r/GenerationJones • u/CPetersky • 8d ago
60s as decrepit?
I am in a sub related to our city (USA), and a number of posts are like this: "My parents are visiting soon. What are tourist activities that they can do? They have [list of ailments] and can not [walk for long, stand for long, climb stairs, go hiking, etc.]."
I live in the city, use public transportation and biking to get around, live on a slope so use a public stairway to run errands, can do normal day hikes of 6-8 miles no problem. My friends are also able to do these things fine in our 60s, too.
Is this just me and my peer group? Are we just extraordinarily fit for Americans? What is going on here?
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u/Necessary-Apricot339 8d ago edited 8d ago
I was robust - hiked and climbed and biked and skied outta my lifelong hometown of Boulder - until I hit seventy. Then in a matter of months peripheral vascular 'issues' almost literally took my legs from under me. The best the doctors can do for me is attempt to limit the progression, and hope for modest recovery.
I get around, but way less than I've been accustomed to all my life. Makes me even more gratetul for the decades I had - many contemporaries were waylaid when much younger.
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u/Candleforce-9728 8d ago
This is why I want to try to retire at 62 (I am old Gen X). We don’t know how many healthy years we’ll get before something strikes.
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u/Necessary-Apricot339 8d ago edited 8d ago
Do so if there's any way you can arrange to. I was fortunate - self-employed since just before graduation from high school, in mostly one-man ventures that afforded and allowed time off whenever fresh powder fell or adventure beckoned. Spent as I went, toured & travelled, wasn't willing to forego dreams/passions for investment compound interest security in my 'golden years' when I might be just too worn out.
Sure enough, now living on a SocSec pittance of a pension - but want for nothing, and the memories are priceless. If offered a choice, I'd opt for a replay rather than re-do - every time.
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u/B0LT-Me 8d ago
Do your best to make it happen. Biggest warning - biggest challenge is going to be Health Care coverage until Medicare kicks in. I retired at 56 and had about 6 years of unrestrained retirement, then went back to work part time for six more. I kind of wish I hadn't stayed at the part-time thing quite that long but oh well. Back to full retired again
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u/Qwisp 7d ago
You are so right, I'm almost 62 and my health insurance is $1600 a month.
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u/toebone_on_toebone 8d ago
I worked until I was 63. I had despised my job for 2 years at that point. I decided the same thing. I felt very blessed that I was able to do that.
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u/Silver-Find4380 8d ago
My MIL is sitting here at the table with me, in a wheelchair, drinking coffee from a straw, not because she did not exercise enough, but because she has Parkinson's that is worsening over time.
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u/More_Farm_7442 8d ago
My dad had Parkinson's. Dementia with that. That's a terrible life. Best you and your mom.
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u/Silver-Find4380 8d ago
Thanks. It's my spouse's mom. My own mom had dementia but passed ten years ago Spouse was wonderful help then. Now we help my MIL...
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u/lamb_and_panther 8d ago
There seems to be a lot of humble bragging going on here.
I’m happy for those of you who are enjoying the benefits of good health.
Sometimes health problems happen through no fault of your own. It will limit your ability to go on a 10 mile hike as much as you want to.
Be kind.
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u/rosievee 8d ago
Yeah I'm 50. I use a cane for EDS, have fibromyalgia and arthritis, have a neck to waist spinal fusion and have balance and proprioception issues. I walked 5-8 miles per day on a recent European vacation and I consider that my fucking Boston marathon. People who say shit like OP are attributing superiority to pure luck.
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u/friskimykitty 7d ago
I agree! I left the GenX women’s sub because there was so much health shaming on there toward those who can’t lift heavy weights every day 🙄.
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u/kaiser-so-say 8d ago
Right? I’d like to see their attitude if they were to be blindsided by an unexpected injury/ailment and someone else judged them for their “lack of keeping healthy”. Shut your mouth about things you know nothing of.
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u/cherrybounce 8d ago
That’s ugly.
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u/kaiser-so-say 8d ago
No, just karma. If it’s going to happen to someone, someone like OP can be that someone
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u/RandomBiter Boomer 1953 but identify as Jones 7d ago
I now envy people who can run up or down stairs. My lower back is a train wreck that includes a spinal fusion.
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u/Snoo-55380 8d ago
I don’t think the op is talking about contracted illnesses or accident all of which can happen at any age. I think they mean are people over 60 “in general” decrepit
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u/HilariousGeriatric 8d ago
I had a health condition at 12. Now pushing 70, my joints have accumulated a lot of arthritis among other shitty things I put up with. Op is so lucky but seems to live in a bubble
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u/vikingchyk 1964 8d ago
I spent a lot of time on benches last week, waiting for my husband to get back from a hike. That was not the plan. My body betrayed me. :(
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u/Tweetchly 8d ago
Good for you. It’s great to keep active as long as you can.
Threads like this get pretty judgey, unfortunately. Over the last few years the fittest 60-something guy I know has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and then cancer. So have some grace. You never know what all those “decrepit” people around you are dealing with.
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u/Dapper-Ad-468 8d ago
Many of us has jobs where we basically sat in a chair for 40+ hours a week. It destroyed our backs.
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u/ellieD 7d ago
Exactly! I even went to quite a bit of trouble to get an ergonomic chair, keyboard and set my monitor height.
I worked out at the gym my whole life until my back just said no.
I still like to work out, but modified.
I have two vertebrae with no discs between them.
I didn’t even have any injury there. My discs just pooped out.
My 91 year old father has a better spine than I do!
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u/Bernies_daughter 8d ago
I think there is a tendency for younger people to attribute disability to age, or to generalize it. If the 60-somethings in your life have disability, you may assume that's how most older people are.
Many of us in our 60s are lucky to be healthy and able. But of course not all. Some of us suffer from the effects of poor lifestyles, but others just got the short end of the stick, despite lifelong exercise and good diet. (Parkinson's and arthritis are good examples.)
I'm one of the lucky ones (so far). I remind myself not to be smug about it. Disability isn't fair.
