10 hours ago, king fisher said:

I have read all the posts about what people do to try and stay young, and I do believe what works for one person does not work for another.  I encourage others to remember that when giving advice on health issues.  You may be fit and strong because of your lifestyle, but that does not mean it will work for others. 

 

I love your entire post, King, but especially the above paragraph. I think giving fitness advice is a lot like giving bass advice. Telling others how you catch bass in your local water might not work best for them. Same with exercise. Pumping iron might not be the ticket if your joints are damaged.

 

Like King when he lived in Alaska, my exercise program is my life. Walking through the woods in the dark, lugging my gear, requires balance and strength. Then I have to negotiate the steep slope where the swamp begins and walk my narrow, slippery boardwalk, again in the dark and lugging my gear. Then I have to climb down into my canoe (not easy) and pole my boat backwards out of the swamp. Then there's miles of paddling and hundreds of casts. Climbing up and out of my canoe is even harder. I screwed a couple handrails into my dock to help with that.

 

In the winter, I walk my dog twice a day, walking for at least three miles, and stretch. I also climb the staircases in my house two steps at a time and rise from chairs without using my hands. I also drop to the floor dozens of times each day to rise from it, which is something I see other old people rarely do. 

When I read the title of this post I just chuckled to myself, that's how I feel now and I'm only 58. I have done construction my whole life and played football through high School so I have abused the body quite a bit. But just like in construction there is no quitting, when you are tired you push through it and when you cant go anymore yo always end up finding that last reserve. I hope I can fish until I take my last breath but if not then its Gods will and we have no say in that.

With serious back pain, I'm starting to feel old and tired as it gets in the way of life a lot.

 

But that said, I switched from drinking coffee to tea, overall much less caffeine on a daily basis and I feel more energetic than I have in years.

I understand the importance of exercise.

Have been an avid mtnbiker for many years and do so weekly.

BUT MAN do I love sausage eggs and fried potatoes, pizza and cheese burgers.

Retired 6 years ago at 6' 180 lbs.

Today I'm 6' 180 lbs. 😁

 

I’ll be 72 in a few days.  I’ve beat up my body over my life time and was an aggressive weight lifter until I turned 63.  Resistance training has been crucial for me to maintain strength and fitness.  I emphasize more on legs and core strength now than over the past  60 years.  I’m a realist and know my injury history will dictate how I train and exercise.  There are so many pieces of equipment today that allow you to isolate muscle groups that training around risk to joints is a reality.  This helps my fishing and other daily activities.  But as Clint Eastwood said:  A man’s gotta know his limitations.

After carotid artery surgery and a quadruple bypass I’ve passed the 70 mark now and have the energy, will and passion to forge headlong into each and every season.
Excess's is a good thing, as long as you do it in moderation.

 

A remembrance of @Catt and the recent loss of @WRB-2.0 is a stark reminder of our mortality.