Fitness

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by emtsteve

Pura, if you can start walking consistently every day, that is about the best thing you can do from an exercise standpoint. The key is to do it every day. You'll soon find yourself going a little farther and a little faster. The hardest part is getting the habit formed, after that it becomes something you need to do and you'll look forward to each day. It's really worth it.

I completely agree with this. The older I get, the more important walking has become. For me, it’s one hour every day, regardless of the weather. No days off. Everything flows from that single point of emphasis, even diet. I’ve dropped 8 lbs in four weeks, and it’s not like I was grossly overweight.

[Pura Vida]

Thanks, guys. I got a decent walk last evening before dinner, and I'm going to carve out some time to do it daily. Time has been my biggest enemy for years, but I need to prioritize myself and my health.

BTW, in my younger years, I was super fit and healthy, but the knee/leg injuries really knocked me down, followed by long work days and age. But I can't let those factors control the narrative and need to win back this battle.

[s2y]

I got lucky in my 20's. I had a slight drinking problem. I was also never athletic growing up, mostly due to asthma modest medications at the time. I got picked on for not being athletic and rejected for dates because she only dated athletes. Just as I was wrapping up college, I started getting over my asthma and exercising.

At the same time I started clinical rotations, I noticed there were a lot of people in their 30's and 40's who had basically destroyed themselves with drugs and alcohol and/or obesity. This helped with my decision to sober up and get in shape.

I eventually started running and cycling a lot. Got my mile down to 4:46 and got injured because I was doing too much and too hard. Became a cyclist and started racing a few years later. I'm still technically a racer and train like one, but there are very few races in my area. Covid didn't help. Long story short, I have been working out way more than the average adult since I was in my mid 20's and I'm in way better shape than 96% of my peers. All those dudes who picked on me and women who wouldn't date me aren't athletic any more. Not that I'm bitter.

[Harmony123]

I'm doing my best to stay fit, but have been hampered by injuries lately. I got a neuroma on my left foot from working on treadmills/elliptical trainers, I've had to stop doing pullups due to golfer's elbow, and efforts to improve my grip strength led to a case of trigger finger, which is a bizarre condition.

How do you guys deal with injuries that set you back?

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Harmony123

I'm doing my best to stay fit, but have been hampered by injuries lately. I got a neuroma on my left foot from working on treadmills/elliptical trainers, I've had to stop doing pullups due to golfer's elbow, and efforts to improve my grip strength led to a case of trigger finger, which is a bizarre condition.

How do you guys deal with injuries that set you back?

Sorry to hear about your injuries. I handle it by waiting for it to get better or finding a new approach. Example: I've been doing pushups my entire life but the past couple of years I've noticed a lot of pain in my wrists, not while I was doing them but afterwards. I bought pushup handle bars and I'm fine now.

So, is there any exercise that gives similar benefits to pullups that won't bother your elbow?

Another option is physio but you'll need a doctor to help with that.

[Harmony123]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Sorry to hear about your injuries. I handle it by waiting for it to get better or finding a new approach. Example: I've been doing pushups my entire life but the past couple of years I've noticed a lot of pain in my wrists, not while I was doing them but afterwards. I bought pushup handle bars and I'm fine now.

So, is there any exercise that gives similar benefits to pullups that won't bother your elbow?

I also use pushup handlebars to protect my wrists when I do pushups.

I took a couple of weeks off from pullups to give the tendons some time to heal. Once I can train pain free, I'll start slowly and be satisfied with fewer reps.

[Mandobart]

Thanks for your inspiring story! We talk a lot about financially preparing for retirement here, but making an investment in your health is the most important thing to do.

[ahorsewithnonam]

Love these stories. March 2020 I weighed 184. Now I am 148. Cut out processed foods, sugars, processed carbs. Mainly a Mediterranean style eating, vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, fish, poultry.