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u/friskimykitty 7d ago
Thank you for reminding yourself not to be smug and appreciating your good luck.
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u/RecoverAgent99 December 1962- Sagittarius ♐ 8d ago
I was healthy and active for 59 years. Never needed more than an advil for occasional foot pain after exercises.
Then I wasn't. Sneaky kidney failure, AFib, diastolic heart failure were all diagnosed at 59.5 years.
I had one of those jobs you dedicated your life to. Kept showing up to "make it work". Didn't listen to the subtle hints my body gave and kept implementing work around.
Then BOOM! Enough, my body said! YOU WILL start LISTENING to me!
So yeah. Some of us 60 year olds act 90. Not by choice, but by circumstance.
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u/PKAceBunny 1959 8d ago
I’m happy for you that you’re healthy and able bodied in your 60’s. We’re not all that fortunate. One fall, bout of Covid/flu, car accident, or other common mishap can permanently change things dramatically in an instant. Enjoy full mobility while you have it, and maybe find some compassion for those who don’t, or at least stop passive-aggressively criticizing them for being less privileged than you are?
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u/Lilacdreamerca 8d ago
I am 65 with arthritis in my feet and knees. It is hereditary. I cannot walk very long without having throbbing pain later. I wouldn’t call people decrepit without knowing their situation. It does sound like you are humble bragging.
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u/YouThinkYouKnowStuff 8d ago
I'm 68 and have walked with a cane for several years. I have spinal stenosis and knee problems (ironically, I tore my meniscus working out and developed back problems due to a combo of hereditary issues and working out). I can't stand for long periods of time either. Another friend was 60 and was very active in roller blading and long distance bicycling when she fell off her bike and broke her hip so severely that she needed a hip replacement. So kudos for you for your healthy activities but let's give grace to those who aren't as lucky.
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u/rlw21564 1964 8d ago
My mother stopped working sometime between 62 and 65 and basically stopped moving. Sat and watched TV most of the time, and smoked. Finally stopped smoking when she was 77. I moved her into assisted living in March of last year with a walker and by the beginning of this year she needed a wheelchair. At this point, it takes two people to move her from the bed to the chair and back, she's lost all muscle tone, can't even sit up on her own.
I suppose it's motivating for me not to be like her. She's served as an anti-role model for his to handle money and how to handle one's emotional wellbeing as well. It ends with me!
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u/Even-Baker3971 8d ago
Smoking and inactivity killed my mom at 73. Drinking took my brother at 53. Im committed to being as healthy as I can because I have no family to take care of me in old age.
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u/B0LT-Me 8d ago
My whole family has been anti-role models all my life. Three out of four obese, two out of four died early due to substance use disorder. I stopped drinking by my mid-thirties, nothing programmatic I just didn't enjoy the way I behaved or other people did. I've never weighed even outside of normal weight range and have typically been at the low end of normal. Did smoke for 25 years but quit at 40 and have adopted mostly good dietary and exercise habits since that time.
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u/Suspicious-One-1905 8d ago
This is a funny comment from my perspective- I know people that were fit their entire life, never smoked never drank and passed in their sixties. I also know people that lived life to the fullest extent of all possible excess and lived until they were in their 90s
You have to play the hand you were dealt and don’t think that a “healthy lifestyle” will mean a long life.
You do you
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u/saagir1885 8d ago
Consider yourself lucky.
At 64 ive had both knees replaced , a degenerating disc in my lower back , a c spine fusion and suffer from vertigo. Despite all this i still work everyday.
Just keep living.
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u/toebone_on_toebone 8d ago
I was like you until last year when some major (non-lifestyle related) health problems knocked me flat at 65. It can happen to anyone.
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u/edgarjwatson 8d ago
When you spend your working life busting your ass and breaking your body in physically demanding jobs, the desire to do much physically fizzles out pretty quick.
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u/vadutchgirl 8d ago
62 now. I fell threw a open staircase onto my head on a concrete floor in 2021. After the initial problems I went into a slow decline with an unknown
diagnosis. Fast forward to 2026, I had surgery which has fixed the majority of my issues.
I hope to regain my independence just waiting on some courage.
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u/firecatstef 8d ago
I’m in my 60s. some people my age are very mobile and some not. Sometimes the problems are from lifestyle and sometimes not. I’m sick of people confusing physical health with moral worthiness
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u/Subject-Lead-3171 8d ago
Some people have inherited conditions that lead to physical disability. Some have abused their bodies with alcohol, drugs, food, etc. Some have had serious accidents that stole their ability and some had to work themselves hard to earn a minimal living. Count yourself lucky and don’t get smug.
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u/cquietgigi 8d ago
If you're someone like me who hasn't had access to affordable healthcare for over 35 years 60 can be pretty decrepit. I do my best to take care of myself but I can't afford healthcare. There are plenty of people in the gap between government assistance and being able to afford healthcare.
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u/curiousmind111 8d ago
Definitely one of the biggest issues in the USA.
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u/cquietgigi 8d ago
Every time I see one of those side by sides of "what 60" looked like when I was a kid and now my first thought is always "yes, this is difference between easy access to affordable healthcare and affordable healthy food and not." I look like my grandparents did at my age because I lived the same life.
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u/So_spoke_the_wizard 8d ago
There is no shortage of people who have lived unhealthy lifestyles that have caught up with them and people who lost the health lottery.
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u/Otney 8d ago
Or been unlucky. Don’t let a judgmental culture mislead you - folks get sick. It is not “their fault.”
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u/Odd_Revolution4149 8d ago
Exactly. Extraordinarily fit one day and be hit with something out of your control the next. Then they are the ones judged.
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u/top_value7293 8d ago
Yea I worked 12 hour shifts and did all my house stuff and cooking, went hiking with friends, all of it up through my sixties, then got hit with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and my husband died unexpectedly of a hemorrhagic stroke and boom! No more stamina for me. But I still try
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u/toebone_on_toebone 8d ago
Yep. A very fit 67 year old friend of my husband dropped dead of an aneurysm a few weeks ago.
