Discussion
Random question. In my 20s and 30s I was mostly pretty fit and strong. Turned 40 last year and last few years I havent been looking after myself, bad diet, little exercise, drinking way too much, got fat.
I'm sorting myself out and getting back into things but I suddenly feel old. Stuff doesnt feel right and aches and injuries are frequent. In the past I rarely got injured. My heel hurts (think plantar fasciitis), I had a shoulder "injury" (I used quotes because I never injured it, it just started hurting) that took months of physio and a steroid injection to fix, DOMS from lifting weights lasts days (I have been doing 5x5 again and started with empty bar and built up slowly), woke up this morning and one of my fingers randomly hurts.
I'm losing weight carefully and not pushing myself into massive amount of exercise. Mostly 3 strength sessions a week and aiming for 12k steps daily.
So my question, besides, sleep, good diet, and exercise. What else can I Do to fend off falling apart? Supplements etc? I keep seeing adverts for Turmeric, any proven benefit in that? What else good for joints? Note Im not interested in appearance, wrinkles grey etc, just how to keep my body working well
I'm sorting myself out and getting back into things but I suddenly feel old. Stuff doesnt feel right and aches and injuries are frequent. In the past I rarely got injured. My heel hurts (think plantar fasciitis), I had a shoulder "injury" (I used quotes because I never injured it, it just started hurting) that took months of physio and a steroid injection to fix, DOMS from lifting weights lasts days (I have been doing 5x5 again and started with empty bar and built up slowly), woke up this morning and one of my fingers randomly hurts.
I'm losing weight carefully and not pushing myself into massive amount of exercise. Mostly 3 strength sessions a week and aiming for 12k steps daily.
So my question, besides, sleep, good diet, and exercise. What else can I Do to fend off falling apart? Supplements etc? I keep seeing adverts for Turmeric, any proven benefit in that? What else good for joints? Note Im not interested in appearance, wrinkles grey etc, just how to keep my body working well
Keep on with the weight loss through diet IMO. Dramatically reduce carbs Mon-Fri, see if you can avoid treating yourself at weekends. If you can avoid carbs two weekends on the trot as well as reducing them through the week, you'll see a clear reduction in your waistline.
This leads to less impact on joints and heart because you've got less weight to move around. As mentioned - fish oil: I buy bottles of cod liver oil liquid and take a gulp of that once/twice a day with a meal. Apparently there's a compound in it which binds to cholesterol in the blood and helps your body eliminate it. I think this is an essential addition to the diet of older people.
As far as aches and pains, I think these will reduce as your body adapts to a better regime overall.
This leads to less impact on joints and heart because you've got less weight to move around. As mentioned - fish oil: I buy bottles of cod liver oil liquid and take a gulp of that once/twice a day with a meal. Apparently there's a compound in it which binds to cholesterol in the blood and helps your body eliminate it. I think this is an essential addition to the diet of older people.
As far as aches and pains, I think these will reduce as your body adapts to a better regime overall.
Edited by ReverendCounter on Tuesday 3rd May 16:46
Intermittent fasting seems to have a big impact. Lots of research on it.
Seems that 3 meals a day and constant snacking isnt that good for us, the body doesn't get chance to repair itself. I fast 18 hours a day and only eat during a 6hr window. Its pretty easy to be honest and I feel much better.
Seems that 3 meals a day and constant snacking isnt that good for us, the body doesn't get chance to repair itself. I fast 18 hours a day and only eat during a 6hr window. Its pretty easy to be honest and I feel much better.
Warming up before exercise helps. (Not stretching!) Move the body in different ways, make sure all the joints have moved.
As for lifting, I found that when I was doing heavy weights, I got injured more regularly. Nowadays I do 3x10 rather than 3x6. It's about functional fitness for me, being able to move how I want on a tennis court, for instance. I play with a variety of adults so get to see the differences between people who do regular (cardio) exercise but no weights and people who only play once a week (and still no weights). It's not great. I'm still moving like people in their twenties eg sprinting, jumping, twisting, lungeing, quick changes in direction.
I still get injuries but not as often. FWIW my 1RM deadlift in the last 5 years has been just over 2x BW but I generally DL just over my bodyweight. (Frankly, because I can't be arsed to load over 100kg on a bar every time I lift. It's just not interesting any more.)
As for lifting, I found that when I was doing heavy weights, I got injured more regularly. Nowadays I do 3x10 rather than 3x6. It's about functional fitness for me, being able to move how I want on a tennis court, for instance. I play with a variety of adults so get to see the differences between people who do regular (cardio) exercise but no weights and people who only play once a week (and still no weights). It's not great. I'm still moving like people in their twenties eg sprinting, jumping, twisting, lungeing, quick changes in direction.
I still get injuries but not as often. FWIW my 1RM deadlift in the last 5 years has been just over 2x BW but I generally DL just over my bodyweight. (Frankly, because I can't be arsed to load over 100kg on a bar every time I lift. It's just not interesting any more.)
