65 years old. Aches and Pains- Everything hurts after exersion
 

My wife and I are both 64. We have never done much exercise- but we do go out dancing on weekends. The day after dancing Everything Hurts. We are doing a lot of work to prepare our Mass. home for sale- digging holes, repairing the deck, moving heavy objects, etc. We've been doing these things nearly ever day for 1-6 hours per day for the past year. Every night we are really stiff and sore- and the next morning we are really still stiff and sore. I figured because we do hard word nearly every day, all this post work soreness would eventually go away as our muscles got used to the work- nope... still full of aches and pains.

I said all that to ask this. Are there a lot of people here who can relate to all of these aches and pains? Does Everything Hurt after you exert yourself?

Thanks!

At 81 it hurts with or without exertion. From the age of 15 on I have enjoyed what we used to call lifting weights. In my case bodybuilding with a little power lifting thrown in so I am accustomed to being sore but now I get sore from too much couch surfing as well.

Not my wife (73) and me (77).

No, because we are too smart to exert ourselves that much.

We went for a nice 2-mile walk at Hogeye this afternoon and a couple days ago we went for a long (for us) bike ride through Newell and Lake Denham. Occasionally, we play golf at an Executive golf course and we always walk.

We cut our cloak to suit our cloth and we are enjoying life more than ever.

One of the reasons the massage places are so busy. A cost of getting old

Many unknown variables, but based on the info provided, you may not be allowing enough time for rest between "home prep" sessions. If you lack the flexibility, core strength, "general" muscle strength, transverse plane work, endurance, etc. that come from regular exercise, it makes things more difficult. Nutrition, vitamins/supplements, and sleep each play a big role as well.

Try resting your muscles at least 1-2 days between physical labor sessions, and see if there is any reduction in soreness. Obviously this will extend your timeline, but your physical well-being should be the top priority.

Considering how hard you’re working your aches and pains seem normal to me.

Your being very physical and for many hours.
I’m sure this has not been your norm before.

Makes sense your bodies are feeling exhausted.

Since we have moved I truly can say I've never been more active in my entire stinkin' life.

I have an entirely new respect for people who wait until their late 60s to bust a move and move down south or anywhere. The packing, the donating, the negotiating, the this the that. We were moving professionals our entire married life. We made a fortune flipping house up north and it was a walk in the park. One little move down here at the advanced age of 64 and it almost did me in for real. I'm grateful to the Santa Barbara healthcare team that I have and the people at Leesburg Hospital who literally saved my life. I'm knocking it back a notch. I had retirement down to a science. I was built for a slower life. After getting up at 3 AM for the better part of 40 years I think I like sleeping in a bit instead of having a full plate around the clock. The aches and pains we have both had lately are just out of hand. I'm back to chilling. I wish I could just moderate my activity but it's either full steam ahead or full retirement mode. I'm not ready to take a dirt nap quite yet.

Wife and I are 86 and 83.
We work hard in garden, walk daily, travel a lot, and ache like heck.
When you stop you seize up, so keep going.
The aches and pains seem the norm as you age, it's just a case of mind over matter.

PS. Keep away from doctors, and funeral salesmen:icon_wink:!

Stretching is great.

Get some resistance bands (very cheap).

Start easy and start infrequent doing both.

Graduate thru bands and pick up frequency.


You will be surprised.

I find taking one scoop of Orgain brand collagen peptides daily solves my feeling of stiffness. It works better than pills for me. Everyone is different so find what works for you. I also try to get in at least 7K steps a day - gotta keep moving.

Doing all those Repairs on your house for up to 6 hours a day must be grueling….sounds like you guys really need a Massachusetts Contractor, Home Inspection and a good Massage Therapist! You will need to toughen up if you plan on making 80… Way too young to be hurting like that

A SPA/Hot Tub helps recovery.

"That which does not kill you, makes you stronger". (Friedrich Nietzsche)

That’s the ticket. I mix in some TRX training with the resistance bands, swim some laps (absolutely weightless on the joints), and take a couple 10mg CBD gummies as well.

