The Damn I'm Old Thread - Putting Up With Being a Geezer

[SteveSly]

The big difference: If we take a 2 to 3 week break, it can take months to get back to top condition. If the younger guys take a 2 to 3 week break, they can get back to top form in a matter of days.

Another good point. I get on the treadmill after coming back from a week vacation and it feels like I have never been on it. You definitely loose fitness faster as you get older and it takes longer to get it back.

[Firth]

I've come to the conclusion that geezers need to pay strict attention to the probiotic aspects of diet. Many people have weight issues because of an internal yeast condition, not bad enough to be a severe infection, but constantly producing ethanol. Yes your gut Is a brew chamber. This ethanol makes you more fatigued and has a wearing effect. Yogurt may not be enough. I take a diverse probiotic supplement. A healthy gut results in more satisfactory and healthy digestion with minimal toxins. I wish I had known this when I was younger. It's even more important as you get older. I digest salads now much more easily, without indigestion. Protein and salads are key to weight control.

[Shadow]

constantly producing ethanol

I know I produce methane, but ethanol too

[Supersonic Scientist]

When I was 55, I had recovered from my first round of heart problems and shed most of the excess weight. I was riding 150 miles a week (commuting 15 miles each way to work) and doing metric centuries on the weekends. I looked as good as I ever would, and had the stamina of a much younger man. I could do things like travel to Patagonia with 100 pounds of video gear to shoot a dinosaur dig, all by myself.

That was only 10 years ago. I feel like I've aged 25 years since then. Now walking two miles is a challenge. Sometimes I think there's a timer, and somebody else was in charge of setting it.

Oh, I think that they have "proved" that time speeds-up as you age.....back in my twenties, a year took forever to pass, now, a year passes by in like a month. At 58, it's unfathomable to think how fast the next 10 -15 years will pass by. I PRAYING that when I retire, that time will some-how slow down too........(3-4 day a week at the gym does help (started going when I hit 50 and have been pretty consistent since)

[Plasmatopia]

Careful. Your recovery days are (oddly) more important than your workout days.

I'd be grateful for any recommendations.

[Lopez]

I can still drink like I did when I was younger, but the hangover, and especially recovery, are much more difficult.

You said it, Steve; I have a couple of beers at night and I wake up with a headache.

[BobM]

Beer is my downfall too. I joined "Untappd" which is a beer app you have on your phone. You log and comment and rate any beers you consume, and can see others comments too. I have way too many beers logged, because I love craft beers and just have to try new ones whenever I get the chance. We have 2 beer bars in town, within easy walking distance from my home. Both have about 20-30 taps they rotate frequently. Happy hour is from 5-7 each weekday and beers are half price. They are the devil.

[moecurlythanu]

We have 2 beer bars in town, within easy walking distance from my home. Both have about 20-30 taps they rotate frequently. Happy hour is from 5-7 each weekday and beers are half price. They are the devil.

Lucky bastard.

[Jerjo]

Christ, I live in a small town in the West with two seedy bars. The one wouldn't recognize a microbrew from a cup of Coor piss. The other has a few micros stored in a back fridge that have collected dust for two years. The best place for beer in this town is the fridge in my basement.

I've cut back some on beer. Until I lose some more weight my acid reflex nags me if I eat or drink anything after 7:00 pm.

Anyone ever try planks? I'm trying that every day with hopes for strengthening my core and then expanding on those. It might even strengthen my bum ankle.

[SteveSly]

Beer is my downfall too. I joined "Untappd" which is a beer app you have on your phone. You log and comment and rate any beers you consume, and can see others comments too. I have way too many beers logged, because I love craft beers and just have to try new ones whenever I get the chance. We have 2 beer bars in town, within easy walking distance from my home. Both have about 20-30 taps they rotate frequently. Happy hour is from 5-7 each weekday and beers are half price. They are the devil.

Ha, so true. I have 30 plus breweries within an hour of where I live, most of them really good including Bell's (10 minutes away), Dark Horse (30 minutes away), and Founders (45 minutes away), which are 3 of the best in the whole country. I literally live in micro brew heaven. Two Hearted Ale flows like Budweiser in this town and we now have 12 total breweries right here in Kalamazoo. I have an incredible beer store a quarter mile from my house which stocks pretty much everything available in the state. Temptation is everywhere and you are right, they are the devil!

[progeezer]

Um, there is an alternative.

[Yves]

Um, there is an alternative.

No there isn't....

I could never "just smoke" because I would get nervous and paranoid. Always needed the alcohol to take the edge off. That is why I no longer smoke because the combination was fucking me up and just smoking was never an option. Besides, I never got the pleasure out of sparking up as I do drinking some fantastic craft brew! I drink for the taste first and the effect second. I never could say that about weed.

[Plasmatopia]

Someone needs to invent a third alternative. I want the taste of beer but the buzz of weed. And zero calories.

[SteveSly]

No there isn't....

I could never "just smoke" because I would get nervous and paranoid. Always needed the alcohol to take the edge off. That is why I no longer smoke because the combination was fucking me up and just smoking was never an option. Besides, I never got the pleasure out of sparking up as I do drinking some fantastic craft brew! I drink for the taste first and the effect second. I never could say that about weed.

Same for me. Although I have smoked off and on over the years alcohol always held a much higher (no pun intended) appeal. I also have some minor paranoia issues at times and pot can magnify those feelings for me. Although most people wouldn’t know it, I also test in the 90th percentile for introversion, so alcohol has always had a natural appeal from a social perspective. But the real bottom line is……..I simply love good beer. I mean, I really do love it. Although I will have the occasional glass of wine or Margarita, 90% of what I drink is always beer.

