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?

I'm 45 reasonably active and no major health issues but I am experiencing crushing fatigue and an arraye of aches and pains which I think are linked to perimenopause, low iron and some wear and tear. I struggle to run long distance now as I get knee pain. I am trying to do lower impact so that I don't totally wreck my knee but I suspect my the time I reach my late 60s it will be more problematic. It is entirely possible to remain fit and healthy buy you just don't know what wear and tear is going to crop up for you. I have a family history of arthritis which I wonder if I could be starting to feel some joint pain which might be that. You can't fight physical ageing.

Genetics & luck will play a part but of course it is possible for most.

If you eat healthily, exercise moderately, avoid sugar, smoking, alcohol and drugs then you have every chance of staying healthy.

I'm in my 60s, still run, practice martial arts, swim, cycle.... At our park run we have runners in their 70s and 80s. It isn't that rare.

I'm 46 more active and healthy than I was at 36. Haven't been in hospital since I was a child, very rarely go to the doctor. I love nothing better than going for a walk or cycle, anything that gets me out into the fresh air. Also try and do the gym 4/5 times a week.

I don't drink, have never smoked and eat fairly well. I also get enough sleep.

Thankfully perimenopause hasn’t affected me as badly as some people but the weight gain is a bugger.

My doctor was astounded I had reached mid 50's with no regular prescriptions and I was fit and healthy but now I'm 59 I feel I have turned a corner and have numerous niggles , aching joints , dryness , weight gain etc post menopausal stuff I guess . I'm amazed how my body has deteriorated in just a couple of years .

All down to genetics lifestyle and luck. No guarantees in life.

‘Only Parkinson’s symptoms’ ? That’s a pretty major issue isn’t it ?
Someone upthread ‘only’ had a stroke…
It’s not a competition. Middle class people (majority of MN) will expect to lead healthier more active later lives. I’ve nursed people in their 50s who look 70. They have illnesses associated with a life on a low wage, physical graft, stress.
@Augustus40 absolutely.

Did I say my eyesight isn't what it was.😂..meant 'early' symptoms..

It's sensible to point out that we all have some control over the choices we make. I don't think that's victim blaming

But I agree it's easier to be healthy if you can afford to eat well etc

46 and never had more than a cold. Amazes me how sick other people are

What strikes me on this thread is the power of a positive mindset. I think when you get to 40 or 50 the majority will have one or more health issues but if you have the right mindset you will try to stay as fit and active as possible whilst dealing with them as best you can. Without this they will spiral and you will be on a path of rapid decline.

I am mid 40s and in the last couple of year developed reflux, prolapse and cystitus issues having always been healthy before. This can make it hard to exercise but I adapt as best I can and carry on pushing forward.

Interestingly diet has made a huge difference to my mindset, cutting out upf and sugar gave me so much more energy and I was also able to stop using anti depressants. Seratonin is made by your gut microbiome so you need to eat to support it (lots of fibre, no emulsifiers or preservatives).

It doesn't cost much to be healthy. Veg and in season fruit is cheap, going for a walk is free, not smoking or drinking helps too. Supermarkets are awash with offers on meat these days (frozen is cheaper than the stuff in the fridges and just as good). Even food banks give out fresh fruit and veg.

You don't need a fancy gym membership you can walk or run for free.

Also NMW jobs tend to be less stressful than well paid jobs.

This is not backed up by science or statistics though that it’s simply luck of a draw. It is evidenced that lifestyle plays a part alongside genetics, environmental issues etc in health outcomes. It’s not smug or victim blaming for people to take some responsibility for themselves, many illnesses or ailments ARE preventable or at least you can improve your how much they impact your life, or delay the age it begins. Hypertension can be managed by diet and exercise along with medication, it is not simply inevitable that it is going to shorten your life so why bother trying?

I am now a slim mid 40’s woman who has been obese for 20 years, grown up in poverty, low income (no horses), young parent, manual jobs etc but I have some element of control over my life as I age and I wanted to better my chances of keeping my mobility for longer so I lost weight, got fitter etc. I’ve seen what happened to my relatives and a lot of it was preventable. my parents and in laws are that demographic of fairly comfortable retired sedentary 60 year olds and they are all disabled to some degree by physical problems due to lack of exercise, years of being overweight and a poor diet. They all take a lot of tablets every day to manage their high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and pain. All of this might happen to me too at some point but I am now older than they were when they first started having issues so perhaps all I can do is delay the inevitable by 10-15 years but it’s going to be worthwhile to keep you health for longer if you can. If you have your health make the most of it whilst you can, not everyone is able to do that I agree but they can only do their best. This is not a Jesus take the wheel situation for everyone

I'm 60. Always fit and well, slim, eat well, active, barely drink. Was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months after my 60th birthday. Sometimes, something's going to get you, sadly we can't control everything.

I am veggie and eat only lentils, veg, fruit, dairy and eggs. A very cheap diet and one that has kept me, my mum and my grandma healthy. I don't believe you need to eat expensive to be healthy. Indeed many cultures always ate 30 veg a week before Tim Spector came along

Sorry if that sounds smug.

