Mature women putting themselves down

W

waterlily

Cathlete
Hey guys,

I have a pet peeve with people who put thmeselves down because of their age. I always read about women who say they can't do exercises because they are old: I can't run because I am fifty of I am forty with a big belly. Don't people realise that age is just a number? You can run at 50 and I know teenagers with huge stomachs. Why put limits on yourself because you are mature. It seems so silly to me. People are chickening out from a challenge and use age as an excuse.What are your thoughts on this.
 
My mum is 57 and only started exercising two years ago. She loves it and can lift as heavy as me. She wonders now why she didn't do it earlier. Of course you can exercise at any age.
 
I hear what you're saying...Some may use age just as an excuse, but I also think intense exercise could be intimidating to many. Let's face it, most folks can't just START with running when they're in their 40s or 50s and are not in shape. They'd have to walk first or follow a run/walk program and build up gradually. And then there are those who really CAN'T run because of injuries and so forth - of course, this doesn't mean they can't find an alternative exercise program that is gentler to the body. However, I'm kind of a "live and let live" person, so my view is if they don't want to exercise, it's on them.
 
Perhaps it's fear of failure or just a way to stay on the path of least resistance (which is often the path to a multitude of highly preventable health issues). It's easier to stay on the couch and complain, make excuses, lament and so on than to get up and do something (anything!) about it. It's sad really, they are oblivious to the fact that exercising is not only good for the body but does amazing things for the mind and spirit. When I hear people say things like 'I can't do this or that' I tend to keep my mouth shut or simply say, 'it's not that you can't, it's that you choose not to'. I discovered that statement to be a quick way to pi$$ off my sister:+

Take Care
Laurie:)
 
I have a friend who competed in a Trialthalon a few weeks ago - the man who won was in his fifties. Also, one of my parent's neigbors is 93 and he still mows his own grass, does all his own yard work, paints his house, heck he even built a fence for another neighbor last week!

Tina
 
Back in 1999 I met an 80-year-old woman in Phoenix who ran 5K and 10K marathons. She started running in her 60's. And she was the essence of What's-The-Big-Deal-I-Just-Do-It. She's who I want to be in 35 years.

A-Jock
 
I don't know anybody who puts themselves down because of age. In fact, most of my friends are "mature", and we're a healthy, active bunch. Where do you hear this?

I am 50 (or will be in 3 weeks). Every day I run 3 miles and do a workout video (Cathe, Firm Classics) as well. :)
 
I think that people in general just become more of who they've always been (unless you work on it over the years)...
If someone feels "less than" because of age I bet that felt "less than" in many areas of their life along the way....
 
I am thinking many just don't want to put forth the effort it takes to keep in shape. They don't want to give up what they love to eat.
I have a sister in law that says she wants to exercise, but I think to the idea of giving up some of the fried foods she loves... and the fact that her hubby(my hubbies brother)gives her NO support.
I think she has lost 10-20 lbs at a time and then gains it back, cause she goes back to the same thing she was doing. Thats the case of most women I know. I don't know, maybe low self esteem?

Rhonda
 
Waterlilly,

I'm 55, and I'm going strong. Never heard of such a thing.

Janie

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return"
Nature Boy by eden ahbez 1908-1995
 
I understand what you are saying. There are many women my age that look, feel and act old. Age is clearly a state of mind. I'm 44, look 30ish, act as though I'm 20ish. I find it easier to talk with women in their 20's than I do women my own age.

Now having said that, I do CHOOSE not to do some things I did in my 20's. I'm kinder to my joints than I was in my younger years. I choose not to run, not that I can't. I modify Cathe's airborn jumping jacks to plyo jacks. My heart rate rises with those just the same. I imagine I'm running when I'm on my elliptical, does that count?! LOL
I do not diet like I did in my 20's. Now I eat to be healthy vs. thin. Funny thing when you eat healthy, thin always follows!
I pay closer attention to the foods that will promote bone density as I approach menopause. I never thought about those things in my 20's.
 
I don't think it actually has anything to do with age at all, but just the fact that don't want to exercise. My sister, for instance, is 47, and literally hates to exercise. She knows she needs to do it, and I think at some level she wants to do it, but she always has an excuse. She has not used her age as an excuse YET, but she has used everything else. I even used to teach an aerobics class. My mother used to come all the time. My sister tried only twice. She never even made it through a full class. Not because it was too hard, but because she kept finding excuses to stop, i.e. my niece would need something. I recently let her borrow my treadmill. She thought she would walk on the treadmill if it was where she could watch t.v. Didn't happen. The cat had kittens too close and she was afraid the kittens would get under it/in it or something while she was exercising. Like she couldn't move the kittens while she was on it. Now there is too much stuff sitting around it, and she can't fold it down. There is always an excuse. Bottom line, she doesn't want to do it. I'm going to get my treadmill back this weekend.
 
