Guys 50+ Questions on Fitness Longevity?

[Fartrell Cluggins]

I don't know if I am just the right or just the wrong person to ask. I am 57 years old. I have had 5 right shoulder surgeries and three left knee surgeries. Despite that I still go to the gym to lift weights. I get most of my cardio and leg exercise through long distance bicycling. It is very easy on the joints.

Looking back, I would have been kinder to my joints. Less impact and less weight.

 

[TxxAgg]

Dang, I hate riding bikes.

A couple quick questions...they don't have exact answers but what are yall's opinions?

1) Regarding rucking, how much weight is recommended? Lately, I've been using 30% of body weight.

2) Regarding running, how many miles per week is healthy vs joint-damaging? I have been doing 12-20 miles per week

 

[P Carter]

I’m not 50+, and certainly not trying to undercut anyone’s experience or the good advice on this thread, but you may want to look hard into the evidence about running and knees. I believe the consensus is that if you are a healthy weight and don’t have an injury, running does not hurt knees and may benefit the joints. And if some running did, there just can’t be a rule in weekly mileage. Id suggest that if 12-20 miles works, you’re not feeling any tweaks or injuries, that would be fine and likely good as a weight bearing exercise.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

I'm 63 years old.
I think finding activities that are fun and complementary help.
For example, cross-country skiing all winter, spring mountain biking, summer backpacking etc.
Also use trekking poles.

 

[fmyth]

I'm 52. When I was 40 I came to the realization that life is a marathon not a sprint. I was involved in body building from 20-38. After having 2 knee surgeries and shoulder surgery to repair damage done from heavy lifting I changed my workouts. I now hike a 1 mile trail behind my house daily and lift light weights/bands 4 days a week. I have 3 big hunts coming up and am on track to drop 15 lbs to be in hunting shape.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Don't overlook the mental and financial aspect. From my experience life will most likely throw some heavy sh*t at you between 30-50, kids, parent, marriage and/or health. How you respond to these challenges can determine how you move forward after 50 and well beyond.

 

[Beendare]

Only 30?
I have scars older than that!

Some good advice in this thread...........its got to be a priority in your life.

I can tell you a lot of the problems I started to have a little older than you are now was due to still being able to hammer pretty good....but not stretching. Torn achilles, plantar factiatis, joint injuries can sometimes be avoided with stretching and exercises to work the small muscle groups [search rotator cuff exercises for an example]

You shoulder, hips, knees, etc....all benefit from this stretching and that program.

 

[Loco4dux]

Great thread, keep it coming...
sodaky - you’re an inspiration!

 

[wymtnpounder]

Get a good horse or mule... It'll save you a lot of aches and pains.

 

[HankNM]

Good advise here from a 65 yr old who survived a heart attach 5yrs ago that would have burst most folks hearts they say. Stress build up. Do damage ,no disease.
Worked in construction most of my life before 20yr career as Park Ranger,glorified maintneance man with LEO stress thrown in. Surfed & swam for many years.Rode bikes. Backpacked,hiked all the time.
Weigh the same as I did in HS. I worked for a living so no gym needed. Ate good diet. Quit drinking 35 yrs ago. Never drank sodas or ate sugar besides a chunk of chocolate once in a while.
I get plenty of sleep, at odd hours at times ,6-8 at night and occational mid day nap now. Drink lots of water!
On what is now called hi protein diet, fasting til I'm hungry. Usually no breakfast. Lunch around 11,dinner around 4-6. Usually elk meat now and what fruit/veggies I can keep in poor NM enviroment.
Learned sun protection the hard way,have basil cell from too many years in nothing but shorts. I wear clothes now...lol, hats.
On no medication now, drink plenty of good water,walk daily several miles and working on a barn now solo. I work smarter and take it easy when I do. If it hurts ,stop doing what hurts it. Wear wrist braces when needed,same with knees.
On my 7th life with an endless list of do not do what I did when I was young...

 

[co_archer]

I'm 34 so I don't have the life experience or wisdom of many on here, but I've been a self-professed fitness fanatic for a long time, and some things I've figured out over the years -

1. Diet. You can't outwork a shitty diet. You have to eat well. Let food be thy medicine. It sounds crazy for a hunter but I'm lately trying to limit my meat intake. I will never give up meat, but the majority of the foods you eat should be from fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and lots and lots of water. You should be visiting the bathroom often.
Shop the perimeter of your grocery store as much as possible. Going down the aisles is where it gets dangerous. If your grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, don't eat it. And lastly from Michael Pollan - "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

2. Don't drink or smoke. There's nothing wrong with the occasional beer, especially after working hard, but if you can't stop drinking or smoking regularly you have a problem and you need to address that first.

