Age isn't what it used to be

[Pinhead]

The politest way I can say this is bloody hell

I was in a cafe yesterday, Morrisons, sitting outside, when two cyclists came in, and sat near me as I had my bike,We were chatting when we started discussing age, I am 65, they were 77 and 79, if they "looked" 60 I would be amazed!

I remember when my grandparents were "old" at 65, no they had not had a miners life but they were old, I remember occasionally when your parents comment that people were expected to slow down and be less active when they "grew old after 60 !!!"

These days your "time, age in years" appears to be irrelevant, my father used to say "there are old young people and there are young old people"


When I say I really do NOT in any way shape or form feel older that 30-40 ever (doctors last week fit across the board except type 2 diabetes, and a few years back I was 22 stone, now under 14.

What is your opinion, is "age" by "years" now a thing of the past

[Audax67]

No, we just haven't caught up with the idea of living longer than our parents. Here in France at least, life expectancy has increased by 14 years over the last 50. E.g. my father had T2 diabetes as well and died at 73; I'm 76 and still cycling, albeit with a motor for hills and wind (and just plain fun).

[Cugel]

No, we just haven't caught up with the idea of living longer than our parents. Here in France at least, life expectancy has increased by 14 years over the last 50. E.g. my father had T2 diabetes as well and died at 73; I'm 76 and still cycling, albeit with a motor for hills and wind (and just plain fun).

The average age of death has improved compared to when I were a lad, 283 years ago. However .....

If you look about in a people-watching fashion, you'll notice a wide range of human .... conditions, let's call them. Cyclists and similar addicts of the demanding exercises may look extremely good for their age, in 70s and 80s even; and I did once do LVRC races involving a 90-summick year old, although we gave him a handicap advantage, the wily ole rascal.

But, sadly, the majority of those kept going by the soft lifestyles of modernity can also be degraded both physically and mentally by those same lifestyles. The NHS, for example, is largely filled with older folk who have, in large part, become decrepit through lives of self-neglect & self-indulgence. When I worked (spit) in an office, the great majority were already decrepit, in their various styles, aged in their 30s and 40s. Junk fud & drank, no exercise, smoking and other intoxicants etc. ruled ... and still do. These days we now have UPF to contend with as well!

Personally I am thrifty as well as allergic to pain and discomforts (except for the sort that make it nice when you stop, like cycling). I also hope to obtain maximum return from the pension scheme. So, its bike, swim, gym, forest walking, proper grub and no binging on the grog for moi.

Funnily enough, what might seem a lack of, or exclusion from, the common "pleasures" of junkfud & drank et al also turn out to be rather superior pleasures in themselves, as all cyclists will know. A fit physical helps keep a fit mental, even if it does tire you out for a bit; and keeping the thrusting muscles well-honed by cycling is very useful for other pleasurable, er, "sports".

[PH]

You have to factor in your changing viewpoint. I see many in their 70's and 80's who still look young to a 63yo me, I've a feeling I might not have viewed them so favourably if I were twenty.

[Nearholmer]

UK average life expectancy in 1950 was about 69, and it’s now about 82, and it’s still slowly rising, but as Cugel suggests there is, probably always has been, a wide spread either side of the average, and to my observation a high percentage of those who go beyond average have one sort of illness/disability/“condition” or another to contend with, and presumably a fair number of those who don’t make it to the average are in the same boat, but younger. I’ve met some impressively ancient and impressively fit people at “cycling cafes”, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t very representative of the population as a whole!

Anecdata: my mother had to give up cycling at 82 due to balance problems, but was, still is, generally very fit and has now handsomely exceeded average; her father was a daily utility cyclist and played a round of golf most days, came home one evening aged 84, put his bike in the shed, his golf bag in its usual place (right in the way at the foot of the stairs), and died peacefully in his sleep that night. Both non-smokers, both barely touched a drop, both daily exercise, light or heavy.

[a.twiddler]

You have to factor in your changing viewpoint. I see many in their 70's and 80's who still look young to a 63yo me, I've a feeling I might not have viewed them so favourably if I were twenty.

When I was younger I used to be irritated by the aged, unaware dodderers shuffling around the local supermarket on my visits. Perhaps the irritation was fuelled by the lurking awareness that this was a snapshot of my not too distant future. Yet today, I am still irritated by the aged, unaware dodderers shuffling about and the worrying thing is that most of them are probably younger than me! Despite my bulging medicine cabinet I am fortunate to still be active, ride a motorbike, can still cycle on two wheels, even run up the stairs on a good day. I was never an athlete and certainly have never been inside a gym since I left the RAF 48 years ago so it's certainly not that. My diet isn't exceptionally healthy. Certainly when I think of my parents and grandparents they were aged by the hard lives they led but then modern life is no less hard in many respects.

There's no simple answer. Perhaps good fortune, your own attitude, refusal to be a victim whatever life throws at you. If the majority view of society is that you are old at such and such an age and everyone of that age behaves as if they are, then most people would conform. If a majority view is different, there is more likelihood that a proportion of people of that age will continue to follow an active life, following their lifelong hobbies and interests if they can. For those that can, we should be grateful for our good health and have due consideration for those that can't.

