Age 60 - playing basketball in Romania smoothly with knowledge, jumping well.. problem with pulled muscles - average drive 280 yards
Age 65 - After Afghanistan. Right shoulder replaced. But doing personal rehab (5 mos) afterwards could take wallet out of left pocket and throw better than ever. Balance was excellent. Average drive 260
Age 70 - Africa - swimming a mile. No weights. excellent balance. 45 min 5xweek on alternatively elyptical, treadmill and erg/rowing machine. (all cardio - low impact - do not jog!!) Average drive 240
Age 75 - Africa - Arthritis in left shoulder - can't swim the crawl anymore - no weights. But still on the machines and doing a lot or walking with pack. Balance getting sketchy. Average drive 230
Age 77 - Today...on the way back to Africa. Walking 3 miles a day. No weights . Average drive 225. Like to support myself when getting dressed (re balance and neuropathy). Still can jump with surprising spring in the ankles...working at it.
Aging is not for the faint of heart. But if I couldn't shoot, jump, fight and run..(the old Special Forces Vietnam era "Maryann Barnes" song mentioned a variant - "Shoot, jump, fight, f**q")...I wouldn't be headed back to the Sahara.
http://itsligorfc.wikifoundry.com/page/Mary+Ann+Barnes(And Note the internet is in error: this is exclusive...Mary Ann Barnes was never identified as "fat." That verse should be:
-- "She's a great big son of a Byatch,
-- twice as big as me,
-- Got hair on her @$$
-- like the branches on a tree
-- She can shoot, jump, fight, f**q
-- Fly a plane and drive a truck
-- She's the kind of girl who's goin to marry me
-- She's Special Forces Ranger Airborne Infantry
-- And Mike Force toooooo
But I think the key as Stan says is always cardio...get the pulse ups to 70% and keep it there for 30 minutes. (For your 100% take 220 and subtract your age...so at 77 my 100% should be 143 - 80% is 115., 70% is 101 - In walking at a fast pace I'm usually at 105...I regularly hit 140 on the machines when I jack up the incline....not sure that's good...).
And Stan..knees go..try the low impact cardio - especially the erg/rowing machine. (you know water...and I grew up rowing flat bottom punts in north Florida black-water lakes....never heard of the competition stuff..but you'd love it).
And stay the hell way from medicine. I got persuaded to take a Statin 6 years ago for high cholesterol (hereditary) and it gave me gout!!! Don't take squat other than aspirin unless you're force too.
Finally personal discipline is everything...you have to do this stuff... I was doing it 6 days a week, with one rest...then 3 x 3.. I'm down to 2 days on 1 day' off...not training for the olympics so be sensitive to how your body feels.
