Risks due to loss of strength in old age

ianabc

I can see us sitting down and having a chat and I'll say to you "I remember Scotty_Tradewind, 30boat, rhumlady, oldharry, rivonia, Sandro and Lakesailor. They were the guys we used to correspond with on the YBW threads early last century".
 
I see that nobody has mentioned testosterone replacement therapy. It has many benefits for ageing men. Make sure you have regular prostate checks. And if you have the prostate widdles, take Cialis low dose daily. It has some good side effects. ; )
 
coopec said:
30boat

That's great and as the article linked in a previous (recent) post if you think you are old you are more likely a candidate for dementia

Birdseye says "within 10 years you could easily be in sheltered accomodation or a care home. Like me ( I'm 69) you are in the last quarter of the average life span and everything is slowly deteriorating"

At 73 I think I am 2/3 my way through my life as I think I will live to 100 years. Both my parents lived to 87 and, like most people of their time, they didn't know about flavenoids, vitamin D and benefits of exercise.
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dont wish to depress but "survive" and "live" are two very different things. I watched my mother survive to 93 but she didnt really live much past 80. By that age she still had her wits but osteophorosis had caused her spine to crumble to the point where she was S shaped in profile and sideways, in constant pain and wanting to die. My M-I-L is also just existing at 90, unable to walk more than a pace or two, and unable to do anything much at all.

I hope that you will be fully active until dropping dead at 100 but its very unlikely. As for "thinking you are old" , well to me thats a simple issue of maths and statistics. Not an opinion but a fact.
 
birseye

I understand where you are coming from. I used to wish my father's old heart would stop pumping but in the end it was the only thing functioning. I wish he had died 3/4 years earlier.

But a lot of my friends are dying of old age and they are only in their 70's.

birdseye says "As for "thinking you are old" , well to me thats a simple issue of maths and statistics. Not an opinion but a fact."

You are confusing chronological age with biological age

How Old Are You Now? - What's Your Biological Age ...
immortallife.info/.../how-old-are-you-now-whats-your-biological-age
Mar 30, 2013 - There could be a huge difference between your chronological age and your biological age. Let me explain. (this essay from David A. Kekich's ..



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birdseye said:
dont wish to depress but "survive" and "live" are two very different things. I watched my mother survive to 93 but she didnt really live much past 80. By that age she still had her wits but osteophorosis had caused her spine to crumble to the point where she was S shaped in profile and sideways, in constant pain and wanting to die. My M-I-L is also just existing at 90, unable to walk more than a pace or two, and unable to do anything much at all.

I hope that you will be fully active until dropping dead at 100 but its very unlikely. As for "thinking you are old" , well to me thats a simple issue of maths and statistics. Not an opinion but a fact.
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I never said anything about living to an old age.It's about living healthyly and actively while you're alive.Different things altogether,
 
As we age doctors love checking all sorts of things like blood/glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure etc. Just keep in mind that some prescription drugs we take can affect the results and doctors may not be aware of them. I think doctors have a real problem keeping up with constantly changing guidelines.

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/to...25-drugs-that-can-affect-blood-glucose-levels

http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com.au/2008/09/beta-blockers-worsen-blood-sugar-may.html

Metabolic effects of spirapril and atenolol: results from a randomized, long-term study. (If you are on atenolol and fail the glucose tolerance test raise this with the doctor)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9208336

Pharmacological Management of Hypertension in the Elderly - Certitudes and Controversies
The latest guidelines for managing BP are People aged >60 150/90 and Seniors 160/? and your doctor may not be aware of that. Until recently it was 120/85 for.................everyone!! (Imagine what the Pharmaceutical Industry made out of that)

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2014/00000020/00000038/art00006
 
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Re getting back on board - I have a boarding ladder on the transom which can be deployed from the water. The problem is getting to the transom so I am going to rig some dangly rope loops around the gunnels so I can grab one and work my way to the ladder. My upper body strength has deteriorated since turning 60 but I could climb the ladder if desperate.
 
Ghostly

Mine won't be a ladder it will be steps with damned good handholds. But your idea, if I picture it correctly, sounds good

Like you I'll have to work on my upper body strength
 
awol said:
Get a 150% genoa, sail single-handed, do lots of short tacks. Your muscles will benefit!
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We’re now in our mid-sixties, and a year or so ago our specialist advised us against that, reckoning the benefit would be small in relation to the downside. That’s the sailmaker, BTW, advising against replacing like with like - and Mrs H readily agreed without seeking a medical opinion. :) Initially doubtful, I now heartily concur. We do lose a little speed I guess - but it's not really that much, and it's so much more comfortable. We actually enjoy short-tacking again.
 
awol said:
Get a 150% genoa, sail single-handed, do lots of short tacks. Your muscles will benefit!
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If you make a habit of doing that, you will find yourself single handed whether you like it or not. :D

We have/had a 150% genoa, found that we hardly ever used it other than partly furled and are having a smaller genoa made for next season. As the full sail was only ever used ion light winds I doubt we will notice much speed reduction. If the wind is that light and we are on passage rather than "just out for a sail" we tend to use the engine.
 
ghostlymoron said:
Re getting back on board - I have a boarding ladder on the transom which can be deployed from the water. The problem is getting to the transom so I am going to rig some dangly rope loops around the gunnels so I can grab one and work my way to the ladder. My upper body strength has deteriorated since turning 60 but I could climb the ladder if desperate.
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My main worry would be that if the boat is doing, say, 6 knots under autopilot, I really rather doubt whether dangly ropes would help much, the force on the human body at this speed would be just too much and you wouldn't be able to hang on. 6 knots is, after all, perhaps about 3 times the max swimming speed of a normal human being wearing foul weather clothing.