A bit self congratulatory there. Give yourself a pat in the back eh ?

Black report early as the 80s said that poverty led to poor health outcomes. Most on here are well off, able to afford the gym probably like you, decent level of education etc. Could say that you had no excuse for being obese ! Why were you unfit and obese despite being comfortably off ? Laziness ? Apathy ? Now you’ve lost the weight easy to sit in judgement.
Otoh I’ve never been obese, always exercised (running, spinning etc), decent diet, very active job, never smoked, fairly mc background, but work night shifts (evidenced to cause CVS issues), lots of stress (same) and familial history of hypertension (mum and dad), I now have hypertension. Funny that but essentially luck of the draw for both me and my parents. So in a nutshell I did take lifelong responsibility for my health and still ended up on meds.

The biggest factor in the end is luck.

My uncle was fit and healthy his whole life. Ate very healthily, tons of exercise, didn't smoke and barely drank, like maybe one beer twice a year, very little stress. Happy marriage. More or less "perfect" from a health perspective. Got lung cancer at 60, had part of his lung removed. So now a lot of things are beyond him physically. He was a psychologist so he was educated and had an active brain. But he's also now become very forgetful.

My mum (his sister, 2 years older) smoked 40 a day for decades. Basically never worked. Sat around watching TV a lot of the time. Didn't eat brilliantly as her eating was very disordered. Such as eating a lot of crap and then taking laxatives to get rid of the calories! Went through a difficult divorce, had MH issues. Fit as a fiddle and mentally still with it.

You can't even really argue genetics as they're siblings. You can argue that they're outliers but the fact is you can do everything right and still have issues and vice versa. So to blame it solely on the persons lifestyle is too simplistic.

If you want to live a certain lifestyle, where you watch what you eat, take lots of exercise etc then of course do it! But do it because you want to. Not because you think you're somehow giving yourself some kind of free pass! Because life can come along and knock you down when you least expect it.

@Leniriefenstahl my parents and in laws are comfortable now but I had a childhood in poverty. My mum and I have always been obese. As I got into my 40’s I decided to change my lifestyle. My mum did not do this. She is basically housebound now. It’s quite sad. I don’t want that to happen to me. we did not even have a car when I was a child. I’ve been on a low income for years with my own children. I am not one of these people you are jealous of. I do not have a gym membership. I walk a lot and have a some cheap weights I got off Amazon. I didn’t go to uni. I got some GCSE’s. I was a manual worker for many years. I don’t know why you are so angry? I am gonna have to work till I am nearly fucking 70… so how about I try to keep myself healthy so I can do that? Why wouldn’t I try?! I have bills to pay and who is going to do that for me?

@DancingLions I get it, but this anecdotal evidence is not science, it’s not what’s been scientifically studied for years and years. Luck of the draw is one element of genetics you cannot control, you can control lots of other areas of your own life to better your outcomes.

We do not have a problem with early deaths in the times we live in now. You are more likely to live longer than ever before in history. We have a problem with living for longer poorly. There are so many medical treatments keeping people alive this is not the same as living well whilst you are alive.

I’m sixty this year and out of our circle of friends; the slimmest, fittest, most diet conscious and outwardly most healthy, has very very sadly died from cancer.

@TheLever not angry. But many people can’t take control of their lives or health for that matter. Financially, psychologically, emotionally. It’s just not that simple. There’s a fair degree of ‘well I did it, why can’t they’ going on there. That’s what I don’t like from your post.

I guess this entire thread is going to be anecdotes of very slim, healthy people who have died of cancer. Cancer isn't the only disease in the UK. There are many other diseases you can control. I should know, I am Asian and have a lot of slim diabetics in the family who have not been able to defy their genes. But if I put on weight, I am even more likely to get it.

I am 41, have Reynauds and am showing signs of arthritis in my fingers - but I still consider myself to be fit and healthy (well, I could be fitter but I’m working on that). My MIL has been fine up to her 60s (then she needed a new knee). My FIL was a a different kettle of fish.

For health some of it is luck of the draw, some of it is whether you view something as an issue at all.

I'm 43 and not on any medication and don't have any health issues, apart from achey hips/pelvis (not been right since I had PGP during 2x pregnancies), so have to be careful about what exercise I do.
I certainly could be fitter and slimmer but that's more my issue than any health issues.
I walk a lot because I have a dog.
DH is the same age and similar, no medication, no health issues, runs/walks/swims regularly so still fit and healthy.
My parents are late 60s and also so far very healthy.
I guess the main thing is genetics but also looking after yourself is important.
But I have lost too many people unexpectedly to think you can control everything though- you can only worry about it up to a point and then it's just the luck of the draw.

You are angry as you accused me of a load of stuff I never even said and I had to tell you that I am not a rich thin well educated woman, I am a woman who has to work until I am nearly 70 watching all my relatives become immobile and have a shitty quality of life before their grandchildren are even adults. I don’t want this for myself and I am going to try to stop it from happening to me as best as I can, knowing that there are some things I cannot ever control, and some that I can right now. I am not religious. It’s just me out here doing my best for myself