Last weekend Sam’s sisters and their families came to our van for a BBQ. We sat on the decking and chatted whilst the men cooked sausages and burgers. One of his sisters, Marie, is 69, and the other one, Mel, is 65. Marie had plenty to say on the subject of ageing, which I’m not sure was all correct. I’ll give some background info and also her words below, and then my opinion. I’d be grateful for your comments.
Marie is retired and gets up in the morning between 9am – 10am. She and her husband often drive around visiting places in their motorhome. They walk a little bit, but don’t do much physical exercise. She told me that I’d notice the difference in the things I couldn’t do anymore by the time I got to 65 (I’m 61 currently). Marie hurt her hip joint just by putting one ankle up onto her other knee to put on a sock.
I counteracted this statement by saying that surely if somebody takes up regular exercise such as cycling, swimming and walking, then their musculature would not deteriorate too much, or at least deteriorate more slowy? I find that now I cycle on a regular basis, then it’s not so difficult to walk downhill for any length of time (I was finding this difficult before I started cycling). Marie shook her head and said it didn’t matter how much exercise you did. Mel agreed with her sister (she and her husband have electric bikes).
In my opinion neither of them do enough exercise to keep their muscles in good condition. If you sit all day, then your muscles will deteriorate rapidly. Can the loss of mobility that comes with ageing be put off for a few more years if you ‘get on your bike’ and don’t take the easy option?
What do you think?
Stevie Turner 
That’s a toughie. Not sure because if there’s already damage, exercise may exacerbate it?
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Unless the damage was caused by not exercising?
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That would make sense too, but who knows. I just think the best we can do is keep moving as best we can to try to avoid these situations creeping up on us before they should! 🙂 x
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Absolutely.
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Exercise keeps your muscles stuck to you bones and muscle tone keeps your innards from sinking into a pile between your hip bones. And a little is not enough. My wife works in a real ballet class 3 times a week and a long Yoga class. And she just discovered she couldn’t push my daughter’s electric lawn mower. “I hate weights.” Well, too bad. Out they came along with the butt kicking Cathe videos I always wondered why we bought. I do free weights in the garage every other day, walk a 77 pound Irish Setter two miles every morning. I write and play synthesizer and run power tools to keep my wits about me. I have friends who do nothing, and complain. You gotta do something or you’ll turn into jello. However, my wife’s take on ageing after returning from a ballet rehearsal full of teens and professional 20 somethings is MEME worthy. “I’ll tell you one. thing,” her dance bag dropped roughly in a chair. “Getting old f**king sucks.”
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Yes it does suck big time, and we have to manage it as best we can. As your friends will find out, doing nothing is not an option!
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We must not forget those who through no fault of their own have catastrophes or medical conditions, but the point is to exercise in some way and keep moving as much as possible. Of course I get my come uppance occasionaly when strange things happen to my knees or back – one moment walking briskly everywhere, next can hardly walk! Fortunately never find out what was actually wrong and they get better. One thing is for certain – if I am stuck on a bus or in the car for a while I can hardly walk when I get out till I get muscles moving again – If you never get any exercise you will atrophe! My great grandmother apparently decided one day she was old and the family had to push he everywhere in a wheelchair!
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My mother hated sitting in a wheelchair, and she would end up pushing it along at a snail’s pace. She only used it to put her bag in, and if she really had to sit in it she complained the whole time. I think she felt embarrassed.
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As I’m writing my fitness book, Stevie, I just read stats that show 1-4 people worldwide do not exercise. Just sitting around in my cast for the last 6 weeks has already deteriorated some muscle mass! Glad you are cycling and walking, those activities are the best for attaining and maintaining fitness. Walking is weight-bearing so bones are continuing to strengthen, very important in women at any age! Sad to read your SIL hurt her hip in that fashion. That says a lot. Any kind of daily physical activity is good for us!
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Absolutely Terri. I hope you’re soon back on your feet.
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It has been proven scientifically over and over again that exercise slows ageing. So if your friend doesn’t want to believe that there are likely deeper causes for that resistance, such as fear of hurting herself, general physical discomfort (exacerbated by non-fitness but still), and so on … I’m ‘only’ 45 and recent years behind a desk has done me no favors in terms of health. I know I need to get started exercising again and soon!
Here’s one of those studies, BTW, just to show I’m not making this up: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180308143123.htm
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Thanks Christopher. Yes you and the researchers are so right. However, trying to tell my sister-in-law she is wrong is impossible, as her opinion is always the correct one!
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Oh, yes it was your sis-in-law, right. Juggling too many things at once here … but that being said, she sounds like a very normal human being 🙂 Opinions are some of the most change-resistant things on Earth!
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Use it or lose it. If you don’t stay active, you will lose muscular functionality. The key is to find an exercise you like. I enjoy water fitness classes and walking. So, I can usually get motivated to do these things.
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Thanks Abbie. Yes, I’ve found I like cycling, walking and country dancing. Hopefully they’ll stop me falling apart!
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Exercise is the key. That is why people are much more active now in their later years than they used to be. 65 is no longer considered old. In fact, 70 is no longer considered old. Yes, keep moving if at all possible.
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Absolutely Darlene. We’ve got to keep it all moving!
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Apologies Stevie – I addressed you as ‘jenanita’ Sorry about that…PS We have both had cancer and survived it too. xx.
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Don’t worry – yes I’m still alive and kicking 15 years after being diagnosed.
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You are spot on,Jenanita. I don’t cycle but I did Yoga, Pilates and then Tai Chi until my mid/late 70s, worked part-time until mid 70s, then walked and exersized, but now I have a few problems (minor) at 87, so do exercises indoors and go for shorter walks. My husband is 91 and his memory is phenominal (we have both had a memoir published.) He does the main shopping, and as I cooked for 47 years, he has now taken over that too! He drives like Sterling Moss and I know I’m extremely fortunate to have him. If you don’t use it, you ,lose it… Best wishes. x
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Thanks Joy. You and your husband are great examples of not taking the easy option! Well done!
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Of course you are absolutely right,Stevie. I am amazed that anyone the age of your sisters-in-law thinks otherwise – there is more than enough publicity being given to this subject these days. At 77 I still enjoy my Sunday morning bike rides – I don’t go as far or as fast as I once did and tend to take a longer winter break. But I also try to walk as much as possible, and, of course, there’s the garden. I have an 84 year old neighbour who also cycles to the shop (a 2 mile round trip) daily and cycles up the hill to his daughter’s home. Once you give in to the kind of talk you describe, you are doomed.
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It’s obvious to me that we have to keep using our muscles as we age. Thanks for your comment Frank, and keep cycling!
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks ladies for the re-blog!
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Now I am 75, my body tells me to stop moving around, but I’m not listening. Too many things I want to do, and even though I am slower than I was and need frequent rests, I intend to keep going as long as I can… Use it or lose it, is a wonderful mantra for old age!
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Absolutely. Keep moving! Thanks Jen/Anita.
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I think you’re absolutely spot on. I know a farmer now into his nineties who still works. He doesn’t do as much as he did, but he must walk miles, is always climbing in and out of tractors and suchlike and he can still do it
I think that ‘use it or lose it’ is the rule.
So I think you’re wise to do your cycling, and I suspect that as you continue you’ll find walking may even get easier, and being more pleasurable than it was when you started cycling, you’ll do more of that as well 🙂
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I can walk downhill a lot easier now without my quads locking up. Living in flat Suffolk and then starting to visit hilly IOW, I struggled at first but am now okay.
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I think you are definitely right and stretching exercises also play a role. My mother is 81 this year and a breast cancer survivor and she is still pretty sprightly and very mobile.
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