Taking charge of your own health

Agreed ;)

My first husband was a 37 year old super-fit Royal Marine when he died very suddenly of a heart attack. That was after coming through 8 tours of Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and various other 'troubles' without a scratch. So much for keeping fit in my opinion.

My grandmother died aged 90, she never did an exercise class in her life, although she did like old tyme dancing. Her favourite foods were a good cooked breakfast and roast dinners. She did like the occasional brandy. My dad always very fit, walked miles and ate healthily. He became suddenly ill aged 78 and died within weeks, his body just seemed to shut down.
By all means stay fit and active so that your quality of life is good, but don't imagine you are in some way extending it. My brother and I decided my dad's body cells were just programmed to shut down when they did.

When I was younger and had young children I avidly followed the advice of a nutritionist called Adele Davis, who was very keen on telling people how they should eat and feed their families.
Then I read that she had died aged 71 (cause of death not specified).

Genetics have as much a part to play as life-style.

- should have been "OR Gregg's sausage rolls".

Anyone remember Dr Barbara Moore (think that was her name) in the 1960's /70's a health guru who advocated eating mainly nuts and fruit and walking miles? She expected to live to 100 - died in her early 70s . As many have posted, good health is a lottery , genetic , lifestyle, diet , etc but hey, life is for living so if Your Way is punitive exercise of Gregg's sausage rolls - enjoy. As a semi -veggi the last thing I would enjoy is a sausage roll; one TV programme described them as being full of"testicular material". (I realised the cheaper ones were full of scrag ends, but that .....)

My mother-in-law died recently aged 89. She had smoked all her life, took no exercise, for several years she was overweight,had a poor diet - she ate a lot of sweet stuff, sugar on everything, ready meals, she had high blood pressure - and she lived to 89. (She was admitted to hospital with severe anaemia and a large tumour was found. After 3 weeks in hosp she came home, broke her hip, survived the op but died a week later).

Just do the exercises you enjoy and eat sensibly that's my motto.

I go to Pilates , yoga and swim a bit,which I enjoy, but I like a glass or two of wine, the occasional cocktail, choc ices and cheese straws amongst other unhealthy stuff. I am healthy thank goodness but both my parents died before they got their pensions, and I know whatever I do I won't live for ever, so I say enjoy today, life is too short to be focused just on what is " healthy" , a lot of health is a genetic lottery and not down to our own efforts.

Well good for you Atticus, just mind that bus!.

Why am I assuming Atticus is a man? Because Atticus is a male name - isn't it? By the same token I usually assume that someone with a female name is a woman, though I guess it might not always be the case.

LesleyC, men are allowed on Mumsnet, just as they are on Gransnet.

I think you should try to be the fittest you can be given your circumstances. I don't feel Atticus is coming over as particularly smug, really.

For me, exercise and reasonably healthy eating has certainly helped me deal with difficult circumstances. Yoga is particularly good for stress, imho. Feeling fitter gives me confidence, although I could do with losing a stone or two.

I try to walk for an hour a day, play tennis now and again, do a zumba class occasionally and try to keep weight off.

That's about it.

Yes Att, p* off ?

Jeepers I simply read the OP to mean how do you do what you can to look after your health, to the best of your ability.

I'm the one who says I aim for a stress free life and if that is interpreted by some as being selfish, I view it as self-love.

I'm very good at the following: loving detachment from problems I can't solve, not taking responsibility for adults including my children (unless they are ill or clearly need help), not showing up for every performance of a family or friend's drama. I refuse to be anxious (have suffered in the past).

I consider myself lucky, I loved my job (I'm now mainly retired so it's very easy to have stress free days).

BTW I don't have a lot of money!

I am a bit surprised by people's take on the opening post. I didn't read it like that at all. I think we do all need to do our best to keep fit and healthy. It is unfortunate for those who become ill however they try, or when illness just strikes out of the blue, but that is no reason for others not to talk about their fitness regime. I am 70 and do Pilates once or more a week if possible, as well as doing a gym workout and swim on another day.

I hate walking so feel I need to go to the gym to prevent myself becoming a couch potato. I also do the intermittent fasting on 2 days a week and try to keep my carb consumption down. This is not meant to be self-congratulatory at all, but just in reply to the Atticus's post. I assume Atticus is a female as she says she has been on Mumsnet. Why assume it is a man?

Dolphin, I think that you have hit the nail on the head. We can all take responsibility for our own health in as far as we are able.
Not everyone is fit enough to run marathons, do keep fit, exercise classes etc but if we do as much as we are able to with healthy diet and exercise to our own personal capabilities then that seems to be the answer.

