Building Energy & Endurance - Woman at 50

[amelia]

I have the dubious pleasure of turning 50 this summer. . . ugh. Funny thing, I think of myself as no more than about 35, and up until now have had plenty of energy and the ability to haul a** in the yard like I did when I was 20. However over the last couple of years, things have suddenly gotten considerably harder. I tire much more easily, and find my body hurting over things that never seemed to bother me before. I'm constantly frustrated that I cannot physically keep up the pace I'd like to.

My diet is already pretty good, so I'm thinking that maybe a more structured program of physical conditioning might be helpful. But inasmuch as I've never before had to work at building energy and endurance, I'm not sure what to do.

Have other active women about my age noticed this fairly dramatic change? Has anyone got a winning program for building endurance and energy?

[kabri]

I'm 48 and for sure know what you are talking about!!!!!! I used to be able to work outside all day, whether it was cutting fire wood, garden work or whatever. Can't do it all day anymore

[marvella]

OH yeah.

cardio (as in treadmill) is probably the most helpful, along with some light weights to rebuild strength.

[Madame]

Oh yes - at 54 my diet hasn't changed, but my energy level sure has! Come September I'll be signing up with the local gym. Something has to change! Weight bearing exercise is good.

[Spinner]

Why is it that some of us have to work ourselves to death trying to stay in shape while the other half of the population is running circles around us without even trying. NOT FAIR! LOL

[Country Lady]

Get involved in some form of exercise that's fun. Tennis, Dancing, Bowling, Area Walks are fun. Just anything to get moving.

[halfpint]

I'm almost 49 and have noticed the same things. In January we purchased a weight bench and cage system, and I've been using it about 3-4 times a week (I already was using an exercycle and ski machine several days a week). My dr recommended this as he said I needed to work my muscles in addition to cardiovascular exercise. I've noticed a bit of an improvement in my energy levels. I'm using a program called 6-pack or something like that but I don't follow the diet plan recommended with it.

I've also noticed that when I've been sick or out of town and unable to do this exercise, it takes me a week or two to get back to the level of weights I was using. I was working at a children's camp about 2 weeks ago and the boys (3rd grade) were surprised at how far I could throw them in the pool (I'm 5' 1"). Several of them commented that I must lift weights, and were surprised when I told them that I do now.

Dawn

[Liese]

Gawd, How do you have the energy to run a farm and then do an excercise program too? My shoulders hurt from carrying water, my lower back hurts from lifting and dragging the hoop houses. I sure feel a lot older than I am. 'Course part of it is the summer heat & humidity - I have a lot more energy in the winter. Well, it certainly will be interetsing to read what others are doing to help themselves. I am going to at least start up a morning Yoga routine.

[shepmom]

Before starting an exercise routine, you might want to start with a physical check up. Make sure there isn't a physical problem that's zapping your energy and endurance.

As for me....car accident in 2001 messed me up considerably. Ligament, tendon, spine, hip, knee damage. Ole arthur was thrilled to have so many places to suddenly be able to reside in.

Old injuries of the past will begin re-surfacing about now. Sprains, strains...ligament laxity.
Along with good diet(including fresh fish), perhaps supplement of glucosamine/chondroitin, magnesium/calcium for the joints. Ginseng...energy, Ginko for the brain.
smile

[leecofarm]

just finished my annual checkup and my docs say i am in dang fine health although i know my knees and feet would appreciate 20 lbs less. my exercise is all the hard physical stuff i do around the farm. i am tired of all the aches and pains i feel when i wake up or sit still for several hours.

my brain doesnt work as well either. cant remember diddly. doc doesnt like hormone side effects so is putting off putting me on them. until then i will walk around with a pocket full of post it notes.

good luck to you. and if anyone has the secret--shout it out.

[goatlady]

you learn to slow down a bit and pace yourself. Also learn to work smarter not harder. Takes me longer to get things done BUT they do get done and it doesn't cost me a few days in bed. slower and smarter, ladies. We have been working our bodies hard for decades and joints do get worn and muscles and tendons do get stretched out.

[Willowdale]

Man can I relate! I'm 44, and very active outdoors often, but when I let myself go without deliberate regular exercise I feel the effects fast. It's easy to let a few days of sloth turn into a few weeks, and soon I feel old! To feel young and have a healthy metabolism, I have to do some kind of cardio, some kind of strength work (climbing is fun), and yoga.

The one thing that most helps me feel young is yoga. It takes away all the soreness and tension, and gives me great overall balanced strength. I am much less stiff when I do yoga regularly. Not only that, but yoga has trained me to have a much better posture, which has also cut down on soreness in my back and shoulders.

[dare2b]

Yep, me too. I'm 63 and have been slowing down since about 55. These days I am sore if I do anything requiring muscles. Much harder to lose weight too. For my fuzzy-a** brain, I've been taking mega B-complex vitamins. Also, I supplement with fish oil. When I work in the yard I work until I puff, then I catch my breath for a couple of minutes, then work until I puff again. If I'm doing something outside that requires staying in one position for a long time, I get up and stretch from time to time. That gives me a chance to stand back and admire my work, too, lol. In the winter when I'm cooped up in the house, I walk a little route around the house for 20min two or three times a week, carrying 3pound weights. I think it helps. I tried 5pound weights, but I was so sore I couldn't do it the next time I tried two days later, so I went back to 3pounds. I don't like it that I don't have the strength and endurance I used to have, not to mention the energy levels. But such is life, I spose. I just hope I can stay healthy and keep my wits until the day I die. I hope that's not too much to ask....

