It Sucks Getting Old

[Brad]

1 hour ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

I used to get a back issue every time I shoveled snow. During one of my chiropractor visits to treat the problem, he recommended a back brace/belt - which he just happened to sell. I tried it and it does minimize the issue quite a bit. The other way to minimize back issues while shoveling is to avoid twisting. Pushing straight ahead is best.

This is the type of back brace I've used for over a decade: https://www.coreproducts.com/products/corfit-back-support-belt

 

Make sure to get one with the stiff support ribs in the back.

BTW - regarding chiropractors - I have recommended my chiropractor to a lot of friends and coworkers. Two coworkers with serious back and hip issues were very skeptical. I told them to just try him for 3 visits. Both of them finally took my advice and gave him a try. After those 3 sessions, they were both back to normal. They thanked me over and over again for the recommendation and I'm sure they are still patients of Dr. Stephen Shields at Hampstead Chiropractic in NH.

The important thing about Dr Shields is that he takes X-rays before doing anything, which is important. If your back issues are disc-related, like a herniated disc, and someone starts adjusting your spine, they could do some serious damage. I knew a guy who almost got crippled from that.

Thanks for the suggestion. Normally, I never shovel but because we were supposed to get 20 inches or so and I was concerned tge snow guy woukd need a backhoe, I did some shoveling while the snow was falling. Felt fine until a day later. 

[BFrank]

5 hours ago, Brad said:

Have never felt old in my head. Unfortunately, my back ain’t cooperating right now so until I get moving in the morning, that drags me down. 

Also been dealing with back problems for years. Had surgery for a herniated disk in 2000. I have things relatively under control now. Tylenol helps, and Gabapentin for some related neurological symptoms.

My father always complained about having a "bad back", but I never knew exactly what he meant by that.

Edited Saturday at 06:36 PM by BFrank

[Gheorghe]

I´ll  be 67 in december but feel younger than I felt with 47, more feel like 37. 

Had many mental issues, but they did not affect my rejuvenating. 

Had to change EVERYTHING I ever did, EVERYTHING. Got rid of my image coudn´t stand it any more. 

Started to eat only vegan food some years ago. 

Anyway, alcohol is something I never even taste, I can´t even smell it ! 

Threw away all my wardrobe, it looked to "straight". 

I was never fat, but now I am slim like a nail, have long curly hair, had some little estetical chirurgical intervention to make my face more beautiful. 

Wear only black stuff, usually goth, dark punk style and love young people. 

Years ago, when I rode the subway, sometimes, polite younger persons let me sit down and I happily accepted. 

Now, nobody would offer me a seat, and if I seat it can happen that people who sure are years younger than me might snarl at me to stand up. I love that. 

Nobody says "Sir" to me, nobody uses anymore the romanian politeness form of "you" (nobody says "dumneavoastră” all say „tu” what you say to youngsters. 

Life became really exiting, I do a lotta partying (can stand up all night while youngsters, maybe because they drink some beer fall asleep), and my blood parametre is of a guy of 30 years. Not bad. 

Life is beautiful, gals  that could be my grandchillun ask me where I buy my outfit, you easily get in conversation. 

I am a bit crazy, dont pretend I wouldn´t be, but it feels better than too normal. 

And the °fruits° of my complet changing (I even changed my name completly, only keep the old name as artists name), soon happened: 

Last year in June playing a gig I met the most beautiful girl I ever saw in my whole life. Since then, we together. I don´t need my old life back.....

[clifford_thornton]

Don't know about old, but 49 here and things aren't what they used to be. 

I got seriously back into exercising during the pandemic, first running and then cycling (my obsessive passion as a teen and twentysomething -- was a racer then). Initially it was to lose some weight I'd gained moving to NY and eating/drinking too many meals out.  Now it's kind of its own other thing. Soreness feels different now and recovery has taken more primacy.

Needless to say I go to the gym and lift weights, where a lot of teens and twentysomethings work out. They're often calling me "sir" and holding the door -- guess I look old to them!

On 4/8/2026 at 9:41 PM, Rooster_Ties said:

Fortunately my wife and I have been “old fogies, in-training” for about the last 25+ years (something we’ve literally been saying almost that long).

fogies-in-training, love it! 😂

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I started working out regularly when I retired. I hate running, especially in the winter, as it just wrecks my knees and feet, so after trying a few out, I bought a Matrix A30 elliptical machine. I love it. I get on it 45-60 minutes a day. No knee or foot pain, which is great. If you want a low-impact workout, I'd recommend an elliptical.

[mikeweil]

I have a vibration pad to stand on which trains leg muscles without stressing joints in the knees or hip or back. It is reported to have the same effect as jogging on muscle training.

No idea which brands may be available in the US.

