November 01, 2012

Middle Aged Exercisers: On Not Throwing in The Towel



I can't speak to Old Age, 'cause I ain't there yet myself.  But I'm 52.  When I hear people bitching and moaning and sobbing about the toll hitting your 40's, 50's can take on the body, I respond by...

Bitching and moaning and sobbing right along with them! Cause yeah, it's amazing and amusing all the varied ways the human body can fall apart over time.

But when formerly active people with garden variety age-related deterioration (as opposed to serious injuries or medical conditions) try to use middle age as an excuse to drop cardio and strength training and intervals and anything more challenging than a trip to Costco, that's when I call bullsh-t.

You do not have to throw in the towel when your hair starts to turn silver, unless it's your gym towel and it stinks really bad and you're only throwing it in the washing machine so you get don't kicked out of your Zumba class.



First up, a photo digression, feel free to skip.  But wanna know what this is a picture of?


Yep, this is what middle age will do to you. It's a pair of $5 reading glasses I am willing to risk having someone steal off my gym locker, because otherwise my aging eyes cannot make out the damn combination to open it.  I learned this trick in Scotland, when I stood there stark naked with only a tiny gym hand-towel  ('cause I was too cheap to rent a real one) and after 10 minutes of  fiddling and cursing finally had to flag down a younger person to open my locker for me.  (And btw, Scottish women seem even more shy than US women in locker rooms, and somehow managed never to appear naked whilst showering and changing, so I probably appeared to be even MORE of a scary freak than I would have at home.  Lesson duly learned).  Anyway...

Tips On Exercising While Middle Aged:

1. Just Do It.

And that's it for tips.

Seriously, I get so tired of all those articles in health magazines with "special" exercise prescriptions for people in every decade of life.  These always set expectations lower and lower, which can burrow into your subconscious and mess with your head and plant unhelpful visions of impending wimpiness.

If you are new to exercise--at any age--you need to start slowly.

But if you are already active and suddenly notice that everyone else at the gym looks like they're cutting their high school civics class to be there, while your contemporaries are starting to count a walk to the mailbox as their "aerobics" for the day, just say screw it and keep going like you always have.

And yeah, sure, you'll need to be creative and sensible and work around the inevitable injuries that exercising will produce.  But you do not suddenly transform into some delicate flower just because your body parts have a few more miles on them.  Over a lifetime of exercising, you will have to develop alternatives to your favorite activities and alternatives to those alternatives.  But this process should ideally start in your 20's; if you've been lucky enough not to have to crosstrain before, be grateful. But now is the time to suck it up and find other things you like to do if your favorite activities are causing you problems.

So instead of tips, here's a different list:

Three Reasons Why Exercising in Middle Age is Awesome:

1. You get extra credit for being older even if you don't actually need it.

You know how guys hate to be "chicked?"  Well, in the same way I love to savor those occasions when I can "chick" a guy at something, I also love it when, for example, I can haul my post-menopausal ass up a hill on my bike faster that some 20-something guy or gal, even if it might be their first time ever on a bicycle for all I know.  The expectation is that young people should generally outperform older folks, so it feels rather satisfying to "geeze" a youngster, an expression I think I just made up.  On the other hand,  I hate to be geezed myself by true seniors.

And the thing is, if you, like me, were never a particularly super-star athlete, then in all likelihood you can actually keep improving your performance on stuff that you put extra effort into.

2. The lessons you learn about life make it much easier to stay on track.

In the same way that middle age seems to bring more common sense and less drama to everything, it works for exercise as well.  You understand that a forced break due to injury won't mean you will immediate gain 100 lbs and lose all your motivation; your favorite class being cancelled is an inconvenience, not an excuse to go into a suicidal depression and give up working out all together.

You get wiser about handling injuries, scheduling, finding creative solutions to obstacles; you can put triumphs and set-backs into perspective; and you have the self-confidence to feel like you "belong" in any exercise setting you are legally allowed to enter and the hell with anyone who gives you any attitude about it.

And along those lines, you don't give much of crap anymore if you look ridiculous and lame when you try something new.  This comes in very handy if you, like me, are a bit on the clumsy side.

3. The payoffs are way more concrete and immediate.

Every day there is some new study about the long-term benefits of exercise.  But when you're twenty, you can be in crappy shape and smoke and subsist entirely on diet coke and doughnut holes and Bud Light and go about life in a fairly functional manner.  All those studies saying exercise will delay your first heart attack a few years or may make you somewhat less likely to get diabetes or whatever may not be all that compelling compared to the hassle of it all.