I feel a bit guilty reading all your posts. I'm almost 65, work full time but from home so my only exercise is going up and down stairs, and a bit of light gardening. I'm at least a stone overweight, eat healthily as I love cooking and entertaining, drink far too much wine, sing in a community choir and am actively involved in my church and community. I sleep like a log, have no health problems that I'm aware of and my GP says my BP is very healthy - I guess I have to thank my genes.
My youngest DS goes to the gym almost every day, sadly I won't be around to see if genes + all his hard work give him a longer life than whatever mine turns out to be.
I really feel for those of you with health problems, it seems so unfair, or struggling to care for OHs, I'm sure my time will come as none of us knows what lies ahead eh. Try and enjoy as much of life as possible

I didn't think the OP was being smug at all, just interested. I try hard to keep myself healthy but do often wonder if I'd be healthier if I'd been a couch potato, as my joints seem to be wearing out at an alarming rate and a determination to go to the gym every day to tone up for a family wedding seems to have aggravated the Dupuytrens in my hand . I guess that, when I am on a health kick, I feel better mentally for it. But it reminds me of when I used to smoke; at the time I didn't worry about what it was doing to me but, every time I gave up I worried terribly about how much I'd damaged myself . I am planning to do more yoga/Pilates/Tai chi type stuff after the wedding. I love having saunas and feel so clean and refreshed when I have one. Am planning on eating more organic food as well. Having worked at a medical centre for many years I eventually realised that a lot of ill health was down to sheer bad luck and nothing else. But do feel annoyed with people who do just overeat, smoke and drink thinking that they can just get away with it.

I eat chocolate.

I am overweight but find it difficult to lose weight as I can't walk far or fast enough for it to really be of a benefit however I do walk to my local shop several times a week. One of my essential medications is responsible for lowering my metabolism so weight is hard to loose.

I am Type 2 Diabetic which was well under control with diet & medication until my last test when Blood Sugars had gone sky high this has coincided with a decreasing Platelet level in my Blood - the 2 are likely connected - at present it is not known why Platelet level is falling (not critical yet) so that may cause further tests to find cause. No physical symptoms.

My only exercise is gardening, I lost a Stone over 3 months (I have put a few Pounds back on) following some weeks of heavy digging - I am limited in how long I can do activities like that but when I can it's good & satisfying.

I also have Arthritis - worst bit is big toe on left foot - can hardly walk when that flares up - Arthritis runs in my family, I was first diagnosed in my early 30s when I had a very active lifestyle.

I have always eaten well, home cooking, plenty of fruit & veg, no longer drink alcohol (don't feel any better for that) but I do smoke about 5 cigarettes a day. Not sure where it all went wrong

I feel heartened by all the gransnetters working hard to stay fit and healthy. Some sour comments along the way, but taking control as much as you are able must be a good idea. We all know that any variety of diseases and conditions can cut things short and place limitations on us all, but no-one should knock endeavour.

It's not a polarised issue is it. There are many illnesses that are not related to life style and a few very common ones that are - coronary artery disease, strokes, Type 2 diabetes, many cancers. But of course exercise and diet are not the only life style risk factors. Smoking and drinking also huge.
It is irritating when fit people claim that their diet and fitness regime is a prevent-all or cure-all. Because they are just plain wrong. However there is a lot of reaction on this thread that is not really justified by the factual OP. Give the guy a break.

After retirement 16 years ago, I thought I could do anything I wanted and then the doors began to close on me. My hip gave out and had to be replaced; then a long-standing shoulder problem got so bad that I needed a partial replacement; an auto-immune condition also floored me and only now does it look as if I can be free of steroids in the foreseeable future. I took up healthy walking but have osteo arthritis in my left foot which makes it painful. And so on... I have always thought my lifestyle was reasonably healthy - am a piscetarian, like fruit and veg, though enjoy the odd sweet treat. Who doesn't? So glad Atticus has such a worthwhile lifestyle, though to me it sounds positively narcissistic.

Just reading the post from Atticus is enough stress.

We live in three rows of houses and all moved in together 35 years ago.21 families.

Till now there has only been 3 deaths, all caused by fitness freaks. No thankyou!

I have the stairs to climb, do my own house work and eat real food mostly cooked by me or DH.

Wish I had been able to be stress free but stress came with job . I have led a reasonable healthy life but still got ill yes you can try to be healthy and do all the right things but sometimes it's the luck of the draw atticus think yourself lucky !!