Edited by Hoofy on Thursday 5th May 21:19
sociopath said:
blindspot said:
The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.
This.I'm quite fit for a 60 Yr old, but everything aches, and despite being fitter than I was at 40, I'm slower at everything too
Weight training is vital going into older age, so many people die through falls carrying a decent amount of muscle can protect against this and also improves health span by a massive amount. Do your research on gut health, this has a huge bearing on longevity, 70% of the immune system is in the gut. I sea swim every day, cold water immersion is great for fighting inflammation and increasing mitochondrial levels and decreasing stress. As far as supps, I take a good quality omega 3, Turmeric, Magnesium and in the winter Vit D plus a probiotic.
Oh and take a look at walking through a forest too.
Oh and take a look at walking through a forest too.
Edited by mcelliott on Tuesday 3rd May 20:29
sociopath said:
This.
I'm quite fit for a 60 Yr old, but everything aches, and despite being fitter than I was at 40, I'm slower at everything too
Turned 69 last week, it ain't getting any easier...I'm quite fit for a 60 Yr old, but everything aches, and despite being fitter than I was at 40, I'm slower at everything too
Rode 12 miles yesterday and jogged 6.7 miles this morning, I've entered a couple of 10K races later in the year and the GNR in September..
After Christmas I started to watch what I ate, dropped 3kg but static for the last two months.
Scabutz said:
Random question. In my 20s and 30s I was mostly pretty fit and strong. Turned 40 last year and last few years I havent been looking after myself, bad diet, little exercise, drinking way too much, got fat.
I'm sorting myself out and getting back into things but I suddenly feel old. Stuff doesnt feel right and aches and injuries are frequent. In the past I rarely got injured. My heel hurts (think plantar fasciitis), I had a shoulder "injury" (I used quotes because I never injured it, it just started hurting) that took months of physio and a steroid injection to fix, DOMS from lifting weights lasts days (I have been doing 5x5 again and started with empty bar and built up slowly), woke up this morning and one of my fingers randomly hurts.
I'm losing weight carefully and not pushing myself into massive amount of exercise. Mostly 3 strength sessions a week and aiming for 12k steps daily.
So my question, besides, sleep, good diet, and exercise. What else can I Do to fend off falling apart? Supplements etc? I keep seeing adverts for Turmeric, any proven benefit in that? What else good for joints? Note Im not interested in appearance, wrinkles grey etc, just how to keep my body working well
Imo it's the lack of exercise/movement that causes the joint aches and stiffness. I've a good few years on you but been in the same position, including bad diet and weight gain. Basically been sat on my ass in front of a computer for the best part of 2 years and I feel like I've aged about 20 years ! Not using your muscles means they get weak, then everything becomes a struggle and you're out of breath just doing simple tasks.I'm sorting myself out and getting back into things but I suddenly feel old. Stuff doesnt feel right and aches and injuries are frequent. In the past I rarely got injured. My heel hurts (think plantar fasciitis), I had a shoulder "injury" (I used quotes because I never injured it, it just started hurting) that took months of physio and a steroid injection to fix, DOMS from lifting weights lasts days (I have been doing 5x5 again and started with empty bar and built up slowly), woke up this morning and one of my fingers randomly hurts.
I'm losing weight carefully and not pushing myself into massive amount of exercise. Mostly 3 strength sessions a week and aiming for 12k steps daily.
So my question, besides, sleep, good diet, and exercise. What else can I Do to fend off falling apart? Supplements etc? I keep seeing adverts for Turmeric, any proven benefit in that? What else good for joints? Note Im not interested in appearance, wrinkles grey etc, just how to keep my body working well
I started a manual job 6 months ago which involves lugging pipes around (often still with liquid in, so quite heavy) and a lot of bending and crouching down at awkward angles to connect them up to tank outlets. It nearly killed me in the first weeks as my knees and legs were so weak, but now 6 months on my knees and legs are fairly strong and I can bounce up and down with ease and no joint aches/pains. The difference is like night and day.
Your 12k steps and some strength lifting will help a lot to loosen things up and improve your overall fitness, but a bad diet will work against you. I'm doing intermittent fasting now (several days at a time) coupled with a fish (tuna, sardines) and meat (all red and white) diet and various veggies for vit C and mixed beans for the high zinc content. Really enjoying it - feel good, lots of energy, clear head, but needs commitment to avoid falling off the rails back into old habits.
I don't think you'll ever be able to defy aging, but there's plenty you can do to keep everything functioning as best it can.
Scabutz said:
Random question. In my 20s and 30s I was mostly pretty fit and strong. Turned 40 last year and last few years I havent been looking after myself, bad diet, little exercise, drinking way too much, got fat.
