Anybody else looking at our aging families and their lack of mobility as a huge warning ?

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craycrayintheheihei@reddit

Oh yes. I refuse to get there. 43F and I walk daily (for the past 20 years) and have been lifting/working out 3-4 times a week. I know it can happen to anyone but age is going to have to fight me uphill both ways before I let it get me. I’m mean and hard headed. 😅

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the_one_jt@reddit

Mobility and mental health are far too scary.

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Much_Ad470@reddit

I’ve had a similar conversation with one of the caregivers that has worked with my mother. She said, “a body in motion, stays in motion” so that’s been something I’ve personally held on to. As it stands, I’m already doing significantly better than my mother was at the same age (42) in my activity. Am I exercising daily? No. But am I up and moving around frequently? Yes. I recognize that there are disabilities that affect mobility and are very limited in getting past. My mother could’ve prevented the majority of the health issues that have caused her to be as disabled as she is now but chose not to. She’d had many opportunities and embraced none of them. I saw that behavior very young and decided I was not like that.

Sorry, this is a bit of a rant after nearly breaking myself this weekend helping my mother move into a skilled nursing facility and traveling long distance to make that happen. Was a very stressful and harsh weekend

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RobotPolarbear@reddit

You can do everything right and still end up disabled and immobile. I think it's important not to think of your good health as a reward for doing the right things, or bad health as punishment for failing.

That said, I'm working like hell at physical therapy to maintain as much mobility as I can despite my autoimmune disease.

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powderbubba@reddit

I just got over shingles at the ripe old age of 40. I strength train, run, walk my dog every day, eat pretty healthy, get good sleep blah blah blah. It doesn’t matter. Shingles was the sickest I’ve ever been and I do everything “right.” You are so right that we can just get blindsided. That said, I’m still thankful that my body was fit and strong to withstand that beast. I feel almost completely recovered after 2 weeks. PSA: get that shingles vaccine!

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Fickle_Wrangler_7439@reddit

I asked about the vaccine and they said I had to meet certain risk requirements.

My partner got shingles and it was miserable, which is what spooked me into asking, but I'm not allowed apparently.

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powderbubba@reddit

I’m going to beg and plead and maybe ask if I can just pay out of pocket for it. More and more younger people are getting shingles and they keep lowering the age for the vaccine. I don’t understand why they can’t just start at like 30 years old.

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Nerdy-Birder@reddit

I just want to add that I had shingles a year ago at 42. It sucked so much. At Walgreens when I signed up to get the vaccine (and I need to get my second dose this week!), I marked "obese" so that I could qualify, but I was also chatting on customer service with my insurance at the time and they said it's approved for all adults now. So might be worth just checking insurance to see if they've updated their policy. (But also: Walgreens did not weigh me or do anything to verify that I'm obese, so 🤷🏻‍♀️)

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Hairy_Mycologist_945@reddit

That's a good approach and it's reasonable to adjust and adapt exercise as we age. I traded some of what I used to do when I was young (especially powerlifting and hiking) for activities that are more sustainable over time and less likely to cause serious injury (indoor rowing, yoga, and light functional strength training).

I noticed a lot of the older people in my family had knee and hip replacements and the common factors seemed to be some combination of not exercising at all and getting injured, or exercising way too much, or inappropriately, or working strenuous physical jobs and not retiring early enough. Most of them were also runners / joggers and it's a reason I mostly gave up strenuous hiking and traded it for neighborhood walks and less hilly nature walks at the park.

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Fickle_Wrangler_7439@reddit

Agreed, probably for the same reasons. I had two autoimmune diagnoses before I even finished high school, despite playing sports and being active from age 6.

I also lost relatives very early to illnesses that had nothing to do with lifestyle.

I work out to feel good today. Longevity is random.

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DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit (OP)

The goal isn’t to never be immobile. It’s to be better equipped to handle what life might deal you. I assure you going through a hip replacement at a healthy weight is easier than being 70lbs overweight

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RobotPolarbear@reddit

What I'm saying is that thinking that it is all within your control is an illusion.

Taking care of your body is important, but even if you control your weight and do everything "right", you may still end up sick and disabled, so it is important not to tie the idea of health and goodness together in your mind.

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DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit (OP)

Who’s saying it’s all within control? My post says “as long as possible”. It no longer becomes possible for different people at different times for different reasons. But at the very least you can set yourself up as long as possible.

Or don’t. Life your life

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walter_grimsley@reddit

This is an important point. One can do everything right and still be dealt a shitty hand.

Dad jogged and lifted weights but ate like shit and still wound up without use of his body. Mom tried to eat right but never exercised, caught cancer and is now bedridden.

I’m horrified what awaits me

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Professional_Bed_87@reddit

My wife and I say that one of the best gifts you can give your children is taking care of yourself. Obviously there are things that happen that are out of our control, but diet, exercise and a strong social life all statistically increase your odds of better health outcomes later in life, and therefore reducing the burden on family members as you age.

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Is_This_For_Realz@reddit

Strength training! Strength training! Don't have to become a gym dweller, just fit it here and there, a few times a week, get some adjustable dumbbells and fold-up weight bench and you can do it at home

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FoppyRETURNS@reddit

I remind my family, "My day will come." Just because I'm an avid runner doesn't mean I will beat father time. Hopefully I can be spry until my 90s like my grandfather, but a lot of it is not up to me. All I can do is to live healthy and the chips will fall as they may.

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NoOccasion4759@reddit

Watch out for your knees, so many ppl getting knee surgeries and replacements.

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rebelangel@reddit

I worry about my boyfriend. He’s only 35 and has bad knees. He’s a big dude and trying to lose weight, but I fear as he gets older, he’s going to struggle with mobility.

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Live_Today1943@reddit

I had bad knees even when I was 90 pounds, my best advice is to strengthen around the joints while he works on it.

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yungrii@reddit

I live in a space that attracts a lot of industrious and also older folks. I have numerous friend neighbors that have acted as a reminder that life can be kinda incredible with a lot of luck and a lot of activity leading up to your 70s and 80s and 90s (seriously, I have one 90 year old neighbor that spends hours of his day every day building full ass boats).

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newt_girl@reddit

We finally had to put our foot down with my great uncle when at 92, he was still going up on the two story roof to winterize the house.

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lopingwolf@reddit

My coworker's 98 year old dad is mad that they won't let him go out into the yard alone this summer. They aren't even telling him that he has to stop living alone yet. Just, no, you can't be out in the hot summer sun for an indeterminate time when no one else is at the house.

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Live_Today1943@reddit

I had a patient I was transferring as a trauma because they fell and broke their arm doing housework. Old enough that just giving age and sex is a HIPAA violation (iykyk) suffice to say, triple digits and that wasn’t a recent accomplishment. They were still mad that 3 months before, they were told no more riding their horse. Tough as nails and sharp as a tack! Seriously impressive. I hope to be so independent to the end.

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EatLard@reddit

This was also my great-great grandfather. He farmed until the 1960s (in his 80s) when it became uneconomical for him to keep using horses to farm - the man never owned a tractor. The day my great grandma told him he had to stop living alone, he was working on his roof at about age 95 when she came over to visit. He lived to be 103.

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Electrical-Pie-8192@reddit

Until I got to the tractor part I thought we might be related! The last time we visited my mom's uncle he was on the roof cleaning the gutters at age 90

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paperflowers89@reddit

I'm in a local caving and hiking community and consistently see 70, 80, 90 year old still out there living and I can't see myself living any other way knowing this is possible.

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FoppyRETURNS@reddit

What a legend.