[Eric]

14 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

I started working out regularly when I retired. I hate running, especially in the winter, as it just wrecks my knees and feet, so after trying a few out, I bought a Matrix A30 elliptical machine. I love it. I get on it 45-60 minutes a day. No knee or foot pain, which is great. If you want a low-impact workout, I'd recommend an elliptical.

I do a stair climber at the gym every day and there is a row of these in front of me.  As things continue to deteriorate, the elliptical is next!

[Rooster_Ties]

I walk about 5 miles a day, sometimes 6-7. Every day. Every single day.

10,000 steps a day keeps the cardiologist away!! (And that’s about 4.5 miles).

As of today, I’m now up to 285 days in a row — NO SKIPS — of 10k steps-per-day minimum.

Aiming for 365-in-a-row, if I can manage it.

And honestly, I really need to up my daily goal to 12k/day (and try and hit THAT every single day, no skips).

All that said, I haven’t done any strength training or even light weights in several years (not since the Covid shut down) — but I really probably should.

I’m just a hair less than 220 lbs (way down from my worst weight years ago of 254) — but my BMI is 33.5, and I really need to loose 20 more lbs.

I’m making progress, but NOT trying to loose it all in 6 months.

[BFrank]

53 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I walk about 5 miles a day, sometimes 6-7. Every day. Every single day.

10,000 steps a day keeps the cardiologist away!! (And that’s about 4.5 miles).

As of today, I’m now up to 285 days in a row — NO SKIPS — of 10k steps-per-day minimum.

Aiming for 365-in-a-row, if I can manage it.

And honestly, I really need to up my daily goal to 12k/day (and try and hit THAT every single day, no skips).

All that said, I haven’t done any strength training or even light weights in several years (not since the Covid shut down) — but I really probably should.

I’m just a hair less than 220 lbs (way down from my worst weight years ago of 254) — but my BMI is 33.5, and I really need to loose 20 more lbs.

I’m making progress, but NOT trying to loose it all in 6 months.

THAT'S impressive! Especially the 285 days in a row!

[mikeweil]

6 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

As of today, I’m now up to 285 days in a row — NO SKIPS — .....

I admire your discipline!

[Gheorghe]

Well, most associate good form with physical exercises or sports.

I must admit I never did any of that, and never had any interest in any forms of sport.

I´m slim like a nail, but feel strong and being in love with a very young girl, who also says the love is here to stay, I feel more importance in good sexual performance and hip threads and shades than in any other physical effort besides playing the piano 😄

Even when I was a kid or a teenie my only non musical interest was gals, and I never felt well in surroundings of men only. Stuff like football or any other kind of that would have been horror for me, wash- and showerrooms with other guys in it, oh no, smellin other men´s sweat, absolutly horror vision....

Music talk with fella musicians yeah, anytime, but I can´t say nothin about sports, about cars (I drive but am not interested in the car itself).

When folks scream over some worldcup or championship or somethin, it leaves me absolutly cold. Don´t even know what happens around in non musical and non fashion-beauty settings....😄

But in my generation of the freaks of the 70´s in the intellectual but weard and neurotic settings of Big Cities and there nightlife, such attitudines like mine where not completly unusual. We were the untypical kids, who might not go to sports after school or on weekend. like maybe others more in the usual way brought up kids. 

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

9 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said:

I walk about 5 miles a day, sometimes 6-7. Every day. Every single day.

10,000 steps a day keeps the cardiologist away!! (And that’s about 4.5 miles).

As of today, I’m now up to 285 days in a row — NO SKIPS — of 10k steps-per-day minimum.

Aiming for 365-in-a-row, if I can manage it.

And honestly, I really need to up my daily goal to 12k/day (and try and hit THAT every single day, no skips).

All that said, I haven’t done any strength training or even light weights in several years (not since the Covid shut down) — but I really probably should.

I’m just a hair less than 220 lbs (way down from my worst weight years ago of 254) — but my BMI is 33.5, and I really need to loose 20 more lbs.

I’m making progress, but NOT trying to loose it all in 6 months.

 

I am in pretty good shape. Exercise alone will not keep the cardiologist away.  It will help, but it is not the only thing you have to worry about

If you want to check your cardiac health, ask your PCP to have your cardiac calcium score measured. Even if your health insurance won't cover it, it is not very expensive. I think it's around $140. It's a CT of your heart. A score of zero means you have no blockages in your heart. My score was far from 0.

I'd recommend any guy over the age of 55 reading this to get this done, if only to establish a baseline. It's a cheap and easy thing to do but it can identify a serious problem.

Another it sucks getting old story...

We have a bird trying to build a nest above our back awning. We bought some plastic spike strips to mount up there. I get out the ladder and attach the spike strips. Now, I don't use a ladder much, so it involved muscles that I don't use often. The next day (yesterday), my stomach feels like someone kicked me.