I think you have learned a valuable lesson at 64 that you need to start exercising regular. You are using muscles that haven’t been used in quite sometime and people are correct that a little rest can help . At 64 there’s plenty of time to get yourself into fit condition .I’m 84 still go to the gym 5 or 6 days a week , I do something different each day so I don’t overwork my body , I have broken a lot of bones over the course of a long career and picked up 3 separate gun shots , one still in me. , if I stopped exercising I would be a bent over arthritic old man ,whether it’s weights or some other resistance program just do it ,it works at any age , and a thing I can’t emphasize more is aerobic activity , nothing even the weight training is more important I rarely miss a day of at least an hour walk , biking or some running or treadmill , aerobic activity is the fountain of youth , as much as I like the gym if for some reason I had to give up weights or aerobic activity it’s would be an easy choice , I would keep the aerobic activity ,. FYI you don’t have to do as much walking as I do but
whatever you do make sure it’s brisk and no stopping to chat at least 5 days a week

Here is the quick answer given by the ortho doctor that replaced both my knees. The older you get, your body hydrates your ligaments and tendons less. You send endorphens to them when you use them that loosens up everything, however when you settle down and rest with little movement, those ligaments and tendons dry out resulting in tight muscles and stiff joints. The body responds to that with minor aches to make you aware that you need to slowly loosen them up before jumping back into rigorous exercise. The answer is to stay hydrated with water, amino acids and or electolites. These all help, but you are still going to be a little stiff and sore. It never gets better until, and thats not better.

I am 60 and still work in landscaping/irrigation. Field work is not sufficient to keep my body well. Like other here have said, structured exercise is essential. I do group classes because I find working out on my own doesn't motivate me to push myself far enough. Hydrate and eat right too.

No, no one here as aches and pains after exerting themselves.

I'm only 58, but strenuous exercising till it hurts has been part of my work and now retirement routine. What helps me wake up refreshed and not hurting has been stretching in the evening. Yes water intake, good sleep and eating healthily are important, but stretching is a HUGE part of keeping pain free. No one likes to do it, but it's just like brushing your teeth, not doing it is way too costly for one's quality of life. Put a yoga mat on the floor, watch some videos or see a physical therapist to get yourself a routine and DO IT! Good luck and be well.

i agree. Take a cruise. Spend at least 4 hrs a day in ship's hot tubs, and at least 1 spa day. Make it a r& r vacation and stay on board. One way or another you'll find out if your ailments are temporary or if you need to make life style changes. Several good suggestions by posters here who come through as they usually do.

sage advice . Hip hip hooray to the both of you .

Yes!!! As soon as I turned 65...

Same age as you. You have to have easy days (not not nothing) every once in a while for muscles to heal. Try Epson salt bath too. Try swimming too. Swimming stretches everything without weights. The stretching before and after exercise is important. Keep moving but stretch and vary activities both exertion and type. Glad you are moving to active community.
As an aside my orthopedic doctor said that everyone should get a card on their 50th birthday that says, “Congratulations you have reached your last decade before your body starts falling apart and hurting! Enjoy this ten years!” Then he told me worse thing is to not move! Use the muscles before you lose them. I’m sure everyone can tell you a story of someone that was sore and stopped moving and almost had surgery before discovering moving and keeping muscles strong made them healthy without surgery.

Good post.

I'd add that a lot of it is mental as well. Here is a paraphrased conversation between Doc and myself at my physical. I'm 75.

Doc: "Do you find yourself getting dizzy at times?"
Me: "Yes."
Doc: "When?"
Me: "When I'm climbing a ladder."
Doc (incredulously) "What are you doing on a ladder at YOUR age?"
Me: "It is the only way I can get to the roof."
Doc: (blank stare)

Totally agree, the ugly truth of aging is that once you hit 60 or 65 you must start working out 5 to 6 days a week. No off weeks, no excuses. Walking a few minutes every day just will not cut it. 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week, different exercise every day! It is what it is, accept it and learn to enjoy it.

S t r e t c h
 

maybe ballet classes can help. Nfl football teams have taken them to increase agility skill sets

Try anti-inflammatories.

Or a good bourbon.

Doesn't do a blessed thing for the aches and pains. Just makes HAVING them more fun.