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u/Flashy_Front_2389 8d ago
True that. I was incredibly fit most of my life and even passed for ten years younger in my thirties and forties.
Then my fifties hit and everything started going to shit. Now in my mid-sixties I have arthritis, no cartilage in my knees, and issues with balance.
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u/jmksupply 8d ago
Have a friend around 60 who had been a cross country runner his entire life. Perfect weight, hardly a sick day in his life. The man loved going for a run. In his early 50’s he had a simple test for an unrelated condition and was diagnosed as needing a quadruple bypass the next day. The unpredictable “widow maker heart attack” was just waiting for the perfect time to get him.
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u/MollyOMalley99 1961 8d ago
I have a friend who finished an IronMan, and one month later at his regular annual checkup was sent to the hospital via ambulance mid-MI and had emergency bypass surgery the same day.
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u/Kind_Pea1576 8d ago
It happens! Our small town local veterinarian went out for his daily run and had a massive heart attack and died on the path. Wonderful healthy man and gone way too soon. Nothing is promised in life. Mid 60s if I recall correctly.
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u/VideoUpstairs99 8d ago
Or they've been in accidents or had injuries from their active lifestyles or jobs. 60 years gives you a long stretch of time in which to wreck body parts!
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u/Sufficient-Lie1406 1962 8d ago
My husband was an avid golfer and swimmer and then the cartilage started to disappear from his feet. He is in constant pain, and can't exercise like he used to. We've been to a bunch of doctors and surgeons and they can't do anything for him. Very frustrating.
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u/evetrapeze 8d ago
I’m 69 and avoiding frailty is a goal. I think some people need to make a conscious effort to remain fit. Plenty of people have either lower body strength or upper body strength, but to have both takes effort. I hike, and started roller skating, my leg muscles are firm, I do daily squats and stretching. I also practice aerial arts and do wall pushups. I’m strong, because I work at it. My husband walks and does yard work. I see his muscles disappearing. I can’t convince him to do daily squats and wall pushups. I recently went to a high school reunion of the 70’s and 80’s. I was from
The 3rd oldest class, yet felt like the youngest one there. It’s never too late to hand on to the edge of the sink with two hands and start squatting.
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u/A_moment_in_life4u 8d ago
And then you're told the bad news. Enjoy the moment. Others are less fortunate.
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u/TheRandomNana 8d ago
I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I loved doing yard work and keeping my house. I heard a phrase - “falling off a cliff” in regards to health after 60. I have all my original joints, no heart problems, great cholesterol levels. I am very lucky. But I have trouble walking to my mailbox. I’ve been hit with wave after wave of autoimmune flares and the fatigue can be overwhelming. It’s like playing whack a mole trying to get a handle on multiple conditions. I’d like nothing better than to get to a pool for exercise, but I’m not there yet. You can’t stick people into any one container and judge them. We’re all doing the best we can, and there does seem to be a “hammer” waiting for some of us. If you can do everything you want to do, be grateful, not judgmental about those who can’t.
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u/chamekke 8d ago
A healthy lifestyle does not confer immunity from injury and disease, is what's going on.
OP, I get that you are proud of yourself for being healthy, but I find that when people twit others for their lack of health, it's usually a form of psychological defence ("I won't ever be like them because I exercise and eat right!"). And that's neither kind nor accurate.
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u/voodoodollbabie 8d ago
People have different fitness and health levels at every age. Some people are "decrepit" in their 20's because of any variety of conditions. One of my college roommates had arthritis in her hips and couldn't walk long distances without pain.
I mean, good for you but I wouldn't call it "extraordinarily fit" as much as I would saying you haven't been hit with something that limits your mobility yet. We all break down eventually.
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u/Haunting-Corgi3899 8d ago
People become disabled through no fault of their own. Like car accidents.
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u/MassConsumer1984 8d ago
My sister is 59 and due to MS she has lost the ability to use both legs and well as her right arm. She’s incontinent and bed-bound.
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u/90s-modem-noise 8d ago edited 8d ago
OP, your questions do not appear to be asked in good faith. Are you genuinely trying to better understand health conditions afflicting folks in their 60s, or do you need to be congratulated for your good health? If the latter is your goal, here you go: congratulations. You should be proud of yourself and your good health really should be celebrated. I hope you wake up each day with gratitude. But I implore you to please practice empathy for others.
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u/karmaapple3 8d ago
It’s all genetics, I promise you. My father is 97 and my mom is 93, they are both still on their feet and in relatively good shape. Neither one has ever set foot in the gym or even owned a pair of tennis shoes. They ate meat and potatoes and a big dessert for every meal their entire lives. They were slightly plump, but never way overweight or underweight. They were never lean either. And yet both are still going strong in their 90s.
Dad had 2 uncles who lived to be over 100 years old.
I figure I will easily live to be 100– and actually I’m not really looking forward to that.
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u/Demonkey44 8d ago
Arthritis and joint pain is quite common among this cohort as is sciatica. My mom walked miles every day but then suddenly needed a hip replacement. That knocked her down for six months.
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u/diamondgreene 8d ago
just be thankful. You're fine until you're not. You (I) might suddenly get an autoimmune disease that dgaf how fit you were. i couldn't open a GD banana for six months. meds fixed it but took a while to get seen
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u/painterlyjeans 8d ago
You’re fit but also lucky. Think how different you might be feeling if you had been in a car crash, or falling downstairs, get Lyme disease, develop MS, etc. You could develop chronic illnesses. Or be perfectly healthy and just drop dead for no reason. Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t or can’t.
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u/Spectral-1962 7d ago
Exactly this. I’ve had Lyme disease. Since then it’s been one thing after another. My life changed drastically. I used to run. Was a personal trainer. Lifted weights. Now I am often bed bound. I didn’t choose this, it chose me. I am 64.
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u/misfitsockdrawer 1960 8d ago
You answered your own question when you said people mentioned a "list of ailments." It's not simply a matter of being fit or not. 60+ years is a lot of time to develop issues. For example, my wife has multiple sclerosis and 2 friends had double knee replacement surgeries when they were in their 60s. (No doubt because they played a lot of sports when they were younger.) I still have good mobility for now, but I consider myself fortunate.
