Continued Health and Physical Prowess

"Continued Health and Physical Prowess"

This thread is where we all can share our personal tricks/ways we each maintain our vitality for continued boating, RVing and other life-pleasure enjoyments.

Potential here is for we active persons to each give-out/lay-out what we have learned and used to enable our bodies and minds the continuation of pleasure pursuits. Seems to me... a lot of you have a many items I'd like to learn and I hope I have some you may like to learn.

I'll start with a bit about me:

For continued physical good condition: Full range weightlifting has always been my "sport" of choice. At 68 yrs. I work out in my own gym [room next to my office]. Set up that well equipped room 15 yrs. ago. Before that it was workouts at "World Gym". My workouts are well programed and last from 1 to 2 hrs. each. My muscular condition is now similar to when I was in my late 30's. Additionally, I have some "tricks" I do with diet and other items that affect physical conditioning/maintenance. Depending on how this thread evolves I'll place my tricks in a post or two.

For continued mental acuity: Reading, writing, deep conversations, calculating and inventing are my manners of choice to keep my brain alive and active.

General tricks for best way to stay alive:
1. Think positively
2. Laugh a lot
3. Love a lot
4. Give a lot
5. Assist a lot
6. Smile alot
7. Don't lie
And, what I feel is very important # "8" - Don't take any bulllshttt
from anyone!

Looking forward to hear your input!

In two months I'll be 85. For me, staying active is what works. I still do all my own work on the boat and compete every month in Predicted Log contests. At home, I do the cooking and baking. Strength and endurance not what they used to be, but I'm still getting it done.

Art, please post the diet. I too have had a life long excercise work out routine and have added weights to the excercise routine. Next year I will be 85, the saying “ use it or lose it “ is so true. Earlier this year I was down hard with upper respiratory infection, I was amazed once I started back with my excercise routine how much strength I lost. One good thing about the covid hunkering down is no excuse for not doing excercises and walking. Dieting has also been a life long habit, I do plant based with lots of sea food and very little red meat but weight gain up and down still a battle.

Posted to another thread:

More on getting old...I used to run barefoot and did a bit of reading on our genetic ancestry.

I found it interesting how our ability to run long distances, combined with our being able to sweat and to breath independent of gait cycle, were our winning tickets in the genetic evolutionary lottery. We practiced persistence hunting.

We could keep a Kudu on the move all day in the African heat, to the point such that, the Kudu was effectively dead on its feet from heat exhaustion and you could walk up to it and push a spear into its heart. Saw that in a documentary...the runner in the hunting group was played out as well, but had the edge over the Kudu.

Another bit I remember is a study of lifelong marathon runners, where they took the times of the runners when they were 18, and compared that with their times throughout the rest of their lives. Do you know what age they slowed down enough to match their 18 year old times? They were, on average, 60 years old!

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So, genetics are on our side, depending of course if we had the wisdom to pick our parents well.

Most endurance athletes do their best in middle age, as compared to strength or speed athletes. (You don't see 20 something year olds winning 100 mile mountain run races). This makes sense because, waaaaay back, if you didn't keep up with the group you were lion, leopard, or hyena food.

My job kept me reasonably fit, walking outdoors for an average of 25,000 steps per day. I retired recently and started to jog again because my belly began bouncing independently of my body mass...a sure sign to get moving!

Also, the more fit I am, the easier it is to haul my camera gear through temperate rainforests or into the mountains.

Near or distant goals/dreams are my main motivators.

...and...women are gnarly in endurance runs.

35 year old Jasmin Paris obliterated the mens and women's records in Britains 268 mile winter Montane Spine Race winning in a bit over 83 hours...while expressing milk at rest stations because she was still breastfeeding her 14 month old baby.

https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/jasmin-paris-first-to-woman-to-win-uks-montane-spine-race/

"genetics then appears to play a progressively important role in keeping individuals healthy as they age into their eighties and beyond."


https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/longevity/

MurrayM said:

...and...women are gnarly in endurance runs.

