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by newnewpdro 2934 days ago
I wish more people would continue living youthfully into adulthood, and continue to do so for as long as possible, with the limits of old age being an emergent phenomenon forced onto them rather than something they unwittingly eagerly pursued through laziness and boredom.

If you ride a bicycle every day, barring some injury forcing a prolonged break, you'll continue to be able to deep into old age. Anything we practice regularly we retain the ability to do. "Use it or lose it."

My fellow Americans in general tend to cease most physical activity once they get a driver's license. From that point on, it's a life of sitting in chairs of various forms, day in, day out. The body adapts to this, and by their 30s it's already non-trivial just to sit on the floor and get back up unassisted.

Don't stop playing outside, riding bicycles, running, frolicking, all the behaviors of youth - don't stop just because you're an "adult". Do this all, do it as much as possible, all of your life, until you're physically unable. This, in my opinion, is the dominant factor in aging well.

3 comments

I wish there were more free playgrounds that can also be used by adults, spread around like the ones for kids. I also like ropeways, climbing high, swings etc. Instead adults get boring repetive-movement fitness equipment.
> I wish there were more free playgrounds that can also be used by adults, spread around like the ones for kids. I also like ropeways, climbing high, swings etc.

It's not a major investment on your part. Buy a few ropes, a swing and make your own in your garden or a nearby forest.

If you live in a location which prevents you from living a healthy life, perhaps you should think about moving.

Hm, good point. The idea was to have it accessible for everyone, not just me, and to get bigger and nicer stuff. Some equipment on kids' can actually be used by all of the heaviest adults, but it's not allowed. Build it a bit more stable, maybe bigger and just allow it..
Maybe I'm just lucky, but there is outdoor "gym" gear in plenty of places where I live, free to use for anyone. Including monkey bars and such.

As for specifically fitness as an activity, there is plenty of types of exercise that favor body weight exercises and free weights over machines. Crossfit is obviously the big trendy one, but there are many other types out there.

Nono, I'm talking about fun equipment, not gym style. Adult-compatible and -allowed ropeways (also without seats, you just hang on) and slides and seesaws and carousels.

The local indoor playground used to have an evening where they inflated the inflatable structures a bit more and only let adults in (so no crushed kids). You can power yourself out very fast like that, especially if you bring some friends. That's the feeling I want, not a gym.

It's really unfortunate how the fear of being perceived as a child molester effectively makes all these spaces off-limits to childless adult men.

Like others have mentioned, it's fairly easy and cheap to erect some of these things at home, if you have your own property.

Join a bouldering gym.
I actually plan to, but there's so much overhead and it's a personal solution.
There was a good article in The Guardian last week[1] about Laird Hamilton the surfer and his older pal Don who at 83 still rides his mountain bike and surfs his paddle board. Laird Hamilton is an exceptional guy but Don shows what we could all attempt with a good attitude.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17301633

Yes. And I think we should follow the example of animals here. E.g. an old chimpanzee never thinks: I'm old, so I better not climb that tree.