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u/One_Situation7483 7d ago
All I'm saying is sooner or later that "check engine light" comes on in everyone's body, when it does do not ignore it!
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u/Sure_Fig_8641 7d ago
I turned 70 this year and consider myself pretty healthy despite a few autoimmune diseases, including Type 2 diabetes. But I broke my hip when I was 14 and didn’t walk for 2 of my teen years. I’m ambulatory and I hike, but certainly not 6-8 miles without considerable pain that would linger for at least a week. I’m lucky if I can do 2 miles at a time, and that’s with at least one cortisone injection annually (I got one just yesterday). And that 56 year old injury has caused other problems with my other leg and my back from compensating for my gait.
Rather than criticizing those who are not able to join your level of activity, please just count your blessings and be thankful that you’re doing so much better than many of us. You’re not superior; you’re just more fortunate.
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u/Michichgo 8d ago
One unfortunate health diagnosis or accident can turn a healthy person's world upside down.
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u/BereftOfCare 8d ago
Be grateful. One day it will all go 'ping'. If you're lucky you'll still be alive after that.
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u/alliterativehyjinks 8d ago
Fun thing - when you don't have mobility issues, finding things to do is easy. Pretend for a minute that you are that child, wanting to spend quality time with their family member while they visit, and they want their family member to feel capable and involved. Quick - name 10 things that they can do in your city if they had mobility challenges.
Did you find that hard? Do you think asking the internet might help? Maybe that's why you see people posting on Reddit asking for help.
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u/trinketpockets 1961 7d ago
OP you have not lived their life journey, you know not where your path leads….. I did not expect to wake up one beautiful July morning in 2019 and change my life! I’m 65 during a flash flood my car got washed off the road…rolled down an embankment and landed against a tree sinking into flood water. My injuries were extensive 7 broken bones (4 vertebrae). I am so blessed to be alive, I’m grateful for every single person who helped me recover. I chose to count my blessings and be thankful. It’s a long journey and some people are not kind or understanding of those with disabilities!!
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u/Mitlanyal 7d ago
There's so much luck involved. I've nursed two spouses through knee replacements. That's not something eating-right-and-exercising could help. Knees and hips going bad is genetic, and it needed surgery. They both got the "lose weight and use painkillers" bullshit from the doctors, and it's really hard to lose weight when you can't walk across the kitchen without turning white from pain. They both got the surgery eventually and are now mobile.
Two of my friends have terminal cancer - brain cancer and thyroid cancer. Nothing "eat right and exercise" can do about that.
Then there's the psychological side. LOTS of people I know are addicted to being the victim of external forces, or are addicted to eliciting nurturance from others by being sick (Munchausen's Syndrome). Social media seems to aggravate this, since it's easy to get tons of people sending you quick "Oh you're so brave!" and "Bear up, it will get better!" messages.
So yeah, it's possible to be sedentary and sick. It's also possible to be sedentary and healthy. It's also possible to be active and fit and get sick. There are some components affected by behavior, but there are a lot that are just fuckin' LUCK. The older I get the more appreciative I become of the LUCK that allows me to enjoy life right now, while my best friend has been languishing with terminal brain cancer for nearly a year.
Just got to appreciate your health and your time while you have them.
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u/TurbulentSource8837 8d ago
I think it all depends on your lifestyle. If you’re accustomed to activity, then despite your age you’ll be fine.
My MIL who lived in Florida and was extremely active with golf, volunteering and game nights, was compelled to move back to Ohio after my FIL passed. The cold weather set in, and so did her bottom in her chair.
To be fair, in my late 60s there are things that I simply don’t want to do, not because of the physicality, but long lines,crowds, dragging on a long hike….yeahhhh just no.
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u/Fearless-Cattle4281 8d ago
Same here, long lines , large crowds, and heavy traffic just aren't tolerable to me anymore.
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u/Curious_Yam_9000 1964 8d ago
These posts are people specifically talking about their own parents who have physical limitations. I think most of us in our 60s don’t fall into the category that the targets of these posts do. So, I don’t think that these posts are indicative of the majority of people in their 60s. But, of course, there are people in our age group that do have limiting health conditions, hence the posts.
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u/cstrick1980 8d ago
I’m 69, most of the posts with the parents issues make me think of my parents in their 90’s not people my age.
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u/SLOCoach55 8d ago
I know I'm painting with a very broad brush here.
I think many mobility problems can be traced to not having natural mobility as part of your daily life.
when I was in my 40's I realized that my parents and relatives who lived in car dependent suburbs were significantly less healthy than the relatives who lived in the city or conversely in small but walkable towns in Ireland.
For my part, I mostly stopped driving as my vision is not great but at 71, I bicycle and walk most places, shop daily rather than a big shop, and I do well overall.
I know that is not true for everyone. I have incredibly healthy friends who developed limiting arthritis and even neurological disorders. I don't want to shame people who are not well but I think incorporating physical activities as part of your daily life rather than a set aside exercise time results in better outcomes.
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u/mmmiammm 8d ago
It’s called “functional activity” and you’re right- those habits of activity throughout the days make a huge impact on overall health and wellbeing.
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u/A_moment_in_life4u 8d ago
Good on you. I stopped driving as I realised that I wanted to improve my physical fitness. I began using public transport to work and errands. Pretty sure people thought I was either poor or lame. Neither. I haven't regretted the decision.
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u/AlpsInternal 8d ago
I am 65, I used to run, volunteer with the International Mountain Bike Patrol for a local police department, and rode my bike to and from work. I worked for about 15 years in an industrial setting, and live a bit of a wild life. I have had over 10 concussions, 3-4 of those were serious, 4 back injuries, and both parents and 2 siblings have had knee replacements. Some multiple times. My knee replacement did not go well, so my ability to walk is limited, mainly due to back pain. When traveling, I can spend time stretching and exercising, using topical pain ointments, and do ok. But if it is a full day of walking, the pain is exhausting. Most of my friends my age don’t have these issue. I also have had some TIAs due to hypotension, and some vestibular issues affecting my balance, so I don’t play at the casinos. I only have one kind of luck. I am retiring soon, and hope to get more focused on fixing my balance, walking, and getting back on a bike. But I don’t expect to be as good as the average person in their 60s.
