to them except once in a very blue moon.
Now, lots of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, complex grains. Blood pressure dropped, lab work is good. Dropped a bit of weight. More energy.
Go to the gym 3-4x a week. Aerobics, light weights, yoga sometimes. Keeps the sludge out of my arteries. Helps me sleep better, too.
Do I feel my age? I guess so, but I'm doing my best to stay on top of things. Like an older car takes more maintenance to be road worthy, trying to rotate my tires, change my oil and baby myself. Want to get the highest mileage and the smoothest ride I can for as long as I can!
How do you feel? How do stay fit? What do you do at the gym? what supplements do you take? What hurts?
I feel good. Unless I look in the mirror, I tend to think I'm 35 years old. Walking, gardening, and yoga keep me fit. No supplements. Nothing hurts. Yet. Now I have to say knock on wood.
My husband, OTH, hurts all over, and gets out of breath walking short distances. He works outside a lot nonetheless, but no gym activities, and no supplements for him.
I'm 72 years old. Since I retired nearly two years ago, I fell into a funk where I got minimal exercise and stayed around the house. I gained back 30 pounds of the weight I'd lost. My atrial fibrillation and the arthritis in my back started getting worse, to the point where I feared I was on the road to decriptude and that's just the way it was going to be. No energy, no strength, aches and pains, winded and chest pain when I tried to walk. My enjoyment of life was not what it used to be.
I started back on my food tracking over three weeks ago, and making better choices. I also started going on daily walks and am on my way to getting in 10K steps a day. In addition, I've started doing the neck and back exercises I was given by my doctor and chiropractor years ago.
I feel great now and am enjoying life more. I've lost 12.5 pounds (though some of that is water weight, I'm sure), and feel more sure on my feet. I can make it through my daily walk without having to stop and catch my breath. I moved my gym membership to my new town and plan on doing some weight training there to strengthen my muscles and core, and use the treadmills when it's too hot or rainy to walk outside.
What I've learned is: it's never too late to make some changes - and as you get older, your condition can go downhill rapidly if you don't stay on top of it, as LittleDolphin says.
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