Your Parents
 

When you were growing up, were your parents physically active and fit? Did they participate in sports such as running, swimming, cycling, or whatever? Did they encourage you to become physically active too?

Are your parents still physically active? Do they still run, or swim, or cycle, or whatever? Do you run, or swim, or cycle, or whatever with your parents still?

Or not.


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Both of my parents were quite active when I was growing up. They mainly cycled and hiked. My mother skated, and my father swam (but oddly I can do neither of those things). They really encouraged my brother and me to be physically active.

Both of my parents are still quite active. They both still cycle (although my mother's knees don't allow her to do much anymore), and they both still do some hiking and walking. And I still cycle with my father! :)

My parents have never been very keen to go into sports.. not even for pleasure... and now their health status speaks for itself....
my father used to play football and to go hiking |( he was in Ural mountains) when he was young, but when he married, he switched to a more "comfortable " life....
my mother was never interested in this... and this affected me as well, for when i was a kid i wanted very much to have a bike, and they couldnt understand my wish, thus... i didnt have a bike when i was a kid :(

My father was active in high school sports, but once he hit his 30's, he got lazy. My mom has been a smoker since the age of 19, so obviously she was never into keeping healthy/fit. Living with someone who smokes drove me insane, and I couldn't wait to move out.....I'm still fairly convinced that I could perform much better than I do now had I not had to live with that **** all those years. Just the smell of a cigarette instantly pisses me off.

Both parents played tennis

I remember my father being active as a young man, but his athletic endevors diminished as he got older. He always had chronic back and neck problems and now is on disability.

My mother never exercized, but is still in excellent health. She's still working as a professional musician at 70 years old.

I am a Scoutmaster and repeately stress to the Scouts in my troop the importance of staying active thoughout your life. Of course, you should be a good example yourself :D

Mu mom is 93, and still does what she can do, even though she has marked osteoporosis causing a "Dowager's Hump."

My dad died at 61, but was quite active with hiking, etc. Therefore, I had to choose "1 parent still exercises."

Please see the 50+ Forum's Rogue's Gallery for others who are active after 50.

My folks never exercised since their day to day labor was so draining they had to rest whenever they could.

My Dad wanted me to be physically fit--he always regretted that he'd "let himself go". He'd always say, "Don't ever let yourself get out of shape."

I'm 37 now and do something athletic virtually every single day (and most days I do 2 different activities); I have about 6% body fat. So what does he say now?

"You really should cut back on your sports." "You're too skinny." And any time I'm injured: "You really should stop playing sports--you're gonna get seriously hurt someday."

My response is typically "YOU MADE ME THIS WAY!" :rolleyes:

My mother did, and still attends a twice-weekly aerobic course. My dad has a very physically demanding job. They often go for half-hour walks together.

I'm trying to follow suit, but taking walks with my wife whenever I can. Well, until she gets a trike of her own, that is. ;)

It is not too late for your dad! At any age, one can get "in shape!"

Neither of my parents exercised for the sake of exercise. My step-father would be active if things needed to get done, and at work would be very active (he was a ship-fitter and worked as a laborer building naval ships). He died of a heart attack at the age of about 70.

My mom would walk everywhere, but that was because she didn't drive. She drives now, but in her mid-60's she still works at a cafeteria for Boeing in Kent, WA and is quite healthy. She owns a bike, but never rides it.

My dad started riding when he was in his early 70's. Gave me his GT with 15K on it. He got a CD R600 at the time.

Fat unfit parents and extended family. So surprise - I was a fat, unfit kid. I didn't escape until 19, and didn't become really fit until 30.

My mother wasnt in to sports but she rode her bike all the time as her main means of transportation, she also swam. My father played tennis and cricket with us. He took up riding a tandem when my elder brother was blinded by a rugby injury.

Neither parent excercised as a "thing to do" but both kept pretty fit through regular physical activity.

For example, my Dad regularly mowed a 1 acre yard with a non-self-propelled walk-behind mower.
My Mom worked in a bookstore. It was three stories (pardon the pun) and the stockroom was in the basement, so her whole working day was a Stairclimber workout.

This was when they were in their 50's and 60's, by the way.

Kotts

I might fit better as the parent rather than child. I'm 53 and when I was growing up there was not the kind of gap that seems to exist with adults today. Gyms were limited to places like Golds and were for body builders. Excercise for adults was just a part of normal life.

Growing up all the kids in my family were into sports. Competitive swimming for years. Both my brother and I have college letters in swimming. All but my mother waterskied for years. Vacations were usually in the outdoors.

Nowdays I'm down to cycling, hiking and playing rugby. I fear I'm a bit over the hill Rugbywise. I've only got 15 or 20 more years left.

Neither actively played sports or worked out.
My father was always working on the house mowing and such. My mother had to tend to 3 children and took us on walks and bike rides.
Neither were exceptionally fit or unfit.

Neither of my parents exercised, but I grew up in the 50's when the main way of exercising was walking. Transport was not that good so Father walked 4 miles to work every day. Then he got a job 10 miles from home and commuted on a cycle. Mum Never exercised, but once again no transport- everything was done by walking. Our main Family activity was watching Athletics, and we used to walk 5 miles to the local stadium, watch the "Professional" athletics and walk home again. Not that you will remember it but We were actually at the event where the 4 minute mile was broken and Chris Chataway was one of my fathers friends. (That's whey we went to that meeting- to see him him run).

My parents never exercised- they were too busy wearing me and my sister out by walking everywhere. Only thing was that with the family interest in Athletics- I became an accomplished Runner and ran 15 mile cross country on a competitive national level- Till I saw sense and bought a bike.

Your poll doesnt have the options i need :(
My dad has always encouraged physical activities. He doesn't really encourage weight lifting or other stuff because it doesn't build real muscle. My dad still has muscles from construction and hauling beer around (40+ years ago). he doesn't play sports but he could work harder then many people who are 20-40 years younger.

My mom is the active one. Pops, well, he was a varsity bowler, does that count? Both played golf (a lot; my dad still does every now and again), but my mom used to ski (back when the skis were wood and THIS tall), and when I was in high school she got into jazzercise and such. She doesn't go as often anymore, but she's still definitely the more active of the two....

My dad golfed one day a week, my mother handled 5 kids. Neither one did any real form of what might be considered exercise as we grew up. I think attempts were made... but the usually resulted in exersize equipment being used to store clothing.

My dad had a stroke about 5 years ago... NOW he exercises... and golfs about 4 days a week.

Now fast forward to today... my son doesn't exercise... he surfs and skateboards and plays frisbee golf, but just enough to not get flabby, but not enough to have washboard abs.

He also brags about his dad, to his friends... "my dad bikes everywhere." He likes to point to all the bikes in the garage... but won't ride his own.

In my book, walking IS exercise, and it sounds as though your parents and your family excelled.

I worded it the way I did because I was curious about actual exercise ....... sort of wondering, I guess what sort of influence your parents had on you to become a cyclist.

well, in that case, none. For me, anyway....

Interesting. My dad was a very good football player in high school, made All-Catholic in Chicago, which is saying something. And I remember when I was little he enjoyed racquetball and tennis. That all kind of slipped away for him and he ate too much, drank too much, smoked too much, and had a sedentary, stressful job.

And surprise! He had a massive heart attack at 54. He was lucky and he turned his life around. Now he golfs (pulls a cart), walks, and skis cross country. And he and my mom just bought their first bikes in decades.

So, it's never too late. I'd like to think that I was a good example, but really I think that they've figured out that they won't be able to keep up with their grandkids if they don't stay fit.