I'm sorting myself out and getting back into things but I suddenly feel old. Stuff doesnt feel right and aches and injuries are frequent. In the past I rarely got injured. My heel hurts (think plantar fasciitis), I had a shoulder "injury" (I used quotes because I never injured it, it just started hurting) that took months of physio and a steroid injection to fix, DOMS from lifting weights lasts days (I have been doing 5x5 again and started with empty bar and built up slowly), woke up this morning and one of my fingers randomly hurts.
I'm losing weight carefully and not pushing myself into massive amount of exercise. Mostly 3 strength sessions a week and aiming for 12k steps daily.
So my question, besides, sleep, good diet, and exercise. What else can I Do to fend off falling apart? Supplements etc? I keep seeing adverts for Turmeric, any proven benefit in that? What else good for joints? Note Im not interested in appearance, wrinkles grey etc, just how to keep my body working well
Loosing some weight is going to be really beneficial to your overall health. Despite what others may say that's down to maintaining a calorie deficit.I'm sorting myself out and getting back into things but I suddenly feel old. Stuff doesnt feel right and aches and injuries are frequent. In the past I rarely got injured. My heel hurts (think plantar fasciitis), I had a shoulder "injury" (I used quotes because I never injured it, it just started hurting) that took months of physio and a steroid injection to fix, DOMS from lifting weights lasts days (I have been doing 5x5 again and started with empty bar and built up slowly), woke up this morning and one of my fingers randomly hurts.
I'm losing weight carefully and not pushing myself into massive amount of exercise. Mostly 3 strength sessions a week and aiming for 12k steps daily.
So my question, besides, sleep, good diet, and exercise. What else can I Do to fend off falling apart? Supplements etc? I keep seeing adverts for Turmeric, any proven benefit in that? What else good for joints? Note Im not interested in appearance, wrinkles grey etc, just how to keep my body working well
I don't think any supplements in isolation are going to do much for you vs a decent diet and exercise. As some else mentioned some form of resistance training is beneficial to maintain bone density and muscle as you age.
I think if you stay the course on your current regime you'll see real benefits. If you've a few 'niggles' ot could be worth looking at some massage therapy. I see a sports massage therapist once a fortnight, and a foam roller will also help.
I'm a similar age and finding recently I've a few bio mechanical type issues I'm trying to get sorted.
All in all you've only one body so look after it as best you can.
CzechItOut said:
Do you do stretching/mobility exercises on your non-strength training days? I found that in the short term it really help with DOMS/general stiffness and in the medium term improved my ability to lift without injury.
This exactly. I've trained at tai chi for over 20 years and every lesson is an investment that keeps piling up, a page at a time. I'm 63 and nothing aches. Yoga would also be a good activity imo.40 this year, the weightloss thread on there really has helped to motivate me to get healthier. Currently feel the best about my health/body since I did LEJOG some ten years ago.
Fitness does take longer to improve, muscle do ache more, but luckily I certainly don't feel 'old' even though physiology says everything has been doing down hill for 10 years.
In my work life I recently did a letter to the DVLA to help a 85(so 45 years older than me) year old keep his track licence.
You cannot stop aging, we all eventually end up dead, but living well for longer is more than possible these days. At 40, most of us have more life ahead left than what's gone before. So putting the effort in to keep your body health seems like a no-brainer.
Fitness does take longer to improve, muscle do ache more, but luckily I certainly don't feel 'old' even though physiology says everything has been doing down hill for 10 years.
In my work life I recently did a letter to the DVLA to help a 85(so 45 years older than me) year old keep his track licence.
You cannot stop aging, we all eventually end up dead, but living well for longer is more than possible these days. At 40, most of us have more life ahead left than what's gone before. So putting the effort in to keep your body health seems like a no-brainer.
You mention you suffer from plantar fascia. It is surprising how many do. It is very painful and very hard to eradicate. Many people literally suffer with this for decades.
I suffered from this for years and it is basically due to tightening of the hamstrings and calf muscles together with wearing inappropriate footwear with inadequate arch support. Mine started after walking a distance some years back in inapporopriate footwear with little arch support.
I have now largely eradicated the problem due to regular stretching of calf and hamstrings together with regularly keeping the big toes stretched at 90 degrees against a door for example.
I make a point of always wearing the right footwear now it is surpising how many even quality and expensive shoes e.g. mocassins etc have flat inner soles with no arch support and will instantly cause problems for your feet by damaging the p f muscle.
I suffered from this for years and it is basically due to tightening of the hamstrings and calf muscles together with wearing inappropriate footwear with inadequate arch support. Mine started after walking a distance some years back in inapporopriate footwear with little arch support.
I have now largely eradicated the problem due to regular stretching of calf and hamstrings together with regularly keeping the big toes stretched at 90 degrees against a door for example.
I make a point of always wearing the right footwear now it is surpising how many even quality and expensive shoes e.g. mocassins etc have flat inner soles with no arch support and will instantly cause problems for your feet by damaging the p f muscle.
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