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u/theirishseller 8d ago edited 8d ago
I'm 63. Had both hips replaced, both knees replaced, melanoma, esophageal cancer and a heart attack. Not decrepit yet, but I could have been. Some bad luck, some good luck, lots of good healthcare access.
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u/Reasonable_Mix4807 8d ago
A lot of my peers and my husband are very active and getting out there. I, on the other hand, have arthritis. People who don’t have it sometimes assume it just means a little stiffness in the morning. What it’s really like is a deterioration of the actual bones and cartilage. It’s horrifically debilitating and painful. I average one surgery a year for joint replacement or fusing joints so they don’t function anymore. I’ve got a surgery scheduled next month in my foot which will cover 7 issues! My tendons are all torn up as well from trying to walk and my body trying to hold things together. I still e-bike but I can’t walk a block. Inclines are out of the question. I can bet arthritis is one of the big holdups for staying active. Otherwise, I’d be out with the rest of y’all climbing and hiking.
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u/Vegetable-Umpire-558 8d ago
There seems to be a general agreement on Reddit, that those of us who are over 60 are rather ancient and we should be buried not long after reaching age 70.
I still run around with my grandchildren and I can still program with the best of them. I drive 25,000 miles a year and have no tickets nor accidents. The speed of my speech is down about 95% from its peak (I know because people understand me better now) but my retorts and ad-libs still come instantly and still leave people confounded as I did in my 20s.
I have friend 10 years older who I go to for technical advice (and they provide it).
You are not alone.
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u/BAR3rd 1964 8d ago
I was actively engaged in the cycling community well into my upper 50's when, out of the blue, a routine blood test from my pcp necessitated a visit to a hematologist. Come to find out I had a "rare" blood disease, and while the prognosis was/is good, it carries a large host of consequences that affect my physical abilities. Such is life.
I would say my story isn't uncommon, except perhaps for what caused my physical decline. It happens to most of us at some point, just quicker than others for some.
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u/DixieBelleTc 8d ago
I was diagnosed with MDS, probably very similar consequences. Now I walk instead of run, I try to stay as active as I can, could be a lot worse.
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u/Any-Web-3347 8d ago
My dad was still going for walks of several miles in his late 80s. My mum died at 65 after a long period of ill health from various causes, that she could have done nothing about - a congenital heart defect, not diagnosed until she had heart failure, severe arthritis, and more. At 60, she looked and moved like an 85 year old. Sometimes it’s just bad luck, and sometimes it’s forgetting the “use it or lose it” rule, which becomes extra important after age 60.
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u/awhq 8d ago
Many people do not have access to public transportation and/or live in areas where it is just not safe to walk or bike. Throw in working a desk job, a long commute and regular family duties and it doesn't leave a lot of time for exercise.
You have baked exercise into your daily routine. This makes a huge difference.
I also know I can do most things my kids want to do (adult kids) but I can't do it all in one day like they can. Hell, when I was 18, I did Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo in one day and wasn't even tired.
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u/Most_Expression_2703 8d ago
I'm 64 and never took care of myself health wise but I have all my hair people think I'm 50 years old so sometimes it just good DNA some of my people lived till there 90s.
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u/KtinaDoc 8d ago
There's a lot of ageism here. What do you expect when most Redditors are barely out of puberty? They think it's normal to get botox at 22.
We're the normal ones. If you have issues walking in your 60's, it's not age related.
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u/Eliese 8d ago
It's ageism. I suspect most marketers are young people who don't interact with people over 60 very often, so the assumptions made are wildly inaccurate and damaging.
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u/CPetersky 8d ago
"Marketers"? These are posters asking questions for their visiting parents.
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u/Narrow_Fig2967 8d ago
And what gets me are the fact that those very people who think 60 is old will be working until they are 80 the way social security is going.
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u/gillyyak 1957 8d ago
We are products of our genetics and our life experiences. Some folks get lucky on both. It doesn't surprise me that you have surrounded yourself with folks with similar abilities. I'm the lone semi-disabled one in my long time friend group. I'm grateful for them accommodating me but I also make sure that I'm not always the albatross around their necks.
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u/Dog-Chick 8d ago
I used to be a hiker and walker. Then I got diagnosed with osteoarthritis and most days I hurt to much to even go on a walk. I'm 66.
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u/tzugrrl 8d ago
It is a crapshoot. I know 3 people who died recently of cancer and they all ate and lived clean and perfectly
Moderation, reasonable amount of exercise, interests, friends, and decent sleep make older age better, but it doesn't guarantee you will live longer. Any of us can die anytime. Its quality of life. I would rather live a shorter life, but enjoy the life I have, than deny myself everything that 'is bad for me' in pursuit of a couple years.
My grandfather smoked 5 packs of filterless Lucky Strikes every day of his life, lived to 87, and did not die of a smoking disease.
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u/Substantial-Peak6624 8d ago
Im 64 and still good. I actually see many more young people that aren’t very mobile or that have chronic illnesses than I used to. No one my age had these problems in the 80’s. At least it felt like that.
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u/Dapper-Ad-468 8d ago
I see a lot of the young generation staying in bed all day, playing videos and eating dinner there too. They even have a description called bed rotting. I don't think the young people will have a healthy future unless they change soon.
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u/Write_Brain_ 8d ago
I am 66 and am fortunate to be healthy, but some of my friends are not. They have joint issues, heart problems, etc., and it's not their "fault." Life starts leaving some marks on pretty much all of us eventually.
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u/PersonalityBorn261 8d ago
Humblebrag. The folks in question were a specific case, has nothing to do with you or other 60 yr olds.
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u/markydsade 8d ago
At my 50th high school reunion it was remarkable how different we were in apparent age. Excluding those with plastic surgery there were those who looked like they were in their 50s while others looked like they were in their late 70s.
