General Chat

I know my mobility isn't good .I potter around at home and seem ok .
Have had several falls but excuse them as just one of those things in catching one foot in the other trouser leg !!

So I go to coffee morning every Tuesday and several of the ladies do keep fit after

I am a yesI do need to do more but seem to have excuses not to do!,

So today bit the bullet and went to keep fit

I am so unfit I had to sit out lots of times

But the lady who took the class said you did ok . Just keep at it

I do need too but am really ashamed/ upset that I have let myself get so unfit . I though I was coping

Shirley, if you've had a few falls discuss it with your GP. There may be a reason. <3

Buy an activity tracker - they are now inexpensive around £ 20 on eBay for a basic step counter around £ 40 with heart rythm monitoring - something which you sound like needing. Wear the tracker all the time, it will team up with an app on your iPhone or Android Phone. Do not get Jawbone they have gone bust.

By default they are set at 1000 steps/day which is far too high. Set it at 1000 steps to start with. ALL of your exercise will count inc moving around in the house. (Tip: always leave the remote by the TV every little helps ).

Each day you will see how you are doing with short walks adding to the readout. Human nature being what it is using a tracker works far better than good intentions. Once you can average 1 000 steps crank it up a bit. Once you can walk > 3 000 steps / day in one go you will be much fitter and find every aspect of your life more fun. You will over time be far less at risk of knee and hip problems.

The more popular brafds eg FitBit also have groups on FB. Nt all the groups are for young greek gods there are quite a few for oldies of varying fragility.

Once you have better basic movement consider the park runs. These are for runners of all ages and abilities and great for social life as well.

Once weekly keep fit classes won't hack it. Like apples exercise needs to be taken every day.

Another tip. As far as you can take the bus don't drive. Going by bus demands more walking around. Even better get on/off the bus one stop before the most convenient one.

I had to do all this after my leg was smashed up in a road accident. I started 30 kg over weight and not able to move more than 50m.

ps: get some proper shoes the sort of thing worn by most women over 65 is asking for trouble.

My close family are concerned I am on my own

They have said to consider a personal alarm system you wear around your neck,or on the arm

Sil,said they cost with monthly fee and only work in a short distance so as I do go out may not be the best for me

I have bought an apple I watch that has matched with my i phone so if I have problems when I am out I can call anyone on the phone saying help!!

I have my medical mot shortly . Just need to do the bloods, as it's a 12 hour fast it's been difficult to fit in as have had grandson with the learning difficulties for the end of term holidays as he can't stay on his own

But I am back on track and going to do bloods and the mot now

Just felt a bit off that I,m not as fit as I thought I was

Hi Shirley <3 <3 I think what your family are suggesting over a personal alarm
is a great idea. Better to get your medical side of things sorted first with a check
at the doctors too....

You can only do so much and best not too push yourself too much and also
put pressure on yourself.....Your wellbeing is important but so is your safety
<3 <3

You go at your own pace and perhaps even maybe try meditation or breathing
exercises to start off with......you and you stand proud/sit proud of how you
look and once your mind is exercised Go For it!! <3 <3

Shirley - you have got out there and started doing something to improve your fitness, so all kudos to you. :-)

I agree with Mersey and Kucinta - go at your own pace :-D

A 'social' keep fit with the ladies sounds like it could be fun :-D :-D :-D

Once a week may not hack it but it's a very good start, don't forget most of the people in the group will have been going for much longer the newbies can never keep up at the beginning....mind you if you're like me and still using that excuse years later then it might be a problem :-)
One of those devices in case you fall can be a good idea even if it doesn't work far from home, aren't most falls and accidents in your home anyway??

Well my apple I watch is paired with my I phone and has all my contacts on it
By pressing the button in on hold I get the can i help you .i can then say ring Karen my daughter, or any of the contacts and it will ring them
So if I have a fall anywhere I can call for help

It has an activity app on it with a daily calorie aim to use by exercise and a step tracking etc on it. If I have been sitting a while it pings up a message of time to stand up and move around for one minutes

Lots of other innovations on it too

I know too that once a week keep fit won't be much help but I do exercise at home too several times a day. It's just I hold on when doing them .
Standing alone and trying to keep up with the music tempo was more challenging to my balance . But hey once a week is better than none

As for buses well we only have one an hour and they don't go where I want.plus I shop once a week so no way could I carry all the shopping on the bus

I belong the the local branch of the U3A and some of us meet every Tuesday for coffee morning as well as the monthly meet.
Last summer I went on several outings with them

Getting out every day though needs something to get out for.Afraid I,m not a walker just for the sake of it and sometimes my back is too sore anyway

But I am trying :-D

Once people get past 50 they will only keep fit if they work at it the amount of exercise in the typical life is nowhere near enough. Becoming unfit is a gradual thing which creeps up on people by which time reversing the trend demands a serious effort as you are beginning to discover. Do nothing and the future is bleak.

