To think it’s possible to stay fit and healthy into your 40s and 50s without ailments?

[ForGreatMintDreamer]

I’m 31, fit and healthy, and have always been active. I hope to stay this way after having children and well into old age. However, many people tell me it’s unrealistic and that it’s inevitable I’ll experience health issues as I get older. Some even say if I do remain fit, it’ll be down to genetics (for context, both my parents are in their mid-50s and are fit, active and healthy).

Is this really true? Or are there others here in their 40s, 50s, or older who have stayed very active, fit, and healthy despite what everyone says?

Have you looked at the news today, look at poor Sir Chris Hoy. Who could be healthier or fitter than one of our most decorated Olympians and yet his cancer is terminal at just 48. While you can certainly give yourself a better chance with diet and fitness, you are absolutely not guaranteed a clean bill of health in your 40s and beyond without a good helping of good luck and I think it’s naive to think otherwise.

@KnittedCardi gaining weight in menopause is a sign of metabolic disfunction, usually the hormonal changes mean that the body is less good at dealing with the excess sugar in the western diet. If you adjust your diet to have less processed carbs, more protein and keep an eye on your hba1c the weight gain is not inevitable.

I would also disagree that the excess weight is healthy. Yes if it is muscle but it is usually excess fat. Ideally when you go into your 60s+ you want a decent amount of lean mass but too much fat is detrimental to health especially if it is the visceral type. Low body weight can show a high association with mortality rates also becuase the disease that caused the mortality also causes a low body weight and becuase older people with a lower appetite are more likely to be suffering from another health condition.

Yes in terms of longevity, quite a bit of research has shown the overweight category is the longest lived ( but not obese).

Yes carrying an extra half a stone so isn't a bad idea if you eg get the flu (proper flu, not just a cold) and don't really eat for a few weeks. My mum is too thin but doesn't really have much appetite so struggles to put weight on. Although if she is with us, and I cook her a roast dinner, she polishes it off. I think sometimes it's about being bothered to cook for yourself when it's only you.

I don’t think she means you should be thin and frail. Lean and strong.

It’s luck of the draw. I couldn’t tell you the last time I was off of work sick, it would be over five years ago but I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 43, ten years ago.

I'm 58 only gave birth once in hospital.
Fit and well touch wood.Never ill.
Gave up alcohol
walk briskly 3 miles most days.
Do weights everyday
due to menopause kicking my arse.
Similar weight to my 20s.slim.
I was spurred on by watching DM be morbidly obese.She spent lots of yrs in and out of hospital with cellulitis,then got stage 4 cancer now had heart failure and mobility issues.wasted decades unwell possibly due to HR weight.
Df was overweight and he got cancer and passed away.
Dh overweight sedentary lifestyle major heart attack.
So while I realise I may well get cancer I will do my best to improve my odds.

My FIL is early fifties and is one of the fittest men I know. It's impressive! Runs for miles every day, does Insanity workouts, lifts weights, etc. It's like he's 30. I hope I'm like that when I'm 50!

Touch wood, I'm 55 and very VERY lucky, and count my fortunes every day. I had a year of dodgy heavy periods, but they stopped completely nearly a year ago with no symptoms, and other than the odd headache when I've been staring at spreadsheets for too long, I'm in good health.
I'm not sure if it's genetics or the fact that I'm very active, but I'm incredibly grateful and will never take it for granted.
DH is the same age and has had quite a few health issues and constant prescription meds to keep him ticking along.
I hope I can stay this way!

I’m in a ladies walking group and we have ladies in their 60’s easily do 8-10 miles walk. In fact most of the older ladies are faster and fitter than myself and another lady who are under 50. I have had a pancreas disease since I was 33, caused by gallstones. Since a major op to remove half of it i’ve worked on my fitness but I do have a hip / leg problem i’m having investigated at the moment. So it definitely varies. My mum is 72 and does 15-20k steps daily no concerns. Her health was poor in her 40’s with a bad back but after taking a very early ‘retirement’, i.e not working after 40 she is much rested and fit. So it’s certainly not inevitable and staying active does help.

