Mid-sixties here. I recently met with my financial advisor who said to do the things I want to do now, because the next five years of my life will be the best five years of my life. That is not to say the five years after that will not be good, but we all will experience gradual decline. Can you still do everything you did 10 years ago? Do you groan a little when getting out of a car after a long trip? Pee more frequently? Get sleepy earlier in the evening? All those things will continue to change and most likely not in the direction you would prefer!

My father and his young wife traveled and enjoyed life for a few years, then wham, he had a stroke and overnight that was no longer possible.

Now, I just need to take my own good advice.

My mom will be 83 this year, and hasn't slowed down much. She and her boyfriend went on cruises to Norway and Alaska last year. They just finished a 40 day road trip from California to North Dakota and down through Colorado. They kayak with my aunt and uncle at their lake cabin, and do lots of walking. She is my role model for aging with zest.

Annie is right that attitude is the key. You have to be open to new experiences.

I am 61. I hope I can retire at the end of the coming school year, but if not, I will work and set aside money to travel in the summers. Full Social Security and retirement for me won't start until I am 67, but there is no way I will last that many more years in education. Too bad.

I'm 59. What I see happening at this age is, if you fall, you have a greater chance of having something serious happen, or at the least it takes longer to recover.
I tripped over a garden hose and hurt my knee. Up until a few years ago, this would not have phased me. I am fine, but have problems kneeling on it.
Keeping fit and walking a lot is key. You can't expect to get up off the sofa, and be able to go on an active sightseeing trip.
When we were in Hawaii for my DH's 60th, we got a laugh when one of the women on the tour said how smart we were to travel while we were young.

Just turned 52, and my body lets me know Iived an unbridled life in my misspent youth. I have a lot if aches and pains from injuries that seem to really get to me some days. But I can also claim that those injuries were primarily due to me beeing an adventurous person.

I do.worry about early onset mental problems as I`ve suffered several very bad concussions and a few mild ones. I guess that is whu Im.so.determined to check off as much of my bucket list as I.can.
Despite pain from injuries, and the limitation of my mobility due to Lymphedema, I still feel young. Just the other day a friend and I were discussing acting and looking our age and we tealized that we. Have some peers who are so much older in appearance and attitude. But at the same token, we work with a bunch of super active people-you can't live in the PNW and not take part regularly in some kind of outdoor adventures lile biking, hiking, kayaking or even fishing in all sorts of weather!

I'm 73 and have traveled up to this age. Yeah I'm not able to dance for two hours but now I don't want to anyway. There's not much I can 't do but I do rest when I can. I still kayak and just redid our whole bathroom in our lake house. My husband did the plumbing and installations which included removing a claw foot 100 year old tub. I did all the priming and painting and decorating. We installed everything that will make our lives easier. He's 79 and still cuts a cord of wood each winter, goes hunting, fishing. We feel very lucky to be doing so well. We leave tomorrow for the lake house, can''t wait to finish the br. We still have our zest for life and pretty spontaneous. Before I leave this house I have it perfectly done so I can come home to a nice clean home.

Speaking of traveling while young -
years go when traveling home from Switzerland with my Mum (75 at the time) she had an arthritis flare-up in a hip and had a little trouble walking far. I said "ooo, we get to be cart people," meaning due to her age we could ride a cart from the gate to Customs & Immigration. We laughed about the thought of breezing through the airport, like Royalty, on a cart.

On our flight was a tour group of the oldest people I've ever seen. It must have been a tour for people over 90! During the flight, one of them stands up to retrieve something from her bag in the overhead. She starts yelling "where's my bag? Someone stole my bag!" Naturally, no one stole it, it was in a different overhead bin. It took awhile for the flight attendant to settle some of them back down after that.

When we get off the plane, there are 2 multi-row carts waiting to transport people. I looked at my Mum and asked "do you think you can walk? I don't want to be stuck with that group any longer. I'm sure we can beat them through C&I and get our bags before them." She said "I may be old but I'm not that old yet " and we hightailed it through the airport.

Now at 82 she does opt for the airport cart. She's probably annoying to some 75 yo and her whippersnapper daughter who can still walk the long, long walk to C&I.