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sugarturtle88@reddit

i ran a race at tunnel hill last year and ran a lot of miles with a lady in her 70s... a 90 year old finished the 50 miler (which made him the US champion in his age group!) at the same race!

my neighbor's dad is almost 90 and walks around 10 miles a day for fun and maintains his own small farm

i love seeing active older people and am planning to be one someday

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TexturedTeflon@reddit

We also own a small farm. Have to up my daily walking distance from 7-8 miles a day to ten if I want to keep up with him. Hope in 40 years my wife and I are still doing the same.

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RoundTheBend6@reddit

I read too fast and thought your grandfather was a spy into his 90s lol

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Ineedavodka2019@reddit

Ha! You said spry. My husband told me today that I needed to stop as it was an old person word

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Live_Today1943@reddit

This is why I lift. I work in the ER and I see every single day what happens when you lose mobility. Lower body strength is a big predictor in longevity outcomes. Do your squats, people!

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Starbreiz@reddit

I am surprisingly more active than I was in my youth. Maybe because I knew if I didn't make it a habit, it wouldn't happen.

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Dimplefrom-YA@reddit

no. i'm too busy trying to keep my parents in good health and alive.. i really don't care about my own health.

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Stitchin_Squido@reddit

One of the most important things they teach in yoga is being able to sit down on the floor and get up again. This is an invaluable skill that we should all be practicing everyday. My hip has started complaining of if I sit too long so I make sure to take walks and stretch.

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Electrical-Pie-8192@reddit

I'm not saying it absolutely will help, but I've had great success with physical therapy exercises for hip pain.

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strategicham@reddit

what's a great one to do?

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Electrical-Pie-8192@reddit

A few I do are putting a band a just above both knees and side stepping 8-12 steps both ways (therapist said you should be tired enough to need a rest before going back the other way and increasing band strength and steps when it gets too easy). Laying on your side and doing leg lifts. Side with knees bent and together lifting foot. Side with knees bent feet together lifting knees. All of these for me were 3 reps of 10

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spirals-369@reddit

Yes! I recently saw a video from a licensed PT who works mostly with older patients. They said a common test of general physical health is sitting/standing without assistance/arms multiple times in a short amount of time (I think it was something like 15 seconds). They explained that because it takes a lot of body coordination to sit/standing without assistance, being able to do this rapidly is a strong indication you’re in good health.

While it’s a general exercise/test, it makes sense that having a limited range of motion would snowball into other problems.

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PostTurtle84@reddit

In a chair or from the floor? Because in our 40s and 50s, up and down multiple times from a chair with no hands/assistance shouldn't be hard. But I know a decent amount of us can't get off the floor without using hands or assistance. Which is still a problem.

We should be able to get up off the floor without hands/assistance.

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PetuniaPicklePepper@reddit

This ability is quite literally an indicator of overall risk of death.

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Ineedavodka2019@reddit

Without hands.

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apuginthehand@reddit

Yep, I started a daily practice (missed 6 weeks after breast reduction but otherwise maybe missed ten days total) about 12 years ago and swear by it - the practice of being able to move your body weight in a lot of different ways (and trying to calm your mind while doing so) has so, so many benefits. All but one of my grandparents made it well into their 90s (although not all made it happily) and I saw how hard it was when they stopped moving. I will keep up my daily practice in some form for as long as possible in this body.

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Zilhaga@reddit

Yoga has been helping me with this. I swear like half my flow class is just getting down to and up from the floor a bunch of different ways.

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lokipuddin@reddit

My mom broke her hip in Feb and I finally got off my lazy butt and started working out again. I hate it but seeing my mom’s body fall apart and seem so frail and brittle is enough to get me moving a few times a week. First time in my life I’m not doing it for looks!

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Malthus777@reddit

I work with the Geriatric population.

Your dental health can not be stressed enough how important it is for continuing to get good health calories. Veggies and protein with gums only is not good.

Floss only the Teeth you want to keep

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DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit (OP)

Good call out

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shfiven@reddit

I am getting osteoarthritis in one of my hips and that's a huge bummer but fine, fine, I'll get up and exercise. It'll make the recovery from the inevitable future surgery easier anyways.

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somethingdouchey@reddit

Nope. I install wheelchair ramps and grab bars for a living.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

At one point. I know Dick Van Dyke must appreciate a grab bar.

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HolidayCards@reddit

Naw, all he needed was good flexibility to tumble and recover unscathed

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EatLard@reddit

Wonder how that would go today since he’s 100 years old.

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HolidayCards@reddit

Guys its a Dick van Dyke Show joke

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EatLard@reddit

Yes. And I’m imagining 100 year-old Dick Van Dyke taking that same tumble. He seems spry enough that he just might make it.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

And he has an audience that stretches generations who love him when he succeeds. To take a tumble and then come back up and say “I’m ok”👌🏽

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CanLate152@reddit

That is true. As we get older the best skill to have is to be able to “get up” from laying on the ground.

Japanese and Asian cultures do this well. Sit and lay on the floor as often as you can.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Japanese people traditionally sleep close to the floor, so I guess that makes things work for them when they’re older.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

I gotta keep that in mind. I’m a tall person too, I’m not above 6 foot but by comparison to most of the people, I know, I am a tall person, and thus far I’ve been feeling the toll, though I’m nowhere near walkers and wheelchairs yet.

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nyght2063@reddit

Ive thought about this, but I can see a clear difference between those of us who workout and stretch and this of us who don't. It's more apparent now that we're older. My grandma used to walk 5 miles a day into her late 80s and she lives to be 102 so I'm motivated more than most to continue my exercises.n

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Livvylove@reddit

I have a friend that is a couple years older and she is just falling apart. Having to rent scooters for events because she can't walk that much. We went on a hike a couple of years ago and she just slipped on a tree root and couldn't catch herself.

Also my mother is very overweight and the wild thing is my parents eat like crap and when I mentioned it to them they were shocked. In their mind pizza, hotdogs and cake are not junk foods.

I started working out and working on mobility and flexibility(which I've always been terrible at) I don't want to be like that. I did let myself go a bit during Covid and gained weight so working on that. But I've increased my weights and go 3 times a week to my classes. I've never been able to touch my toes and now I finally can (thanks stay flexy guy! )

I feel like in my 40s I really need to turn things around or else old age is gonna suck. I see these 65+ year olds looking amazing and so strong and I want that for me.

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marmot1101@reddit

We have one positive example, one negative. A parent that’s in a nursing home because they didnt take care of injuries that hampered their mobility. They probably would have gone in eventually for dementia, but they would have had 5 or so more years of independence.

The positive example is my dad. Mom got sick and he knew he had to be there and strong so she wouldn’t go to nursing care. Got his diabetes under control and started lifting when the relief nurse came. Built a friend network. Mom passed and now he’s doing shit like going to Napa with those friends.

They’re both the same age. Take care of your body so your kids don’t have to spend out your life savings(if you have it) paying someone to wipe your ass.

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Epicardiectomist@reddit

Yes, to the point where my kids are sick of hearing me talk about balance and core strength.

You don't have to be muscular or a gym rat or anything like that, but mobility and balance are key markers in longevity. The problem I'm seeing with close friends/family is that many of them are so deep into their unhealth that it's no longer about small preventative steps that stave off a future consequence. They need major life overhauls that require huge sacrifices to comfort levels they've maintained for 2 or 3 decades, and it becomes paralyzing. It's hard to see, but I can't force them to do anything.

I don't expect to live forever, but I don't want the twilight years of my life to be uncomfortable and immobile because I couldn't be bothered to do something about it now.

