I am a farmer too, and I know it keeps me fit. I’ve had several people ask me what my exercise routine is – and the answer is just farm work. (Because of it, I walk 5+ miles a day, stack 40 lb bales of hay, unload 1500 lb of feed, etc etc.)
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@sushiritto Since you having been getting tested for visceral fat, what additional steps to your original lifestyle have you added or altered? Also, how much change have you achieved by doing those things?
We have Renew Active. It’s part of our Medicare Advantage Plan (please don’t discuss this plan here). Renew Active is terrific. Multiple memberships in various things for various reasons. The gym for the gym and classes. But the Y for swimming. All part of the plan.
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I’ve tested for body composition for at least a decade, and I’ve been following the same exercise regimen for about a decade now. But my body composition (fat %) hit a "floor.’ But in terms of the general population, it’s considered very low.
After my initial DEXA scan a few years ago, I removed sugar from my diet, for example, I used to add one packet of sugar to my coffee each morning. No more. I used to eat a lot of fruit, but now I eat essentially a small serving of fruit, like some berries with my oatmeal. And maybe 1/2 banana or some apple (not a whole apple) later in the day for a snack.
No alcohol, cheese, baked goods, and other dairy products are minimal, if any. I follow mainly a Paleo-ish diet.
In terms of exercise, especially since testing for visceral fat, in addition to my base program (CrossFit), I’ve layered on an advanced strength program. CF doesn’t really focus on high-end strength.
So now with my new or newer strength cycles, I’m actually achieving PR (personal records) for various lifts, such as squats, deadlifts, bench, overhead press, clean and jerks and snatches. I’ve chronicled those a little over on the Fitness/Nutrition thread.
However, IMO, the absolute most important lift is the squat. I squat WAY more now since being tested for visceral fat and this has made a HUGE difference. I learned to get my butt down (“a$$ to grass”), because in lifting competition, the judges want see a DEEP squat with your knees going past your toes and your hip crease lower than the top of your knee.
If you’re healthy and not injured, then properly squatting will keep your back, knees and core in great shape. And in terms of exercise, I think that’s made the biggest difference in terms of lowering my visceral fat.
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I’ve been squatting too, finally able to do it after a week of struggling, but this farmer girl eats like a peasant, bacon, fat, fruit, sugar, etc… I don’t know about visceral fat, but I actually rather not knowing, however one thing I think is helping is fasting from 1pm to 6am, it does wonder to my health, I sleep very well because of no food in my tummy.
I think the best tips for longevity come from The Blue Zones book (and more).
Gyms and a specific diet are not part of it, though there are commonalities of more veggies/beans and plenty of normal exercise plus socialization.
This is what we Creeklanders go for. If I had to have a specific diet and gym schedule, that would not be “quality of life” for me at all. I like a mix of what I eat and just plain doing stuff outside.
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I watched the first TED video, he mentioned the Okinawa people eat lots of tofu, but from many articles I’ve read, the secret to their low Alzheimer’s disease and longevity is that they eat a lot of pork, so it’s not just tofu.
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I think it’s important to distinguish what Okinawans over 100 eat from a modern Okinawan diet that may include more pork products.
I don’t think it’s a modern diet. They always like to eat pork, they are closer to China.
One of the links I read among the octogenarians there was none that’s vegetarian.
Vegetarian isn’t a commonality at all for the Blue Zones. Less meat and more beans/veggies is along with the others he lists. I think only the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda were mainly vegetarian among the groups. “Mainly” is there because some eat fish.
No single commonality is the answer according to his research (in the book I read some time ago). It’s all of them working together.
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Today I went swimming after cooking a few dishes, and this afternoon I’ll be in class painting. All of this cost no money. You often read people need to have real purpose in retirement, well I fail on that, my purpose is to have fun. Make the most fun while you can, life definitely is too short.
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I’ve been watching Stanley Tucci’s show on CNN and am hoping to travel to Italy soon, so am reading everything I come across. I thought this article about a genetic mutation in some Italian villagers was really interesting! http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/limone-sul-garda-italy-elixir-wellness/index.html
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Interesting article. Those Italy photos wowed me too. We stopped briefly along coast of Italy on cruise shore excursions, but we fell in love with Sorrento and would love to return to Italy. (We’ve been to Rome twice, once on cruise and again with the kids for 4 nights. Loved it. But now we want more time in more rural Italian towns).
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I loved Rome. In fact, I’m currently painting a picture of my husband and I at the Colloseum, let’s hope I’m successful in this. Not sure how it will turn out.
But being at that place after watching Russell Crow in Gladiator was kind of eerie.
But we have to be careful not to visit it too often, been there twice already. Maybe next time on the way to Sorento, Naples, and Pompei.
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I just ran into this article in the paper (I don’t think it’s been posted; apologies if so). It’s an interesting perspective.
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Do you think you’ve gotten more optimistic as you’ve aged (just a general question)? What about continuing to learn and grow as a person? I live in a college town and the university offers lifelong learning that is very popular with the senior population.
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I am a born optimist so I don’t think I’m getting more optimistic as I age. I do, however, feel like I have gotten less fatalistic at times. Age and experience and wisdom has put thing in perspective.
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I’ve learned to not sweat the small stuff a lot more as I’ve aged.
Around me that seems to be unusual though - either that or those who do sweat the small stuff are just really loud.
We just finished another round of exploring some of the US via Amtrak. It was a lot of fun just leisurely watching the world go by.
I suspect for me, that adds a bit of time to my life, and if not, it at least made what I’m living good quality time. H and FIL loved it too. FIL has already told one friend “back home” about it - and we just arrived back home 3 hours ago!
Whoever coined “Stop and Smell the Roses” was onto something - whether roses or not. Life is too short to miss it all by being in the rat race - at least the way our (family) brains are wired.
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Having spent quite a bit of time with much older relatives, several through their deaths, I am much more aware of what a gift each day is and what I can do in it. When I’m feeling grumpy about the weather, for example, I ask myself how I’d feel if I lacked the ability to go out and experience it. It sounds morbid, but it’s less about what I may lose and more about gratitude for what I have.
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Agree, each day of health and freedom is a gift.
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