Do you by chance both take a statin drug for cholesterol control? Years ago, I was on Pravocol and my joints and muscles hurt after exertion for days before they recovered. Doctor switched me to Lipitor….no issues! 👍

Yep.

Truly an option of last resort.
Too many of those things are dangerous.

Nearly every day for 1-6 hours? Says it right there. That's a lot of physical work at anyone's age. You may be overdoing it. Even dancing after 1-6 hours of strenuous work is taxing yourself. Another person here mentions stretching. Very important especially at our age to stretch. A light warmup to get the blood flowing, followed by stretches at the end of the workout. Stretching can keep pain to a minimum.

As a bodybuilder, I'm used to a few minor aches and pains 1-2 days after a 1 hr workout, or any type of shorter workout that breaks down muscle tissue. But I rest that part the next 2-3 days. By 3rd or 4th day whatever pain there is gone. So give yourself some rest and keep the physical stuff to about an hour.

And I wouldn't do strenuous back work unless accompanied by leg/core work/workouts. Don't set yourself up for permanent injury. Body position in normal activities also plays a part. Slouching at a desk or being hunched over for over an hour does not do your body any favors. I claim any type of pain these days to bad posture/body positioning for long periods of time.

Also, any new activity that includes a certain muscle group that you haven't used before will cause a little soreness in that area for 1-2 days. Your body should be used to doing the same types of exercises unless you don't provide yourself with adequate rest.

Rest = recovery. Listen to your body. If your back is sore don't do back work and take a day of rest for that area. Unless you are a super athlete, keep any type of daily weight lifting exertion to no more than 2 hours and preferably 1 hour. Exercise not "excess-ize."

I also recommend ginger root for natural anti-inflammatory purposes. Not a miracle drug, but may help in some cases. I don't do ibuprofen unless pain is more than usual for me, which is very rare. Like "once a year maybe" rare.

If the strenuous work you do needs to be done daily, maybe think about hiring some young kid to help. Or to avoid possible liability, pay a professional.

I played 90 minutes of soccer several years ago, very little long running mostly off and on jogging in a 1/4 field size. . next day, my achilles were screaming and I could barely walk. Three mile daily walks did nothing to prep for that. Hadn't done my achilles exercises in years, back to the physiotherapy exercises. . heel drops, combo stretching and lifting self. . went back to soccer a week later, 5 minutes in tweaked my quad trying a full shot on goal, back home to ice it 10 minutes every 2 hours for several days. . know the drill well . . recently, tweaked a muscle in my back getting out of bed, picking something up off the floor, back to doing back exercises and ham string stretches, which i haven't done in a year. . . . .

injury prevention is about strength training and stretching, not body building strength, but resistance training and then stretching to keep the muscles limber and to put less pressure on joints, keeping weight down helps with lower joints. . With long exertions, a day or two of rest meaning walking. . and then the hydration. . alcohol doesn't help at all. .

so now that you are/will be retired, or will be, yoga classes, walking for cardio and maybe some light strengthening classes will be a regular activity. .

home guy also preparing our house for sale within two years trying to plan ahead so that we don't end up doing everything in two weeks. . . . new kitchen appliances coming this week to replace 19 year old original appliances after putting in new granite counter tops last month, as we are the plumbers and the electricians for all the installs. Per city ordinances, pros need to pull permits to reconnect a new dishwasher or refrigerator ice maker water lines. . . all plastic flexible hoses, really? F* that..

Excedrin at breakfast, and Tylenol at bedtime, and be glad you are not yet 75.

Yea, my wife & I are 73 & pushing 74 at the end of the month, man all I can say is, it’s heck to get old. I remember being 21 & I never thought about getting old. It comes in a hurry!

Aches & pains more frequent as we age, but you may want to consult a rheumatologist in case something else going on.

Always busier in The Villages. 1/2 advil pm at bed for me.

No pain no gain!

On a positive note... My pickleball injury (torn plantar fascia) from the end of February is mostly healed... I walked 18 holes yesterday with only mild soreness today...

But from a medical standpoint, it is a fact that any injury after 40 is permanent... :D

Aging is a contact sport...

you said it! that's the best way to get rid of those nasty aches & pains