Staying fit in advanced age

Posted by Rod @rek, Nov 9, 2023

I'm 76 and have been working to maintain fitness actively for about 10 years now. I have come to recognize how age affects our physical abilities. My heart rate won't ever pass 170 again. I have to be careful on training. If I train too often, I get hurt now. I can't run every day. The legs get sore and don't have time to recover. That's also when I can injure joints. On the other hand, I still seem to be able to gain strength through careful repetition, my balance keeps improving with training, and flexibility as well although there seems to be a real limit to my ageing joints. Oh yes, I seem to be out of breath more quickly as I age. And all of this remains uncertain.
I don't know what is normal for a 76 year old healthy male, how I can improve abilities or should I work more to preserve present ability? There don't seem to be many men or women my age to compare to. I'd love to join a workout community or some such thing but I sure don't know how to get started.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.

jc76 | @jc76 | Jan 27 9:04am

I have an outstading PCP. He does marathons. He also coaches a professional marathon racer with medical guidedance. He recommends items to me and I know it comes from both his medical knowledge and his own experience and knowledge of physical exercise. His latest is build muscle to burn more calories. He thinks I have been doing my routine and my body has got used to it and does not expend the same number of calories to do same routine. He told me that marathon runner he medically coaches when she does training runs burns only 85 calories and hour. Her body is so fine tuned to running.

I want to mention some comments made about water aerobics. Anyone with joint and spine problems that finds being on feet an issue (pain and discomfort) should try it. Do NOT look at the T.V. water aerobics as it is being filmed to show action with arms out of water. Arms and hands are almost always in water with weights to use the resistance of the water to work muscles.

Now how good is water aerobics as an exerciser and weight burn? If you all remember the Biggest Loser T.V. reality show it is filmed in L.A. But they had several other locations that they use but just did not film there. One was in St. George Utah. I went to that location for 2 weeks several years ago. One of the exercises was water aerobics. It was designed for maximum burning of calories and quite exhausting. So it is the instructor and level of instruction not the name water aerobics that makes the difference. It was blessing for us as our feet were in total misery as every single moring we did a 2 hour hike through the moutains trails and most of the times up, up, up, and our feet were total mess.

Yes I did lose 10 lbs there but muscle development was more noticeble. Boy did I sleep well as was exhausted when finally got to bed (you stay on campus). This facility now I think is called Motarra or something like that still doing fitness programs just under a diferent name as Biggest Loser is no more.

laneegal1957 | @laneegal1957 | Feb 23 9:18am

Spinal stenosis forces me to use a walker.Any suggestions to lose weight I again from being idol.What about gummies and which ones to choose ?

holdrege | @holdrege | Feb 24 6:44am

My friend went to one meal a day and pushed himself to walk. He is losing weight every week.

holdrege | @holdrege | Feb 24 8:09am

In reply to @holdrege "My friend went to one meal a day and pushed himself to walk. He is losing..." + (show)

I forgot to tell you that my friend started out at over 400 pounds and no exercise of any kind.

walk4life | @walk4life | Feb 24 3:34pm

In reply to @holdrege "My friend went to one meal a day and pushed himself to walk. He is losing..." + (show)

I don’t think i could manage one meal a day. What time does he eat ?

holdrege | @holdrege | Feb 24 9:49pm

In reply to @walk4life "I don’t think i could manage one meal a day. What time does he eat ?" + (show)

Noon. He cheats a little bit.

willow5 | @willow5 | Feb 27 10:13pm

Have you ever checked out the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run method for running? I know an 86 year old who is winning Masters competitions with this type of training and running. Highly recommend checking out the Jeff Galloway website. Nothing to lose but some pain on running 😊

willow5 | @willow5 | Mar 14 10:43am

The Buck Institute Center on Aging in Novato, California has monthly lectures. Check their website! The upcoming one, April 3, if not sold out, is on exercise. You can attend by Zoom! The Buck is an amazing place with ongoing research on aging.