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I never said I was pain free, believe me I live with chronic pain. I believe everything got worse in my body, right side for certain, after hip replacement in 2010. I was 72 and that surgery changed the body structure/alignment, nerve damage and IT band damage and shorter leg outcome. Not every joint replacement is a great outcome.
True. But you have to weigh everything out. I've had lot of fun over a half century of running, hiking, playing sports. My feet will have to be surgically repaired soon and the knees have lost a lot of cartilage but I don't regret the fun I had while incurring that damage.
At some point we're all going to wear out. If I was inactive, smoked and drank all those years I would probably be in worse condition.
I also walked and walked all my childhood and everyone has their own experiences and beliefs about why they are where they are now. I don't know too many in my age area who don't have knee and other joint issues.
So everyone in your age area has knee and other joint issues and did they all exercise as much as you over their lifetime?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cream1
How do you manage playing in so many basketball leagues with having a social life?
I'll buy that. Overdoing it can be harmful. Seems to me that the title of your thread is poorly worded though. One might conclude that you're saying any exercise will inevitably damage your joints, which is not supported by studies. Actually, the opposite is true-exercise strengthens joints.
Yours is a cautionary tale, though it may be difficult for individuals to determine reasonable limits. If you were doing a lot of ballet dancing as a youngster, that may be the source of your problems as I've heard it's quite stressful on the bod. Perhaps something for parents to consider, as kids may be especially incapable of assessing how much is too much for them.
I do personally believe that moderate exercise is healthiest. At least, I know it is for ME. When I was in my 20s I used to run 3 - 5 miles almost every day. Then in my 30s just walking. About 15 years ago I started regular bicycling, not a racer bike, just a cruiser around my neighborhood, about an hour every day. I do a set or two of moderate upper body training. And I dance. But it is mostly low-key type - ballroom, freestyle, belly dance. The only "hard" dancing is tap, but I love it. So far, all my joints are fine, I am almost 68. I do have some back issues I was born with and some old injuries but my exercise keeps me moving and I usually do not have much pain. Very little (if any) arthritis.
I do personally believe that moderate exercise is healthiest. At least, I know it is for ME. When I was in my 20s I used to run 3 - 5 miles almost every day. Then in my 30s just walking. About 15 years ago I started regular bicycling, not a racer bike, just a cruiser around my neighborhood, about an hour every day. I do a set or two of moderate upper body training. And I dance. But it is mostly low-key type - ballroom, freestyle, belly dance. The only "hard" dancing is tap, but I love it. So far, all my joints are fine, I am almost 68. I do have some back issues I was born with and some old injuries but my exercise keeps me moving and I usually do not have much pain. Very little (if any) arthritis.
Ah, tapping is what started me dancing at 13 or so and did it for some yrs. Love tap, it was fun.
Whether I worded my title right or wrong, doesn't matter...people do what they will do and runners will continue to run until their body stops them, maybe....
We're all different and many do have the arthritis factor. Then we look at the athletic jocks and all the damage they live with...thinking about Joe Montana and Koby for starters.
I've found that out. I danced and exercised all my life since 13 to into my mid 60's....years of dancing, gym and LONG LONG miles of walking. Never ran.
Today in late 70's joints are a MESS. I have talked to many others who did so much of what I did and they are having the same results in their older lives.
I deal with arthritis from an early age, 18 first sign, and today good gosh....
MODERATION. Keep moving, but don't go nuts.
I've heard this about dancers. That's the excuse that Annette Funicello used for a while to explain her stiffness and difficulty walking (she was really hiding the fact that she had MS). I'd think this is true for high impact aerobics or anything that is jarring to the joints.
I've not heard that walking is damaging in any way. That's what I do. In fact, walking is supposed to alleviate the effects of arthritis, as well as help keep up bone mass.
I used to do aerobics years ago, but stopped it when I started having trouble with my knees. I stopped impact aerobics, and am glad I did. My knees seem fine lo these decades later, but I don't challenge them by jumping or running. I try to preserve the cartilage.
I've read that glocosamin is helpful to preserve cartilage. I took that for a while, stopped, but am about to start again.
But doing many things can mess up the knees or cartilage. My brother has a bad knee. He never exercised. He must've injured or twisted his legal somehow. My dad has a bad knee. He's very active (85), but never ran or jumped around.
Being overweight is one of the most damaging things for joints. And for your back.
Reminds me of an old joke by George Carlin. It went something like this: People ask me if I exercise. My theory is that my body has only so many movements in its life. So I try to preserve them.
I've found that out. I danced and exercised all my life since 13 to into my mid 60's....years of dancing, gym and LONG LONG miles of walking. Never ran.
Today in late 70's joints are a MESS. I have talked to many others who did so much of what I did and they are having the same results in their older lives.
I deal with arthritis from an early age, 18 first sign, and today good gosh....
MODERATION. Keep moving, but don't go nuts.
EVERYbody's joints trouble them in the late 70s!
So you say you deal with arthritis from an early age. I can promise you that if you did NOT exercise this whole time you would have had these problems 20 years ago. Your moderate exercise actually kept you mobile for longer than you might otherwise have been. Heck you may not even be here now if you had not exercised because your heart might have become a "mess" instead.
Please, count your blessings. You are in your late 70s. You danced and exercised into your mid-60s. That is more than a lot of people get.
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