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braxtel@reddit

We are getting to the age where muscle mass can start to decline, which is one of if no the main thing that contributes to mobility problems, pain, and injuries in old age. I do weight lifting, not to body build or get bulky, but to keep my back and other joints strong and to stay limber.

I used to get serious back pain periodically, those kind of cramps that just left me unable to walk or move. I haven't had a single problem since I started to doing squats / deadlifts a couple of times a week, and those same exercises build durability in the knees and hips as well.

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Kriegerian@reddit

Yup. Considering how little anyone has ever helped me, I need to be as mobile, functional and flexible for as long as possible.

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ineffable_my_dear@reddit

When grandpa retired he took up cycling hard. He joined a club and did tours all over the country. Before a vision issue forced him to quit he was doing a Mile-Per-Year ride on his birthday. I can’t remember how old he was, mid-80s, though, because the newspaper did a feature for his 82nd.

Meanwhile I would probably die if I tried to run to the end of my block.

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seriouslynope@reddit

Imagine being able to retire

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likesblackcoffeebest@reddit

OMG Your grandpa is goals! Having a lot of time to ride my road bike is one of the things I'm most looking forward to about retirement. Like right now I barely have time for one long ride a week, but I dream of taking my bike to a bunch of national parks and going for beautiful rides every day. Someday...

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Plus-Pomegranate8045@reddit

Walk walk walk, and wear good shoes while doing it! I walk everywhere I possibly can, generally miles every day since I was in my 20s, and now in my 40s I feel pretty much the same as I did in my 20s.

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wisdomseeker42@reddit

Seeing my mom’s health and mobility issues as I grew up has been a huge motivator for me to take care of myself. I try to encourage my kids to look at the old people and learn from it, take care of themselves. They think I’m dumb though, so 🤷‍♀️

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bananabastard@reddit

I do flexibility training, plyometrics, sprinting, running, and weight lifting every week.

I'm more flexible now at 44 than I have ever been in my life. I'm not as quick as I was when I was young, but I train to maintain quickness as best as I can with sprinting and plyometrics.

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keto_and_me@reddit

I recently started lifting weights as a 40 something women solely based on my 70 year old mom not being able to push open a heavy door while we were on a trip together.

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CubesFan@reddit

Squats are one of the best things you can do for your body at our age. Strengthen core, legs, keeps joints flexible, low impact, balance, make it so you can get up and down from sitting easier, and it can literally be done anywhere.

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29flavors@reddit

Watching my mom’s declining mobility is my number one motivator to exercise. I highly recommend the book Built to Move.

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illprobablyeditthis@reddit

YUP.

I watched my grandmother slowly waste away after my grandfather died. All she did all day was sit on the couch and watch her stories and do crossword puzzles.

First she needed a cane, then a walker, then a wheelchair. By that point, she literally couldn't lay flat anymore, her body was frozen in a sitting position. She eventually died in a nursing home.

She never got up and walked because it hurt too much. Idk if it was the bunions or her the joints causing her pain (my god her feet were mangled by bunions), but I had a bunionectomy in my 30s and have started weight training this year.

Im not going out like that.

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sipporah7@reddit

holy shit yes. My parents are aging badly and I was shocked the other day to realize that my in-laws are actually a bit older than them, but are very active and doing well with mobility (because they've stayed active).

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pearshapedkitty@reddit

If anyone wants something to help them jumpstart into exercising and being more health conscious, I would recommend getting a DEXA scan. It breaks down your total muscle mass, body fat percentage, visceral fat (bad fat around your organs), and bone density. It’s a really clear picture of where you are physically and very important at our age because it’s when we (especially woman) staring losing muscle and bone density.

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mjh8212@reddit

I’m 47 the arthritis started at 41 and just recently I’ve been told I’ve had hyper mobility disorder my whole life. I depend on mobility aides. I dont exercise much.

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Fickle_Wrangler_7439@reddit

Hypermobility is so complicated and misunderstood.

I have it in my hips, and PTs are really not equipped to deal with it.

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Carpedevus@reddit

For sure. Got my ass in th gym real quick when it hit me. No thanks

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skinnyminnesota@reddit

You don't exercise as much as you do?

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Apart-Consequence881@reddit

Mitch Hedberg reference?

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DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit (OP)

Used to. Tipo

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skinnyminnesota@reddit

Gotcha. I thought it might be a sort of "Schrödinger's Gym" situation.

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ShillinTheVillain@reddit

I rarely exercise often. In fact, some say I always never do it.

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Sarah_withanH@reddit

Confusing to me as well. Do they mean more often than not, they exercise?

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Apart-Consequence881@reddit

most people my age (40s) are riddled with all sorts of aches and pains. I workout fairly regularly and am mostly pain free. Oddly when I rarely worked out in my teens and 20s, I suffered from chronic neck pain and periodical lower back pain.

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Stinertron_1979@reddit

Yes - I started lifting in 2020 and never going back. Yoga too. My in-laws and aunts/uncles are immobile and poor poor health.

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HildeFrankie@reddit

I know not everyone is lucky enough to have access to their own yard or garden. But if you have one, yard work is such good exercise. I am constantly sitting on the ground, kneeling weeding, standing back up, carrying heavy shit around the yard, pulling and pushing heavy shit....ect. If you don't have your own property you can look into working on a CSA farm. I did that for years when I lived in an apartment.

My arthritic knees hate me....but I won't stop moving. Not until the day I die.

I refuse to be old before I get old.

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Somebody_or_other_@reddit

Oh my god yes. I cringe watching my 73 year old father drag his failing body around. I plan to be hiking the world in my later years and am preparing my body for it now.

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Sk8rToon@reddit

I live alone. A couple of years ago I got distracted while carrying Christmas gifts & fell down the stairs. Adrenaline got me back up the stairs & to my couch with an ice pack on my ankle. But I had to wait the two hours for my folks to drive to me to get checked out at the hospital because of course I hurt my driving ankle (wasn’t worth calling an ambulance).

I was perfectly fine but in 10-20 years? Maybe not.

Time to replace the slip pads in my shower. There’s a reason I have a rule with my family that we have to contact each other at least once a day to know we’re okay.

I wish long term health insurance was still a thing. Once my folks go I’ve got no one. Every drop of savings & 401k will get me maybe a year in a home.

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rebelangel@reddit

I feel fortunate that no one in my family has had any mobility issues. My grandma will be 99 this year and she still lives on her own.

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Tall_0rder@reddit

Not really. While I need to get back into working out, I’ve taken decent care of myself from a wear and tear standpoint. Is sad to see some older family members start to slow down though. Sadder still is the handful of deaths which ever increase. I mean I get it, nature of the whatever right? Doesn’t make it less sad though.

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Pankosmanko@reddit

stretch every day, go on walks every day. I make sure i walk about 45 minutes a day (outside of normal back and forth)

The old saying "use it or lose it" is true for most things, including mobility

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hussy_trash@reddit

I feel this so hard. My family is lazy as fuck. So dumb. I do not understand it.

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Pigeon_Logic@reddit

The only way in or out of our home are 1.5x flights of stairs. Between her back and my knee I am getting quite nervous about mobility issues.

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sfcameron2015@reddit

It’s terrifying how quickly it’s happening! And seeing the next stage in my parents…I gotta do more 😅

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HarryBalsagna1776@reddit

I had a pretty hard lesson this year. I've kept my weight down, stayed in shape, kept active, but I didn't focus on maintaining flexibility. Have been pulling muscles like it is going out of style and I'm currently in PT for knee pain. The knee pain is directly attributed to IT band tightness. We have to keep our weight down, stay in shape, and trying to stay flexible. My 80 year old neighbor does yoga daily and still does flat footed slavic squats while she gardens.

