How much physical activity do you manage?

If I were to dream of winning the lottery , would that produce some of the same results ... oh please say yes

You could try! Let us know if you do(wink)

Oops try again! You could try! Let us know if you do win!

I've never been keen on exercise. I do Pilates every week through necessity and until a safety issue arose used to do motorcise. If I walk anywhere it's for a reason. I'd like to walk through woods again but can't now unless there is a loo in the vicinity. Give me a book anyday or something that needs brain power. That's the exercise I enjoy. If looking after grandchildren constitutes exercise then I'm very well catered for!

To all those who feel that ill-health is preventing them from taking as much exercise as they would like, or who don't feel motivated, can I recommend a book 'How to Thrive past 55' edited by Deanna Wilson.
It's not just about exercise in later life, but does talk about the evidence that supports the benefits (falls reduction for example)of even very gentle exercise for people with reduced mobility.
For anyone who's interested in finding out more, google Professor Dawn Skelton, who has made healthy ageing her life's work.
Personally I wouldn't go to a gym if anyone paid me - gardening, tennis, ballroom and sequence dancing, 10 mnjutes stretching every morning, and walking everywhere does it for me

I'm gutted. The Women only 'gym' 10 mins walk away I've been going to 3-4 times a week for a half hour work-out has suddenly closed because the owner is bankrupt. I was sceptical when I joined but it really worked for me & I actually went regularly. It saw me through a period of great stress, helped me build strength which cured a gammy knee & helped me recover from a broken foot. I can't stand the thought of going to 'proper' gyms at Leisure Centres so am not sure what to do. Walking and aqua aerobics are OK but they don't give the same exercise.

i just wish any exercise tat involves my ankles is impossible!

I am SERIOSLY considering asking for a below knee amputation of my right leg!
It is SO painful just at rest and worse when weight bearing!

It is really getting me down!

I meant left!!!!

Seriously!

If I sit with my feet down it hurts! The only time I'm comfy is in bed, or, in my recliner chair!

Enough moaning!

I have had my dgd here today. I'm not sure if it's me she likes or the iPad?

On reflection! --- it's the iPad!

I really do sympathise jeni now I know what it's like. Mind you, I seem to be a victim of the strange phenomenon of the 'finally goes to see Dr about pain in leg and then pain in leg miraculously goes' scenario. Maybe it's the sudden change in the weather but, when I was told the pain was coming from my knee it started to hurt far worse and now it isn't hurting at all.

Hang on; you'd better be pretty clear which leg it is ..you've got me worried now ...

Jane thankyou for info regarding book and website. Will explore both. U seem to be doing well with all your activities

You're welcome Siverbirch. The reason I feel strongly about this is that I watched my mother's sad slow decline and felt she would have been a lot happier and felt a lot better in herself if she had eaten well, taken at least some exercise and stopped smoking. I support a charity called Research into Ageing which sponsors research into how we can live our later years more healthily and independently.

jeni much empathy, chronic pain is so debilitating and frustrating. I have been lucky in that I have long periods totally pain free but when in the grip of an 'attack' it is so limiting.

I'm sitting now in my recliner! I tried to sit in the sun but as I can't elevate my legs out there, gave up!
It was lovely seeing family, but it's taken me over an hour to clear up the 'tidy' house they left behind!
I also made my icecream, did all the washing!
So why am I knackered?

Have a vodka and relax jeni.

Having family visiting takes it out of you however considerate they are!
And tidying up after them takes it out of you even more!
I agree with glass - large V&T and relax, jeni.

What do you think I'm doing?

jeni I should have known

Ouch jeni! - hope the warm weather might bring some relief.

I've just done a very small amount of gardening and am ready for a snooze!

for jeni - and on second thoughts -

I too have a painful left leg, worse at night in bed, feels like pins and needles and the heel is a bit 'dead' at times, and it sometimes aches whilst I am sitting down, gets - a bit fidgety, but it seems as soon as I start to do something, the pain disappears. This morning for instance I have been out in the fresh air for 2 hours playing a rather long game of bowls as part of the club competition. It was very hot, which makes a change this year, and I arrived home totally shattered - no leg problem while playing, it's aching again now though, which makes it all a bit confusing.

PRINTMISS I don't know if this is of any help, my dear dad suffered for a long time with pain in his heel, he had seen many doctors about it, he had many xrays but nothing could be found that was causing it.
He said to his district nurse about it and she seemed to know all about his sort of problem, to cut a along story short he saw another GP (thanks to the nurse) and he was told when on bed pop a cushion under the calf of his leg so as the heel is not touching anything and it worked he was able to sleep with out waking up in pain. Hope this helps

Thanks Annika, I will give it a go. In fact last night I slept well; to be honest the pain is not unbearable, just uncomfortable and I am one of those people who unless they sleeps well is really not much good during the day. Nice morning this morning again, so everyone will be feeling a little better, hopefully.

I found yesterday's Pilates class very worth while. I've been moaning about my right knee for quite a while and have to do some stretches which involve kneeling with a sponge mat under this knee. Yesterday I found the tension on the reformer difficult and I don't usually but I missed a week of exercise. I told the instructor it was my knee again and he pressed a particular spot [he's a physio] which made me yelp but hey presto! I could do the exercise! Apparently it was where the end of the calf muscle is alongside the knee [or some such] and not the knee joint at all. Whether it will last or not I don't know but I can go up and down stairs much more easily since. Three cheers for Pilates!

I haven't been able to kneel down since 1957. Swimming and pottering about in the garden are the only forms of exercise I can manage.