Waterlily,
I tend to agree with you. I sometimes say things about being 50 as a joke, but I don't really believe that I am any less capable of doing exercises like running and lifting heavy than anyone else.

As it happens, however, I have been super-duper cautious all of my life, at every age. I know people who did too much in their youth, who are permanently injured. For some reason that I don't fully understand, I am completely and totally unwilling to ever be injured. I think it's because I so completely abhor the idea of being helpless, even temporarily, that emotionally I just couldn't handle an injury. It's just my personality, I guess. I prefer walking to running, always have, and probably always will.

-Nancy

ETA: Dorothy, I love being called mature! If only it were true! ;) :p :+
 
Funny, I'm 51 and I've never really thought of myself as "mature". I think 80 is the new 50.

Oh--I hate cardio at any age--not because I can't do it--but simply because I HATE it:p :7
 
I work with many women younger than my 48 years. They are all taking a host of prescriptions for various maladies that most likely could be resolved or improved by lifestyle changes. They too have all the reasons why they aren't exercising or eating healthy. Why are people just so willing to lay down and let their health deteriorate like this? If they are this bad at 39 I wonder what they'll be like at 69 (well if they live that long!)? I'd much rather take the risk of injuring myself exercising than taking the risk of not exercising.

When I'm 105 I hope the coroner will be prying the barbell from my cold dead fingers.
 
TK, that's what I always think too, when I see people younger than myself who can't walk a flight of stairs and are already on meds. And I'm only 37 (as of last week!) so these others are barely into their thirties!

I have several overweight cousins, all younger, and it just makes me sad to think what they are going to be like at 37, 47 etc. And you know, it's really not that hard to take care of yourself (We Catheities tend to do more than average and can't be considered the norm, I think) All "regular" people have to do is power walk a few times a week, take a yoga class, change up the diet a bit, the basics will help tremendously. Yet they refuse. the mind boggles.

Sparrow


My garden is filled with papayas and mangos
My life is a mixture of reggaes and tangos
Taste for the good life, I can live it no other way
- Jimmy Buffett
 
It's an incredible blessing that we are able to exercise and I count it as such everyday. I think if many of these women who are inactive could just taste a day of "active" life...maybe it would be different. I did my first triathlon 3 weeks ago and the "strongest" group was above 40. THE STRONGEST GROUP was over 40. Take a moment to take that in. AND the coolest group was the over 60's. I want to complete tri's when I'm 80...don't care how long it takes...I will finish. Keep encouraging those friends and maybe one day......

Briee
 
I heard a report on NPR yesterday, on my way home from riding 40 miles in the lovely leaf color/blue sky countryside, about a 76 year old woman who was running in the Hawaii Ironman for the 21st time!!!

It said you could follow any athlete's progress on the Ironman website, so I did. At that point she had finished the 2.4 mile openwater swim and was 10 miles into the 112 mile bike ride. I checked this morning and she had finished the Ironman in 16 hrs. The winner, a 33 yr old man, finished in 8:11.

I sometimes have the privilege of riding with a 68 yr old triathlete here in NC who kicks my butt. I wanna be like these folks in a few years, and based on the shape I'm in now, I might very well be.

I broke my legs as a drunken teenager, so have some joint issues and asymmetry that keep me from being long distance runner, and so I'd be crazy to try for a marathon or an Ironman, but I do a lot, and I'm in better shape than ever. Better shape than my 21 yr old daughter, also a triathlete. She can outrun me, but I can out bike, out swim and definitely out weightlift her. And the year she was born, that 76 year old woman did her first IRONMAN!!

I am 49 years old, and although I'd love to be younger and I take care of myself and I know I can't go on like this forever, I certainly am pleased with my physical fitness, I feel great. I look pretty damn good too. And my peer group mostly look like Idaho potatoes with wigs. }(

Liane
 
I don't think people really believe any age is too old to exercise, it's just an excuse. There are many young people who don't exercise, too, but they just use different excuses. I'm too tired, I'm too busy, I don't like the gym, I have no one to exercise with, etc., etc. The "I am too old" is just another excuse people use. We all know people in great shape in their 40's, 50's and beyond.
 
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