Training & Nutrition - Best ways to stay "young" forever?

After talking with my father about a big ride I just did, he said to me, "Enjoy it while you're young, but your body will go downhill!" My reply to him was, "Well, Dad, I plan on doing this for a long time!" I then described to him this 60+ year old man that I know that mountain bike races and is in great shape/health. My dad thinks people of this sort are "rare cases" or "freaks of nature." I told him that this man just knew how to take care of his body better than he did. (just so you know my father is only 49 and hobbles around like a 75 year old man, and leads a self-destructive lifestyle.)

At 27, and already feeling "old" in my knees, I wonder if I should really be doing more for my body.

So that got me thinking, what's the best way to make my body last so that I can still enjoy all my favorite sports (to some degree) when I'm older?

Well balanced diet?
Daily stretching?
Strength training/weight lifting?
Dietary supplements?

Just maintain a good diet and fitness level and that's it; or is there really more to it? Are some people destined to be active their whole lives and some to just fall apart?

Yoga can do wonders. Lots of veggies, and a glass of red wine or micro beer a day.

Thanks gonesh. I find it funny you answered my post yet I'm older than you! Just kidding.
Tried the yoga thing, doesn't really get me going, but I still do a little at home to limber up.

i think staying happy and doing things you enjoy helps a lot too.

Well balanced diet?
Daily stretching?
Strength training/weight lifting?


All of the above. Include supplements if you like, but they are not necessary if you eat a good diet, IMHO.

Add a positive outlook.

Add regular cardio.

Tell your dad that there are lots of folks who are older and doing great things.

My wife is 65, I am 63. Soon we will be 66 and 64.

We both weight lift 3 times per week, do cardio daily, and eat correctly.

I can ride my bike many, many miles, up and down hills, and just a few years ago did two "Ride the Rockies."

I can bench press 225 pounds (which really isn't very much compared to many other folks my age), and can max out weight machines in leg strength.

Your dad is most likely on the way to an early grave.

My wife and I have no genetic predisposition to good health.

No one is "destiined". We make our own destiny, except if we have some uncontrollable problem such as a stroke, Alzheimer's, etc.

Even then, take a look at Kirk Douglas.

identify and correct situations before they hit the crisis stage. Like your knees.
Looks like the area needs streghtnening. Do a search for vastus medialus of bike forum. A great diet, with a little extra in the way of vitamins is another preventitive approach.
Lastly, there could be cause for your knee trouble that involve the bike. The seat could be too low, the bike too small, the crankarms too long. You could be pushing too high a gear, where you ought to be spinning a lower gear 80 rpm or higher. Lastly, since you and your Dad hurt in the knees, some sort of arthritis is not out of the question. Sometimes glucosamine sulfate works wonders in such cases.

I've been told what's wrong with my knees (bursitis and IT band issues) and I'm working on them with stretches and exercises that were given to me by a physical therapist.

My dad "hobbles" for other reasons. He is on his way to an early grave, and he does not care. He climbs ladders like 16 hours a day for work with a bad ankle he broke 3 years ago. He thinks he's lucky if he get to enjoy 6 months of retirement which is not for another 5 years or so. He throughly enjoys his 2 pack-a-day smoking habit and his all-weekend drinking binges, and loves eating junk food. It makes him happy. He's told me if being this bad is wrong, then he doesn't want to be right. It's quite depressing for my family, but we cannot change him.

DnvrFox, your post gives me hope. It's going to take work, but I'm ready for it.

My father-in-law learned to swim when he was 65 and has been swimming every day since then, bowls, ice skates, just bought a new bike last year and always has a smile on his face. His is almost 86 and a holocaust survivor!

In addition to what has been said I find rest/relaxation/stress reduction an important component as well.As important as cycling and weight training are be careful not to overdo them and recover from them to keep your body injury free.

Originally posted by Szpirit
My father-in-law learned to swim when he was 65 and has been swimming every day since then, bowls, ice skates, just bought a new bike last year and always has a smile on his face. His is almost 86 and a holocaust survivor!

This is wonderful. I include guys like your FIL as role models for me 50 years from now. There's a saying that "you're either living or dying." Your FIL is living!

And you could do worse than to take the advice of Satchel Paige:

Satchel Paige's Rules for Staying Young
Paige's rules originally appeared in the June 13, 1953 issue of Collier's. The version below is taken from his autobiography, Maybe I'll Pitch Forever (as told to David Lipman, 1962):


1. Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
2. If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
3. Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
4. Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society -- the social ramble ain't restful.
5. Avoid running at all times.
6. And don't look back -- something might be gaining on you.

Satch rules !

Jeff

My father recently said one day those extra portions of food you eat will catch up to you.
My thoughts and maybe reply was "Only if I sit on my ass like you".

Sorry I said that in a way. I watch my eating, excersize and bike,kayak,canoe and any other physical activity I enjoy.

Sadly he smoked until he passed away from lung cancer 2 months ago.

Just before I did my first MS150, my mother told me my father said to up the pledge they made for my ride because he knew I could do it.