Friday I played in a tennis tournament. Singles. I won my 1pm match in an hour and a half in the heat. Played and won my second match at 5pm that same day just under 2 hours. Both guys were half my age….just turned 66. One of the guys after losing the match was so happy…he said now I know I will still be able to enjoy tennis for another 30 years! Made me feel great.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by ahorsewithnonam

...Both guys were half my age….just turned 66. One of the guys after losing the match was so happy…he said now I know I will still be able to enjoy tennis for another 30 years! Made me feel great.

I'm relieved your opponents were in their 30s, not that you were 132yo. Although at the rate you're going, you might be playing in another 60 years. Great job!

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by ahorsewithnonam

Love these stories. March 2020 I weighed 184. Now I am 148. Cut out processed foods, sugars, processed carbs. Mainly a Mediterranean style eating, vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, fish, poultry.

Friday I played in a tennis tournament. Singles. I won my 1pm match in an hour and a half in the heat. Played and won my second match at 5pm that same day just under 2 hours. Both guys were half my age….just turned 66. One of the guys after losing the match was so happy…he said now I know I will still be able to enjoy tennis for another 30 years! Made me feel great.

Great story. I’m 71 and weighed 192 in March. Now, I’m at 177, which is about as low as I can go. So, I achieved the goal I set back in post #22. Diet is relatively unchanged, though I did cut out some snacks. The backbone of my program is walking.

[Boozehound]

I've been pretty into fitness for about 15 years now. Probably the heaviest I ever got was around my wedding. I was 320lbs at 6ft tall. When I got fitted for my tux I believe that they measured my waist at either 46 or 48 inches. That was a bit of a wakeup call for me. I had always yo-yo'd around with my weight, but after College I was less active but still eating like I was at University and playing Rugby. To top it all off I smoked and drank excessively.



I decided to start focusing on my health a bit more and bought some weights and started exercising, and watching what I ate. I was able to initially lose about 60lbs pretty quickly through diet modification and exercise. Then the weight started coming off more slowly, but I kept at it. I've kept the weight off for 15 years and haven't missed more than 2 days of workouts in that time. I take my daily fitness very seriously and always make time for it - no matter what. I run, cycle, and lift. I also play golf (walking - no carts) and take daily walks of 3+ miles. I have quit smoking and cut back my drinking to moderate levels. Right now I'm weighing in at 235. I still tend to overeat, and I still need to lose another 20+ lbs, but I'm much healthier than I was!

[ewalling]

The worst personal effect of the pandemic on me was that they closed the community pool; swimming was my primary way of keeping fit. Add to that I'm a teacher, and for anyone who doesn't know, teaching, at least the way many of us do it, involves a lot of being on your feet, moving about, and hardly any sitting down. Virtual classes, of course, put an end to all that. So, over the last year, my trousers got increasingly tight - one pair I had to just use the belt instead of the top button!

The good news for me is that they re-opened the pool around a month ago, and I've been swimming every night for the last two weeks. I already feel and see the results. I'm not working this summer, so one of my goals is to really get back in good condition.

[emtsteve]

Originally Posted by Boozehound

I've been pretty into fitness for about 15 years now. Probably the heaviest I ever got was around my wedding. I was 320lbs at 6ft tall. When I got fitted for my tux I believe that they measured my waist at either 46 or 48 inches. That was a bit of a wakeup call for me. I had always yo-yo'd around with my weight, but after College I was less active but still eating like I was at University and playing Rugby. To top it all off I smoked and drank excessively.



I decided to start focusing on my health a bit more and bought some weights and started exercising, and watching what I ate. I was able to initially lose about 60lbs pretty quickly through diet modification and exercise. Then the weight started coming off more slowly, but I kept at it. I've kept the weight off for 15 years and haven't missed more than 2 days of workouts in that time. I take my daily fitness very seriously and always make time for it - no matter what. I run, cycle, and lift. I also play golf (walking - no carts) and take daily walks of 3+ miles. I have quit smoking and cut back my drinking to moderate levels. Right now I'm weighing in at 235. I still tend to overeat, and I still need to lose another 20+ lbs, but I'm much healthier than I was!

Lifestyle change, that’s the key.

Nice to see a brew in that last photo. I don’t think I’ll ever give that up completely either.