You won't do much exercise if you keep falling over though so start with basics, sorting out your balance. Here is an excellent piece from the BBC "Trust Me I'm A Doctor" series which is focussed on balance for the older person.

https://tinyurl.com/zv4c6jh

I'm sure, when Shirley goes to her GP - you know, a trained doctor - someone with an appropriate degree - he/she will give Shirley suitable advice for her situation.
You never know, Shirley's MOT may be to see why she has balance problems!

Interesting though a TV article may be - even if it's a doctor, it's better to see the real thing.

I'm sure, RTR, that you wouldn't go to Youtube if you had, for example, chest pains, to get the 'low down' on the heart attack you're having :-|

Bear in mind too Rollo I am 81 !!!!!!

:-(

I did have an attack of labyrinthitis too late last year

....and labyrinthitis can't be diagnosed by watching an old TV programme :-D :-D

My mother was playing croquet at 91and the Queen rides a pony. My GGF stood trial in Chelmsford assizes for bare knuckle fighting over a debt at Romford Market when he was 90. Despite the police evidence the jury found him not guilty. He got his money too. I used to go salmon fishing on the Avon with a retired civil servant over 90. You could have plenty of tread in Yr tyres.

GPS are entirely useless at dealing with the many lifestyle complaints from which the nation suffers. They don't have time for more than bromide and palliatives. Thatcher tried to get the NHS and govt spending onto keeping kids and adults healthy but most of the effort was lost to austerity so now we are faced with the impossible cost of looking after the long term infirm. The only rational response for the individual is to try and stay fit as possible.

Or Euthanasia!

Yes, that was a sardonic response

Of course, none of us is commenting on the obvious...maybe if Shirley would just put a little more water in her drinks every day she'd not be so tipsy/wobbly call it what you will :-D :-D
Now to be fair I know many people well into their 90's that can down a pint or two and still tickle a trout.

well i do like a glass .or two ,of Rose lol

if that was the problem then I would only have myself to blame :-D ;-)

But, but, RTR - Shirley is none of these people you mention!!!

I'm also darned sure they didn't use 'pedometers' to keep fit, neither would they have connected themselves to a smartphone, so they could be 'directed' - yet they managed to live to a ripe old age - surely that was impossible without technology.....
Or, perhaps they were just lucky!

If you want to boast about age, I can do that too:
my gran died in 2003 aged 99
My great granddad died in 1942, outside the grocery shop he both ran - and grew many of the vegetables for - aged 96 - due to enemy bombing
G g g aunt died in 1936, aged 100

All were, as far as I know, active before they died.

I haven't recorded the deaths of all my ancestors, but have found ancestors who died:
1834 - aged 91
1843 - aged 97
Quite a few, from the 13th to16th century who died well into their 60's - quite a feat in those days. One was 77 when he died in 1210.
Not bad for someone who had been on crusades.

But it's all relative.
My dad was an extremely healthy and fit man.
He died in 1994 aged 68, from a brain tumour.

My g gran died in 1906, aged 23 after the birth of my gran. Had there been 'useless' doctors with their (I assume) 'useless' degrees and knowledge that they possess today, the chances of her living would have been increased hugely.

You've also used the term 'infirm' incorrectly.
People who are infirm aren't unfit - they're suffering from (according to the dictionary):
'Poor or deteriorated vitality; especially : feeble from age' (that's age, not being unfit)

Infirmity can arise from a long-term illness or frailty from old age - no amount of technology is going to make them 'fit' again, neither will a long-term illness 'get better' from walking a bit.

Besides which, Shirley just feels she's unfit. :-D

Well you would Shirley...obviously you're having "a glass or two" without company....isn't there a survey somewhere that people that drink on their own die younger..if not there should be don't be so cheap share the bottle :-D :-D

and what is age but a number...I remember as a kid thinking people in their forties were ancient...now I think they're young....

On a serious note it's great you have your gizmos...the only advantage over that is those other ones if you fall some of them can detect that...you may not be in a sober enough state to say "call whomever"....