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DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit (OP)

That’s my exact problem! I’m about as limber as a 2x4

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CuriousLands@reddit

Oh yeah for sure. Definitely don't take it for granted either. I got a mobility-limiting chronic illness in my 30s, and man has it been hard.

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dragon_mthr@reddit

YES. I stopped drinking alcohol, I'm on a diet, and I take strength classes three times a week.

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YinzaJagoff@reddit

My mom couldn’t walk up/down a flight of stairs in her mid 60s because of years of inactivity.

Yeah, I try hard to not be like her.

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poptartsandmascara@reddit

My mom is the same! It’s honestly terrifying. It’s why I work out. Thanks mom for the inspiration!

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Possible-Jerk0138@reddit

I workout six days a week to stay as strong as possible for as long as possible. On days where I feel lazy I just remind myself I’m lucky to be able to move freely and without pain and I want to keep it that way.

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poptartsandmascara@reddit

I’ve been a Peloton rider religiously for seven years now and was a runner before that. Yes I could use to lose some weight, but I do it singularly to stay mobile! My mom is mid sixties and can’t walk long enough to visit an amusement park with the grandkids for a few hours. I love to travel so I work out to be able to travel independently for as long as possible.

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Esabettie@reddit

Exactly! I don’t even question myself, do i feel like it? Nah I just lift/run.

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JustChillFFS@reddit

You look good

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Affectionate_Ask_769@reddit

I started going to the gym last month after taking a few years off. Main reason is mobility. And I want to build muscle while I’m still on the younger side of old. I go like 4 days a week and stretch and walk on the others. Going to start adding Getty off the ground with no hands every day

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lab_sidhe@reddit

Absolutely.

I see my mother in law who is 65 and can't get around because she NEVER invested any time in physical activity because it was too hard and she was too afraid to try anything. She has diabetes, brittle bones, and her feet can't support her despite the fact that she's not overweight. She has zero muscle mass or bone density.

Couldn't be me.

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PetuniaPicklePepper@reddit

Heh... I was podcasting about muscle loss, retention/growth, and types of grip/strength training around the time this was posted. We lose 1% per year of muscle mass annually after thirty, if we don't actively strength train.

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thrakkerzog@reddit

I try to walk at least 100 miles a month, and I usually succeed. I'm 48 with a desk job.

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Fun-Grab-9337@reddit

I'm fighting debilitating back/pelvic pain and have had to give up most of my outdoor/physical hobbies. Trying to do PT and overcome it but there seems to be something wrong. Gradually snuck up on me over time until I just didn't have it anymore.

Really sucks, feeds into depression pretty badly.

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Nilbog_Frog@reddit

My grandmother was dancing on the bar top until she died from alcohol withdrawal after surgery to remove part of her intestines that were riddled with cancer (from the alcohol). I’m not worried about my mobility in the slightest. I am worried that I don’t drink and can’t pickle myself like she did, though. RIP you crazy bitch!

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PuppyJakeKhakiCollar@reddit

My parents were a good example of the truth behind "use it or lose it". My dad was much more active than my mom. He would go to the park every morning for his walk, he volunteered a lot with his church. He was diagnosed with ALS in his 70s, which did take his mobility. But he managed to stay mobile a lot longer than patients with the condition usually are and doctors thought part of the reason was that he was active.

My mom on the other hand spent most of her time in front of the TV. She didn't exercise much, poor diet. She ended up not being able to stand or walk or perform simple tasks for herself without help because her longtime sedentary lifestyle caught up with her and basically turned her muscles to mush.

I have an active job and like to hike, etc. These last few weeks I haven't been exercising like usual and my body was feeling it. Stiff, achy, felt much older than I am. This weekend I recommitted to regular exercise again and just these past two days of it have made a difference.

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Feisty_Crops@reddit

I’ve really started putting in the work

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luxtabula@reddit

My father is still very mobile in spite of several heart attacks and a removed kidney. My mother is in excellent shape, she walks over several miles a day. I'm in very good shape for my age though I have an inherited cholesterol issue.

My wife unfortunately has issues with this. Her parents are in terrible shape, they didn't take care of themselves and can barely climb stairs anymore.

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codebygloom@reddit

I'm looking at my 45 year old ass and my own lack of mobility.

I destroyed my body playing every sport possible growing up and have medical issues as an adult, and sometimes I really wish there was a way to just swap out the body the mind is attached to.

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CheesaLouisa@reddit

Pilates, baby. Pilates is so good for strength and function.

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Afootinafieldofmen@reddit

I’ve been going to the same pilates + yoga studio for about ten years and am on the younger side for the regulars. Seeing the same folks in their 70s-90s keeping at it is the best motivation.

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magnifico-o-o-o@reddit

I confess that I spent a long time thinking that pilates was just yoga with a bigger price tag and more equipment, based on trying a few gym group fitness mat pilates classes.

Then a friend convinced me to go to a dedicated pilates studio and give it a more serious try. Turns out it is fantastic for identifying and working on asymmetries that would lead to issues if left unchecked, and great overall for core strength and good proprioception.

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DeterioratedEra@reddit

Hell yeah! I've never been a gym guy or HIIT guy but my profession reinforces really bad habits and I needed something to straighten out my posture and keep me on top of my core and balance and strength. I really like it.

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Left_Maize816@reddit

I look at my mom who can hardly move and who spends all day watching YouTube and lying in place. That is a huge motivator for the time I spend on the Exercycle every day. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it up for years, but fuck me if I’m going to go down without a fight.

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lopingwolf@reddit

I've spent my life playing sports, staying active with gym time and running, working a physical job (but being careful how I lift and move)... and one week after my 43rd birthday, I was diagnosed with sciatica.

I was picking up a box no heavier than a cellphone and somehow moved exactly wrong, straining my low back. Shooting pain down my left leg. Out of work for a week.

Now I have a new set of daily exercises and stretches and a longing nostalgia for just a few months ago.

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Fr4gd0ll@reddit

Same worked out and stretched 6 days a week. Started having lower back pains on longer runs Dr. Told me to run less. It got worse could hardly walk. Found out I have hypermobility and my hip is "slipping out" causing the muscles to seize up. Working on new routines that help hold my hip in place and wearing a brace.

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DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit (OP)

Exactly this. Imagine how much worse off your daily stretch would be if you were 100lb heavier.

We’re gonna age and our bodies will break down. That’s too late to prepare.

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RKsu99@reddit

I'm 49 and I've dealt with mobility struggles throughout my life, but usually in the ankles. The past year has been hell though in my hips. I stopped going to the gym and doing my usual back and leg strengthening exercises just over a year ago due to some other health issues. Then I began a hip problem on my left side that eventually landed me in the hospital for a few days. It healed pretty well with some PT, but I still wasn't doing anything for my back.

About 3 months ago I started having problems with my right side. I was doing a lot of driving at the time which definitely contributed to the problem, if it didn't outright cause it. Then boom one day it turned into full-blown sciatica (technically lumbar radiculopathy.) I've been walking with a cane on and off since then. I didn't totally lose my ability to walk, but have only been functional on painkillers. Finally after almost 3 months of nonstop pain I'm able to sit for a while.

Sciatica can affect people at any age, but I believe a lot of mobility loss are due to degenerative disc issues. You do not want to deal with this problem. It can be healed for most. Surgery is actually pretty effective for those who don't heal on their own. Keeping your lumbar in good shape can prevent it.

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StevieNickedMyself@reddit

This is an American problem, revolving around car culture.

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Horror_Garbage_9888@reddit

Yes. My dad is now bed bound in AL and has been on a downward mobility spiral for 20 years. I even got a dog to make sure I walk at least three times a day, no matter the weather.