I am 62 and DH is 66. There are some things I am even stronger at now than I was 10 years ago and others that aren't as great. I inherited a foot condition from my Mom..she had it as did all of her sisters and her Mom. It hasn't phased me till this year. I have new orthotics and it is better but my feet won't ever be what they were . So biking ! And swimming and weights.

At the gym on Friday I was doing planks...balancing on elbows and toes and then side planks . A young woman in her 20's with terrific musculature was doing them on a mat next to me. When we both stopped to rest she looked over and asked me " do you do body building contests ? " . Whoa...I'll take that any day as reassurance that I am on the right track :) DH and I are planning his first bicycle tour in the Spring...riding the Natchez Trace.440 miles. He is very excited. We are riding at least 3 days a week to the gym and working out and swimming.

It is lovely to read the comments others are making here. We all endeavor to keep on keeping on. It is all we can do. My crystal ball is out of warranty...so DH and I just wing it day to day. c

"We all endeavor to keep on keeping on. It is all we can do."
Love it....I'm 53 and attempting a 5K run tomorrow night. It may be very humiliating....please don't let me be last, lol.

I am 57 and wondering how many women in your neighborhood/city are opting for cosmetic surgery? I am beginning to feel like I am the only one NOT doing anything.

We live in Northern California's Hippieville. Never see anyone around here doing cosmetic surgery or wearing heels. Many women don't even dye their hair here.

59 and holding....Seriously my DH and I are active, we love to travel and hope that will last for another decade (or two). That said, this past year we lost a very dear friend to cancer- a non-smoker who was diagnosed at stage 4 lung cancer. It's been a rough year. We appreciate our good health, try not to take it for granted and we do try to do what we can to stay healthy.

Not many people in my circle would consider cosmetic surgery (not that I know of). I'd like an eye lid lift but would probably chicken out.

Lori-good luck w/ the 5K. You can do it!

I'm 57. Plastic surgery is very common around here! (so. cal) I haven't done it, right now I'm not planning to! I think it's a personal preference as to what looks better, to me it doesn't make you look younger- just different. It may or may not be an improvement.

I'm 45 but my kids so far are keeping me young. My youngest is only 8. I'm hoping that I'm able to remain physically active for at least the next 30 years! I keep in shape by running, doing strength training and stretching and hope that my body will remain injury free to allow me to continue for years to come. My parents are 72 and 78 and both are very healthy and active. My mom walks several miles a day, has for years, and my father still "jogs" around the neighborhood. They both eat very healthy diets and keep busy. My father actually still works, - he retired from the federal government close to 20 years ago but immediately got a job working for a local college. He's being forced into retirement this year as the college is closing. I think his long work life has helped him maintain his mental acuity - his mother suffered from senile dementia starting in her 60s so there has always been a fear he would suffer from it also. Thankfully, he has not! They still travel, taking at least one "big" trip ever year or two - in a couple of weeks they are flying to Vancouver and touring Banff, Lake Louise and...I'm not sure what else.

I would love to travel more now while I'm young but my kids' schedules and expenses prevent us from doing all the things I want to do...now. But we still do take nice vacations and expose our kids to new places, but I wish we could do more international travel, though I know that they get to do a lot more than the average kid. It will come!

I am the youngest in my family--just turned 50, and my siblings range from 57-65. They all have mobility issues and/or chronic diseases that definitely would affect their ability to walk all day, or climb hills in a city like San Francisco. Actually, I think my oldest brother is in the best health.

Fortunately, I do not have any orthopedic problems such as knees, back, or ankles, and I work to keep it that way. Now if I can just get my weight down a bit, that will be much better on my joints.

This post was edited by gsciencechick on Tue, Jul 30, 13 at 7:36

I actually did get an eye lift a couple years ago. It was because my eyelids were so low, and my brow too low just to do a lid lift. So, technically I had a face lift. If I didn't need it for vision, I'd probably have done it anyway-certainly made me look more my age rather than tired and old.

I'd considered Botox, but after watching a couple episodes of RHOC, I realized NO WAY. That's just hideous.

'Go while you are younger'. I totally agree and have traveled all my life. I'm now 71 and some things were definitely easier years ago. I don't have many problems but one generally doesn't improve physically with age. It's possible to maintain health by doing a lot of things right but it's still a gradual downhill slide physically. Mentally I'm still young but do have to consider what is prudent at my age, at least sometimes! ;D FWIW I feel I've aged a lot in the last 10 years altho have had many unexpected stressors. Previous to that I felt very young. One can never predict how one's life will play out. It's best not to assume things will stay the same.