35 year old Jasmin Paris obliterated the mens and women's records in Britains 268 mile winter Montane Spine Race winning in a bit over 83 hours...while expressing milk at rest stations because she was still breastfeeding her 14 month old baby.

https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/jasmin-paris-first-to-woman-to-win-uks-montane-spine-race/

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My kinda gal!! Similar to my wife; but not due to endurance runs - rather to endurance of me! - LOL

Art said:

My kinda gal!! Similar to my wife; but not due to endurance runs - rather to endurance of me! - LOL

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I hear ya. My wife calls me her long term high risk investment...35 years and still waiting

HiDHo said:

Art, please post the diet. I too have had a life long excercise work out routine and have added weights to the excercise routine. Next year I will be 85, the saying “ use it or lose it “ is so true. Earlier this year I was down hard with upper respiratory infection, I was amazed once I started back with my excercise routine how much strength I lost. One good thing about the covid hunkering down is no excuse for not doing excercises and walking. Dieting has also been a life long habit, I do plant based with lots of sea food and very little red meat but weight gain up and down still a battle.

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Yo, HiD - My recommendations...

Note: I am surely not a medical doctor nor licensed nutritionist. Having been a sports minded active body builder my entire life [began weightlifting in 5th grade; boxing, wrestling, football, shot put soon followed] this is simply the way I do it. These are suggestions only!! Your results could drastically vary.

1. Hydrate [with just pure water 95% of the time] and do it often all waking hours
2. Black coffee every morning - 2 mugs. Ocassionally coffee in mid day.
3. No smoking of anything - at all
4. No alcohol - at all
5. Very well balanced diet. Eat only as much as it takes to keep yourself in what you feel is your best weight range... +/- 3 to 5 percent of best weight
6. Eat much wheat bread
7. Eat plenty peanut butter
8. Eat 1 to 2 bananas in morning each day - potassium is great for my joints
9. Limit sweets; enjoy dark chocolate in moderation
10. Chew well between each bite and keep your self regulated

For concerted physical exercise [e.g. my intense weight lifting, bodybuilding hours]:

Although I'm not recommending this for others; one hour before my exercise begins... I eat one slice wheat bread lathered with peanut butter and wash it down with 8 oz water having 3/4 teaspoon Citrulline Malate amino acid powder stirred in. - Be very careful of using the Citrulline Malate - read up on it carefully. For extremely heavy work outs it does me well - in my opinion!

Mostly - Enjoy life and staying as healthy as may be fairly easily possible!

Had an interesting conversation with a friend a while ago, about genetic differences in people.

She can open a beer, take a sip, then pour it out hours later. I could never do that, because one equaled many, and had to quit drinking 10 years ago because it was an ugly, slow motion way to die.

She's overweight and was surprised to hear me say that there's a 'trigger' in my brain which fires off when I've had enough to eat, which she doesn't have.

You are dealt your cards at birth, then it's up to you how you play them.

MurrayM said:

Had an interesting conversation with a friend a while ago, about genetic differences in people.

She can open a beer, take a sip, then pour it out hours later. I could never do that, because one equaled many, and had to quit drinking 10 years ago because it was an ugly, slow motion way to die.

She's overweight and was surprised to hear me say that there's a 'trigger' in my brain which fires off when I've had enough to eat, which she doesn't have.

You are dealt your cards at birth, then it's up to you how you play them.

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Agreed - on both counts mentioned. Regarding 1st count - Nov 25 2020 was my 25th B-Day! Would not have believed the possibility of that success-date... during 1994, or before! - LOL, sort of!!

I was doing pretty well with some modest weight training and tending to the chores on our 5 acres. At least kept me active and all the parts moving . Almost 5 months ago I had a 3 level fusion and it has absolutely kicked my ass. I have trouble walking more than a quarter mile (trouble means can't do without sitting to get the weight off my back for a bit). I'm back to finally doing some even more modest weight work. About the only cardio I get is some time on the eliptical trainer. I had no idea this was coming, so I guess its a case of the best laid plans, or maybe just bad luck.

ctjstr said:

I was doing pretty well with some modest weight training and tending to the chores on our 5 acres. At least kept me active and all the parts moving . Almost 5 months ago I had a 3 level fusion and it has absolutely kicked my ass. I have trouble walking more than a quarter mile (trouble means can't do without sitting to get the weight off my back for a bit). I'm back to finally doing some even more modest weight work. About the only cardio I get is some time on the eliptical trainer. I had no idea this was coming, so I guess its a case of the best laid plans, or maybe just bad luck.