But once you're middle-aged, the payoffs in energy, attitude, strength, ability to sleep, self-esteem, and overall smugness become much easier to see, especially if you compare yourself to your sedentary peers. Not only that, but if you're willing to challenge yourself, a recent study found that high intensity intervals improved cognitive function in those who were middle aged.

Plus, those "far off" long-term health consequences are no longer so far off!  An article in The New York Times pointed out that middle-aged exercisers are setting themselves up for decades of much more pleasant aging, staving off chronic and miserable diseases. 

Want some more motivation?  Check out Jody's physique over at her blog and tell me that women in their 50's are too old to do serious strength-training.  (She also recently wrote a good article for Health Your Way on myths about fitness for older folks ).

What do you guys think about exercise and aging? Noticing any changes or are you still a young whippersnapper?

Older Exerciser cartoon:   Felipe Rockett


67 comments:

  1. Having been a pretty lazy, chubby smoker up to my mid thirties, I only actually STARTED taking an interest in fitness at about that point. Now, at 42, I'm dealing with the aging process by stubbornly getting YOUNGER with every year that goes by (as far as my fitness goes anyway ... I'd rather stick in my forties psychologically if it's all the same)!

    I ran my first half marathon a couple of months ago, and I'm hoping for a double whammy in 2014 by completing my first full marathon and getting my black belt after eight years of hard training. Slowing down in my forties? I'm accelerating hard with my eyes on the horizon! #;-)

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    1. Awesome attitude, and wow, a marathon and a black belt would be amazingly kickass! Love the getting younger every year thing. It's funny how much "normal" aging you can eliminate by staying fit.

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    2. Hallelujah! Yes, you CAN get fitter as you get older.

      As a personal trainer (admittedly, in my 20s), I mostly work with baby boomers, and I can't stand hearing about how people have a "slower metabolism" as they get older or some other age-related thing, and they're only in their 40s or 50s.

      Is it really that their metabolism is slower? or is it that when they were teenagers, they played basketball 2 hours a day and walked everywhere? Sure, there's some slowing down in the metabolism as people get older, but not anywhere NEAR what they think. Metabolism declines because activity declines.

      Do you stop moving because you get older? Or do you get older because you stop moving?

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  2. I tell my daughter and all her 30-something friends that I wish I knew in my 20's what I know now! I was a late in life regular exerciser so even though I'm 52, I really only started exercising like it was an appointment at 32. Even then the only thing I did was walk and take the occasional step aerobics class. Never have been a fan of strength training (even though I know I should) so I tend to go back and forth with that. But my beloved cardio I do! Except for right now as I've had an injury since April. I struggled for a few months through the injury but finally was diagnosed with stress fractures and a torn tendon in my left foot. Been in a cam boot for the last 4 weeks. My response has been to go to my Muay Thai Boxing classes and modify as much as I can but it's still not a good workout. Still, I can't wait to get this thing off and I suspect my biggest challenge is going to be trying to ease back into exercise so that I don't re-injure myself!

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    1. How frustrating about the injuries but good for you for dragging that booted foot to Thai boxing classes and doing whatever you can.

      And I'm like you... not a big fan of strength training at all, but sure does have some benefits.

      Good luck on recovering and not reinjuring yourself!

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  3. I turned 40 and thought HUH PEOPLE. WHAT ARE YOU WHINING ABOUT? THIS STUFF IS SO EASY!! and then I turned 42.

    I swear THATS what keeps me consistently motivated. If I quit now ID NEVER RESTART :-)

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    1. Too funny to hear YOU say that, given what an amazing inspiration you are to so many folks! But yeah, I may be glossing over the challenges a bit, perhaps because I found sticking with exercise just as much of a challenge when I was 20.

      You are so darn busy, no wonder it's a struggle!

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  4. Another advantage to being older is that you aren't worried about keeping up appearances. I have no problem asking for advice or an opinion from anybody in the gym. As a result I have an amazing physiotherapist and trainer, I know where to get the good water proof tape for my blisters and where to get bathingsuits that don't fall apart.

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    1. Yes! I forgot to mention the asking for help thing, but it's great to not have any hesitation around that any more. Saves a LOT of time!

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  5. The advantage of exercising in middle-age is it wards off--or reverses--having to think about what to do to propel your body off the couch. I can stand up from a sitting position without having to remind my body what to do anymore.