I was 35 when I first went to Europe and could easily do 10 km Volksmarsches. On my recent trip we walked a lot but not 10 km. a day and I was tired by the end of the day. We did keep up with all the younger people on the trip who were also tired by the end of the day tho so can't complain. It was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed the food, the wine and beer, meeting new people, seeing new places, and learned a lot about history and various places I'd not seen before. Planning my next trip already!

I'd never do cosmetic surgery as don't 'need' any and am not that vain. There's always a risk with any surgery and it's not worth it to me. I look younger than my age anyhow, eat healthily, and am very careful with my skin care (regular all natural routine).

In my opinion whether you can tolerate, or better yet, enjoy new and different experiences, foods, etc. has nothing to do with age. It has more to do with one's attitude, spirit of adventure and desire to experience new and different things. Likewise carping that things aren't to your liking is, in my opinion, more related to attitude than age. You can have a crotchety, curmudgeonly attitude at any age.

I think what you have to concern yourself with as you age are health and mobility issues and the increasing risk that you'll drop dead before you get to do the things you wanted to do. DH and I are both 56 - generally fit and healthy, especially DH. In the last year I was diagnosed with cancer and he had a stroke. We're both fine at the moment but you can bet we're not putting off doing the things we want to experience in this lifetime. Fortunately we've both had the opportunity to travel extensively for work and I think DH wouldn't mind if he never got on another plane in his life.

As for cosmetic procedures, I don't even notice if other people do or don't have them done. Other than a good haircut and color I have no interest.

This post was edited by gibby3000 on Mon, Jul 29, 13 at 21:06

I'm 56. DH is 66. We're heading out for a week of canoeing next week. The do it while you can thought occurred to me this week when thinking about how long he will be able to lift a canoe off the ground onto his shoulders (his preferred way to portage). I don't have the strength to do it and he won't be able to do it forever. I guess I should increase my strength, eh?

Wear and tear on the body catches up with everyone and one can't predict what one's mental state will be in the future so do what you can whenever you can is the way I look at things.

I'm 48 and have to say that I was in better shape 6 months ago than I am now. I have back issues when I do not stay mobile and I have stopped exercising. I tend to be on or off. Right now, I just have so much stress than I need to be exercising. I know I would feel better. I wanted to run a 5K a year ago but chickened out so I think it's awesome Loribee! I want to hear about it when you're done.
I would definitely do plastic surgery if I thought it would greatly improve how I function and my self confidence, however likely not on my face. I have a line on my forehead that bothers me. I wouldn't mind getting that filled in with "something", but have no plans to do so.
I would love to be traveling more but I'm still raising kids and we don't live near family that can help. Hubby and I have big plans after our kids are grown.

I'm 59 and plan to stop right here - at least as far as admitting to further aging!!! Seriously, the decade jumps have never bothered me, it's the mid-decade birthdays that made me a little jumpy. But turning 60 next year....... I don't FEEL 60, whatever that means. It beats the alternative, though!

We're both healthy (knock wood), physically active every day and tend to plan vacations in part around something physically challenging. We want to move to a more outdoor oriented location and want to do it soon so we have time to really enjoy it. Scary, because it takes us away from family but it's now (or soon) or never and we both feel it's important to take the risk and change our lifestyle.

Not likely I'll opt for plastic surgery but would love to do a few non-invasive procedures here and there!

I will be 40 next month and am very excited. I can't believe I've lived 40 years so far. What a gift! Today my husband and I celebrated 13 years together-- several moves, ups and downs, and 5 beautiful girls. If that all happened in 13 years, where will the future lead us? I'm a little fearful of the unknown, but grateful for what I have had.

My mom is 81 and going strong. In fact, her YOUNGER friends count on her for help. She is always giving and making the most of life!

I only wish ageing would be honored and respected in the US, as it should be.

So glad I opened this thread! You ladies are so wise and inspirational. :)

I'm 44. I'm reaching a time in my life that is full of changes. My daughter living at college, my baby girl, and I miss her so much. I was widowed at 40, after being married 21 years, and am now engaged. My looks are changing, age and gravity are creeping in.......something I wouldn't have noticed as much with my late husband, he had reference to me as a young girl. My late husband was ill for a very long time (leukemia/bone marrow transplant gone wrong--brutal suffering) and we lost everything. His medical bills after he died were reaching 2 million dollars, even though we had excellent insurance, careers, etc, long illnesses wipe everything out.