If my 20 year old self could see me now he would probably be aghast at the sight of the decrepit old git he was going to become, and my current self, despite admiring all that youthful strength, energy, and belief in his own indestructibility, would probably think he was an irritating young twerp who knew nothing about life and should have listened to his parents' advice more. Such is life.

[Pinhead]

No, we just haven't caught up with the idea of living longer than our parents. Here in France at least, life expectancy has increased by 14 years over the last 50. E.g. my father had T2 diabetes as well and died at 73; I'm 76 and still cycling, albeit with a motor for hills and wind (and just plain fun).

The average age of death has improved compared to when I were a lad, 283 years ago. However .....

If you look about in a people-watching fashion, you'll notice a wide range of human .... conditions, let's call them. Cyclists and similar addicts of the demanding exercises may look extremely good for their age, in 70s and 80s even; and I did once do LVRC races involving a 90-summick year old, although we gave him a handicap advantage, the wily ole rascal.

But, sadly, the majority of those kept going by the soft lifestyles of modernity can also be degraded both physically and mentally by those same lifestyles. The NHS, for example, is largely filled with older folk who have, in large part, become decrepit through lives of self-neglect & self-indulgence. When I worked (spit) in an office, the great majority were already decrepit, in their various styles, aged in their 30s and 40s. Junk fud & drank, no exercise, smoking and other intoxicants etc. ruled ... and still do. These days we now have UPF to contend with as well!

Personally I am thrifty as well as allergic to pain and discomforts (except for the sort that make it nice when you stop, like cycling). I also hope to obtain maximum return from the pension scheme. So, its bike, swim, gym, forest walking, proper grub and no binging on the grog for moi.

Funnily enough, what might seem a lack of, or exclusion from, the common "pleasures" of junk food & drank et al also turn out to be rather superior pleasures in themselves, as all cyclists will know. A fit physical helps keep a fit mental, even if it does tire you out for a bit; and keeping the thrusting muscles well-honed by cycling is very useful for other pleasurable, er, "sports".

I think a lot of what you say is true, I have NEVER been a fit person as in playing as a child, running, football, all down to what didn't exist then Autism However we ate healthily to an extent, no fast foods back then proper meals. I later started to smoke from 21 ! and stopped at 30, YEARS back, but I have always even as a single father raised MY sons on proper food, even today stews, fresh food and NEVER fizzy drinks, from as young as I can remember water.

But it is also a frame of mind, I believe that back a while life was dull, these days there is SO much to do

[531colin]

2020 modal age at death for UK males was 87.

[VinceLedge]

It is interesting that the media hasn't really caught up with the fact that there is now a big 60+ age group who are fit, healthy and active. You still get statements about how amazing it is that a 60+ year old has taken up eg. paddle boarding or been sky diving etc.

There is of course the opposite end of the spectrum with a significant number of inactive, often overweight older people who will be likely to live to an older age than previously but with a range of health problems.

[Audax67]

I often think that doctors and dentists do jobs that are just as soul-destroying as those of factory workers: same old problems and virtually interchangeable patients year after year. I don't know how they stand it.

[fastpedaller]

I often think that doctors and dentists do jobs that are just as soul-destroying as those of factory workers: same old problems and virtually interchangeable patients year after year. I don't know how they stand it.

The financial income possibly helps , but they must have a difficult time (the responsibility must be immense), so fair play to them.

[fastpedaller]

I recall the old saying " if you don't try then you surely won't succeed" or something like that, and at 65 i don't feel any older than when 35, except for the back clicking and big effort taking a longer recovery time. My Father-In-Law passed last Christmas at 93 years, and by his own admission, he'd never done a day's exercise in his life. Sure, we are all getting older .... a friend of mine (not a cyclist) won't do any vigorous exercise "in case he gets arthritis" he's younger than I, and his logic defies me! Just do what exercise you enjoy and as long as it harms nobody else, at least you've done it! If I suffer in old age it will be less than the mental suffering of "If only I'd done....."

[maximus meridius]

This is what Bryan Johnson is doing.

https://protocol.bryanjohnson.com/

[Cugel]

I recall the old saying " if you don't try then you surely won't succeed" or something like that, and at 65 i don't feel any older than when 35, except for the back clicking and big effort taking a longer recovery time. .... Sure, we are all getting older .... a friend of mine (not a cyclist) won't do any vigorous exercise "in case he gets arthritis" he's younger than I, and his logic defies me! Just do what exercise you enjoy and as long as it harms nobody else, at least you've done it! If I suffer in old age it will be less than the mental suffering of "If only I'd done....."

I had a friend like yourn. He got a bike but wouldn't risk riding it anywhere but on the dead-flat Fylde in nice weather. "My family has a history of heart attacks!", he cried. I tried to point out that they probably had 'em through lack of exercise and never getting their heart rate above the their customary resting rate of 72bpm (shoulda been 42 like mine) but this argument didn't take.

Myself, I wish to remain aged 15 and three quarters until the day I drop dead of effort trying to stick to the ladywife's back wheel up some Welsh hill. She's promised to put my corpse across her top tube so as to get me back to the compost heap. But if I'm just too heavy or she's too tired from hill-killing me, I've told her to just kick my corpse into the ditch, as by then I won't care and crows need to eat.

[Pinhead]

dead-flat Fylde