Comments on: Friday miscellany: Campfires on my mind

By: Sarah K

Sarah K — Sun, 11 Jun 2023 16:33:03 +0000

The exercise stuff is interesting! Here in Norway exercise is practically the state religion but most adults are overweight and we have tons of hip fractures etc on the winter ice. It is certainly well-documented that muscle mass and bone density decline with age, so any sort of attempt to fight this is probably beneficial.

By: Coree

Coree — Sat, 10 Jun 2023 15:47:38 +0000

In reply to Stephanie. Yeah, I live in the UK where most older people seem to walk to the shops, etc. And even the people in quite poor health (smokers, walking with a walker etc) seem to manage the .5-1 mile or so, even if it requires stops. But my late 60s neighbour is my inspiration. She cycles everywhere and volunteers at the community garden doing proper hard work.

By: Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns

Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 18:49:10 +0000

I had a knee jerk reaction to ‘run an 8min mile at 45’, too!! That isn’t motivating to me, that’s defeating as I would have to work really really hard to get my pace down to 8 min miles! My grandma turned 100 this spring and is in excellent health. That’s a sample size of 1 of course but we have quite a bit of longevity in my family and those who lives long, rich lives were active but by active I mean walking, gardening, etc. I might not be the target audience for his book, though!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 18:26:28 +0000

In reply to Ann.

Ann, you read my mind. This seems like a bit of a…stretch (no pun intended!).

My grandmother walked a mile each way to work for her entire career, then continued that after retirement. She was still walking two miles a day until her death in 2020. No decline in that regard whatsoever.

Of course a bit of a decline makes sense, but not by THAT much. Otherwise, most sedentary people would be bedridden or in wheelchairs by 80, and that just doesn’t add up.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 17:13:44 +0000

I dunno’…. as someone closer to 80 than to 45, and someone who has seen a lot of people, this just doesn’t seem to ring true: “that means if you want to be able to do things like carry groceries at age 80, you need to be able to carry incredibly heavy weights at age 45.” I don’t think anything about our bodies relates linearly like that. (Sorry — old math profs never stop doing math.)
I’ve also seen very very active people who later then are struggling with knee replacement surgeries and hip replacement surgeries. Hopefully your readers will have knowledgeable trainers who can advise a realistic and healthy exercise strategy.