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Post by whatagain on Jul 24, 2021 21:00:32 GMT
I cannot emphasize enough the need to move. I have seen my father in law and now my mother on law moving less and less, and allowing priblems to get bigger and faster due to lack if muscle and exercise.
Now my mil walks half bent (hooked, scooped ?) Because of her vertebraes. Of course she waited way too long before going to the doc, who gave her a corset that she of course doesn't wear enough. Net result : she hardly walks anymore and 100 m is long for her now. Yet she is only 82.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 25, 2021 0:40:08 GMT
“Motion is lotion.”
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Post by questa on Jul 25, 2021 1:29:16 GMT
The tendency to stoop is due to one single cause...pain. Many things can cause the pain, arthritis, mild scoliosis that has not caused trouble until now, deterioration of the spine and bony spurs and trying to do the lifting and carrying and bending that were possible a few years ago. What used to be a bit of a stiff back after gardening is now 2-3 days of severe pain...Nature's way of saying, "Stop doing that!"
As we age our muscles lose their bulk and strength and we are not programmed to maintain the strength of our prime. We evolved into 2 legged, upright, tailless creatures but paid the price in back pain that everyone has at some stage of life.
By all means encourage exercise gently, walking is good as you don't want strenuous tasks causing more pain. But the thing that your loved one will possibly like most is a massage that relaxes the painful areas.
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Post by bjd on Jul 25, 2021 6:33:29 GMT
As someone who walks a lot, I think 6.5 km is not much -- an hour and a half total with a lunch break in between. The more we move, the better for us.
Mick, I'm sure you easily spend more than an hour and a half gardening and that is much harder on your body than simply walking.
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Post by bjd on Jul 25, 2021 7:12:41 GMT
As we age our muscles lose their bulk and strength and we are not programmed to maintain the strength of our prime. We evolved into 2 legged, upright, tailless creatures but paid the price in back pain that everyone has at some stage of life. Actually, I don't buy that explanation. Not after several hundred thousand years of evolution. When cell phones became popular, South Korean youths' thumbs became more mobile from texting in one generation. A change in diet and living conditions in most post-WW2 countries produced taller children. I believe French boys gained 10 cm in one or two generations. Not everyone gets back pain. I think the problem is that when something does hurt, we tend to nurse the pain by not moving, where what has to be done is to stretch and lubricate the sore muscles. Of course if it's a mechanical problem, that's different but Kilby is right -- "motion is lotion".
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Post by mickthecactus on Jul 25, 2021 9:03:40 GMT
As someone who walks a lot, I think 6.5 km is not much -- an hour and a half total with a lunch break in between. The more we move, the better for us. Mick, I'm sure you easily spend more than an hour and a half gardening and that is much harder on your body than simply walking. I don’t walk a lot these days as the dogs are older and don’t need the walks we once used to take. Yes I do some heavy duty gardening but different muscles.
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Post by questa on Jul 25, 2021 15:01:30 GMT
I read about a research project in 1950/60s where lower back pain was spreading in Japan and resulting in sick leave reaching high proportions. Turns out it coincided with Japanese people changing from sitting on the floor with a mat and cushions to sitting in an office chair and slouching. You can't say the changes in thumb mobility are evolutionary , just a result of playing with thumb activated objects from birth, copying the elders skills. You would have to put the kids in a thumb use free zone from birth and see if there were still clever thumbs or they had reverted to the norm.
I used to attend a Buddhist temple where I could see when the diet changed. Grand mother who lived through the French and Viet Minh days was under 5 feet tall, Daughter was in the office of the US army and could take meat and veg home for the family...she was about 5 feet 5. The latest lot have worked hard and have a comfortable income and eat well and they are over 5 feet seven.
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Post by casimira on Jul 25, 2021 15:43:50 GMT
I do take an anti inflammatory (naproxyn) for my knee and sometimes for my lower back. Ice is also my "friend" for both.
I attribute my lower back pain to not using proper lifting techniques when I had my garden business. My husband used to get on my case about this. I am paying the price now. He worked 27 years as a paramedic and of course this involved the lifting of bodies, some heavier than others and also involving stairs. Because he used proper body mechanics, he never developed any back problems to this day.
Whatagain, I completely agree with you about motion. My remedy was always swimming and I had access to a pool and swam almost everyday. When I turned 65, my Medicare and supplemental health insurance included free access to a fitness center with a magnificent pool. Then, Covid came along and put a halt to that. I believe that currently they have opened back up but you need to make a reservation ahead of time which doesn't really work for me. I also don't feel comfortable enough yet to use the fitness center because of safety measures around Covid.
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Post by huckle on Jul 25, 2021 16:20:59 GMT
Interesting discussion. I look forward to seeing how you all approach movement and pain problems when you are approaching 90 yourselves. I quote the book title, "Things Fall Apart." With increased longevity, more are living long enough to suffer types of pain the majority did not used to have. Pain management has become a focus in geriatric medicine.
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Post by bjd on Jul 25, 2021 16:29:19 GMT
I also don't feel comfortable enough yet to use the fitness center because of safety measures around Covid. We are already reading about other health problems not being dealt with because of Covid: operations in hospitals rescheduled because ICU beds are occupied by covid patients, children and others developing respiratory diseases because with mask wearing and social distancing, fewer viruses and germs are floating around and natural immune systems are not getting their usual training, gyms and pools being closed for months deprivreing people of their usual forms of exercise... I don't think we can imagine the long term effects of this epidemic for the time being.