So many changes at a time in our lives that was supposed to be a renewal. Traveling, being alone, rediscovering our amazing love. Instead, I had to start from scratch again, but without my love, my partner, my best friend.

I'm so thankful to have found love again. Two amazing men in my life. I never thought I could love another.

44. Starting over, but with more wisdom, more strength, more perspective. Life is short, don't put anything off. I'd rather live with a few mistakes than regret.

Now.....on to the superficial. :-D I'd love to get some work done: botox, whatever. Before being widowed, I looked 10 yrs younger, it caught up with me fast. I wish it didn't bother me, getting wrinkles.

I also wish, as Anele said, that age was respected in the US. I wish we women weren't made to feel they don't count after 35. Our society is geared towards men, and their visual pleasures. Open any website, any news source, any google search......and you'll be bombarded with Photoshopped young girls in bikinis. Watch as an attractive celebrity is blasted for gaining 5 lbs. If we lived on an island, all women, no men, there would be no such thing as plastic surgery, boob jobs, etc.

My dad is 71, still rides a Harley, acts 25. :-D My fiance, Sparky, is a rock climber at 47, and is teaching me. We love adventure, I don't see that ever changing.

I'm enjoying this discussion, thanks, all. :)

Thanks so much for sharing Miz M! You are an inspiration!!

I'm 52 and I love life! It makes me sad when I hear someone say "I don't have energy anymore". Of course they are very real medical reasons why that can happen - such as Pesky mentioned dealing with. But many times, I think they are an attitude or a side effect of the way we live. Eating the wrong foods, lack of exercise, etc. can drain your energy level. I went through a few months of the low energy before and right after having my sinus surgery. Once I had recovered and was infection free - I felt SO much better. Didn't realize how tired I had been. My husband and I have actives lives, we enjoy DOING. I plan/hope to keep feeling young for a very long time. It is a daily struggle for me to eat healthy and exercise, etc. but it is sooooo very worth it!

It's nice to read here how many are really LIVING life and enjoying it!

tina

It's true, if you don't feel well, you don't want to do anything. It can be medical, but I have friends my age who are so out of shape. They never had an exercise regime. Now approaching 60, they want to lose the weight and get into shape.
It will be interesting to see how much you can do this late in the game. I am rooting for them.
It's interesting too when you see people who are your age you just look older. Posture to me is so key in loking fit and younger. My DH has back issues and although he loves to exercise, and is fit, when his back hurts he stoops. It adds years to the way he looks.

I love the twists and turns our threads take. Miz M, when I read your post, the Chinese proverb came to mind. It's something I live by as well.

"Fall down seven times, stand up eight."

I've enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on this subject. Make green smoothies. I swear, it's the fountain of youth. Lol.

I only wish ageing would be honored and respected in the US, as it should be

I'm curious about this statement. What does it mean? What aren't we doing that we should be/could be? What are we doing that we shouldn't?
Since the US was singled out, what do other countries do that we don't? I am genuinely curious, I don't ask to be combative or belligerent.

It's not all the panacea in other countries.

China has pasted a law the Ist of July requiring children to visit their elderly parents.

I'm 41, and when I realized I was huffing and puffing bringing in the groceries and running laundry up and down the stairs a couple of years ago, I became motivated to do something about it. I used to be a distance runner years ago, but that was B.C. (before children).

So, I joined a Zumba class, and that was a blast. Then, I started running and swimming. Two years later, and I still run 5 - 6 days per week. It feels great! I ran a 10K in June under 50 minutes, and my long run is presently at 8 miles. I hope to run a half marathon this fall.

I am more fit and healthy now than I was ten years ago. Though I have always been thin, I was definitely out of shape over the past decade. Becoming fit has helped me feel healthy in body and mind. And I think it will be so beneficial as I get older to remain active.

A nice part about aging is that I feel more comfortable with myself, and I am able to behave in a way that is more true to who I am, versus what others expect. I spent too much time seeking approval outside of myself, rather than from within.