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blackhawksq@reddit

Don't really have any aging family. But I maintain, my midlife crisis has largely been about getting healthier. Also making sure finances are ready for retirement but more importantly health.

I had back issues not that long ago and then started thinking about retirement and I realized if I can barely walk around now, how will I enjoy traveling in 15 years? So I built a home gym and full body workouts 3 days of the week.

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redbess@reddit

I watched my great grandmother and now my grandmother become hunched over doing the shuffle walk, my mom's been having problems, and I've got hypermobility. So I'm absolutely doing strength training and mobility work to make sure I'm not headed down that same awful, painful path.

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Flight_Not_Fancy@reddit

My parents are still pretty active for their age (late 70s and early 80s). They go to the gym in their building most days, and my dad always walked everywhere. My mom had health issues but when she started working out again she dropped 30 lbs and has so much more mobility and endurance. I visited them recently and full invested in the attitude of movement as medicine. Sure, shit can happen, but might as well keep ourselves and strong and agile as we can. I've been deliberate about working out at least 30 mins a day (yoga, cardio, weights in some rotation) for the last 2 months and I feel so much better. I'll take it.

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HugeTheWall@reddit

This worries me seeing my younger siblings and friends my age having a hard time getting around, some even in their 30s due to lifestyle choices, though of course it can just hit you anyway

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Fappy_as_a_Clam@reddit

I live by a few mottos:

"A body in motion stays in motion."

And

"You don't stop moving because you get old, you get old because you stop moving."

And

"Old age comes fastest to those that wait for it.

I try to be as active as possible, every day. Bare minimum I walk my dog. When I'm in the office I got on at least one 1-mile walk a day, usually two. I shoot for 10k steps and 30 minutes active everyday, and I still hit the weights as much as possible which is about four times a week ideally.

It ain't much, but it's honest work, and hopefully it pays off lol

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amazonhelpless@reddit

Big difference between my parents and my in-laws. Get regular exercise, people, especially weight-bearing exercise.

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JCarlin42@reddit

Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion

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PickledPixie83@reddit

My mom has been poorly mobile for years now. I had spinal surgery this year and I am not interested in that so I am working out and losing weight.

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seamonkey420@reddit

oh yea.. i caregived for my mom in her last years. she was still pretty mobile but was always active her whole life (parents were farmers and they loved to garden, plant flowers, keep farm looking pretty).

falls after we get past age 50 become more and more dangerous. for me, i'm short (aka close to the ground already) and skinny and try to go for a mile walk each day. but as others have said, you never know though.

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PoopUponPoop@reddit

Yup. My mom sat on the couch and barely moved for the majority of my life. Now she’s a very very rough 83, physically and mentally (agoraphobe). I see it as a warning sign and have been challenging myself to stay active and socialize.

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Rellcotts@reddit

I was thinking about this today because my mom is 75 this year. She is not overweight but she isn’t active anymore it seems. She can’t hardly walk the dogs with me and couldn’t carry her carryon suitcase up the stairs while she was here for the weekend. I have always been told if you lose tour mobility it’s pretty much over.

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PoisonMind@reddit

I started bike commuting 4 years ago because my sedentary lifestyle was starting to catch up to me. It's great low-impact exercise, and it's just fun.

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LaFantasmita@reddit

I have a lot of older friends. I find that around 60 years old there's a divergence, between people that stay active and people who start to just sit around and lose mobility. The active ones are often perfectly active and mobile well into their 70s-80s.

Just... Keep at it.

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Yellow_Curry@reddit

Fit by 50. Start now to build in the repeatable activities that setup a foundation for your 50s. When i visit my family and see my parents so lethargic its a reminder i need to work on moving my body more.

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WhatTheCluck802@reddit

My parents are in their 60s. My dad is fairly active and mobile and fairly physically healthy. OTOH my mother has never once in her life exercised for the sake of it… very physically lazy, will never take the stairs over the elevator is her general mentality… and at only mid-60s she has a host of mobility issues. Has a hard time getting around due to knee pain (up until the past year or so she was pretty overweight). Definitely a warning for me to make sure I stay active.

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Day2205@reddit

Yep, biggest driver for me to get back active. My parents both have limited mobility and it ages them beyond their years.

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jbahill75@reddit

I’m already planning for retirement home to a condo with elevator or a single floor home. The number of older adults I know with totally unused second floors due bad knees is crazy

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drinkslinger1974@reddit

So, I’m slightly out of the xennial category, born in ‘74, but the Gen X sub can get rather nasty. Anyway, I think everyone has seen the photos of 70’s sitcom stars that were cast as grandparents at the age of 45, however, there’s a slew of chores that the boomers did that we don’t have to, and I think that’s imperative to a youthful appearance. Yes, make up and hair dye and clothing styles make a difference, but we also live in a day and age where we can drive up to a garage and get an oil change while we wait. There’s gig work for every chore needed, laundry, grocery shopping, home repair, assembling furniture, thing that used to take up the entire weekend, and now we don’t have to stress our bodies out. We also might take for granted that we can now go to one single store and get everything, paperwork is now online and can be pulled up at the push of a button, you can go to the doctor virtually, even reading books has become just popping in an earbud. I will say that on the flip side, we’re the first generation that is always on call, meaning that we’re expected to be available at every waking moment of the day. We also have to keep track of our children 24/7, something vastly different than what our parents went through. Most extracurricular activities are extra full time jobs, gifts, gas, utilities, entertainment, clothes and more are waaaayyyy more expensive and only last a tenth of the time. So, personally, I’d rather look 80 than everything that’s “required” of me these days, but I think my mobility won’t be an issue for much later in life than my parents had to worry about.

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KarensHandfulls@reddit

Sweet baby jeebus, yes! My mother had a long, desk-bound career as an accountant. At the age of 75, she can't even walk down the driveway to the mailbox due to all sorts of arthritis aches and pains. I get up every morning at 6:30 am to exercise and treat it like something I need to do like eating and breathing. I'm trying my damndest to not become my mother - in spite of having a similar, desk-bound job.

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CanLate152@reddit

My mum recently died at 75. With her condition she would have died before I was born If she hadn’t trusted in medical science - she had an experimental procedure young which saved her. Then another more researched procedure in her late 40s.

She kept herself fit and healthy enough despite her lifelong chronic illness which ultimately claimed her.

Her story isn’t a warning - it’s an example. She’s one of the first of her brothers and sisters and extended family to go but she LIVED. She only slowed down in the last 6months and was stubborn as hell about it.

If anything it just tells me to keep up my regular health checks and listen to my body. My health is only my own burden.

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Little_Peon@reddit

I have MS. Luckily, I have few to no daily symotoms, but I've known for years that I could wake up tomorrow and have issues. Maybe my body will work when I wake, maybe not.

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Purple-flying-dog@reddit

Absolutely. I’ve started walking as much as I can in order to stay in better shape, and keep active. Spouse goes to the gym (I go occasionally). I am in much better shape than I was 10 years ago.

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Inevitable-Dot3982@reddit

My mom died a couple years ago after a complications from a hip replacement.
I’m just getting to the point where I’m really looking to what exercises are going to make my body feel and stay mobile long-term because I don’t like having an expiration date now.

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likesblackcoffeebest@reddit

Really similar thing here. Not my mom, but my aunt whom I resemble more than any other relative, broke her hip and died at an age about 20 years younger than women tend to live on that side of the family.

I'm a longtime gym rat but my aunt's death shifted something for me. Before, I was in the gym to see how strong I can get, to have fun with my friends, and to keep playing sports, but now I see that before any of that, I'm in the gym to save my own life. One day I mentioned that after CrossFit class and at least three other women there had similar stories.

