Just spoke with a 77 year old friend (Ph.D. physical therapist and Zumba instructor) who broke both of her arms downhill skiing in Reno, NV 2 days ago. One shoulder, one wrist. Surgery Thursday – but only because she’s a personal friend of the surgeon in Reno. Otherwise, there would be a significant delay.
Just sayin’.
Wendy
Yuichiro Miura is the oldest person to summit Mount Everest at the age of 80 on May 23, 2013.
Though I’m pretty sure he walked down the mountain rather than skied
intercst
That’s why I snowboard. 
[quote=“WendyBG, post:1, topic:113836”]
who broke both of her arms downhill skiing
[/quote]
That’s why I snowboard.
Which is why I pedal an exercise bike, while watching TV.
Steve
Even minor trip and falls on mountain hikes break the wrists of women over 70. I have witnessed so many broken wrists by over 70 female hikers that I had my son in law assemble a high tech emergency kit replete with an er grade mold for broken arms, and I take annual first aid classes to minimize panic when it happens. I was like an I Love Lucy skit the first time it happened.
My cousin tore his pec very badly during snowboarding. The recovery after surgery took well over a year with intensive physical therapy required. Much longer recovery that a typical bone break, even an open fracture that requires surgery and physical therapy usually has a quicker recovery than this kind of injury.
Too late in life I learned to snowboard acceptably (at least for me) and understood the risks — certain types of errors and falls are FAR more deadly than others (catching toe edge of the board at even slow speeds is bad, but at moderate to high speed, sayonara}, and I have seen enough of them and the aftermaths….
Skiing is in my deep bones, and part of that is relaxing into your falls (laughing energetically at your stoopidity is the perfect emtional cue for the action)
Intense winter sports ( Not snowmobiling!!) are wonderful.
@MarkR with luck, a clean simple fracture will heal in 6 weeks. A muscle tear may be bad but at least it has a blood supply.
For sssslllllllloooooowwwww healing, try a tissue that doesn’t have a blood supply - a white tissue like a tendon, ligament or cartilage. I still feel my torn biceps tendon sometimes (shoulder rotator cuff) and that was over 20 years ago. One of my old friends has had 5 knee replacements (no, he’s not an insect – the surgeries failed) stemming from an original injury playing touch football when he was 19 years old.
Wendy (braces on both ankles from torn Posterior Tibial Tendons)
I do not know why but no one in my extended family has any of this going on from age 40 to 80. I wont talk about the 80+ folks because they are less active but still only one aunt slid down on the floor during the pandemic and broke a wrist. She was 85, the oldest of the bunch.
My parents are 86 and 85 and are the youngest of their peers. We are worried about the peers these days. My parents are clear sailing. The treadmill in their basement is the most used thing in their home. Keeps them safe from walking on ice in the winter and cool when walking in the summer. I did find mom today just done with a walk huffing and puffing for two minutes.
Just got off the slopes at Mt Bachelor after 9 runs over/through mixed iced sludge with a substantial overlay of powder. Great fun! My guardian nephews were pleased with me.
I expected big skiing muscles (legs and shoulders) to be tired, but they were all just fine. It is the tiny muscles and fibers of my core that are now flashing orange. Core core core. Body wants a sauna and a liter of beer.
Skiing, like dancing and surfing, is an activity that can activate an almost constant hummmmm of “happy happy to be alive.”
I am recovering from a really bad year. In July 2023 I had RSV and it took until January of 2024 before I could walk a 100 yards without being winded. In addition I was suffering from sever depression. Between not being able to breath and not wanting to do anything my health deteriorated substantially. I ended up in the emergency room twice in early 2024 mostly from dehydration.
But the shrinks found the right combination of meds in late 2023 and 2024 turned out much better. In late 2024 I started rebuilding my body. My medical doctor started me on testosterone and I started working out on Cross-fit. It has not been smooth. I have had to lay off for at least 2 weeks twice to let my back get straightened out.
From 58 to 60 I did High Intensity interval training, but after laying off for 5 years and having a really bad year in 2023 I am taking a long time and discovering a lot of problems getting back into shape. There is a big difference between 58 and 65!
Cheers
Qazulight
I am very happy to hear this.
As a 73 year old with a vicious illness I can say with solid experience, “Keep it going, with grace not fanaticism.”
Nope, Nope, Nope! At 83, I definitely heal too slow to even chance it, I gave up my motorcycle DMV endorsement several years ago, similar reasoning, slower reaction times, just not worth rolling those dice… Memories of lots od road rides, dirt bike weekends, Nevada deserts, Sierra back country… Yamaha XT500 is still out in the workshop, tires flat, a fixit project someday… Nope, no more… Hiking stick, walks, gym time, but still recovering from spinal stenosis, done with PT, just have to keep on keepin’ on!
WORD!!!
I trained systematically from a much earlier age until I was even older than 65…was almost of the “I’m never going to get like that” persuasion (that being the person who started to take it a bit easier because of age…even though I had an understanding of biological senescence etc and knew better) and yet…
My enlightenment came in the form of foot surgery (somewhat elective) and the results of enforced layoff at age 70…nothing to equate to what struck you down, for sure, and my late discovery of ASCVD seems to have had no effect, but here I am regardless.
Best of luck for future gains…or simply maintenance of what you have (which becomes a challenge itself with increasing chronological enrichment)
There is a HUGE difference between 58 and 65!
Recent research shows that massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s.
I have worked out consistently since age 15 so I know my body well, including recovery from major surgeries including splenectomy (age 16), hysterectomy (54) and bilateral mastectomy (61).
Although no particular health challenge happened at age 65 I noticed a step change downward in my fitness capacity. I was weaker and got tired more easily.
It takes a lot of effort to increase fitness activities after age 65. Failure to do so will result in loss of muscle mass and bone density. But expending effort will increase mitochondria which increases energy.
The oldest person in my high-intensity fitness class is 93. If she can do it so can I. I’m not cleared for that yet (cardiac stress test to come). But I am doing Zumba and yoga.
I have added CoQ-10, d-ribose, taurine and collagen to my usual vitamins and minerals to increase energy and muscle strength. I’m back to exercising 5 days a week (recovering from open-heart surgery, age 70) but still not back to 100%.
@qazulight I hope you feel better soon and return to full capacity.
Wendy
I’m 62. Still ski the Double Diamonds. I’d sure hate to stop. Many many happy memories. My parents taught me to ski when I was 7. They started skiing in the CO Rockies in the late 40’s. I taught my kids. Fun!
knock knock knock on wood. You can do everything right and everything can still go wrong.
Wait until you experience the difference between 70 and 75…
Age.
Now that I am in mid 70’s I am surprised at how rarely I hear talk of the potent “messaging” our bodies give us not by weakness or the like, but more subtly via significant hormonal shifts — my body gently insistantly telling my self? mind? spirit? to drop my resistance to change, my attachment to exceeding my past accomplishments.
Most people over 75 I have spoken to about this, both men and women, talk about this when directly gently questioned. But most do not bring it up or talk about it openly.