Working Out at My Age
I probably spend more time reading about working out than than actually breaking a sweat. All of that reading makes it abundantly clear that us old folks need to stay active. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. Sometimes slowly and sometimes acutely, we just can’t do the things we used to do.
I’ve played basketball all my life. Great for cardio, and lots of fun, but a bit tough on the ol’ wheels. After shutting down for good five years ago due to bad knees, I struggled to find a replacement that I enjoyed. So I took up hiking. I felt so good, I decided to give b-ball another shot. The result was a torn meniscus in both knees (menisci?). No more hoops, and I couldn’t hike.
I got one knee fixed in February and felt good enough to get active again. A nasty landing on my paramotor resulted in a fractured shoulder that required surgery in June. At that point, it was back to hiking. My hip started hurting and I was told I needed a new one. Then the other knee gave out. Two more trips to the medical Jiffy Lube are in my near future.
What now?
I’ve fashioned a homemade gym in my garage. More like a physical therapy setup, actually. Bands and balls, a bench, a mat and a heavy bag. I can still stretch most things, and work on my core, as this does not require much use of my damaged appendages. Video of me struggling to get up and down on the mat would be a viral sensation. Unfortunately, video recording is not allowed at my gym. I “spar” on the bag for my cardio, but can’t hit the bag too hard because of arthritis in my hands. Ivan Drago would hang his head in shame.
The story here is that you need to stay active, even if the definition has changed. Most of us won’t be running marathons in our golden years, but we can all stay active and vital enough to be cheering from the crowd.