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    1. Ah yes, good point, the brain-butt connection is a lot stronger with exercise!

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  6. I've never, at any age, been very good about keeping on track exercise-wise but for the past few months I'm making a point of getting longer, more frequent brisk walks in (once for Benny - once or twice more for myself) and though the weight loss has been minimal and painstakingly slow, the energy level has increased considerably. Sleep can still be elusive though.

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    1. Good for you! And good for all of us, too, because your walks always lead to such beautiful photos on your blog! Oh and I'm sure benny doesn't mind a bit either.

      And yeah, even exercise isn't a complete cure for that middle-aged sleep thing. But I think it's a lot worse with no exercise.

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  7. I love this post. The "tips" for older exercisers always cracked me up and I'm glad you called the media out on this. The only stuff I don't do are things that HURT hurt, as opposed to things that make me uncomfortable.

    Twelve years ago when we moved into our neighborhood, I met my next door neighbor - your typical silver-haired little old lady, who did make walking to the mailbox look like an effort. Color me shocked when I realized recently that at the time, she was only in her early 50s!!! Dangit - that won't be me.

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    1. Thanks Shelley!

      And isn't it weird how "old" people in their 50's and 60's used to seem? Now that I'm there I've got a TOTALLY different perspective. Although I do sometimes freak out if I haven't looked in a mirror in a while to see this very seasoned crone staring back at me. Sigh.

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  8. I got geezered yesterday. My podiatrist has pictures of himself running various marathons (Boston and NYC for example) up on his wall. I said to him "Hot legs there doc H. When was this?" he said "Last year." He is like 70. I was sitting in the car being chauffeured the few blocks to Costco thinking flabby legged chic limps around her PODIATRIST's office being cheeky with the 70 YO ironman. That takes the cake... cake MMMM.

    Only today I find out that the episode has a name - being geezered. Hell. Just. HELL.

    I am gonna go for a walk. Me and my cane. Godda start somewhere!

    Spiffy glasses BTW. The other day I was stomping around the house looking for my glasses. Hubs comes up, hugs me and then removes two pairs off the top of my head. Double Hell.

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    1. Ah, you get special dispensation from just having had surgery. In fact, i hung on to the hysterectomy excuse for a couple of years, so milk it while you can, at the same time making secret plans to kick adorable geezer ass whenever you encounter it going forward.

      Oh, and I HATE when I'm wearing the reading glasses I've looked 45 minutes for!

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  9. First time reading your post - love it!! I'm middle-age (43) and trying really hard to still feel like an athlete!!! Iim looking forward to more great reads here!

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    1. Hey thanks Kim!!

      It's weird here at Cranky Fitness, but we have fun; welcome and thanks for your comment and glad to have another active middle-ager on board!

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  10. I was geezered in the spring. Walking to my Dr's office to find out that my iron was extremely low (like almost at death's door), an 80 (or more) year old man walked past me, not breathing hard at all. I will try to get a gym membership this year and try to get my cardio back to a good place.

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    1. I had the same thing happen to me under the SAME circumstances a few months ago. Sucked. And that was just from my car thru the parking lot to the building. Man it has been a darned geezering slam dance in Munchberryville this year.

      Cardio will zap back when you get the iron fixed.

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    2. Good for you Reb for getting motivated! You've had more than your share of health challenges. And yeah Munchberry, I'm with you in thinking getting the low iron levels fixed will help Reb a lot.

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  11. Since I was in very poor health in my twenties and early thirties--I never worked full time until after I was forty--I find no particular challenge in exercising in middle age. I have energy now! (I remember telling one of my friends after an "Exercise Will Cure You" lecture "Sure, I could force myself to take a walk when I don't feel like it, but if I did, that would be ALL I did that day. I'd have to go to bed and stay there.") But looking at my family history, and at the joint pain I'm experiencing, arthritis is in my future, so I'd better start figuring out how to cope.
    And of course I never did care much about looking ridiculous (and a good thing, too.)

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    1. Here's to middle aged women not caring how weird they look!

      And so many people have the opposite reaction to joint pain and shun exercise; glad you're taking the proactive approach.

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  12. Like many others, I just got started into fitness around age 40! So I see myself as a young'un in regards to exercise and look forward to learning more and getting stronger instead of weaker over time :)

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    1. Love to hear about all the late bloomers who are turning back the clock, shedding pounds and getting healthy and strong. Yay you!!!