[walt]

I stopped smoking laughing tobacco early this year(after many years of happy indulging) because i saw it was causing low grade anxiety and difficulty falling asleep.I looked in vain for other causes of these problems but i always had to fall back on weed being the culprit.I'm not happy about it,quite the contrary,but i'm a lot happier being able to (most nights)...fall asleep.

Never cared for alcohol.Just didn't taste good to me.My loss.Never liked beer.If i was a beer drinker i'd probably be fifty pounds heavier than i am,which i need like i need a fucking third armpit.

[Gruno]

Never cared for alcohol.Just didn't taste good to me.My loss.Never liked beer.If i was a beer drinker i'd probably be fifty pounds heavier than i am,which i need like i need a fucking third armpit.

I'm somewhat the same. I detest beer. I do have a high tolerance, so I can pound tequila or vodka without issue. Even so, I rarely drink alcohol.

[Shadow]

Um, there is an alternative.

[Paulie]

Attachment 8548

As a big vodka fan, this stuff has piqued my interest. Supposedly 93% less invasive to your liver. Not that I have any liver problems, but being a little proactive with my indulgence can't be a wrong thing, right? Picked up my first 750 last Monday and I must say, it's a tasty little vodka (I do rocks with a water cut). I was also pleased that there were none of the usual cobwebs the next morning (I start my day at 4am). Worth a look.

http://www.bellionvodka.com

[-=RTFR666=-]

It's always an iffy proposition to scroll past a Shadow post during office hours...

[BobM]

Smoking was totally abandoned years ago when our kids were growing up, but I picked some up last year and we have tried it on occasions when we have the house to ourselves and the kids are out. It's not something I want to do with the same frequency as having a beer, but sometimes it is fun. Especially on those "date nights" - I can honestly say it makes sex feel like I am 18 again.

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

65

[Duncan Glenday]

I'd be grateful for any recommendations.

Recommendations from an expert LOL

I did a heavy gym schedule for several years, and am now cycling (just did 51 miles this morning - slow pace, but still a good ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/720101846 ) Sure'n hell doesn't make me any kind of expert, but here are a few thoughts that helped me:

Strength training:

- Don't exercise any body part (arms, chest, legs, back, whatever) more than once a week. Do strength training on a cyclic basis, for a given number of days / week. An example of a 3-day split could be arms and chest on day 1, core and shoulders on day 2, and legs on day 3. Doesn't matter what days of the week day 1 / 2 / 3 are - just as long as you only do each of them once a week. This gives each body part time to recover from the exercise, and build the strength. Hitting any body part more frequently is generally considered to be over-training (at least, for the man-in-the-street.) Remember - you don't get strong from lifting. You get strong when your body recovers from lifting.

- Free weights are better than machines, because they recruit the stabilizer muscles.

- Form is everything. Not only will you benefit more from good form - you'll also avoid training injuries.

- Build the weights slowly - but according to a plan. It's common to increase weights by about 5% every 2 weeks. The progress is painfully slow at first, but it works well...

- Create a rhythm - but then change it up. About every 2 to 3 months, do completely different exercises for each body part. It's called "muscle confusion".

- The deadlift is the king of all exercises. There are many theories about why this is, but there's no questioning the validity of that statement.

Cardio training:

- Alternate endurance sessions and intervals (Google HIIT)

- 5 times a week is generally considered the max you should do, and it helps a lot to have your 2 off days together, to allow the body a more consolidated recovery time.

- It's been argued vigorously - but I believe the best way to lose weight is "fasted cardio". Do about half an hour's cardio in the morning, before you eat anything. Not too intense. You want to break a sweat, but not be panting.

- As with weight training - increase your intensity by about 5% every 2 weeks.

General:

- Once you get into the habit, it's surprisingly easy (well, easy-ish) to keep going to the gym. But break that routine for a week or 2, and it's amazing how hard it is to get back into that routine. So be careful...

- Greg Lemond was once asked "When you get to be a world class athlete, I suppose your training gets easier?" His reply has become a mantra in training circles: "It never gets easier - you just get faster". (Read stronger / etc., depending on your discipline.)

Anyway - you probably know all this, and can add to it!

[Casey]

Turned 62 earlier this month. I still cannot believe I'm as old as I am. I've been looking at the same face in the mirror, so how come all of my contemporaries look (& act) so much older?

Diagnosed with bladder cancer this time last year. Not fun. The rewards of 30+ years of pipe smoking. And I'm not even talking about COPD, (only inhaled 2nd hand smoke. My own!)

I don't smoke any more, & I haven't touched alcohol in about 5 years. My parents are alcoholics & I don't need to carry that torch. Besides, I don't want to expose myself to any more neurotoxins. My memory isn't as sharp, comprehensive, or as fast as it used to be. I don't need to be putting anything in my body that has the potential of accelerating that decline.

Despite all of this, I'm glad I'm still here. I have 2 young daughters (13 & 12) who sustain & motivate me. And, of course, my lovely wife to whom I owe so very much.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. If I'm gone, who will walk Daisy 2x/day?

[moecurlythanu]

Excellent advice, Duncan.

[Shadow]

Back in the early 80's where my wife worked a partner in the accounting firm was an avid runner and in great physical shape. When he reached 50 he dropped dead with a heart attack. I'm sure glad I didn't become a CPA.