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Anybody agile, or ever been?

Gary O'

Well-known member
I posted this on a codger /geezer forum
Lotsa interesting replies

I've never been agile
Thus, at 73, don't think I ever will

Even in high school football practice
Never could drop and roll....and roll back up on two feet
I'd crouch down
flop over
get on my knees somehow
and grab a lean tight end, and climb up him

When I met my wife, she could bend over backwards and touch her palms on the floor
I found that rather attractive

Anyway

Anybody still agile?
Like do squat thrusts?

Or are we all half petrified geezers,geezerettes, and youngish folks?
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
I do diddly squats all the time. :rolleyes:

Actually, I was lousy in High School. Clumsy & club footed. The only sport I was any good was swimming and long-distance running. I was a Forest Gump runner. Could go on forever. Basketball, football, even baseball, which I loved to play, eluded me.

Today, I am much the same. I can do those things about as well as before only slower and with a bit more pain.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
A few weeks shy of my 62nd birthday and I can touch the floor if I bend forward, but just barely. But I've never been particularly flexible. I am a volunteer saber fencing coach, but only basic drills and demonstrations with the students, I don't actively fence. Too arthritic and too slow to recover to actually compete. Got away from exercising but I am now back to daily exercises and that is probably helping me with the flexibility but if I am on the floor it is hell to get back up off of it.
 

Gary O'

Well-known member
if I am on the floor it is hell to get back up off of it.
I wrote something on that while living at the cabin;



Falling down

At the age of four, one falls on a regular schedule.
No big deal
Yer close to the ground anyway
Get up
Run
Fall down
Repeat

When in yer late sixties, falling down is akin to plunging off the edge of the Grand Canyon
Seems about the same space of time to mentally adjust with several choice expletives
Once you’ve determined yer goin’ over, and have made one or more feeble attempts at grabbing (helplessly flailing) at something on the way down, like a small animal or a board with a rusty nail in it, you come to the grim reality that there’s just no stopping you, yer gonna hit.
Hard
Fleeting thoughts of childhood pets, Felecia Moorhead’s heaving cleavage, and health insurance premiums rush thru.

The landing..style points

I’ve never ever landed well.
Even in high school football, where you practice it, forever it seems.
Drop and roll for me was slowly crouching down and flopping over, immediately losing any location orientation.
I was a pretty good second baseman and shortstop, with good hand/eye coordination, but range...didn’t dare stretch out for the hot liner, could topple over, those were for outfielders.

The somersault has been an unattainable challenge, since early on in life, even though Connie Ekbert and her holey underwear showed me the main gist of the mechanics,
in slow motion,
several times...

Types

There’s the falling up
A couple/three months ago I stubbed my toe on a curb, going in to a Goodwill Store.
Went down
Landing on my palms
But that one didn’t count so much.
I fell kinda across, not down.

Now, coming off a curb, where the front half of the foot begins to point down, while the back half remains on the curb..heh...that one’s a beaut.
There’s a forward thrust, like some hit man from behind just pushed you into the subway rails.
That one doesn’t give you the grace period of fond childhood memories
Maybe a broken expletive
Maybe

Then there’s the WTF one, where it seemingly takes nothing more than a pebble on the road, or twig in the forest.
This may be attributed to the gait of a vague shuffle after a day of performing feats of long gone youthful brawn in the company of younger folk half my age.

Pain

I used to just wince, then find my way back up
But I no longer experience pain....if...I land on my palms (scar tissue).
If I happen to go down around a crowd of people, I notice they are the ones doing the wincing and grimacing.
Now I just crawl over to an object higher than my waist, hoist myself up,
give the concerned crowd a Nixon victory sign,
and hobble on my way.

So far, I’m good with it all.
Figger it’s God’s way of keeping me humble.

(fell on the ice yesterday...thought I better write these thoughts down while my wrists still function)
 

Gary O'

Well-known member
I do diddly squats all the time
I have a poster I made in another life on that

tv.jpg
 

m1west

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Im 64, I can stand flat foot without bending my knees and put the palms of my hands flat on the floor. Actually getting up off the floor without using your hands is a test. Its said that if you can't get up off the floor without using your arms/hands, there is a possibility, I can't remember the percentage, you will die in the next 5 years.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Im 64, I can stand flat foot without bending my knees and put the palms of my hands flat on the floor. Actually getting up off the floor without using your hands is a test. It’s said that if you can't get up off the floor without using your arms/hands, there is a possibility, I can't remember the percentage, you will die in the next 5 years.
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 24. I have had a hard time getting up off the floor without using my hands for roughly 40 years!!!
 

power1

Well-known member
I am 73 years old. Can get up off the floor without using my hands. I did have a surprise a few days ago. I was burning a few limbs and old boards. A couple of boards were too long for the fire and i didn't want to waste time getting something to cut the up. I laid them up across a stump that was handy and stomped them. They didn't break so I jumped up and came down on then with both feet. I bounced about 5-6 feet away and onto my side. It was sort of embarrassing but there wasn't anyone there to laugh so I got up and dusted myself off and forgot about the long boards.
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
I can relate, I haven't hurt myself but sometimes I forget how old I'm suppose to be.
Well, I take power walks often, depending on the weather.
One time I was going at it and tripped over the sidewalk along the bridge and fell down right in the middle of traffic passing.
They probably were thinking yeah, you go girl.
Ugh...☺
 

Gary O'

Well-known member
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 24. I have had a hard time getting up off the floor without using my hands for roughly 40 years!!!
Well......there goes the stats
Seriously, there's always exceptions
I was going with another 5 years
But
I'm 73
And I can't recall the time I didn't use a climbing aid when getting off the ground

Actually, I saw an ol' boy jump to his feet

So......I tried it
It happened
Pulled something
Hurt for weeks
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
LOL..