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Post by mossie on Jul 25, 2021 16:30:19 GMT
I try to make myself have a walk every day, I count my supermarket trek up and down the aisles as a walk. I have reached the stage where 400 yards is quite enough in one go, and realise that I am definitely 'over the hill'
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Post by casimira on Jul 25, 2021 16:45:36 GMT
Mossie, I think of you and Huckle as being an inspiration. I only hope that physically (and mentally), I can be as fit when I age as you have.
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Post by huckle on Jul 25, 2021 16:46:26 GMT
For me, because of scoliosis, collapsed discs, cartiledge loss and severe arthritis, my non weight bearing exercise is an hour swim almost daily. Walking any distance has become difficult. Upon waking, it takes me a good 2 and half hours to "loosen up."
Casimira. What a nice comment. Thank you.
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Post by htmb on Jul 25, 2021 16:51:09 GMT
I think part of the secret is figuring out what works for each of us at any given moment in time. For me, some kind of movement every day has been critically important for getting my knees back to working again, but I certainly can’t walk at the speeds, and for the same distances, as I did just four years ago. Things do fall apart, wear out, break down, all that “good” stuff….
Sometimes changing how we approach things can provide some relief. I changed the chair I sit in at home last December. Since then, my constant lower back pain has ceased. I also know I cannot sit in a car with a particular type of seat or my back will revert to it’s painful ways.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 25, 2021 16:54:21 GMT
she waited way too long before going to the doc, who gave her a corset that she of course doesn't wear enough. Without having all the facts, I'm still going to be judgmental & wonder why the doctor didn't prescribe some kind of physical therapy.
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Post by casimira on Jul 25, 2021 17:20:36 GMT
I agree about the absence of PT not being prescribed. I have a set of exercises that my physical therapist gave me. Do I do them often enough? No, but I need to start back up again. I also use a back support brace or "corset" when I know I'm going to be doing something that's going to be strenuous on my lower back muscles. It does help tremendously. I always "ice down" afterwards with some frozen gel packs from the freezer. If I have to, I then take a anti inflammatory as previously noted.
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Post by mossie on Jul 25, 2021 17:55:45 GMT
Thank you Casimira for those kind words.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jul 25, 2021 19:32:11 GMT
I'm feeling my age...we are having a great grandchild in January....
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Post by mickthecactus on Jul 25, 2021 20:08:28 GMT
I'm feeling my age...we are having a great grandchild in January.... Wow! Congratulations!!
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Post by casimira on Jul 25, 2021 20:49:54 GMT
Great news Cheery!!! You are going to be THE coolest Grandmother any child could have (aside from Lugg who is in that same "club").
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Post by bjd on Jul 26, 2021 5:47:21 GMT
A different club, Casi -- I'm a grandmother too, but far from being a great-grandmother.
Surely you are too young to be a great-grandmother, Cheery?!
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Post by questa on Jul 26, 2021 6:02:39 GMT
but I certainly can’t walk at the speeds, and for the same distances, as I did just four years ago. Things do fall apart, wear out, break down, all that “good” stuff…. It is called "Planned obsolescence" in the motoring world.
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Post by mossie on Jul 26, 2021 7:27:20 GMT
I have definitely entered my second childhood. I discovered this morning that I have started growing again, I had a job to reach far enough down to put my socks on.
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Post by questa on Jul 26, 2021 10:40:20 GMT
Are you sure of that, Mossie? Could be that your socks have shrunk...or your arms?
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Post by casimira on Jul 26, 2021 13:55:56 GMT
A different club, Casi -- I'm a grandmother too, but far from being a great-grandmother. Surely you are too young to be a great-grandmother, Cheery?! I didn't intend to omit you BJD. It was only afterward, later in the day that it clicked in my addled brain that you were also a Grandmother. And, I'm sure your grand children adore you.
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Post by whatagain on Jul 26, 2021 16:25:05 GMT
A different club, Casi -- I'm a grandmother too, but far from being a great-grandmother. Surely you are too young to be a great-grandmother, Cheery?! I am about to enter the club of great uncles. Being the youngest of my generation, i will be the last to be grandfather. All my brother and cousins are already.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 26, 2021 18:00:12 GMT
Surely you are too young to be a great-grandmother, Cheery?! Congratulations of course, Cheery, but what Bjd said was definely my first reaction. I have definitely entered my second childhood. I discovered this morning that I have started growing again, I had a job to reach far enough down to put my socks on. Good one, Mossie!
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 26, 2021 18:24:56 GMT
I am a great uncle several times over, but the idea shocks me. I have never seen any of the little ones who all live on a different continent.
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Post by htmb on Jul 26, 2021 19:04:29 GMT
Congratulations to you, Cheery, though I’m also guessing you’re way too young to be a great-grandmother.
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Post by lugg on Jul 26, 2021 20:10:23 GMT
Woo hoo Cheery - congratulations Mossie, I think of you and Huckle as being an inspiration. I only hope that physically (and mentally), I can be as fit when I age as you have I second Casi's thoughts.
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