[anniew]

I've read that older women (over 50) have a high rate of hypothyroidism. That slows down on energy levels. Next time you see the doc ask him to include in blood work tests to measure your thyroid output.
I'm on the lowest dose of medication and although I'm slower than when I was 30 (makes sense to me), I am better than before finding out about the hypothroidism.
And yes, work around the farm keeps me in shape, although instead of carrying a 50 lb. bag of feed, I split it up and carry two buckets full at a time to empty the feed bags. This is a concession to former back problems. I'm 65.
Ann

[Cindy in PA]

I know right where you are all coming from. I turned 50 in November & I feel 80 when I wake up in the morning! After an hour or so I feel better, but all my joints hurt after alot of work. I decided in January, after some "old lady" related problems, that if I didn't get moving, I wouldn't be able to move! I bought a beginnning pilates tape and a mat and started doing that along with walking. I figure the pilates might give me strength etc. So far I enjoy the 25 minute work out, but it is real basic & I am still doing some of the exercises the modified way, because of lower back concerns. With the heat I have not been walking as much as I should. I do the pilates 2-5 times a week and I do feel slightly better. Figure with 50 years of being out of shape, I can't expect miracles! I am determined to keep on doing them and see where I am at in the fall. I have noticed a difference in my upper body (didn't need to lose there!) and my hips, but not in my waistline of course. Good luck everyone!

[SFM in KY]

I managed really well until two serious accidents at 61 and 62 ... up until then I couldn't really see a lot of difference other than actual "weight carrying" ability (stacking 50# bales was getting a LOT harder) and an old back injury would flare up with some things, like cleaning stalls and digging with a shovel.

But after the two accidents, I recovered fairly well ... but definitely did not get back to my previous level of energy and strength.

You do have to learn to work "smarter" ... I break the heavy work up in smaller increments, sometimes over several days rather than several times during the day. I use a small wagon and a heavy plastic kids toboggan to move things around the farm ... bales of hay, sacks of feed, salt blocks.

I come in and actually rest between blocks of outdoor/work time ... don't just do house chores, but sit in the recliner and stretch out. I also plan the outdoor work for early morning/ late evening during the summer because the heat and humidity really affect me.

But I also try to stay active. The farm is on a hill and I try to walk up the hill to do things rather than take a vehicle ... things like that ... and try to do those kinds of things regularly.

Unfortunately, things just start wearing out about this time ...

[Jenn]

I second and third the advice of above posters re telling your doc. Two big causes of tiredness: thyroid and anemia. Abnormal thyroid is fairly easy to fix, more common in women of our (my) age, and a miracle cure if low thyroid is the problem. Anemia (low blood/iron count) is a possible sign of curable bad problems (colon cancer etc) or not so bad problems (B-12 deficiency etc) as well as a symptom (feelings of tiredness) which can be fixed as the cause of the anemia is treated. Those are two easy blood tests. Other possible causes include diabetes depression and heart disease sadly not so easily fixed- but you'd hate to fix such a problem after ten unnecessary years of feeling awful, and with worse outcome for your health for allowing the cause to go on so long (even low or high thyroid can kill if untreated).

Of course most of us the docs will say "All tests normal; if it's any consolation I feel sorry for you/ know exactly what you're going through" [depending on age of your doc!] but again it would be sad to find out much later (or TOO late) that a few tests could've saved us years of fatigue or even decades of life/health.

[Nette]

I'm 42, and I think I peaked at 39. Really. At 39, I was in my best shape ever, strengthwise. I thought I could just keep working hard around the farm, with occasional intentional exercise during swimsuit season, and I'd be in the same physical condition forever. Wrong. It takes a little more effort when you hit 40 evidently. The best intentional exercise for me is step aerobics. Old-fashioned, I know, but I get results pretty quickly. I have lots of tapes (VHS of course) so I don't get bored. I shoot for at least a 20 to 35 minute workout, telling myself that there's NO EXCUSE for not being able to find 20 minutes to devote to excercise.

[EDDIE BUCK]

Don't feel like the . Me to. Fiftyeight an going downhill fast. By the time I get to my garden, I'm to tired to do anything. My hoe use to be used for grass and weeds. Now its a crutch and a prop also. It used to be about one hundred steps to my garden, now I take two hundred for the same distance.Its funny, the garden don't even look that far, but when I'm at the garden the house looks three times as far as it used to. Oh, and all those buckets around the garden, they are for setting when I'm trying to figure if I have enough strength to make it back to the house or do I need to stop at the next bucket. LOL

[HilltopDaisy]

Amelia, I'll be 50 in a few months. I just said to a couple friends today "I feel so different. I don't have the strength or the energy that I had when I moved out here 5 years ago". I honestly do not know what to do about it.