I was truly horrified, as I blogged about, to experience my body as so leaden, sodden, heavy as it was last week when I tried to run a few yards up a trail at a state park. It was not horror arising from vanity but from fear of my future. I always said I want to die with my toes on! I’d never felt gravity so forcefully before, and it was clearly a matter of my age + mass + inactivity.
Plus, a couple people have told me that they or their partner “became old” at sixty-four, almost suddenly—and at sixty-three, that now makes sense to me. (It had seemed ridiculously early to me before.)
I’m glad I hadn’t deleted the YouTube channel about aging that I’d started a few weeks ago but hadn’t maintained. It gives me a way, a place, to talk to myself. And while it doesn’t (and may never) get many views, I want to put it out there, to represent my people—fellow (or potential?) aging puddings. 😆❤️ In an honest, unadorned, uncool way—no “chic ‘n’ silver”vibes!
So I stopped on my walk today and recorded “Out of Shape at 63…Taking a walk”. Link here:
youtu.be/rHfjRV2naXM?si=pqK_9tj54tJgdxq_
Screenshot:
Good for you for getting out and walking. Beautiful lake area!
ReplyDeleteI recently read that aging isn't a linear process. We have certain ages where our physical abilities do a sharp decline. 60-ish is such a time, apparently.
yes, I’d recently linked to a study showing that 60 is a marker, but anecdotally I hear 64–maybe it’s from the Beatles’ song! 😆
DeleteAt 59 I was back on my bike....
ReplyDeleteBy 65 I'd had enough of racing...been there done that by then!!!
A lot depends upon keeping doing...I have been naturally looking after Pirate so activity has suffered...and it isn't easy to haul yourself back to it!
GZ, you look so active, even in caring for Pirate in his last months, you were gardening, walking, etc-/but yes, life has a way of interrupting our best laid plans, eh?
DeleteI found Grief can be a heavy blanket to shift too…
PS. Even printing—and far more, pottery— takes core and arm strength!
DeleteLet’s haul ourselves back 🥰
sadly i think we atrophy quite quickly as we get older when you aren't moving about!!! we may not spring back as quickly as we did in our 20's but just moving to me alone is the key. my mother used to complain about losing her arm strength which i kinda ignored but now i see the same thing.
ReplyDeletei worry about my left arm now that it's been 5 weeks since the fracture. but i'll be sure to do all therapy recommended.
kirsten
ps i see college students every day who drive every where and ride scooters every where rather than walk. they are the ones who should be worried as they are not developing any habits of exercise. it's harder later in life to take it up -- not that it can't be done but will require lots of effort.
ReplyDeletekirsten
KIRSTEN: yes—I saw it at the high school too: a whole culture of physical inactivity, young people who never have to move—never get to move, like penned animals—unless they do optional sports…
DeleteUpper body strength—your mother was right! that’s something I liked about the thrift store-/I was always lifting with my arms.
You will do your PT and regain your arm strength but I too see how quickly we lose strength as we age if we don’t move.
Let’s move! 😃❤️
After returning from London I fell into inactivity and that was a huge mistake, and by huge I mean HUGE. I hope that I snap out of it- your video helps! Pudding sisters !!!
ReplyDeletePudding Sistet! 😆 yes!
DeleteI was impressed with you walking miles in London, Linda Sue! Travel is THE BEST// it was going to Duluth that showed me how I’ve lost mobility—finding it hard to fo things I’ve easily done before.
Let us snap out of it, yes!❤️❤️❤️