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  13. Oh, I hoped that your post was going to take a different direction! I thought that you would say that there is a magic formula against aging, that if we start early, we won't fall apart. Alas, no such luck! I am speeding towards 40 faster than I'd like...

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    1. Well, actually, exercise is as close as to a magic formula as you can find, although it is NOT magically making my wrinkles disappear.

      And enjoy the ride! I think many of us in our 40's and 50's find middle age to be the happiest damn time of our lives.

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  14. If you want to get better with age, don't stop moving!

    Great reminder.

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  15. Great to keep fit at any age! Keep it up

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  16. LOVE THIS & THANK YOU for calling me out & my recent article! You are sweet!!!!

    Such a great post & reminder that we are never too old to start exercising OR to keep non going & keep on pushing ourselves out of that comfort zone. Yes, that zone may be different than when we were younger BUT it is hard for when we are a bit older! ;-) I know I have slowed over the past 10 years or so but I have never once not kept at trying my hardest for that point in time.

    YES, the 50's have been a huge challenge with the hormones & bod but I refuse to give into it & I keep pushing myself to do my best... no slacking just because I can almost say I am 55! ;) I am going to get a senior discount when I turn 55 this month - wherever they offer it! :)

    THANK YOU!!!!!

    BTW - LOVE your reading glasses! I was OK till just about 3 months ago & all of a sudden the reading went bad! I already had a cheap pair of reading glasses for every once in a while which now has become all the time. Are yours special ordered or store bought - I LOVE!!!!

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    1. Weirdly enough, they were in a pile of $5 cheapo's at a weird place called The Christmas Tree Store on cape cod, don't even know if they have those out here? I'm sure you can find something better, but remind me next summer and I'll see if they still have 'em, maybe I can send you some!

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  17. I began getting fit at age 38. Did my first-EVER competitive sports event (a jiu-jitsu tournament) at age 39 (was ranked #3 novice female in New England for a short time following it). Ran my first 5K road race at age 40 and have run dozens more since. Began serious strength training at age 42...I'm 43 now and can out-lift my 32-year-old lifelong athlete boyfriend on a couple of things. Age is NO EXCUSE not to get started or keep pushing forward. I'll never stop. ;)

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    1. WOw, you are AMAZING!!! The only sport I could imagine myself being ranked #3 at is cupcake eating. You're a great inspiration to all of us!

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  18. I do not like to bitch and moan about getting older! My view is that it gives power to the problem. That's just me. If you want to B&M about it to me, I'll listen kindly to a point. If I start getting depressed with the B&Ming, then I'll just, la la la tune you out until you stop and then I'll give you a hug!

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    1. OK, next time I feel like B&Ming, I'll just skip straight to the hug!

      But you know me, I B&M about everything!

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    2. HaHa!!

      You must be a very good therapist! I'm just going to start with the hug from now on if I even suspect that they are going to B&M :-)

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  19. I almost qualify for an old geezer as I just turned 58. I was obese all my life. My first (unsuccessful) diet was when I was 11. When I turned 56 I was having a LOT of issues. My knees were very bad with osteoarthritis. I could hardly walk from the bed to the kitchen! :D But I got on the scale one day and realized I was only nine pounds away from 300 pounds!!! That motivated me to (yet again) try to do something about my weight. I didn't have much hope of anything working as I have tried and tried all my life to lose weight on my own.

    For a variety of reasons though, this time it worked and I took off over 100 pounds over a 15 month period. I stalled out about six months ago and yet I have maintained the weight loss and not given up on myself. I think I will be able to stay at this weight or even less! I LOVE being overweight, but not obese. :)

    Besides eating better, I am exercising ON PURPOSE now. I do yoga twice a week, strength training two to three times a week, and I walk five to ten miles a week. NONE of this is extreme. I do what I do for 30-60 minutes per day. On my 'off' days I plan ahead and do errand running which involves a lot of walking to stores and toting bags of groceries into the house. Just because it isn't a group sport, doesn't mean it doesn't count as exercising!

    Now at age 58, I am more fit than I was in my 20's, 30's, and 40's! I am not a marathon runner. I am just normal. I find I love this new. stronger ME. I never ever ever EVER would have said I enjoyed exercising two years ago. I change things up when I get bored. I try new things and if I find something I like, I do it until I don't like it. For example, I do not like Zumba, but I am going to check out martial arts in the near future, just to see if I might like doing that for a new kicky type of exercise.