Ellendi, it is never too late for people to start exercising (I teach a course called Physical Activity for Special and Aging Populations). Of course, they may need doctor's permission if they have any sort of chronic disease. But definitely, the ability to improve aerobic fitness, strength, and bone density are there.

I'm 46. My boys are 6 and 9. They keep me young!

My parents are in their early 70s, and they're incredibly fit and active. My father is a nationally ranked tennis player and a single digit handicap golfer. My mother teaches yoga. I hope I'm as healthy at their age.

I just turned 44 a couple of week ago and I think I become more active and "in love" with life the older I get.

On the other hand, my sister and I are so very concerned for our mom. She's 69 and is a total homebody. Her knees need replacing but she won't do it because she says she's too old. I know that's not true and the expense of surgery isn't the issue.

Mom never visits my sister because the bedrooms are upstairs and she won't do anything that requires walking - won't even go shopping with me anymore. We've suggested getting a cart but she's too embarrassed and won't do it.

Mom is missing out on everything and I fear inactive will be her early demise.

My dad is the same way. He should have gotten a hip replacement, but wouldn't do it. His brother had one, and he was very active and skiied into his early 80's! My dad has gone from a cane to a walker and now probably needs a wheelchair. I feel so sad for him- it possibly didn't have to be this way-

Hhireno, re: I'm curious about this statement. What does it mean? What aren't we doing that we should be/could be? What are we doing that we shouldn't?
Since the US was singled out, what do other countries do that we don't? I am genuinely curious, I don't ask to be combative or belligerent."

I don't have any research to back up my statement, and really do not feel like getting into a long discussion about it. In my personal experience, it seems like being called "old" in the US is considered an insult. Agree or disagree? Isn't this why people are trying to do everything they can to avoid looking old? I'm singling out the US because, well, that's where I live and see it. I'm sure other countries are guilty as well, but we can aspire to more.

Seems like being elderly was not a bad thing, even in the US, once upon a time. In places like Japan, the elderly are still respected.

Again, this is just my experience. No interest in debating or researching this topic further.

Miz M, very glad you and your fiance both found true love twice. I am so sorry to hear the experiences of your first husband, however. I can only imagine how horrible his suffering was, and then the medical bills as a final insult.

Thank you, TinaM, Golddust, and Anele. :)

Really enjoying reading everyone's thoughts! I've been oddly obsessed with age issues lately, this is so timely. :)

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."

I'm actually 61 but some days feel 10 years older and some days 10 younger. I'm not in shape. I've had a hip replacement and found one leg shorter than another. It caused a lot of pain wobbling around until I finally got an orthodic insert which made a huge difference in balancing me out. The problem that I have caused is from the lack of getting out of the chair and taking a walk, getting in more exercise and watching what I eat. I feel terrible that I have done this to myself.

I do hope it's not to late, to be able to begin a walking regimen and to be able to exceed where I am today. It definitely helps my knees when I swim in DD's pool.

DH and I love to take trips but my being overweight has caused us to miss out on a lot of activities. We still do a lot but not as much as if I was in shape. It's not been good for self-esteem.

Life has thrown us for some real ups and downs but I do try to enjoy where we are each day, in the present. It's hard not to have some regrets.

If I were to lose this weight I would need a body lift rather than a face-lift. This thread is an inspiration to me to be stronger in facing my fears and live life to the fullest. Since the slice-of-life thread and ones like this, I've noticed we are all coming together more, don't you think?

natesgram, it is never too late and it is best to start slowly...think about getting healthy and think about making a lifestyle change, not looking for a short-term fix. It's also not about feeling bad and low self-esteem. It is rather about loving yourself enough and loving those who love you enough to see that you do the things that will keep you around and happy for a long long time.

If you can go for a 10 min walk every day, that's a start. If you can find a low-cal substitute for a high-cal one, that's a start. If you can cut the portion size of one meal, that's a start. If you can cut out a slice of white bread and replace it with a vegetable serving, that's a start.

I've made good progress doing very low carb diet 2 days per week. A buddy has done really well following a very low cal diet (500 cal.) 2 days a week. The beauty of the intermittent diets are that you don't have to give up your favorites forever, just for a day. And there's some speculation that eating normally in between keeps the body from triggering the starvation mode metabolism slowdown so your calorie burn stays where it is.