The best exercise is the one you'll do consistently. Find something you like doing and go save your life.

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jambr380@reddit

I'm 6'5". I've watched generations of older, obese tall men in my family struggle to walk even the shortest distances before passing away at well below average age.

It pains me to see all the guys in r/tall always talking about bulking and getting bigger. Yeah, it's cool now, but you might not always have that same drive to go all out at the gym and your metabolism will catch up to you.

So, yeah, I run long distance, go to the gym, still play some rec sports. I consider myself in good shape, but I'm always worried that I might turn out like the other men in my family. If they had only exercised and ate better...

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SemataryPolka@reddit

I'm 6'5" and I feel this. I'm in relatively decent shape but it doesn't feel like enough

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jambr380@reddit

Yeah, I get more and more nervous about various injuries, especially major ones like acl or achilles tears. I enjoy sports, but it's hard to go hard knowing what could happen

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TheGoldenMonkey@reddit

As a 6'4" guy in his mid 30s and has already blown both knees I know it's going to get rough in the next 10-20 years. I just try to keep my thighs strong and be careful when I pivot. A recumbent bike with adjustable resistance has proven to be my best friend in the past year or so.

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lakatos_intolerant@reddit

As someone an inch shorter than you, this is my fear, too. I do my best to stay active and have been working hard to shed any table muscle/keep the mid-section in check to avoid major issues later. I drink far less now, do not smoke, eat very little red meat.

It's tough, though.

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jambr380@reddit

It's like you just have to do what you can do and then hope for the best. I've been lucky to avoid any knee or back problems, but there are a number of other smaller issues that creep up on you. I'm starting think part of getting older and staying in shape is that you need to persevere through more and more of those smaller issues that cause pain

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sweet_pickles12@reddit

I’m tall (for a woman) but under 6 feet. Lemme tell you, my knees have been hurting so damn bad…. I’m fine to walk and limber up when I get going so I’ve been exercising… I’m really hoping I just need to lose a little weight because I’m not old enough for my knees to hurt this bad all the time.

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jambr380@reddit

Funny enough, I think long distance running helped my knees more than anything else. Maybe breaking down and building back up. My grandfather had both of his knees replaced, so I'm crossing my fingers. Hope you can find a way to get past it

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lakatos_intolerant@reddit

That is awful and not ideal at all. I definitely can relate to the knee issues whenever cold, damp weather arises the pain comes with it.

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lakatos_intolerant@reddit

Oh yeah that's huge. I do feel some knee pain at times, especially when there's cold, damp/rainy weather. But you are right - other joint pains/issues surface and it's really tough to avoid sometimes.

Exercising definitely goes far.

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AdDense7020@reddit

Yes I actually decided last time I visited my parents that I will never get a recliner. I’m focusing on 10,000 steps a day and to never stop moving.

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SLyndon4@reddit

My dad just turned 86 this spring, and has been active all of his life—farm work, active career outdoors, daily walks. He’s in excellent health for an octogenarian, but he recognizes that he can’t do as much. He says when he stops moving, that’ll be near the end for him, and I believe it.

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KeyStriking9763@reddit

My parents died at 49 and 62. I take care of myself but have medical conditions probably that are hereditary. I’ve had my hips replaced and need my knee done and I’ll be 47 this summer.
I’m happy to still be alive because it’s better than the alternative.

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MandaC32@reddit

I kinda feel this. I see people with a limp or a different gait and think, I hope thats not me when I get old. I try to walk my dog at least a mile everyday (used to be more, but she's 13 now) and stretch, but a minor accident/fall can change everything. Life is all about circumstances and we can only do the what we can to protect ourselves ❤️

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SilverDem0n@reddit

I've had injuries since teenage years that limit my mobility. Not terribly so - yet - but I have had a few decades head start on these problems and I know how it ends.

Still, I work out when I can. The injuries recur, and some day it will need a joint replacement or some procedure not yet invented. Until then, I will try to keep the moving parts moving.

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BlacksmithThink9494@reddit

Both of my parents are now disabled. You literally dont know when or how the day will come when you lose most or all of your mobility. I work but since I'm also a caregiver I exercise even less than I used to. I'm a bit scared of what my life will look like in the next 10-20 years if I dont get my butt into shape. I've never been this far from exercise in my life.

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walter_grimsley@reddit

Both of my parents are immobile. Neither made it to 80 intact. Im no exercise freak but I can handle myself. I live in fear of what awaits me.

I try to eat well and go for walks and so on but I know its not enough.

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Silent-Plant800@reddit

Attitude & effort are 2 things I can now control everyday because 🥃 🍺 left my life. Granted, I’m recovering alcoholic, but I see many older people that prefer PM drinks over exercise. They not in good shape, if you can do both good on you.

Otherwise as they say, you booze you loose. May we all age well & prosper!

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_buffy_summers@reddit

I'm actually walking more this year than I have in recent years.

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SignificantApricot69@reddit

I have a genetic mobility disorder and I’m doing really well in my late 40s. I can’t think of any family members having any issues and several are in 70s and 80s.

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59apache01@reddit

At 47, I have to use a cane some days due to an old back injury. But I don't let that define me, nor do I let it keep me down. I try to stay as active as I can to keep things moving and to keep them from getting any worse. If the pain gets to be too much, I have my doctor write an order for a round of physical therapy, which so far has enabled me to get back to my baseline. I know I'll never be able to run a marathon or anything like that, but my goal is to keep my mobility as good as I can for as long as I can.

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Silent-Plant800@reddit

Love your attitude, that will take you farther than any muscle, you are strong 💪

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Lesbian_Skeletons@reddit

I'm in the "die before it becomes an issue" group, old age would not be pleasant.

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reapersritehand@reddit

This is chilling, my dad born early 50s still peddling around like hes not old, my mother born in the late 50s fell recently and its been downhill ever since for her, to the point im thinking shell never walk on her own again

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E-2theRescue@reddit

The thing that has damned my father the most after his heart surgery was not exercising. He complains that it's the surgery that made him weak, but then he sits for hours on end and only moves to get food or go to the bathroom. Now he's unable to make it through a grocery store, when he was doing fine after he healed from the surgery.

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tealccart@reddit

For sure healthy habits are worth striving for but it’s no guarantee. My parents have never exercised and my dad is perfectly healthy at 75, my mom has an autoimmune disease but no “lifestyle” diseases. And one of her doctors who was running marathons dropped dead at 50 so 🤷‍♀️

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Anonymous_person13@reddit

I have not exercised like I should (partly I think because I am lucky and have genes that help keep the weight off), but have been doing better the past year or so. It's frustrating because my body hurts more than it did. Like my hips feel stiffer and a shoulder I've had issues with hurts more frequently. Maybe gaining strength just hurts along the way?

But part of me is like...if my body hurts more, why tf am I working out lol

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Hot-Implement5259@reddit

Try Relieffactor; could help with the pain. Also, yes, as I’m weightlifting, my shoulder starts hurting or an ankle. I rest the painful body part and do abs for a few days or walking instead. Keep building muscle because you’ll want it when you’re 60,70,80.

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PlantedinCA@reddit

In my extended family it is a mixed bag of mobility.

My mom passed away from cancer, but prior she was busy mowing the lawn and gardening. My dad has never really exercised at all, has the worst eating habits, and smokes cigars. He turns 80 this year and is somehow pretty healthy beyond taking cholesterol meds. His mobility has declined, but he lives independently. He can’t get on the floor, but otherwise fine. Like his dad - who lived to be 93, he probably would have lived longer if grandma hadn’t passed. Dad is doing fine on the suitor front.