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Yikes.

I got hit in the lower back in a logging accident in my mid twenties (flown off the mountain by helicopter, about as close to being paralyzed as I ever want to get) so have a glimmer of what you're going through. Back pain sucks, as it's central to everything we do.

Wishing you steady improvements!

There be things lurking out there for all of us...

TOHO! (Today Only Happens Once)

Swimming laps.

My retirement gig is as a training officer for police cadets among other duties. Gone are the days where we just run, run, run fitness into everyone. Doing calisthenic exercises requiring no equipment in a circuit routine to get your heart rate up, and having at least one targets the abs, and another which targets your balance, is as good as anything and better than much and we put them through this at least twice per week, though admittedly at a higher intensity than I would train a layperson. The military figured this out years ago. I’m a runner by experience and by preference, but I throw this in a couple times a week myself.

For voyaging or live aboard, all you need for this is a four by six foot space of deck or parlor floor and some athletic shoes - or bare feet.

But the best exercise is one you will stick with, doing 15-30 minutes a day four or five times a week will put you in the top 10% of North Americans I’d wager.

We live in an area where I can safely ride a bike, and I put in about 15 miles on nice days, or walk in bad weather. Lots of water. No booze but a beer now and then, and red wine is a staple. Even a cigar occasionally. I quit downhill skiing at 70, not wanting a debilitating injury to wreck other aspects of my life, including the boat. As James Brown aptly said.....'I feel good!'

Interesting diet Art, except I’m not much of a peanut butter fan. I prefer smoked almonds and red skin peanuts. I do a lot of fresh fruit, apples, grapes, plums. I do moderate alcohol, occasional Guinness or a JW Black neat.
Wife got me this long sleeve tee. I guess it’s true, we are definitely beating the age statistics.

I'm thinking retiring at 55 has something to do with my longevity. I have 29 years of retirement under my belt.

ancora said:

I'm thinking retiring at 55 has something to do with my longevity. I have 29 years of retirement under my belt.

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Congrats!

I've always been self employed; usually having more than one self initiated business interest ongoing. Never plan to "fully" retire... I love to create!

I suggest going easy on heavy weight-lifting or other exercise that is impactful to your joints, you'll regret it later. I know this is an extreme example, but watch "The King" documentary about Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Very sad and humbling. I pushed myself very hard physically when younger and now have a worn out (recently replaced) hip and 2 bad shoulders (one worse than the other, and a somewhat painful knee. Seems like if I spent less time pushing myself every day, that I would be in better shape today. Kind of ironic and the opposite of what I thought I was achieving. I don't regret it, but it does take a toll. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is not the whole story.

Some notes on how I remade my own health.

My personal guru is Ivor Cummins on YouTube, an Irish biochemical engineer. He is leading the medical underground examining the science behind nutrition(and Covid).

Some things I have learned - at last - at age 76:
- the human body is not adapted to carbs, never will be, we are lipivores who got our big brains hunting fatty animals and fish. Watch this honest scientist Eades explain it for you
- accordingly, I ate low carb in 2020 and lost 30 lbs in four months, kept it off. Never going back. Realized I could have weighed 175 instead of 205 @5'10" for the past 40 years...
- saw my jaw line and the face of my youth for the first time after those lost decades. Truth is, exercise is of little value in weight loss. What happened to me is, I fell back to my genetic weight when I dumped sugar, refined grains, baked goods, potatoes, beer. Toughing it out on fine meats, great seafood, and beautiful, complex salads.
- my daily regime is 1 whiskey/diet cola, then two glasses of wine over dinner (and its preparation with my wife - recommended). I vape pot during 'happy hour' as I have since pioneering it at McGill in 1962. Fumigate your lungs and sterilize your blood, I say.
- I learned that the human body ran on diesel (ketones) until the last century and now we ask it to run on sugar, running glucose through our pancreas, like a gas carburetor on a Cummins. The body develops insulin resistance, dumps excess glucose anywhere (inflammation) and in the brain develops dementia from unburned glucose (amyloid plaque).