He passed away at 70 and I am 47.

Do it while you can and enjoy every minute of it. Age is always unimportant.

Do what is in your heart. Healthy eating, excersize, stretching, strength training and a good attitude.

Genetics...People that look young forever probably had a parent that looked young forever.

Two sure fire ways: either die young, or be frozen.:)

From a 55 yr old woman. At 32 I learned to ski, waterski, bought a bike (I got divorced) I started exercising regularly at 38, cause I was getting saddle bags. At 40 I did my 1st metric century ( to prove I was still young) around that time I started roller blading, and learned to swim. I was a gym rat and did aerobics, weight lifting, worked out on the machines. In 1995 when my knees started bothering me a Dr. told me to quit exercising. Instead, I bought a smaller bike and started riding. I celebrated my 50th with my first century, my 51st on my first week long bike tour and last month, at 55 did 368 mi in a week. I average around 3,000 miles of cycling a year.
At Christmas I skied 2 weeks straight, every day, from 9-3 with just a break for lunch.
In ten yrs. I've gained 6 or 7 lbs. I eat healthy, don't smoke, etc.
I had a fitness test at my gym the other day and my body fat was 16%.
Me slow down? I'm getting stronger, faster and healthier in my "old age".
Kathi

Originally posted by Shannon-UT
At 27, and already feeling "old" in my knees, I wonder if I should really be doing more for my body.

You're at a real good age to start asking these questions. If you want some real surprises, get around a group of recreational cyclists and ask them their ages. In my experience, the longer they've been riding/earlier they started, the younger they appear.

I take a slightly different view. I think longevity is first and foremost a matter of cultivating a proper mental attitude. The behavior that tends toward longevity will flow naturally from the correct outlook. The following quote sums this up pretty well:



Everyone under heaven says that my Tao is great and beyond compare.
Because it is great, it seems different.
If it were not different, it would have vanished long ago.

I have three treasures which I hold and keep.
The first is mercy; the second is economy;
The third is daring not to be ahead of others.
From mercy comes courage; frome economy comes generosity;
From humility comes leadership.

Nowadays men shun mercy, but try to be brave;
They abandon economy, but try to be generous;
They do not believe in humility, but always try to be first.
This is certain death.

Mercy brings victory in battle and strength in defense.
It is the means by which heaven saves and guards.

---Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu - chapter 67


In practice, cultivating an attitude of simplicity leads one to eat a moderate amount of simple, unprocessed food (for me this is mostly vegetables) as well as regular exercise. I run, bike, or walk wherever possible instead of driving the car. These are both behaviors that have been associated with longevity as well as reasonable comfort in old age. It is very ironic that those who become a "slave to their own comfort" end up being the least comfortable in the end.

Cultivating an attitude of humility goes a long way towards reducing the amount of stress that you must deal with in your daily life. This by itself prevents or lessens a number of health problems.

I am 41 now and really can't guess at how much longer I might be here. I have both long-lived and short-lived folks in my family. I just plan on enjoying whatever time I have to the fullest.

Dan

I went out riding last night and met up with a guy in my club... he looked a bit older... and on our last stretch I was hauling ass.. going about 30 mph, and when i got to the stop light at the end.. he caught me... we got to talking... he said I was going pretty good, and asked about how many miles I ride a week.. I told him usually around 75-80, depending on my schedule... he said it wasn;t that much, and asked how old I was.. i told him 28... he kinda chuckled, and said "Ok, now guess my age." I had no idea, and I usually hate to answer that with older people.. don't wanna insult or anything... He then tells me he's 66 years old... WHAT ?!?!? this old fart was 66 years old, and keeps up with me no problem (not like i'm the fastest guy or anything) then tells me he used to race, but broke his hip last year,a nd is still getting back into shape... I only hope that when I am his age, I could be as healthy as that... he was a nice guy.. i shoulda got his name :-) That guy is my personal fitness hero... 35 or so years older than me, and still kickin' butt !


Jeff

I'm 49 and can ride my bike all day. I do 30-50 mile rides all the time and am in pretty good shape. I won't stay young forever, but exercise, eating right and plenty of sleep help my stay young as I can, as long as I can.

Genetics...People that look young forever probably had a parent that looked young forever.

Ok, my maternal grandfather was a cyclist and a walker; he lived to 96 years of age when cancer finally got him. Funny thing, he was the youngest out of 13 kids to pass away! I believe he still has a sister somewhere that is in her 100’s! So I hope good genes are a piece of the longevity puzzle.

So, lets see if I got this right; good genes, wine, vegetables, exercise, yoga, healthy attitude, sleep and beer are the keys to longevity?
:beer:

Moderation is the key.

1. Eat a balanced diet, but don't overeat.
2. Get plenty of exercise - primarily aerobic.
3. Don't do drugs or smoke - or any similar stupid thing.
4. Manage your stress - worry take the fun out of life.
5. Wear your seatbelt/helmet - a two second mistake can take years to heal.
6. Laugh at life - there's plenty of opportunities.
7. Inherit good genes - or buy some better ones..