I'd encourage you to take simply a first step. You'll feel better about it and be able to build on it for a happier, healthier you.

Annie, thanks. You are so right, I just need to take the first step and start. I really am encouraged by your post and all the previous ones. Hugs to all.

Natesgram, don't waste a moment feeling bad. You don't even have to love yourself to do this. Think of always adding and never subtracting. Eat an extra serving of veg at dinner. Add a short walk, like Annie said. Eat dessert, but give yourself a serving in a ramekin.

Eating is really boring to most people if they ONLY eat-- if you read, watch TV, go online, stand, etc., you distract yourself from how boring it is, so when you eat , ONLY eat.

A book I read said, eat enough so that you can still dance after your meal. I actually ask myself that sometimes!

This is only my opinion so I hope no one will take offense but if women do not respect the aging process that occurs naturally how can they expect to be respected as older women? If you believe you 'need' to have fewer wrinkles, have botox, or surgical procedures to feel good about yourself you are not respecting the aging process or yourself as an aging woman. While I don't have as many wrinkles as some women my age I consider I have earned every one of them. I avoid too much sun exposure and use healthy oils on my skin and in my diet to prevent *earning* too many extra ones. IMO low fat diets are unhealthy and one's skin will show that.

I don't think the US is the only country where there is little respect for older people but it is the home of Hollywood which seems to set the standard of beauty for the western world. My friends and I live and travel mostly in Canada and for the last 10 years we have noticed there is an attitude toward older people by some younger people that is disturbing. Some people speak to us as if we are either hard of hearing or lacking in intelligence and feel the necessity of explanations we don't need. We try to laugh it off and make a comment that hopefully will change their attitude but it likely doesn't work with those who have preconceived ideas that anyone over 60 has little value to society. Little do they know that economics proves otherwise and many of their jobs depend on the money we spend.

In countries where aging people are respected they seem not to 'need' to remain extremely young looking. We've all seen countless pictures of older women in Europe or Asia who look their age but are still enjoying life and are respected in their culture. Loving life is key to enjoying it so if you don't love your life you might think how to make the necessary changes so you can.

For those who think things won't change with age I can tell you they definitely will if you are lucky enough to attain an older age. Twenty-five years ago when I was in my mid-forties I did the military rope challenge course and thought it was fun. Not sure I want to do it today altho probably *could*. I never gave aging a thought back then as could do anything I wanted but now know if I don't continue to practice balance, remain active, and eat right I will not be able to continue living the way I want to. Many of my contemporaries are no longer alive and there are many people younger than I who live in extended care facilities as they can no longer care for themselves so I have recognized my mortality which was not something I thought about much until recently. Losing my DH and several friends and relatives, and a few health challenges of my own has shown me that nothing stays the same but making wise choices will help maintain the lifestyle I want. The last 10 years have been more challenging than any other time in my life but I am being pro-active in aging well. I have friends who also have found the years between 60 and 70 to be challenging. Loss of loved ones is always difficult as can retirement be for some. I've had no problems with retirement and love no longer needing to work for a living. I retired 8 years ago and it's been great.

Everyone born post-WW2 has been subject to many more harmful chemicals than those born prior to that time. This has caused them to be at greater risk for the chronic diseases which are rampant in our society so I do everything I can to avoid such stressors.

Re aging and respect, I believe it is very natural for young folks to dis older folks for the simple reason that they want to be able to blame them for getting old. If it was something they did to get old, if it was in the old person's control, then it means there's something the young person can do to avoid it and they can continue to believe it won't happen to them. Of course that's not true, but at a psychological and subliminal level, I believe that's why they often dis older folks.

When DH's mother was in the nursing home, I had a collage of pictures of her up on the wall at various ages and with her family so they could see that she was so much more than the blind, deaf, and demented person they knew and cared for on a daily basis.

I'm remembering DH's grandmother who made her last trip to Czech by herself when she was 99. Tough old bird, she took a boat over with huge trunks stuffed full of stuff they couldn't buy there (this was before the wall fell) and she sold them to pay for her trip. She died when she was 106. Interesting in that she'd contracted pneumonia, thought that was going to be it, then she started getting better! I think at that point, she said enough is enough and willed herself to die. Can you imagine, she used to complain her fillings were getting loose!

