Training for the worst day of your life / personal self defense

[badmotorscooter]

Qxxx, I am a 58 year old male with several medical issues. Also a lucky recipient of head and neck radiation treatment that left permanent damage.

Working out and staying in shape can be challenging. But it makes me feel better. I will not lay down and grow old and feeble. Giving in and surrendering to a more sedentary lifestyle will only make things worse... I still hold down a job and eat up physical labor like nobody's business. It's a choice and a commitment that requires discipline. But the benefits far out weigh the effort...

I realize some people are in a worse place medically. But they shouldn't give up, they too can improve their quality of life within their limitations. This could be very beneficial for a worst day in your life situation...

 

[Qxxx]

BMS, thanks for the explanation. The workout you mentioned sounded like something a 25 yo might do, given the intensity of it. Likewise, the more crofter talks about her training regimen, the more like I feel like I wandered into the wrong thread, lol. All I can talk about is a few bits and pieces I carry in my pack. Gosh.

 

[ckelly78z]

Qxxx,  I am a 58 year old male with several medical issues.  Also a lucky recipient of head and neck radiation treatment that left permanent damage.

Working out and staying in shape can be challenging.  But it makes me feel better.  I will not lay down and grow old and feeble.  Giving in and surrendering to a more sedentary lifestyle will only make things worse...  I still hold down a job and eat up physical labor like nobody's business.  It's a choice and a commitment that requires discipline.  But the benefits far out weigh the effort...

I realize some people are in a worse place medically.  But they shouldn't give up, they too can improve their quality of life within their limitations.  This could be very beneficial for a worst day in your life situation...

 This sounds like my life...radiation to the chest/neck caused many problems, and chemo drugs caused later CHF, and eventual new pace maker. I still get out there and cut/split firewood, do all sorts of building projects on my farm, and stay very active. At 54 years old, I look/act like i'm 40, but sometimes feel like i'm 70. I don't add weight lifting to my daily pain (no pain meds either, I live clean).

 

[badmotorscooter]

ckelly78z, handling an axe is a very valuable skill and excellent exercise.

Way to go on beating cancer!

Working on your property is a great way to stay fit. I too enjoy physical projects on my property.

Just to clarify I don't lift heavy weights any more. Just a thorough full bodywork workout to stay lean and tone, never anything heavier than 150 lbs. Back in my mid to late 30's I used to compete in powerlifting, but that can take a toll on one's joints if continued for too long.

My workouts take 20 - 30 minutes and I run 2.25 miles in under 16 minutes. So I only have to invest about 3 hours a week total, not an unmanageable amount of time. A good 15 - 20 minutes of intense physical exercise daily is plenty for staying fit, it's an efficient and natural regimen.

Farming/homesteading work is excellent physical exercise that goes a long way for keeping someone healthy...

 

[ckelly78z]

At 5'10 185#, i'm not a runner, and really never have been. Back in high school, I had a 38" vertical jump, and could dunk a basketball, and did well at the high/long jump in track, but a bad car accident a few years ago (drunk ran a stop sign into the side of my car...both doing 60 mph) ensured that I shouldn't be running, or jumping any longer with a pelvis shattered in 10 places. I do excercises in the pool, and walk quite a bit.

 

[badmotorscooter]

Ouch! I can't even imagine the long recovery...

How did the pelvic thing turn out?

 

[crofter]

 excercises in the pool, and walk 

The pool is a great resource, especially nice for back injuries as it puts a natural traction on your back to stretch everything out again.  Water walking is great for your legs and core.  Awesome job this week CK!  - crofter

 

[crofter]

My workouts take 20 - 30 minutes and I run 2.25 miles in under 16 minutes.  So I only have to invest about 3 hours a week total, not an unmanageable amount of time.  A good 15 - 20 minutes of intense physical exercise daily....

Awesome job this week badmotorscooter!    -crofter

 

[crofter]

....easy walks anymore....
On diet: half and half, meat and veggies, so you're not getting overloads of the bad stuff on either side. The biggest change I've made over the past year is to lessen the amount of grains, rice, and pasta (carbs) and increase the amounts of basic veggies, like onions, peppers, green beans, asparagus, etc. in my cooking. Improve the lipid scores.