I didn't know until I read this thread that getting off the floor without using your hands is kind of a big deal.
Truthfully, I did not know if I could. So just a moment ago onto the living room floor I went.
Even with the complication of a Golden Retriever who wanted some attention I was able to do so without issue.
I am 62. So this thread put a smile on my face!!!
BTW I am 6'3' tall 210 lbs.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm not agile. A series of accidents throughout my life took care of that.

1. At age 5, I was riding my bike and hit by a truck. Broke my leg and jaw and spent 3 weeks in a coma. That kept me from sports throughout school including gym class.

2. At age 16, I was rear ended by a transport while riding a motorcycle. Knocked the bike out from under me and sent me sliding for 50ft. Dislocated my shoulder.

3. Age 29 (I think), forklift at the mill ran up my right ankle tearing every muscle and tendon in my ankle.

4. Age 38, severe motorcycle accident. Broke my back in 6 places among other internal injuries which were near fatal.

So most days, I can't even think about bending down. Walking any distance is a near impossibility
 

power1

Well-known member
Well......there goes the stats
Seriously, there's always exceptions
I was going with another 5 years
But
I'm 73
And I can't recall the time I didn't use a climbing aid when getting off the ground

Actually, I saw an ol' boy jump to his feet

So......I tried it
It happened
Pulled something
Hurt for weeks
I can get up without using my hands but why do that when it is so much easier to use anything within reach, many times my dog. I still make that sound all old men make when they do something. Makes me feel better.
 

power1

Well-known member
I'm not agile. A series of accidents throughout my life took care of that.

1. At age 5, I was riding my bike and hit by a truck. Broke my leg and jaw and spent 3 weeks in a coma. That kept me from sports throughout school including gym class.

2. At age 16, I was rear ended by a transport while riding a motorcycle. Knocked the bike out from under me and sent me sliding for 50ft. Dislocated my shoulder.

3. Age 29 (I think), forklift at the mill ran up my right ankle tearing every muscle and tendon in my ankle.

4. Age 38, severe motorcycle accident. Broke my back in 6 places among other internal injuries which were near fatal.

So most days, I can't even think about bending down. Walking any distance is a near impossibility
I was saved from many things like that because we were poor. Never had a bike but did learn to ride one when a neighbor girl would ride hers over to our house when she visited. Bought a motorcycle when I was in my forties when I decided I was going to ride off into the sunset. Never made it out of town. If we hurt ourselves when we were kids we just had to walk it off.
 

Davey Do

New member
Hey Gary O' Buddy!

While searching for another site to get involved with, I found this one, and lo and behold, saw your avatar!

The topic of your thread hit home with me because I'm so darned uncoordinated, I believed that I had some sort of neuromuscular malady going on with me.

I took a self-defense course as an adolescent and the best thing I learned from it was how to safely take a tumble!

I am as coordinated as the Proverbial Cow on Crutches.



we bulls.gif
 

chowderman

Well-known member
as a teenager I did gymnastics aka "tumbling" - today that's "floor exercises" - back then a single flip was a 'wow' - today triples+a twist be 'normal'
plus some minor equipment stuff - horse and parallel bars. never could develop enough upper body strength to do things like "rings" . . . always ended in a face plant on the mat.....
did yoga, got 'super' limber.
well, may not have worked out so well because in my old age the joint looseness is a problem.
I can still put my finger tips on the "step below" (bit of 'warm up' needed...) but shoulders and hips seems to go out of places with little concern now . . . .

got into ice skating in college - 50+years later the thought of how my equilibrium would handle a double axel is laughable . . .

it's good to 'stay in shape' - but the definite changes over decades....

this . . . ain't gonna happen no more
Gnh00040.JPG
 

tommu56

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 24. I have had a hard time getting up off the floor without using my hands for roughly 40 years!!!


After my first knee replacement I was getting up off the floor working on a printing press, my partner that day was a pipe fitter he said i got up with the grace of a new born Giraffe getting up. :D :D :D :D :D :D
 

Davey Do

New member
These guys will love and appreciate yer stuff
Much more than the Geezer Forum
Thanks for the welcome and the reinforcement of my perspective on reality, Gary. I sensed that very few, besides you on the Geezer Forum, even "got" my sense of humor.

Without wanting to be insulting, I thought they were so concrete they get their taxes done at H & R Blockheads.
 

m1west

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
as a teenager I did gymnastics aka "tumbling" - today that's "floor exercises" - back then a single flip was a 'wow' - today triples+a twist be 'normal'
plus some minor equipment stuff - horse and parallel bars. never could develop enough upper body strength to do things like "rings" . . . always ended in a face plant on the mat.....
did yoga, got 'super' limber.
well, may not have worked out so well because in my old age the joint looseness is a problem.
I can still put my finger tips on the "step below" (bit of 'warm up' needed...) but shoulders and hips seems to go out of places with little concern now . . . .

got into ice skating in college - 50+years later the thought of how my equilibrium would handle a double axel is laughable . . .

it's good to 'stay in shape' - but the definite changes over decades....

this . . . ain't gonna happen no more
View attachment 156465
Lookin pretty good there, I tried rings once too, Was working out religiously and running between the piers in the sand ( about 5 miles ) every other day. I thought it was doable. I got educated.
 
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