What is critical:
- the pandemic is not from Covid, it's diabetes, which is high insulin. They die. You are very likely a T2 diabetes case if heavy, unless you test otherwise. Most illnesses are downstream effects of having high blood sugar, and/or 'vegetable oils'. See Dr. Knobbe for a real eye opener.
- Heart disease and cancer are undiagnosed chronic diabetes (Dr. Kraft).
- the IFR (infection fatality rate) for Covid is 0.14%, same as any seasonal flu. Early on they guessed it might be 7%, and went to lockdowns. No excuse for such measures after May/20.
- test your insulin (cholesterol/statins is criminal) and keep it low. Dying of T2 diabetes or worse is very ugly for your looks, slow fate and estate.
- the American/Canadian medical industry is completely corrupted by Big Pharma. Watch this Toronto doctor Jason Fung lecture other doctors. Dr. Fung is too big to take down, by the medical kleptos.

My take away:
- I got my looks and athleticism back, eat and drink as much as I want, better sex life. Never hungry or craving 'snacks'. Taking my chance to rebuild my body while I can.
- my skin and hair got visibly younger, all my biomarkers are optimal. Got rid of statins before complete poisoning, by those and the cheap 'vegetable' oils in factory foods.
- Youtube is rescuing medical knowledge after the AMA abandoned ship 50 years ago (Ansel Keys).

I can watch two doctors discuss any and all aspects of nutrition and health, and am a pretty decent judge of character, was science-trained. I've got a 33' Permaglass trawler and I'm Jones'in for a 34 Swift. Keeps the dream alive, and I have no doubt I can handle it for another 10 years.

Dwight

backinblue said:

I suggest going easy on heavy weight-lifting...

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Seems to work for some people

MurrayM said:

Seems to work for some people

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Missing the point

Flexibility

For me alternating days of walking and yoga seem to keep my cardio in decent shape, good core strength and stretch out the kinks. I took up yoga when i retired because i felt stiff as a board, but a decade of it has seen tremendous improvement as well as being fun.

Just throwing this out. My mom lived to 99 1/2. Ate whatever she wanted but had an exercise program that worked for her. Everyday (almost) she would walk from the house to the car on the driveway. She suffered from hearing loss and low vision in her late 90s. Never any meds at all. Sharp as a tack to the end. As the doctor said “her body just wore out.”

My go to excersises with limited space.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/better/amp/ncna965461

Art,
Nix the wheat bread.
You wand bread forget it.
Eat eggs. Eat grain.
You want a smoothie forget it.
Eat berries. Drink milk.
You want meat? Eat fish. Eat fish. Eat fish.
Get more protein from many sources like whey. Look it up.

#1 job is to avoid sugar. You don’t need the manufactured kind. Any of it.

Exercise is good .. very good.
Don’t need much. 30min. a day breathing fairly hard.

Re weight loss 85% of the game is what you eat.

I’m 6’4”, 205 lbs and 64yo. I was a distance runner in my 20’s & 30’s and that + good genetics have made health maintenance much easier over the years. For the past 3 or 4 years, my morning smoothie:
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
Squirt of lime juice
Protein & collagen powder
Ice & water

After that of course, COFFEE!

Tak

Takoradi said:

I’m 6’4”, 205 lbs and 64yo. I was a distance runner in my 20’s & 30’s and that + good genetics have made health maintenance much easier over the years. For the past 3 or 4 years, my morning smoothie:
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
Squirt of lime juice
Protein & collagen powder
Ice & water

After that of course, COFFEE!

Tak

Click to expand...

Almost.
1 cup blue or black berries
Small hand full of walnuts and almonds
1 LG this of linseed meal
LG scoop of a good vege based protein powder
1 tsp Vital Greens
Enough latose free milk to make a smoothy.
Keeps me going from morning until mid afternoon then I snack on a muesli bar until dinner which is usually around 5 pm. Oh and coffee first thing outa bed then smoothy when I'm awake

bloody spell check ��
1 lg tblsp of linseed meal