Awesome job this week on situational awareness and being prepared Q!  Also on pursuing a healthy diet! You have not told us your mileage this week and can post your results here. Keep on walking!  -crofter

 

[crofter]

This week my workouts were about 2 hours per day, part of that walking for cardiovascular fitness and part light weights. Mileage was 21 total. Still following keto diet and did not gain any weight this week. Yay!    -crofter

 

[crofter]

This week my workouts were about 2 hours per day, part of that walking for cardiovascular fitness and part light weights. Mileage was 21 total. Still following keto diet and did not gain any weight this week. Yay!    -crofter

Also got some good info from the links on sleep. And I zoned out for quite a while with a link on meditation. I did feel a lot less stressed after doing that.  -crofter

 

[Qxxx]

... 2 hours per day .... Mileage was 21 total. 

Woof, it would be embarassing to trade stories with you and the other 2 guys. When I mentioned you had left out a "nap in the afternoon" the other day, I was meaning just listening to your exercise regimen made me tired, LOL. (it was a joke). 

Somehow or other, I developed a hip strain during my trip to Montana in the summer, and it was still bothering me last month, so I'm just getting back into taking my little walks on the little hills behind where I live. I did 4 easy hikes on that trip, including Steamboat Rock at Grand Coulee and Mt Helena, which are about my limit anymore. Easy peasy. Hip and knees are ... oof. But I'm looking forward to the desert. I hope the other guys stay around to trade stories with you .

 

[crofter]

"just getting back into taking my little walks on the little hills behind where I live. "

I wish I was running, but I am also walking. I have my cardiologist appt next week and hope they keep me. They really push diet and exercise at this clinic.   -crofter

 

[Qxxx]

About the best I can say is, I'm pretty healthy for my age. Had the blood work and annual doctor physical last month and things look good. I spent 25 years living in Colorado and hiked a "lot" of mountains, and I think there are a lot of residual effects from that (other than worn out joints). So far, not subject to a lot of problems that do affect people my age due to a lifetime of little exercise. I do walk about twice as fast as the average mover.

So, trying to maintain a reasonably healthy diet more than hit the gym 2 hours a day. There seems to be a lot of evidence that people have chronic low-level inflammation which leads to all sorts of disease, so I'm adding more antioxidant spices to the diet. Supposedly one of the best things is to eat a handful of almonds a day. That's fun, they are so darn hard to crunch.

 

[badmotorscooter]

21 miles sounds good, I don't have any device to measure my walking/running mileage other than my measured running route.

Cayenne pepper! 1/4 teaspoon in 8 ounces of warm water every morning. Many health benefits, but excellent for inflammation and cardiovascular health.

 

[Qxxx]

I wish I was running, but I am also walking. I have my cardiologist appt next week and hope they keep me. They really push diet and exercise at this clinic.   -crofter

I'm a little surprised that a cardiology clinic might be pushing a keto diet. But I'm just guessing here.

BMS, cayenne and chilli peppers are a little hot for me, but I've been adding cumin and garlic powder when cooking the past few months. Also got ginger. One thing about the almonds is your belly feels quite full after eating a handful, so supposedly helpful for controlling weight. Today's experiment was to eat them differently. Put in the front of the mouth and use the front teeth to strip off layer after layer, rather than crunching on the back molars which hurt after a while. The new method works.

 

[Qxxx]

I've been thinking a bit about the term "worst day of your life". For most of us, that will mean either disease or bad auto accident as we've heard, with probably higher probability than meeting bad guys. A very lot to think about. First, try to live as healthy a life as possible, via exercise and diet. Moderation in all things. Secondly, stay off the highways. ??? Hmm, I've almost been killed twice on the highway in my van in the past two years, or at least just missed. Both cases, on freeways in major cities.

 

[ckelly78z]

Ouch!  I can't even imagine the long recovery...

How did the pelvic thing turn out?

This accident was 7 years ago, and honestly, other than some arthritis, and bad weather aching, I do remarkably well. It took 3 weeks of no movement, and 3 weeks of physical therapy before I was allowed to put any weight on it. I finally went back to work (in a factory) in Mid January, and promised myself that I wouldn't limp (and haven't).

I also had 4 broken ribs, and 2 bones broken in my foot at the same time...not much you can do for rib pain.

 

[badmotorscooter]

It's good to hear your recovery turned out as well as can be expected!

I think your attitude has a lot do with that, good job!

Yup, had a few cracked ribs before, don't sneeze or laugh! Ouch!

 

[Qxxx]

Oof, pelvic injury makes one's nerves hurt. Jimmy Carter recently fell and fractured his pelvis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6538139/
"One-third of all fractures and 73% of all pelvic injuries occur in the elderly. Although the overall incidence of a pelvic ring injury is estimated at 20-37/100,000 per year, the incidence rises to 92/100,000 per year for the population aged over 65 years".

73%. Fragile patients. Got to keep those muscles strong into old age.