    With the weight off my knees, I am walking better. I know there may be surgery someday in the far far future, but for now, I don't need to worry about it so much. I can go up stairs again. When I have off days where my knees are bugging me, I go to the pool. I don't do deep squats and am generally protective of my knees. I do NOT let this stop me though! I just have to be a little more creative.

    It is never too late. That is what this way-too-long-comment is all about...it is NEVER too late!

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    1. Wow, what an inspirational story, and I'm so glad you didn't cut your comment short!

      The before and after photos at your blog are incredible. And it's also cool that you're shifting to a place where specific numbers mean less than overall health. (Plus, studies keep saying that being technically "overweight" but not obese is actually associated with healthier aging!). Anyway, you look great and sounds like you feel great. Well done, and thanks so much for stopping by!

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    2. Wow, Sherri, you are an inspiration. I'm 49 and just started working out seriously for the first time this year, largely because of osteoarthritis in my knees, and it does feel wonderful! I love hearing about others who weren't exercisers their whole lives but are making it work now.

      I find that I'm loving it now but didn't before because of what Crabby was saying about how the payoffs are more concrete. Also, at my age, I'm no longer doing it for looks -- it's all about how it makes me feel strong. Thank goodness, since I haven't lost a pound!

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    3. I agree Trabb's Boy, isn't Sherri's story an inspiring kick in the pants?

      So cool that you're getting into the working out too and doing it for health. And I'm guessing part of the reason the scale is being a stubborn butt-head is that you may be converting fat to muscle. Scales can be so annoying!

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    4. Thanks Trabb and Crabby! Walk-On!!!!! :D

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  20. Wouldnt throwing in the towel be an exercise of it's own?

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    1. Hey, good point Michael! And I bet if you wrapped a brick in that towel, swung it around to some music and recorded it on video for an infomercial, you could make a fortune selling towels and bricks!

      Delete
  21. Your blog has inspired me to start one of my own for my own journey, Thank you for your stories!

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    1. That's awesome Adam! Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging, a monumental timesuck that is nonetheless worth every minute! So many cool people online you'll meet.

      Good luck!

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  22. I know what you mean about the immediate payoffs! If I don't workout I will have anxiety. Sometimes I have it no matter what, but it's an obvious and immediate difference when I workout.
    I'm 48 (tomorrow actually!) and I sometimes feel like all my good strength and potential is behind me... but mostly I look ahead to being even more fit and just feeling better.
    Love this post!

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    1. Tree Peters, I'm betting your best years are yet to come, and happy birthday!!!!!

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  23. Your post, Crabby, and all the replies from your ever-growing fan club membership are terrific!!! I swear every person who responded had something great to offer and I'm grateful for this site so I can get on-going inspiration and some great laughs along they way when life gets a little "less inspirational".

    I agree that if we don't move, we rust. It is 1 - never too late for just about ANYthing and 2 -maybe it's even BETTER to start later? Feel like I'm somehow more appreciative of feeling good enough to be able to make myself feel better by getting out there and moving. Just think back to the last time you had a lousy cold or bug or some other malady (hopefully not too much worse) that made you utterly and completely thankful for when you felt better.. Nowadays when I don't have the motivation to do what needs to be done, I tell myself that I am walking/running/hiking/lifting/ etc.... because I CAN.

    And - yeah.... I'm nearing geezer-ville (turning 59 in a few days). Ok - maybe more of a "tweener", so maybe that means I can both geez and be geezed???? (Love that you made this term of art up, Crabby!)

    The achievements that are most meaningful to me have come later in this girl's life - and, they're not all athletic or physical. But, they ALL involve moving from a place of inertia to one of movement. Thanks again for such a great site!

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    1. Thanks anon for adding your inspiring input to the already impressive bunch of comments! And I'm not sure where they're coming from, but I'm hoping some of these new folks keep hanging out, because I'd love to hear more from them!

      So I'm like you in thinking a lot of the greatest achievements seem to come later in life, and the whole "over the hill" mentality is completely misplaced. i.e., I know some amazing folks in their fifties who are even doing ultramarathons! :)

      And yeah, it is completely possible to both geeze a youngster and be geezed by a senior, often on the same day, and I sure know which one I prefer!