My mom’s family is also a mixed bag. One of my aunts is 82, she walks daily and has been for as long as I can recall. She is independent and volunteers. The other living siblings are similar, but others had more issues. Grandma had a 2 strokes and diabetes. She wasn’t too mobile in her last years, but lived at home independently with a walker and lived to be 78.

Perimenopause is hitting me hard with joint issues! I got diagnosed with a bone spur that is taking forever to rehab. I am finally back to the gym consistently after a break from mom’s diagnosis.

I live in a walkable area and rarely drive, so I have an ok baseline. But I have recently pivoted my workouts to be unilateral, mobility, and balance focused for better aging. I want to be a mobile senior.

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ManiacRichX@reddit

Yes, and I'm planning on starting to excersize next week

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NeoManicXZ@reddit

I said that 6 years ago!

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ManiacRichX@reddit

In 2002?

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International_Bit478@reddit

(Checks his Far Side desk calendar) Ahem, 2002 was only four years ago.

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Disneyhorse@reddit

Go for a short walk today! Even just to the end of the block and back. And then tomorrow go a little further. No need to wait until next week.

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ManiacRichX@reddit

It was mostly a joke. I do high speed walking at the local park or the mall depending on the weather 😊

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bottleofgoop@reddit

I have alarms set on my phone to remind me to get up and do a 5 to 10 minute little exercise session. It's mainly just physio exercises aimed at keeping my knees hips and shoulders happy. I watched my nan pass in agony because she was too frightened to move and as a result her pain got so much worse it was 9 months of pure hell watching her degrade. She couldn't even pick up her phone or a remote at the end. Not going out like that.

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rookiemoves@reddit

I spent the last 30 years being incredibly inflexible. I had bad posture and two lower back surgeries. Every day I am astonished at how flexible and mobile I have been able to get in my late 40s. I can touch my toes, sit on the floor comfortably and actually reach things instead of missing it slightly. It’s never too late to start.

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Silent-Plant800@reddit

Last sentence is so important, “It’s never too late to start over again”

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SlackerDS5@reddit

Yeah, but I also work with the unhoused that that was reason enough to see the benefits of losing weight, getting more active and getting sober.

I’ve lost 100+ pounds and my body feels much better. I refuse to have a crappy quality of life if I can avoid it.

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Silent-Plant800@reddit

The getting sober is the 🔑 congratulations!👏

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HighSeasArchivist@reddit

I'm working on it. Very sedentary job combined with general laziness hasn't helped with weight, but no amount of weight has affected me like not stretching. Getting back into stretching is a real bitch, but in my experience I always felt better when overweight if I was flexible.

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Treadingresin@reddit

My mother has a degenerative spinal disorder. It has crippled her in the last two years. There are no surgeries that can fix it. PT helps somewhat, but only if it is the absolutely correct PT, one wrong exercise and she is out for a month or two. And the worst thing is that its genetic. I already have had serious back problems, but no idea if its what my mother has or related to the sports I played well into my 30s.

About 12 years ago I got extremely depressed, stopped working out and started eating. I've fixed my depression, but now I have to lose the weight I've gained and regained the muscles I lost, especially in my back.

My mother's years of a sedentary lifestyle and how it has intensified her spinal degeneration is most certainly a wake up call for me. I look at her at think "may that never be me."

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SteelGemini@reddit

Not for that reason specifically. As I've reached mid 40s, my own poor lifestyle has begun to creep up on me. Poor diet and lack of exercise has meant I've always carried some extra weight. Previously, it wasn't enough to noticeably impact my life or make me dissatisfied enough to do anything about it.

Then my metabolism started to slow down. I started gaining weight more easily and losing fat became harder. I began to experience pain in my knees and hips. I figured I'd probably drop dead from a heart attack anyway and it wouldn't be my problem. But you know, every annual physical my labs look good, heart sounds good, blood pressure is ok, breathing is good. I start to realize I'm probably not going as quickly as I thought, and instead I'm looking at a slow, painful decline as I lose mobility and the ability to go anywhere or do anything.

So I started eating better and hitting the gym. Not for vanity's sake, but purely to preserve my future quality of life. I'm down about 15 lbs so far. My joints are already thanking me as the reduced weight and increased strength in the supporting muscles have helped a lot. I'm fine with dying. I'm not fine with wasting away in a bed somewhere.

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komboochagirl@reddit

Omg yes. My mom fell and broke her leg. She was out of commission for almost a year. My dad and father-in-law would both fall and couldn't get back up. Meanwhile I was in a running group with an 80-year-old man with two knee replacements, and he used to run 5ks. He could outrun me. I've been out of shape for a while but have decided to start working out. I want to be that guy in my running group.

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Free2BeMee154@reddit

Yes. I have always exercised. I was an athlete through high school. Then started running and lifting in my 20s. At 47 I exercise 6-7 days a week. Despite being in great health I was still diagnosed with early stage breast cancer at 43. But because of my health, I recovered fast. Now at 47 I have hip pain but can hike or bike for miles. And lift heavy. I just make sure to do more mobility and yoga than the past. Mobility and muscle are so important as we age.
I watched my in laws fall constantly over the last 7 years. They never exercised. My MIL was so thin from diet culture and once dementia hit she fell every year, which ended up killing her. My FIL was overweight and fell and broke a hip. He has no muscle tone. He’s now in a wheelchair and will probably never walk without assistance. My SIL and BIL are both overweight and unhealthy. They sleep more than anyone I know.

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LineImpossible3958@reddit

I work out all the time, strength train mainly. I want to be fit till I’m old. Out of my groups of friends, only a handful of us still make an effort to workout. It shows.

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iwasnotarobot@reddit

Many Suburbs were designed for cars, not people.

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Ok_Ball_788@reddit

I'm already in a wheelchair myself from a rare illness.

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JustChillFFS@reddit

Test & peps

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Loan-Pickle@reddit

I used to be pretty active, but a few injuries have really slowed me down. I’m trying to become more active again, but it is going to be a long road.

My biggest problem right now is stairs. I can go up them fine, but I have problems going down stairs. I can do it, but it is very slow.

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WarningOnly4238@reddit

Yes, going down stairs is the worst! I’m pretty active and workout 6-7 times a week but I also have osteoarthritis in my knees and move like I’m 80 when I walk down stairs

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silver-moon-7@reddit

There's only so much you can control with mobility

Once you start having strokes and things which affect your brain, if they happen to destroy motor centres, you're fucked

In saying that, it's wise to do anything you can to preserve muscle, general fitness and range of motion

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Diesel07012012@reddit

I have an uncle that turned 75 in the fall. He is essentially well chair ridden for the rest of his life after a failed attempt at repairing a quadriceps tendon injury that came from a fall after a knee replacement surgery.

He was a large man, but relatively weak.

If I go down the same way, I’m going down swinging. Strength training and cardio 5x a week for as long as I can.

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HotCollar5@reddit

I’m divorced and childfree so I’ve got no one to rely on but myself as I age, now I’m 3 years into my gym girlie era and think I’ve got a decent chance at having good old lady mobility

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Confident_Win_5469@reddit

My husband is already in bad shape because of work place injuries. Weve started dance classes to keep active and mobile in different ways. Its helped him a lot and its only been a year.

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Geoff-Vader@reddit

Being fit as we age is the closest we can get to having a super power IMO. I've seen my (sedentary) parents struggles. Meanwhile my father-in-law has had numerous bouts with cancer and heart ailments - he probably should've been gone 2-3x now at least. Yet he has always maintained his fitness and is still kicking.