3. Take vitamins and supplements but never rely on their use over a good diet. As others have stated, a good multi-vitamin, fish oil, and probiotic can do wonders. I also drink a green powder, added to smoothies, which leads to...

4. Smoothies. Drink the hell out of them. Not the shitty over-sugared kind from places like Jamba juice, but the kind you can make at home in a blender. Pour some almond milk, bananas, kale, spinach, walnuts, and mixed berries into a blender and drink that thing. There's no easier way to get all of that nutrition into your system.

5. Move. I don't think it matters so much of how you do it, just do it. I used to power lift in my teens and twenties and played football, practiced jiu-jitsu, and skied pretty hard. I have put some serious stress on my back and joints so I can't lift like I could in my twenties. Now, I stick with a lot of bodyweight movements (pullups, pushups, crunches) and long walks with and without a pack. You have to do what works for you, but sitting in a chair will kill you.

6. Stretch. Plenty has been pointed out in this thread. Read what David Goggins says about stretching if you ever have the time.

7. Sleep (rest). Probably the thing I'm worst at. Invest in a good pillow and mattress and when you're in bed, try to actually rest and put the phone down.

Bonus - Drink your coffee black. Do it for a week and you won't need the cream and sugar anymore. So many people put so much of that crap in their coffee, you may as well be drinking pop.

 

[TxxAgg]

Heathy smoothies are legit!

here's what we do:

Spinach, lowfat yogurt, water, banana, frozen berries

you can add all natural peanutbutter or an Emergen-C pack for change.

 

[mtwarden]

I’m in my early 60’s and have led a very active lifestyle for the past 10 years- running/hiking 1500-2000 miles a year; religiously weight training twice a week; decent, but not over the top diet- not afraid of pizza, cheese burgers or steaks and always work in easy/recovery days

Without a shadow of a doubt, the “key” to my overall fitness is consistency. Not always fun hitting the trail in the rain or when it’s 0 out there, but I go. It’s always better once I’m out than what I thought.

I see way too many people jump in with both feet in some over the top regime, only to quit after awhile. Six months later jump in again.

Slow and steady wins the “race”

 

[*zap*]

Everyone who lives long enough gets old......as you pass 50 you want to do a very honest self evaluation of your fitness level (really not bad to do @ any age). Find weakness and make it strength, after 50 strength training is very important. Having a very good aerobic capacity is very good @ any age but will certainly help older folks keep active.

If you hit near or above 60 and are not in top shape then the road to get there may be too difficult for most folks or it can take multiple years for those who can do it....Hit peak fitness @ a younger age and maintain it.

Just walking on hiking trails unweighted a good distance a few times a week may be one of the best things to do as you age.....keep the mid-section and hips in great shape from that. Right now I do 1/2 my hike unweighted and 1/2 weighted with 20% body weight. Plan to add some heavier rucks later on but no more than 1-2 a month.

Gym may open up within a week..... .

64 here and now I hike/lift regularly......started up @ 60 after many years of not working out at all and it has been a bitch to get to where I am at and I plan to raise that bar regularly...lifting hard and hiking/rucking hard regularly has been difficult for me, one or the other not so much...but I am very close to the hump if not @ it so the debilitation should lessen from here on out if I maintain consistency /nutrition/rest and recovery.

 

[ScottinPA]

I’m in my early 60’s and have led a very active lifestyle for the past 10 years- running/hiking 1500-2000 miles a year; religiously weight training twice a week; decent, but not over the top diet- not afraid of pizza, cheese burgers or steaks and always work in easy/recovery days

Without a shadow of a doubt, the “key” to my overall fitness is consistency. Not always fun hitting the trail in the rain or when it’s 0 out there, but I go. It’s always better once I’m out than what I thought.

I see way too many people jump in with both feet in some over the top regime, only to quit after awhile. Six months later jump in again.

Slow and steady wins the “race”

I was waiting for you to provide good input. Good stuff here.

 

[CrzyTrekker]

This is simple:

1. Eat human food. Eat low carb, high fat, whole foods. This is not a "diet." This is simply real food. Study anthropology. We are primarily eaters of animal products and plants. My wife eats Keto and looks like she's in high school at 46 years old. We're those freaky "normal BMI" people you occasionally see when you're out and about.

2. A body in motion, stays in motion. Get outside daily for short, intense workouts. Sprinting, lifting heavy shit, movement. Lately I have been limiting my strength workouts to about 25 minutes a couple times per week. But, I've also gone backpack fly fishing in the San Juan Mountains the past three weekends. Put in a lot of miles. Get that Vitamin D. Keep moving and keep up your outdoor interests.