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  24. Saw this yesterday afternoon:
    http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201210/93-year-old-bodybuilder-medical-marvel

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  25. My grandmother will be 82 in January and she goes to the Y 5 days a week, she does "silver sneakers" an aerobic type class, strength training and water aerobics, she's probably in the best shape of her life at 82. I hope that the workouts I am doing now and hope to continue on with well into my 40's etc. that when I am 82 I'm rocking the Y everyday as well.

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    1. Thanks Starving Bitch, this is exactly the stuff about active aging I love to hear! The aging part doesn't seem to be optional, but the active part is, and I hope we're all rockin our 80's and 90's and who knows, maybe 100s!

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  26. Hi there, great post! I have a quick question though...

    What's your view on supplements and losing weight? Some people tell me that I need them, while others do not. I find myself literally lost, because I don't know if I need supplements and if I do, which kinds I need.

    For example, here is an article from a site telling me that I don't need them, but other people will tell me I will: http://how2gainmusclefast.com/the-truth-about-supplements-steroids/

    Thanks in advance!

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    1. Hey Drew,
      You may be a legitimate commenter but the link looks like it might be a bit spammy and this is not really a post about supplements. Readers are reluctant to click links even in posts, and it's nofollow land down here, so if you are a spammer I don't think you'll have much luck. Usually I just delete but I'm in a good mood this morning.

      But if you are a real person with a question, good luck on getting answers!

      Delete
  27. What motivates me to exercise?

    I had more trips to various Drs and medical tests in the past year than I have had my entire life. The end result was a hysterectomy 10 days after turning 50 this past Sept. One of the benefits, other than feeling much better, was among all the tests, I had my cholesterol checked every 6 months. Oct 2011 - total cholesterol 223, April 2012 - total cholesterol 185, Oct 2012 - total cholesterol 225.

    What happened between Oct 2011 & April 2012 to drop 38 points? Exercise! I joined a boot camp class and went 4 or 5 days a week for 4 months, before health issues had me slowing down. Why did it go back up 40 points between April - Oct 2012? Lack of exercise. My diet actually improved and I lost 7 lbs during the 6 months, but due to health issues and surgery, my exercise level dropped dramatically (ok, it was almost nothing for 3 months) from April to Oct. This proved to me (& the Dr), that exercise is more important than diet for improving the cholesterol number. (At least for me personally. I know not everyone will have the same results)

    I'm slowly working my way back to an increased level of physical activity, and I have a lab slip to get my cholesterol checked next April. I'm determined to get the cholesterol number back to 185 or lower.

    And yes, I'm the one that requested info on hysterectomy recovery from the personal trainers. I was given the ok to start jogging, swimming, and light weights. But no crunches or "serious" ab work for another 3 weeks or so. And no trail running on steep downhills. UGGGHHHHH!!! That's the best part of trail running.

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    1. Good for you in tackling health issues and trying so hard on the exercise! Nothing more frustrating than getting benched when you're fully motivated and rarin' to go. That's so cool that your cholesterol level responds, and now that you're getting back to working out it sounds like you'll get it right back down again.

      So tomorrow the 5th (I'm hoping) we're running the Ask the Trainer post which includes your question, so thanks so much for submitting it!

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    2. Good to know about the Ask the Trainer. I'll be sure to check back tomorrow.

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  28. Love the "geeze" word invention! I'm still laughing. I totally geezed the pretty young thing on the elliptical next to me last week and it felt SO good. While I loathe the expression "55 (or whatever) years young", it did feel like I was pushing back the clock ever so slightly. Great post!

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  29. My mother is 57 and she has always refused to exercises or eat healthy food. Now I'm proud with her - non smoking for 5 years and goes to the gym with me 3 times a week. I even managed to make her quit eating junk food she used to eat before and eat more healthy meals (cannot believe this:) Thanks for sharing this information..I'll show it to my mom and I do believe that she'll enjoy it!

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  30. All I have to say is that most of the 40+ year old people at gym's look better than me so if you go there you probably will too, but you have to go! I'm always scared that I will lose the potential when I get a little bit older but those people prove me wrong every time...

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  31. I see older folks at the gym every day. They have probably been working out their entire life. Once you get into that habit, it becomes hard to get out of it. Of course it's difficult at first, but eventually it becomes part of your daily routine.

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  32. sculpting the body through nutrition and exercise becomes more difficult with age. I have much respect and admiration for elderly persons who manage t stay fit and healthy- it's hard work!

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  33. When I go to the gym, there are people who are 40 and over that are more fit than me. Kinda discouraging however like anything just gotta stick to it. By that age I'll probably look just as good....

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