He's been an inspiration to me for sure. I've always maintained some modicum of fitness. But a few years ago I got more serious and got back in the gym regularly. And I shifted from working toward step counts to instead getting steps plus 2-3x actual cardio sessions a week. I'm now in the best shape I've been in since I played soccer in college. Injuries do happen, but once you taste it it's hard to not want to get back to it.

Go for a walk. Leave a bit on your plate. Find what works for you and just keep at it.

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TofuTofu@reddit

I've got awful PTTD in one foot and broke my other foot. Two decades of pickup basketball on asphalt, drinking in standing bars in dress shoes, etc, has me severely immobile for my age relatively speaking.

Go get custom orthodics and try and get that BMI down to 20 if you're overweight. Trust me on this guys.

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FrayCrown@reddit

My mom recently cracked a vertebrae in two places because her osteoporosis is getting so bad. My mom, aunts, and grandmothers on both sides of tge family have mobility issues from it.

I started weight training 5x a week when she broke her back. Muscle mass and physical activity are the best insurance against osteoporosis, and against neurodegenerative disorders. It's been 5 months, and I am way stronger than I used to be.

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ryanorion16@reddit

Yeah I’m using my parents’ ailments as big warning signs to change my personal habits.

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Emergency_Process622@reddit

In a way I attribute my mom's death to lack of mobility. She broke her ankle got a hidden staph infection in her bone that hurt her for years and kept her from being able to stay active. Depression, addiction and binge eating led to diabetes. She was really trying to get her act together and exercising but she died suddenly from a combination of high blood sugar, walking pneumonia, alcohol and heat.

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No-Championship-8677@reddit

I’ve had this on my radar for a long time—my dad dying when he was 51 made me a health nut by my early 30s. My mom definitely should have exercised more and it’s all caught up with her now. I don’t want to be like either of my parents so I am extremely active and prioritize functionality and setting myself up for now and the future above all else.

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therealmudslinger@reddit

"Functional fitness" for me right now means putting my shoes on without groaning and getting in and out of my low-sitting car without embarrassing myself.

Not gonna lie, I like when my partner drives. (Subaru Forester. Perfect height.)

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Weird_Anteater_6428@reddit

My parents had mobility problems in their 60s. They were never healthy or moved much. They died in their early 70s barely able to even climb stairs.

I vowed I would never be that helpless. I had already been working out 4-5 times a week, but COVID killed my gym. I lost weight during that time and tried to keep up my movement. About a year and a half ago, I joined a power lifting gym

I'm 46 now and while I'm not in perfect shape, I'm probably the healthiest I've ever been and way more able than my parents were at the same age.

The only time I want to be as feeble as they were is when I'm getting ready to die

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Tygie19@reddit

I work in aged care and it’s frightening how many people in their 80s struggle to walk. But we also have plenty of residents who are very mobile. We just had a 103 year old move in, straight off the family farm, still able to walk with a wheelie walker frame. Our next eldest is a 99 year old man who can also still walk. Keeping moving seems to be the key.

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MetaverseLiz@reddit

My mom recently mentioned how many people her age can't walk or move very well. She's always been active (walking) she's now seeing the effects of those that aren't. That includes my dad who didn't change his eating habits after retiring, and had cancer due to smoking (bladder). The chemo caused some chronic pain in his leg and now he needs a cane. My folks are only in their late 60s, my dad turning 70 this year.

I'm 44 and already see mobility issues (mostly due to weight) already in my friends. We can't keep the same lifestyle as we age, we have to always be adapting. My friends who never stopped drinking the same amount of alcohol they did in their 20s now have beer bellies. Same with food. Same with the types of activities we do.

Women- start doing anything that helps with muscle strength and flexibility now.

I think a lot of what we see in our parents were ideas about health passed down from their parents. My great grandparents and grandparents never moved. They just slowly morphed into the couch or the patio chair over time. Older folks I know that are doing great are doing so because they never stopped moving and always kept their minds challenged.

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fiercetywysoges@reddit

Yes. Both my parents needed their knees replaced by the time they hit 50. Weight gain and sedentary lifestyle coupled with genetics. No working out. No strength training. Nothing.

I am 45 and I am working hard to avoid that. I do pole and aerial and I am stronger in my 40’s than I ever was in my 20’s and early 30’s. I have never allowed my weight to go up more than 20lbs (except pregnancy) and I try hard to keep it that way. Less stress on my body. Hubby and I are active and walk/hike as much as we can too.

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PlumSome3101@reddit

My mom is dealing with significant mobility issues that started in her mid sixties. I'm much more athletic and active than my mom ever was but I also exercise more and eat far healthier than my dad and that didn't stop me from developing pre diabetes at the same age he did. Genetics are a bitch.

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thesnark1sloth@reddit

I’m my mom with Alzheimer’s primary caregiver. At this point, her mobility isn’t so good. Both of my parents were active up till their 70s.

I exercise every day for my mental health, but this is a good reminder that it’s also not to become immobile earlier than I need to be.

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NoInvestment3870@reddit

My dad is 71 & works out 2-3 times a week and my stepmom plays tennis and hikes 3-4 times a week. I hope I have their mobility at that age. Granted they have the resources to have a more leisurely active life & I doubt I’ll have the same at that age.

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mom_bombadill@reddit

YES. Let’s all promise each other to stay strong into old age, we need to maintain bone and muscle strength

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lifeat24fps@reddit

Not in my family but I’ve seen it. A big part of why I lost 65lbs this year.

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Designer-Bid-3155@reddit

My parents are in their 80s. Both still drive, shovel, do yard work, live in their own homes. They won't accept help

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LarryGoldwater@reddit

Yeah. We are gonna get decrepit and die l8oe they are. Its already starting for some of us

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sammyclemenz@reddit

Yes

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lakatos_intolerant@reddit

My late great-grandmother lived a very long life and was still fairly mobile past the age of 90. She was incredibly active (walked and exercised a ton) throughout her life.

Obviously there are various factors at play, but I wholeheartedly believe staying active > sitting all the time, especially as we grow older.

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Extra-Blueberry-4320@reddit

My mother in law has type 2 diabetes and can barely walk (she gets random broken bones in her feet…looks insanely painful). She has a walker and only leaves the house to go to church. My father in law is older than her (she is 81, he is 85) and he has Parkinson’s. Yet he has always been very active and despite having had Parkinson’s for 10 years, he can still walk mostly unassisted and can do most of the upkeep on their home. I have been very active since my early 20s and I really hope it pays off. I don’t have any joint or back issues, so I will keep doing what I’m doing and avoid being chained to a walker when I’m old.

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erinrachelcat@reddit

My mom goes for daily walks. We both have mobility issues due to a genetic condition. I know I have to be careful and it sucks but I do what I gotta do.

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Happy_dancer1982@reddit

I’ve had arthritis since the age of 12. My feet suck, but I carry on. My parents are better off physically than I am, and I just force myself. So I think we’ll be okay, mostly?

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jar36@reddit

often. I live with my 70 yr old dad bc I'm disabled and where I landed after a divorce. It's really easy for me to spend most of the day sitting here online and have to force myself to get moving. My dad is even worse, but he's not disabled. He's just lazy. Always has been. After sitting through the last 6 months of crappy weather, I am really feeling the struggle. I'm so out of shape, but it's hard to get back in shape with the pain of disability.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Oddly, that’s where Mom and I are on the same page. I’ve noticed that not only my mobility has decreased, but that I’m more tired and things hurt more. Now everybody in the house has high blood pressure except me. I’m just the fattest one in this house, so now we’ve had to change our diet around and all that.