gessman Loc: Colorado

I don't usually spend a lot of time "preaching" to folks but we older people need to exercise regularly, ride an exercycle so you take the weight off your feet while keeping some tension on your leg muscles, and do a little weight lifting several times a week, light weights, lots of reps. I have gone extended periods not getting much exercise and it is alarming how fast we lose our ability to even keep our balance well. Exercise helps even with favoring old injuries like my two busted up shoulders, broken clavicles, arthritis, calcium deposits, torn rotator cuffs on both sides. I'm 83 and a 50 year diabetic, cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, kidney disease, diminished lung capacity from smoking for nearly 50 years and a bad bout of acid reflux that got into my lungs, partial amputee of my left foot, take about 20 pills a day, 6 to 8 shots of insulin a day, and do have mobility issues so I use a bike to help me get around, an electric bike, a fat tire mountain bike, but still I exercise in addition to peddling the bike. It's a little hilly where I live, called the Rocky Mountains, and no matter how good of shape I'm in, there are times when I need a little boost with the pedals and that's when I twist the throttle on the electric motor. I do most of my shooting up in the Rockies which start about 5 minutes from my house and those are definitely hills that can put some demand on an old guy. I carry the bike on a back rack to where I unload and ride it around the area where I want to shoot.

I've had an electric mountain bike for about 20 years now and about wore it out so last summer I got a new one. I got a stout front wheel 48 volt hub motor and as soon as I got it all put together I took it for a little test ride. It was very responsive and powerful until what turned out to be a defective motor decided it would lock up on me going at a pretty good clip which caused the front wheel to rip out of the forks and shoot to the rear of the bike which, of course, caused the fork to dig into the asphalt which very inconveniently ejected me over the handlebars about eight or ten feet out in front of where the bike stopped. Fortunately for me, I was a bike and then motorcycle messenger for the Western Union as a young man eight hours a day, five days a week for a few years and have never been without bikes and motorcycles, so I have fallen off two wheel transport about every conceivable way but this was a new experience. Still, I was able to control my landing to an extent and came out with only a skinned elbow and knee. I picked up the pieces, walked home and ordered me another bike and a rear wheel motor. Somewhat complacent, I had failed to think the front wheel motor through thinking it'd never be a problem but the sudden reminder brought me out of that stupor pretty quick.

I was sore for a few days but that's as bad as it got. I'm sure we could all say, "well, it could've been different," but the deal is that it wasn't. And yes, I'm lucky, and aware of it, but part of that luck was cultivating my coping skills for riding a bike through the years and not letting all that slip away from me. The attributes of our younger years shouldn't be allowed to diminish into thin air as our muscle memory is allowed to atrophy from a lack of use so we're afraid to do anything for fear that we'll get hurt. "Use it or lose it!" I figure I'll probably take a big digger one of these days so I carry a note in my shirt pocket with instructions. It's not exactly riding a rocket to the moon but I'll tell you, it's kinda fun and I'm damn sure not going out sitting on the couch watching "Judge Judy," Whoopie Goldberg, or Maury Povich.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I'm just starting to feel old. My Doctor just said, after giving me a stress test, that I can still buy green bananas. He also suggested I don't go much more than a mile in the woods with my equipment. So at turning 88 I met slow down. I knew that for the last few mounts. I guess I just not middle-age any more. But I'll still keep pushing it.

coyotecall Loc: New Mexico

For me at 85 it's not the falling thing, so far I'm pretty stable, it's the endurance. I kept dreaming of one day returning to Keet Seal, a 13 mile (one way) up and down hike (and you've got to pack in your own water along with the other "stuff") because the last time I was there I had a low-to-fair camera and this time I thought I'd take my good one (the Sony) and get marvelous shots. Then I happened to read a piece by someone who had just taken the journey.....and he had captured it...just the way I remembered it......and it was a bitch! Every up and down, every biting fly, every mosquito, every STEP..........! and I figured I'll just buy the shots somebody else has taken and save myself the cursing.
That's when I knew I was 85......NOT 45.
I just took a breath, leaned back in my recliner....and remembered.
Good enough.

DORS

I was 90 in March of this year! Still doing whatever I want. Fell just one time, got tangled up in the water hose, thought i had it 'all undone" and bam! Not stopped me. I do whatever I need/want to do. Getting to be a loner thought, people don't seem to want to adventure out. You can drive and see a lot of things, don't have to be confined to your house/apartment, etc. Buy a small mobile trailer, take a friend along. Share expenses, can go a lot more. Love my life!

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

I've fallen twice -- in my front yard! Don't need to go to exciting places to do that. It's made me more careful. At 86 I don't need more falls!

hoosier500

I considered myself in pretty good shape at 69, until last week. We took an excursion through Sensoria rainforest in Costa Rica. It's about a 2-2 1/2 hour trek through various elevations and uneven series of steps. The humidity approaches 100% due to near constant rain and mid 80's temps. I perspire easily. Between heat exhaustion and loss of electrolytes, I was envisioning rangers with a stretcher carrying me out. I'm still not sure what reserves I drew upon, but I did stumble out. Next day, I experienced what I can only describe as a "heat exhaustion hangover"--body ached all over and a massive headache. In the future, I'll be tailoring my activities with that experience in mind.

Photocraig

Welcome to the Orthopedic Bounce vs. Crack curve. They plot the amount you bounce on a given fall and the likelihood that a bone will crack from a fall. When teh curves cross, you quit sliding sports, uneven and steep trails and stairs without banisters.

Shoot what and where you can. I discovered what I call mini landscapes. These are small scenes which are really miniature replications of larger landscapes. They occur on small rock faces , stream and spring drainage's and small flower gardens or plots in bigger gardens. They're easily found in parks and even local yards. Walking on paved surfaces is more secure. You might need a longer focal length.

Also, Using a telephoto to "extract" a scene or feature from a larger landscape is another technique. There may be a waterfall or an Upper part of a muti fall that makes a great composition.

The step before Macro of plants and tree features will set the photo into context before the close up.

These are all accessible to pretty flat terrain and is just as much a challenge, and even more of a discovery challenge that many traditional Landscapes.

Keep shooting and stay on the safe path. Staying on the "GREEN Side" is what it's about in Advanced Middle Age.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

All of our problems is too many candles on our birthday cake. And when we blow them out, we only blow out 18, for lack of air.

St.Mary's

In the words of the song "Don't Let the Old Man In:" "would you know how old you are if you didn't know the day you were born"?

Harvey Loc: Pioneer, CA

Well my two replaced knees, weak back, breathing seems to let me know just when it is time to sit down and make an inelegant decision.

Bill Sebastian Loc: NC

Yes, in the same boat here at 69. Due to numerous falls and subsequent broken bones (bicycle wrecks) I decided to sell my motorcycles due to not having strength or balance needed anymore. Got a Spyder and still photograph a lot while riding either Spyder or bicycle, but hiking pretty much out due to back issues. Trying to adjust to less physical efforts but keep doing what I love as long as possible.

Bill Sebastian Loc: NC

Bill Sebastian Loc: NC

You’re to be commended 👍. Think I’ll show this to my wife and friends who call me crazy for still riding after all my injuries. But, you understand. Keep pedaling my friend!

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

My wisdom says that this 72 year old body can't do what it did 550,000 miles ago.

Don

National Park

A trekking pole or two can help immensely with balance, and when a trail gets steep or squirrely.