3. Rest is way, way overlooked. Most do not understand how important sleep and rest are. Practice good sleep hygiene. 8+ hours daily. Make sure you don't overdo it with those workouts. Short, intense workouts are tremendously beneficial.

4. Keep your life simple. Say "no" more often, prioritize your own goals and simplify everything. Multi-tasking is not actually a healthy thing. Build a "fuk-you" fund so you're not forced to do crappy work.

5. Philosophy. Realize that, no matter how much planning you do, Stuff still happens. External things only have an impact on your life to the extent you give them play in your mind. Therefore, cultivate your thoughts and emotions. You are what you think.


EXHIBIT A: 51-YEAR-OLD NORMAL BMI STICK FIGURE IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS:

 

[boykin8992]

Within reason, the more physically you live your life the better your odds are of aging out physically fit to hunt. Don’t gain weight...it will steal your abilities. If you can’t work hard all day then you probably can’t hunt hard all day, let alone for a week or two.

This times two! Gaining weight puts stress on your whole body!

 

[Praxeus]

What advice, tips, and tricks do you have for younger guys to stay in shape and keep injury free?

I'm late 30's and enjoy running and lifting. The aches and pains and old injuries creep up from time to time. What do you recommend for keeping things at bay so guys my age can keep up 20 years from now?

I'm sure diet becomes more important. What about rest days? What about vitamins? What about stress? You get the idea...

Let us know what you think.

Im 65....very active.Walk....walk....walk. I bowhunt elk every year, a passion of ours. No smoke, drink, drugs, etc. Finally....keep your mind focused and clean. because you truly are as young as you think!

 

[Kevin Dill]

Two friends: One is in his 70s and phenomenally fit. He climbs and trims BIG trees every day. I've got pictures and video of him climbing trees to beyond 60' to top them and then bring them down. I would bet you couldn't scrounge 4 pounds of fat from his skinned carcass. He can swing a chain saw, sling rope and drag heavy branches better than any 30 year old I've ever seen. Obviously, he is a hunting machine when it's time to go.

The second guy is in his mid 60s. You would call him wiry. Jack is nothing but bone. muscle and sinew top to bottom. He deliberately works outside (at home) in the summer heat and humidity. I've known him to put down a couple hundred heavy bags of black mulch by himself on a summer day. His passion is grouse hunting. He owns a kennel full of bird dogs and he uses all of them. He often hunts solo because previous (younger) partners couldn't keep up with his day-to-day pace. He goes to Wisconsin and hunts birds for a solid month....almost every day.

Both of these guys respect their bodies, but they work hell out of them too. They say the more you use and sharpen a knife, the better it becomes. I believe it. I don't consider myself to be in the league of these men, but I'm still fit (enough) and able to pull off a long solo in the mountains, including packing out a big animal. I have no trouble handling a 1100 pound motorcycle with my 130 pound wife and another 40 pounds of gear on board.

I see so many guys in all age brackets who are dreadfully out of shape. My brother is one of them. Their lives will be shorter. Clothing is always a hassle. They aren't going to enjoy their lives nearly as much as if they were in just average decent shape. They generally live in denial or cope via humor. If they could feel what they were missing and could see into their futures, they might be shocked into motivation. Your body is meant to be used, so you might as well get busy. When it's all over (life), you know you'd rather leave looking like a wrinkled chili pepper than a bloated squash.

Twenty-something:

Sixty-ish:

 

[AKDoc]

Lots of great advice already shared by others! I'm not sure that I'm a good example, but I'll share a few things...

I'll be 68 in October, and I just keep doing the things I've always done...that "body in motion stays in motion" concept of physics. I do feel it more in my knees (osteoarthritis), and I notice that it takes me a day longer to recover after a day of busting it hard in the field...like hauling a moose back to camp! I just spent the past two weekends working the chain-saw for firewood this winter. I've got a hundred-mile remote pack-raft float scheduled late summer and a two-week remote moose drop-hunt scheduled for mid-late September...just like I have the past six years. Might do black-tails on south end of Kodiak in late November...hunted that island many times for black-tail and mountain goats.

I've always been active my entire life (wrestled in school, former Marine, outdoor guy, etc.), and I'm extremely fortunate that my genetic/metabolic composition is such that I've never had a weight challenge. I can eat like a horse at times and I like beer (quality, not quantity), but I don't really gain weight...drives my wife nuts! I've pretty much weighed the same for the past 30 years...5'10", 185lbs. I do workout at the gym doing strength training with weights 2-3 times a week (not right now hunkered down!), and I do try to be mindful of daily protein intake to counter against muscle loss with age.

I guess I'd close by saying...get in shape and stay in shape, which is definitely much harder for some than others for many reasons that are and are not in one's control...so be sure to manage what you can control. BTW, I've never smoked my entire life.