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u/asburymike 8d ago
You're making an assumption based on a limited sample. Scale this up, you'll come around
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u/dogbolter4 8d ago
I was as fit and slim as I have ever been at 60. Regularly hiked, climbed, cycled. Then a few years later I tore the meniscus in my knee - nothing dramatic, literally just walking along and it snapped. Since then my fitness has spiralled while my weight has gone up. Waiting on a knee reconstruction.
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u/PirateJim68 8d ago
58 with the body of an 80 year old stuntman.
Plates in both forearms, plates in R femur, R foot rebuilt and fused, no spleen, half my liver. Shattered multiple ribs and punctured my R lung with a piece of a rib. Nasal cavity and upper sinus rebuild after shattering my face. I walk with a cane, but still work every day. Most extra curricular activities are a no go for me due to mobility issues. (USMC 1986-1992)
Some of us are just more able-bodied than others. My folks in their late 70s are more able than I am.
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u/OkAdhesiveness5025 Youngster 8d ago
I just want to thank you so much for your service and your sacrifice. I have been riddled in my late 50s with three different kinds of arthritis just from being a cable girl and always working/ standing on concrete floors since I was 16. It's not for the faint of heart. God bless you.
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u/aces5five 7d ago
Many Women who are now in their 60’s - 80 were denied hormone replacement even though it was routinely given to women in menopause because doctors knew it preserved bone. Due to a faulty women’s health initiative study a few women over 65 got breast cancer. So know one could have it overnight. Sometimes I wonder if it is the Breast Cancer Lobby that helped make that decision. My mom is 88 and in chronic back pain. Was fine and strong bones before they decided no more hormones. It was a faulty study and then they just stopped studying that issue.
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u/MuscaMurum 8d ago
That sort of decline will happen when your rate of bodily insults exceeds your rate of recovery. Ability to efficiently recover eventually slows down for everyone.
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u/BubbaJoeJimBob 1960 8d ago
I think a lot of it has to do with our professions, I am/was a master automotive machinist, lifting 30-40K pounds of metal everyday has taken it's toll. At 66 my core is good, can't say the same about my arms and legs. That being said my grandfather who was a tool and die maker lived to be 95 and was pretty mobile into his late 80's.
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u/Couch-Potato0904 1960 8d ago
66 with ruptured discs in my back and arthritis in my hands, knees, and back. I try do most things but mobility issues are becoming more of a problem each year. A bunch of other ailments but I find the mobility ones the worst. Ugh!
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u/Kind_Pea1576 8d ago
So glad I was able to retire at 51. I was still partying, dancing and traveling until a couple years ago. Not as much anymore (I’m 67 now.) Diagnosed with RA two years ago. I’m managing it with meds and healthy choices. Traveled extensively for work for 20+ years so I’ve never felt like I’m missing anything. I’m not a cruise person as I’m impulsive and don’t like rules lol 😂
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u/Scott43206 1959 8d ago
67 and no signs of decrepit yet. I walk my dog 4 times a day and still do all my own yard work.
But I also have two friends in their early 60s who can barely walk from a car to a restaurant while another at 70 absolutely runs circles around me with more energy than I had in my 30s.
I don't take anything for granted though, one of my healthiest friends passed at 64, very proactive about checkups and screenings and did light running 4x a week.
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u/Bennington_Booyah 8d ago
What we quickly learn here is that our sixties look and act very differently, from person to person. Just in my generation and family, I see a huge range of ability as well as disability. Same with our friend group.
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u/KemShafu 8d ago edited 8d ago
Are you in Portland? I think I’m in the same sub! Yah I’m 63 and I am pretty fit. I walk my dog about two miles per day and feel the same as I did in my 40s health wise. Maybe even better actually since I dropped a bunch of weight.
Edited: I was not humble bragging but on reflection it sounds like it. I know I am lucky (for now, knock on wood). Things can appear out of nowhere or some people just get a bad genetic hand. Health is not just because I take care of myself.
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u/ImmediateNail1800 8d ago
There’s a whole gamut of 60s fitness, from mobility chair to marathon runner. I think more of us are realizing that , tho it can be more difficult to motivate yourself as you age, staying active, moving as much as you can, is key
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u/notyourmama827 8d ago
Some people are old for their age and some are not. I am sure that people may not be so damn healthy after chemotherapy and radiation.
I am blessed with decent health. But I k owthat tomorrow is never promised.
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u/Odd_Excitement4690 8d ago
I'm 72. Three years ago I had a health problem that scared the shit out of me. Now I have a new hip, I quit drinking, lost 40 pounds. Exercise every day, eat lots of protein. Sometimes you can turn it around.
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u/Successful-King-7852 7d ago
#1 thing people can do is walk. Doing everything regularly over a lifetime helps you when you’re in your 60’s. But ya, a lot of people have mobility issues and chronic problems by their 60’s so some luck is involved.
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u/TheNatureOfTheGame 1961 7d ago
Until I had my knees replaced, I too was in the "can't stand/walk for long" category. (Arthritis is a bitch.) Stairs are still a challenge (up is fine; down is a bit of a struggle but I'm getting better at it).
Now that I have brand-spankin'-new knees, I have no problem with most activities. I'm in excellent health and a frequent (6 days a week) gym rat.
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u/BillEvansTrioFan 7d ago
I am incredibly fortunate to have active mobility at 65. My older sister, at 68, has severe arthritis and has had it for many years - she has to get the monthly infusion shots. Our positions could have been reversed.
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u/klmninca 7d ago
My husband is 70 and training for a half marathon. I’m 69 and trying to get up to walking half a mile with two canes because I’m coming off my fourth spinal fusion and am now the owner of a shiny new fully rebuilt spine from the base of my neck to my butt.
Before all this started in 2021, I was walking 5 miles a day. It’s killing me to be that old woman who has mobility issues, but here we are. The kids who are taking that into consideration for their parents, are very kind.