I think it is down to a lot of factors. My parents are both for and healthy and in their 70s and 80s. My siblings and I have no health problems and we are now middle-aged.

Some background is I don’t drink, never have had a smoke and never did drugs. I had a kid naturally at 40. I exercised my whole life, sleep well (even with a kid), eat fairly healthily (could improve on this).

I think you can definitely be healthy in your 40s and 50s. But having a kid has aged me a little both body and mind but I colour my greys and just get on with it.

I’m 47 and last year my DH went on a health kick. Nothing extreme, just walking at least 10k a day, we cut out bread. Cut way down on alcohol. Nothing sweet unless we were out at a restaurant. I’ve never felt better. I had been overweight, bad knees and a bad back. My DH had a bad back too. They have gone. My endometriosis has improved. I have lost almost 2 stone. Skin is clear and my jawline is more defined.

My mother who is in her 80s has led a very sedentary lifestyle almost her whole life. She can hardly walk now and had to take so much medication for various ailments (a lot to do with her stomach) but when I suggest improving her diet and trying a little exercise I get my head bitten off.

I want to keep moving as much as I can every day as I don’t want to end up like my mum.

👏 👏 👏
Good for you.

Of course it’s possible. My sister is 56 and runs every single day. She works out at least 5 days a week, she eats well and is very slim. I’m 52, very unfit. Don’t ever let your fitness go. It’s hard to get back. I’m getting there but it’s hard as now everything aches and I’m way too heavy!

I agree with this. Preserving muscle mass is key to staying healthy. Being active also challenges our balance daily as it gets worse with age. Falls are among the leading causes of death in the elderly and they can be easily prevented by lifestyle choices. Extra padding of fat will not prevent rapid sarcopenia if someone falls and has to stay in bed with a broken bone.

My father is both obese and frail, he can hardly walk and rarely leaves the house. It limits his social interactions and affects his quality of life. He falls frequently and is unable to stand up without help.

If that bit of extra fat is around your middle that's not good fat to keep

I look like a bloody teletubby at the age of 39.
Thin arms and legs but with a massive and bloated belly. I barely eat and walk almost 10k steps a day. It's so depressing.

Don’t kid yourself.
Being overweight is not good for you.
You're just believing it because it’s what you want to hear.

Don’t over eat.
Put food into your body that’s good for it.
If you feed it crap it will perform badly.

Move
Lift
Stretch
Balance

Was that directed at me @honestasever ?

Absolutely not directed at you @ChicRaven - it was just the timing of our posts 😊

Lots of posters on this thread are claiming being a little overweight is good for you.

I’m fifty and I am stiff. I think if I worked at it I could be less stiff but that’s what your body will naturally do. Stiffen and get less flexible if you don’t work at being flexible. So as long as you put in the work in that area, you should be fine.

you can’t account for big illnesses or conditions, your fifties are called Sniper Ally for good reason. Your teeth/gums are going to also start to niggle at you even if they never gave you trouble before. That’s a pain in the arse.

The truth is lots of research has indicated the overweight category on bmi live longer.

You can carry a little extra weight but also move, stretch and be strong; I think it’s a bit simplistic to assume the lower your bmi the more you stretch, move etc . Also thin people can eat bad food; overweight people can consume lots of healthy food. I know a woman’s who lives on pot noodle. Her bmi is low but she’s full of “ junk.”

What it really comes down to is the limitations of bmi to give a full picture of health.

It's an age thing really. Someone who's already in the 25/29 BMI range in their twenties or thirties is more likely than not to be obese by the time they reach their sixties, and that carries a lot of risks (obviously there are exceptions).

Someone who's "only" in the 25-29 BMI range in their sixties or seventies has probably looked after themselves to a moderate extent when younger, and also has a bit of room for manoeuvre if health issues make them lose weight.

And of course people need to distinguish on waist measurements as well. BMI of 24 and waist of 33 may be more hazardous than BMI of 26 and waist of 31.

Yes I think that all makes sense. But again what it comes down to is bmi needs to be taken with nuance and context.

The rest of what you’ve said I also said in my post before.
If you can keep the extra pounds off too, it’s better