I agree that cycling would definitely lessen the impact. Just not sure how the flex will feel. I might try it this weekend. I’m still adjusting to this new reality. The crutches are not working out at all. I’ve done them before for long stretches, but I was a little younger and this time they seem unwieldy and just a pain in the butt. I am probably not going to use them much and will just try to limit my walking and walk gently. He didn’t say I had to be on them except for longer walks anyway. Went and got the handicap tag for the truck, which will help with the walking.
My husband is a die hard runner and he gets cranky when he can’t run. He suffered a stress fracture several years ago and was not fun to live with 
He’s actually started liking biking some in the last couple of years. He will usually bike with me one weekend day, but has to run the other.
Not always what people want to hear but especially as you get older I feel you need to have a couple of fitness things you’re willing to do in the rotation. I run but I also walk, spin, etc. because if/when I stop running I want to have alternative things to jump right into.
With that in mind I did my not most favorite thing, strength training tonight - a cardio strength training video.
Ok, I am coming out of lurkdom. I have been reading this thread and not posting.
I am one of the light people here and I’m OK with that.
I grew up with heart issues in a household of athletes. I know what it takes to be an athlete, I just can’t do it in a hard core way.
I did learn how to swim as a kid, yet live where there is no pool.
It has just been easier for me to be a couch potato.
30+ years ago my college required a PE class to graduate. We could pick our 2 activities and then had some lectures on nutrition. I picked badminton and weight lifting, so I know how to do that, too, but haven’t since.
I still remember that PE teacher saying there is no reason an able bodied person can’t do some sort of physical activity for 30 minutes a day.
So, at the first of the year I started walking 30 minutes a day 5-6 days a week. I am pretty slow. I put an audio book on my phone and listen while I walk. I started walking faster. I liked how the steps built up. So, now I walk 35-40minutes and am getting more steps and more mileage. And, more “reading” done.
I also got a bullet thing just before Christmas. So, now I am making smoothies every day for a meal replacement. It means getting more fruits in. I also usually add fresh spinach but that is the only veggie. I sometimes add protein powder, but not always and usually just a one quarter to one half serving.
I have also cut way back on how much bread I am eating.
The numbers on my scale have moved just a little, not as much as I would have liked. But my clothes are fitting differently and I think I am sleeping better.
Welcome and congratulations on your great progress!
@bajamm welcome and in my mind you are a champ! Being that dedicated , 5-6 days a week is nothing but good for your mental and physical health. I love, love the way you have figured out a strategy that works for you.
I read the first 7 pages and then realized I’ll become a couch potato if I don’t jump ahead and just post. I’m in my mid-40s and normally classify myself as a “functional exerciser”–I’d rather walk or bike than drive, when reasonable. Until a couple of weeks ago, I would run a 2-3 miles a few times a week and take an occasional ballet class. Fast forward to some scary labs (I’m a “clean” eater, good weight, etc, so this came out of the blue) and I decided that I needed to up my activity to see if it would help. Since then I’ve been running 2-3 days/wk (5 miles/day), doing HIIT/strengthening 2 days a week, and continuing that ballet class. I’m pleasantly surprised how good truly consistent exercise makes me feel. (This shouldn’t be shocking, but I think the max I’d ever consistently done was 3-4 days/week, so the improvement in mood and energy surprised me.) I’m a little nervous to start posting here, but taking the plunge anyway.
Welcome to the thread @illneversaynever . It sounds as if you are doing great and dealing well with the scary labs (hope all is ok). Even if it’s a little scary to start posting here, it can be very motivating and supportive!
Glad to have you @illneversaynever ! You are doing great!
Going skiing today. Can’t wait. Also a bit nervous. It’s been a while.
Welcome @illneversaynever ! That’s a big jump in your weekly mileage -you must be in decent shape to have made the jump!
Welcome to the new posters!
@bajamm Being a hugely popular sport here in the SF Bay Area, I assume because of our large Asian population, we have several badminton clubs. Local HS’s have badminton teams. Extremely popular amongst the Facebook/Google type crowd for lunch time exercise too. Occasionally, my kid and I rent a court and play for an hour. A wonderfully fun exercise.
Thursday is/was my active recovery/rest day, so I tried to keep my intensity and volume to a minimum. After 10 minutes of stretching and rolling, I warmed up with 10 minutes of treadmill running, then bench pressed for about 20 minutes getting up to 90-95% of my 1-rep max, 20 minutes of core work, including glute ham raises (working on bigger glutes!) and then finished with 10 more minutes on the treadmill.
I played squash in law school back in the dark ages (before racquetball was a thing) and it was SUCH a great workout- and hard. My husband played handball in graduate school, and when we got together in the 80s we tried to play racquetball, but he had such an aggressive windup that I was terrified. It was NOT a success.
Squash is the only sport involving balls that I liked. I only played in college because my dorm had several courts in the basement.
Here in the Land of the Retirees, pickleball is all the rage. It’s crazy how many people I know who have had serious injuries playing tennis (the under 50/60s crowd) and pickleball (the over 60 crowd.)
Given how serious these injuries are - one person with two broken wrists, torn rotator cuffs, spinal injuries, blown knees galore - you’d think these people were Gladiators, not players of a recreational sport.
I can’t talk, though. I never get injured doing anything cool. All my injuries are dumb ones. My friends are still teasing me about that stupid yoga injury. Based on that, I avoid tennis and pickleball; I’d probably manage to break my neck.
Here’s my $0.02.
Injuries happen in all exercise related activities and sports. Also, some folks tend to be more prone to injuries than others. Back in late August I was packing to go on vacation and my back suddenly had some sort of a “conniption.” My FIL played tennis into his 80’s without any serious injuries.
Putting aside the issue of less than ideal genetics, what I see most older (and many young people too) people not do, is prepare for exercise. They’ll just start playing, lifting, running or whatever, with no warmup, no stretching, no mobility work. Or just pay it “lip service.” I assume they’re injuring themselves, because before they start to play, they don’t do any leg (ankle, knee, etc.), back, shoulder and chest mobility and stretching exercises.
But even more importantly, they probably don’t do any strength/cross training or cardio/conditioning outside of their favorite sport. Simple things, like step-ups, pushups, lunges, squats, hip/glute bridges, core work or any balance, mobility and stability exercises.
Why? Because it’s no fun. 
The most recent studies I’ve seen show that stretching before working out results in more injuries and lower performance. Warming up is good, stretching first is bad.
I suspect many of the serious injuries I’m seeing in people playing tennis/pickleball are due to weekend warrior type patterns.
We have had club members break bones on hikes in the Chicago suburbs.
Read that as flatlands.
I agree, injuries are part of living a full life!
I do a 90 minute yoga class called yoga stretch for the inflexible—it is probably the best class I take. I feel great when Its over. Mostly we do stretching type poses, primarily on the floor. We move into it slowly.
Went xc skiing today. It was perfect, 15 degrees and sunny. That’s peak skiing weather. No way it won’t put you in a good mood. There are no happier people in the winter than xc skiers.