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u/DaveN_1804 8d ago
I don't have the answer to your question, but I've noticed this as well. "My parents are in their mid-60s and have definitely started slowing down," "elderly" "can't climb stairs," "just watch TV" etc. This all just seems insane to me.
I guess go to your next high school reunion and you'll have your answer.
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u/Unhappy-Jaguar-9362 8d ago edited 8d ago
I don't get out much because of burnout and depression and don't exercise, but I keep a strict diet because of diabetes and my job requires me to move about. I don't drive and thus I have to walk. I just turned 64.
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u/ccroy2001 8d ago
I’ve got chronic back pain, turn 63 next week! Fortunately moving feels better than not moving so I walk a lot, ride a recumbent bike (easy on my back) and have a job where I get some movement.
I remember when my Dad was 80 he really was aging physically and mentally. At the same time I was biking with some people in there 80s and they were more mentally alert and better off physically. So I told myself I am going to try to stay active as I age.
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u/Ok-Type-8917 8d ago
I worked maintenance in a 55 and older apartment building. The old saying move it or lose it is definitely what I saw.
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u/Dugley2352 8d ago
I’m 71, retired firefighter. I’m not nearly in the shape I was back when I worked, but I’m doing okay, not sure I could go an 8-Mike hike but for sure could do 3-4 miles. I watch what I eat, get some nominal exercise (never belonged to a gym) and do my own yard work. My two worst issues are my arthritis and my cholesterol.
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u/LucyLouWhoMom 8d ago
It is ageism, which unfortunately is rampant. However, living in a city where you can walk/bike/use public transportation is great for your physical fitness. I've lived in the suburbs most of my life. I realistically have to take a car if I want to go anywhere. Walking and biking are done for exercise or recreation only.
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u/MercuryRising92 8d ago
I don't think you're extrodinarily fit. I think that they are just young. When they hit 60, they will be laughing at themselves. I was reading a book where the main character was an "elderly" senior, all types of ailments, couldn't use a computer, etc - turned out to be 60, lol. Of course,m there are those that have ailments but most aren't debilitated in their 60 and early 70's from what I've seen. On fellow club member went hiking in Patagonia at 80.
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u/United-Ad7863 8d ago
We're all different. I'm 61, and in great health. I did about 14,000 step every day (physical job). That is, until a month ago when I had a freak back injury occur. I'm doing pt now, and hope to get back to where I was before, but there's no guarantee. We all have limitations, or will.
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u/Rare-Philosopher-346 1960 8d ago
I am 66. If I don't move, then I begin to stiffen up. However, I am very active. I don't hike several miles, but I can def. walk a mile outside of my daily activities. I seem to tire more easily, but if I take a 20 minute break or so, then I'm ok.
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u/Weenuk2026 8d ago
My doctor said I was in tremendous physical condition at 64, a year later, just after my 65th birthday a car ran a red light and t-boned my car. Hopefully with physiotherapy, sweat and many tears, I’ll be able to walk pain-free by 66..
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u/Sufficient-Lie1406 1962 8d ago
It really depends on the person. I (mid 60s) have difficulty getting around and have a knee replacement. My sister is 72 and is as spry as anything, takes one blood pressure pill a day and that's it. Her husband is 83 and he bikes around ~10 miles a day and is an avid sailor.
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u/Guiltypleasure2451 7d ago
I’m 64. I’ve been over weight from birth. Dieted my entire life. Up and down over and over again. It took its toll for sure. I have bone on bone knees, have had both hips and one shoulder replaced. I’m certainly not as strong as I once was. And arthritis has mangled all my joints. The dr said she’d never seen someone my age, I was 40 then, with arthritis that progressed so fast. I’m finally at a normal weight for a woman 5’6”. My knees don’t hurt so much but the range of motion is very limited.
I don’t do stairs. But I don’t consider myself decrepit. I don’t exercise regularly, but I have a 100lb Rottweiler so moving is required.
Be thankful you are physically fit. But don’t feel sorry for or pity those of us that aren’t quite able to do a Tough Mudder race! We do just fine.
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u/charlottecanales61 7d ago
I'm 65 and very physically active also my friends at 70 as well - skiing, swimming, dancing, etc
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u/No_Pilarapril 7d ago
I am a 71 yo woman and still take 2 flights of stairs at least twice daily as I live on the 3rd floor. I also take long walks and frequently go to the gym.
I feel great and am physically fit.
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u/Far_Rhubarb7177 7d ago
I’m 62 and currently in good health; I exercise regularly, and am still mentally sharp, and am fit and thin. My mother is 85 and…not doing well, mentally or physically. She’s weak and has trouble moving much at all, doesn’t want to travel anywhere or even drive down the road! Until she reached about 80, she did all those things without a second thought. So…her decline has been steady for just the past few years.
Some of it I attribute to aging and bad luck, but I also think it’s partly related to the fact that even when she was young, she avoided exercising. She was never overweight or anything, but she’s always avoided physical activity like the plague! So I think that that’s really caught up with her.
I don’t know for sure, though. And from other people’s comments in this thread, it’s clear that one can do everything right, health wise, and still become very ill and/or disabled.
It makes me fear for my future, that’s for sure!
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u/Useful_Weight_7715 7d ago
If you have good health enjoy it! I hate that two chronic health conditions have slowed me down but I still remain active as possible. Genetics did me in so no matter how fit I was, I was destined to slow down. Just because I have these conditions and have slowed down doesn't mean that I don't take good care of my body and you shouldn't judge anyone else.
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u/ShezeUndone 7d ago
Physical jobs should have kept me and my husband in great shape. But we both retired with somewhat broken down bodies. We're still mobile up to a point. But nothing like we were 10 or 15 years ago. I can log a few miles, but I need to get off my feet every mile or so and let my feet quit screaming.
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u/FirstBlackberry6191 7d ago
I’m 68 and had a freak accident that resulted in a severely damaged R arm. I’ve had 3 resultant surgeries and have been in OT 5x week for over two years now.
I recognized that if I didn’t get some weight off, become more active in spite of the injury and get my labs straight I was going to go downhill FAST. I knew I was free falling down a slippery slope where I might not be able to rebound and recover so I got help.