Awesome woman, Annie! :)

Luckygal, great points. It's just one of those contradictions in society, I guess. For me, I developed some very deep frown lines during our horrific time, and I'm very self-conscious of them now. My fiancé says I'm being silly, and I agree, but I'd still like to fix them.

I've never, ever felt insecure about my looks, until recently. I belong to a support board for the widowed, and it seems to be a very common thing. We lose our spouse, are suddenly thrust into a scary, new world, and insecurities (about everything in life) abound. When half of you is ripped away, it leaves you feeling very exposed.

But you're right, and I'd like to learn to embrace these wrinkles, or at least not dwell on them. :)

I lived in Germany and Austria for a while, and did notice different attitudes about aging, vs here in North America.

Fifty-six and counting....

61 and just laid off from my medical sales job after Memorial Day. I decided to enjoy the summer and not worry about another job until September. DH just turned 69 and has his own business which he started at 63. We are both healthy. His mother is 93 and living independently. We recently moved her here from her home of 45 years in Miami Beach. We both a longevity in our family. My Dad lived until 92 with very good health. My Mom died at 83 with heart issues. As long as she is here we plan to stay in NJ. When that changes we will be moving to a warmer climate with less taxes, for sure.

I really want to do something that I will enjoy for a living. I do have couple of thoughts. One is getting certified for personal training. I had been into physical fitness including weight training for years more off than on in the past 10 years. This summer I am definitely on, lifting as much as I did 10 years ago and into a routine. I would like to work with mature adults since I see so many at the gym using equipment improperly and nobody helping them. I used to run 6 miles but due to a very old knee injury from skiing. I decided to walk briskly so I do about 2 1/2 to 3 miles and also the elliptical trainer at the gym 3-4 times a week. Weight training is 3 times a week.

I plan to age gracefully and enjoy everyday that I am healthy. I believe age is just a number.

As far a plastic surgery, I believe in looking the best that you can. It comes from many years of being single. If you find a good doctor who doesn't over-do it, don't hesitate. It's amazing how good you feel when you look the best that you can in every aspect.

Friend has a bumper sticker on her car:

Inside every old person is a young one wondering, what the heck happened?!?

I'm 70, have been told I could pass for late forties, and feel somewhere between 40 and 50, most days! I can still bend over and touch my toes, teach GD the 5 positions of classic ballet, and 'bust a move' or 2 on the dance floor. Age IS just a number, and if you don't dwell on it, can be forgotten, allowing you to be the age you WANT to be. I've been telling my kids for the last 30 years i'm going to live to be 103, mostly so I can see my DD's with wrinkles! hahaha And I will!! ;o)

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading about all of you and your age and what you are all doing. It's sort of like a getting to know you thread.

I'm 37 and I had a total knee replacement when I was 30 after a reconstruction from a bone tumor I had as a teenager fell apart. I was told I'd be restricted physically after the first surgery 20 years ago. Isn't it funny how when you're told you can't do something, it makes you want to do it all the more? After I finished college, I got a great job that is on my feet and traveled. I got married and had a baby. I never felt restricted at all until I was pregnant with my 2nd and my knee completely fell apart. Had an arthroscopy shortly after giving birth and was given the news that I needed a replacement and I'd probably have trouble walking the rest of my life. Well, that was just not an option and I sought out a doctor that could fix me, and he did. It was a tough year of rehab, but once it was done, I was ready to be active again, return to work, care for my babies. Once again, I had to prove that doc wrong, and after I completed my first triathlon, I sent the doctor who told me that a note and a pic of me crossing the finish line. I'm doing my 3rd tri next month. My only restriction is running, so I sort of jog/power walk the running part. And the only reason I restrict myself is not because I can't run, but I'd like to get more years out of my mechanical knee.
I stay physically active because my family medical history is abysmal, my father died suddenly of a heart attack last summer, my mother is hypertensive, her mother had heart disease, and the list goes on and on. I don't plan on slowing down at all, I want to keep my heart healthy.

Oh and thanks to Gibby, I am hooked on yoga now as well, she recommended a yoga video to me a while back, and now I can't get enough of it.

Polly, good for you. What is the yoga video?

Yoga for Dummies. I did that at home for a while, then I started practicing at a studio at a formal class. I have another video from the P90x my husband does which is tough, but I can do it better than hubby.
I've been having lower back issues, and yoga seems to really help.