The usual aches and pains

I remember my friend Sandra saying, when we were both in our early fifties, "I've got the usual aches and pains, that's all.  It's to be expected at our age".  I was a year older than her and my immediate response was "No!  It's not normal to be suffering from aches and pains, even if you are over 50.  See your doctor and sort it out!"

Now that I am over 60, I can state categorically that I still don't suffer from the "usual aches and pains", and certainly not on a daily basis.  The last time we visited our local castle, which involved going up and down a lot of steep steps, I didn't have any problems coping with them.  The following day though my legs felt a bit stiff, but there was a good reason for that and I was back to normal two days later.

John and I walk a lot every day, partly because we live on the edge of town and it's a ten minute walk to the nearest shop and partly because we have a dog to exercise.  When we lived in the UK we both did a lot of running, however it's too hot at the moment for running to be enjoyable so we now prefer to go out for a walk.  I think the fact that we have taken regular exercise over the years has helped to keep us fit and warded off potential aches and pains.  I also think that regular exercise has stopped us getting overweight, which is another factor in many age-related problems.  That was certainly the case for my friend Sandra, who never walked if a car was available, and unfortunately had the extra weight to prove it!

Running the Race for Life 3km, at the age of 63

Do you agree that regular walking helps to delay the onset of age-related health problems?  My mother walked everywhere, and she also played badminton every week, even in her eighties. She was a great role model for anyone wanting to be healthy in their later years. Should we all expect to be pain-free in our sixties and later, and not just accept it as part of ageing?  My mother hardly ever had to visit her doctor, and certainly didn't complain of any aches and pains, but as well as taking regular exercise she was always very slim.

Do you have any other tips for staying fit and healthy in your sixties? If so, please share them with us.