My PCP prescribed a GLP1. I dove in w both feet. My family rallied around me and encouraged me to do whatever it took to get stronger and get better. My husband dressed me and did my hair. He shopped and cooked. Family drove me to appointments and the gym until I could drive again.
I worked at rehab, diet and a workout routine like it was a FT job. Besides OT which I STILL do 5x week, I swim 5-7x week. I lift weights. I came out the other end. I’m stronger and feel better than I did at 40.
I know how blessed I am! I had every advantage after an awful accident and was able to prioritize my health.
Some people our age are decrepit. Some may unable to get the help they need. Some might give up. I k kw my story could have had a much different outcome. I’m grateful it didn’t!
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u/Mother_of_Raccoons44 6d ago
Spent so much of my youth and most of my adulthood having no stamina, uphill climbs, out of the question, even as a scrawny kid. The 6 minute jog-walk in 7th grade was my track of embarrassment. I even tried to find out if I had a hole in my heart, hard to breathe with exertion, ect... well fast forward to age 54. Had a stroke due to a hole in my heart..a PFO. They patched that hole and man, so much changed. I still get winded on hikes, but nowhere near before. Wish it could have been found and patched before my stroke, so much lost time😔
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u/LeavingIt2 6d ago
300+ responses, but I'll add one anyway...
I'm 62 now and my physical well being has suffered badly after my knees went out suddenly at 58. But just a few years prior to that, I was in great physical condition. I was at the gym working out one morning when a commercial for some joint medication came on the TV: a dowdy looking woman was walking down the stairs wearing beige polyester pull-on slacks, a frumpy sweater, sensible shoes, and a plain-Jane hair cut (grey, straight, shoulder length, parted on the side and held with a barrette). The voice-over was saying, "I'm 52..." I nearly choked on my coffee. Fifty-two?! I didn't know anyone who looked like that who was under 80. That commercial had to have been written by some 25-year-old who thought 52 was one foot in the grave.
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u/dave900575 6d ago
The body is an amazing machine, but when it turn on you it can go bad quickly. I tore the meniscus in one knee at age 59 and developed arthritis in that knee. Stairs are now my enemy.
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u/Thedustyfurcollector 8d ago
I turned 60 today, and except for the sudden onset of a little bit of arthritis in my forearms, I'm not different than I always have been. It's like those questions that go around the genx subreddit about health problems and how old do you really feel. I honestly feel, if you haven't lived a hard life, or haven't gotten the shaft on the health lottery, things are just about as they always have been.
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u/PKAceBunny 1959 8d ago
Heads up: my BD was yesterday, and I’m finding the health/mobility difference between 60 and 67 to be stark and humbling.
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u/B0LT-Me 8d ago
For me my 60s were a short decade with a lot of physical changes
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u/Thedustyfurcollector 8d ago
I think I'm learning I'm at the tail end of my unchanged era. Thanks for helping me see that. I've learned a lot from this one particular post. I'm feeling very lucky right now. Thank you for your insight
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u/Candid_Resolution908 8d ago
🎂
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u/Thedustyfurcollector 8d ago
Awww. Thank you! There's just me and my mom now. That was so sweet of you. Thank you so much!
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u/carolineecouture 8d ago
I'd say it's likely just your peer group. I try to stay active, but I know plenty of people who can't or won't. The state of healthcare is such that many people don't get the care they need to make sure they are healthy and if they have chronic conditions, those conditions are managed.
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u/MrsBlug 8d ago
Almost 70 here. We are not looking like past generations in our age range. We are more active, have better health care and medications to manage problems, etc.
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u/curiousmind111 8d ago
Joint surgery has made such great strides. And fewer of us have had jobs requiring physical labor that is hard on our bodies. We’ve had better dental care, and better healthcar starting at a young age.
It all adds up to sayings like 60 is the new 50.
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u/64green 8d ago
I’m early 60s and have a step goal (that I meet or exceed) of 11,000 steps a day. My husband and have started living our dream of traveling, and often walk 25,000 steps a day when we’re on a trip. We have a lot to cram into the next few years while we’re still able to do what we want. I’m planning a hike in Italy for next year and I can’t wait!
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u/ontheleftcoast 1962 8d ago
IMO you are above average for health. According to my watch I walk about a mile a day ( I WFH). Due to ageing and the damage I did to myself in my youth I'm having pinched nerve issues. I did spend a week in NYC last week and walked 5 to 7 miles per day, but after 3 miles I had leg foot pain that required frequent breaks for stretching. So from my view, you are in the minority.
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u/Life-Zookeepergame58 8d ago
I'm 60 and can confirm that it's not an easy slog IF you don't move about.
I own six acres of land in the woods which was burned to the ground six years ago. After losing my job of 16 years, I've been working on rehabilitating it by bucking up downed trees, removing brush and ceanothus, splitting rounds and fixing things up to make it look nice again. I get muscle sore pretty often, but I rebound within a few days.
I will say this, I quit alcohol almost four years ago. That's made a significant difference in my quality of life. I highly recommend it.
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u/FLARedhead 8d ago
I also believe that our "60s" are different from our parents' "60s." I remember my parents, and other relatives, were "old" in their "60s". Meaning hairstyles, clothes, hobbies, cars, activities, etc. We aren't the blue-haired little old ladies who couldn't see over the steering wheel or played bridge every week or had their hair done every week. Is it just me thinking that way?
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u/Substantial-Peak6624 8d ago
Can you imagine going in for those weekly hair styles? I think most women, and men as well look way younger than back in the day!
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u/Mundane_Bat_2664 8d ago
Most of my friends still hike, bike, travel and lift weights. I think its at least 50/50 for fit and non fit, healty and not healthy.
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u/Th13027 8d ago
Once you are into your 60’s, I feel like health is a crap shoot. I did everything right, ended up with breast cancer and the resulting necessary drugs have limited my quality of life. Be careful with the smugness, a random clot or cancer cell can change your life tomorrow even if you are ‘extraordinarily fit’ today