I'm not convinced that desperation gives you any strength beyond that of a really determined effort in less desperate circumstances, in other words if you are relying on desperation to give you extra strength you are probably kidding yourself. Might be useful to try going for a swim in safe circumstances on a fine day and see if you can do it then, and then wonder what the effect of cold, waves, water at 6 knots dragging you back, and waterlogged foul weather clothing might be.

Though I suspect the most likely going-overboard scenario is in calm weather, maybe when anchored in harbour. Dangly ropes and a good boarding ladder might be really handy then.

Blackbeard, optimist
 
My boat is only 19' long so if I fell off amidships, I'd only have to work my way a short distance to the stern and then up the ladder. Granted it would be more difficult in saturated clothing but I'm reasonable sure I can do it. Also she won't do 6kn, more like 4. But conversely being so short, it won't take long to sail past me. The safest way is not to go overboard so I'll make sure I'm clipped on whenever that is likely.
 
I can beat you all.I am 86 and still sail once a week,(not my boat) I still do my share of taking the sails down,Helming,picking up a mooring etc.I am not favoured in any way by the other two crew members.Dont watch my diet,don't do any exercise.I think it is all in the genes.My dad died at 96,mum at 94.I must admit that i am not as quick as i was,who would be at that age.Its not how long you last,but how much fun you can have doing it.Must just add,i have never smoked,and only hardly drink alcohol at all(can't stand the taste of the stuff.)
 
explores said:
I can beat you all.I am 86 and still sail once a week,(not my boat) I still do my share of taking the sails down,Helming,picking up a mooring etc.I am not favoured in any way by the other two crew members.Dont watch my diet,don't do any exercise.I think it is all in the genes.My dad died at 96,mum at 94.I must admit that i am not as quick as i was,who would be at that age.Its not how long you last,but how much fun you can have doing it.Must just add,i have never smoked,and only hardly drink alcohol at all(can't stand the taste of the stuff.)
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I was really enjoying your advice until you got to the end bit.

I've got twelve years to catch up with you but I am certainly not as strong as I used to be and back problems limit my pulling-power. However, my HR 34 is a well-sorted boat and needs very little muscle-power, providing I time my tacks properly. Even the main can be pulled to the top, with a winch only used to tension it, and furling the jib is easy if you do it behind the main on a run. Many of our similarly senile friends are just as wonky as us, several with replacement bits and pieces, but none of us worries overmuch about fitness. I usually just start the season gently with local sails and by the time we set off for our summer three-month cruise my muscles are usually working again and the jobs that seemed hard at first have become routine.
 
johnalison said:
I was really enjoying your advice until you got to the end bit.

I've got twelve years to catch up with you but I am certainly not as strong as I used to be and back problems limit my pulling-power. However, my HR 34 is a well-sorted boat and needs very little muscle-power, providing I time my tacks properly. Even the main can be pulled to the top, with a winch only used to tension it, and furling the jib is easy if you do it behind the main on a run. Many of our similarly senile friends are just as wonky as us, several with replacement bits and pieces, but none of us worries overmuch about fitness. I usually just start the season gently with local sails and by the time we set off for our summer three-month cruise my muscles are usually working again and the jobs that seemed hard at first have become routine.
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Great thread, average age of thread might work out at say 65?
I went to the gym for the last three months(oldies special rate) and did some modest weights (5/6kg on arms) and exercise machines.Overdoing things brought skeletal chest pains,so Ive given up the idea of pulling myself up sheer cliff faces.Arms seem to feel the benefit more than legs, which were not bad from summer cycles.Glad to hear BP levels have been raised.Gave up those Crestor (statins) quite quickly as I felt horrible when taking them. Great food tips re the flavins etc from that healthy poster, long thread, way back!What I do not feel like doing is long cold night passages of say 19 hours, so going coastwise in the future seems our lot?But this is great really at 68/67 we can still operate if we plan our passages well and prepare our berthing well in advance.Great read, thanks to all,pouring rain in Dublin all day,10C stove lit, pint of Beamish to hand,net working well,aromas from kitchen keenly sensed, stay well all!
 
Scotty_Tradewind said:
Yup, I stopped riding motocross and swimming far breast stroke in my early 30's due to aching..... arthritic neck mostly. I stopped playing the ukulele for a few weeks recently due to arthritic bone causing roughened tendon in shoulder..... it's all down hill guys and gals :D

S.
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Scotty, we have something else in common other than nice boats, played cello in a quartet for many years but now I'm the same as you with the shoulder. I't still comes out
(the cello that is ) on high days and holidays !
 
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