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| The youngest child's hair was extremely fine and the static electricity made it do odd things. |
"Hey, Uncle Joe....want to go sledding?" my nephew asked.
"Sure. Why not" I said.
I thought I was going to be able to stand around at the top of the hill, flirt with the pretty girls and push the kids over the edge.
The kids had other ideas.
I was supposed to ride down the hill with them.
Then I was supposed to pull the sled back up the hill for them.
Then I was supposed to let them ride in the sled as I pulled it up the hill.
Nephew had no problems with it. He had two of them in the inner tube and pulled them up the hill and wasn't out of breath.
It was all I could do to pull one of them up the hill and I was gassed.
A sad reminder that 60 year-old lungs cannot perfuse oxygen the way a 30 year-old set can.
Probably an intersection of geezer deconditioning, decreased lung function, as well as diminished cardiac function. My assessment, in my own case, is "(D): All of the above"
ReplyDeleteWell, as long as I have a highly trained professional on the line: How many of those will improve with exercise? Skeletal muscles more than cardiac function more than lung function?
Delete-Joe
Outstanding question. As I am NOT that professional, here's my best guess, limited by infirmity (eg, heart attack induced limited heart function will not resolve, might, with cardiac rehab supervision, improve).
DeleteSkeletal muscles will improve, if and only if I am willing to accept the soreness, breathlessness, and misery that accompany that effort, for months at a time.
cardiac function and lung function correlate. Spend a summer in Denver, being other than a chair/couch potato, and benefit upon your return to (nearly) sea level.
Limiting factors include arthritis (if your knees/hips arthritis will not allow you to run/walk enough to burn the calories, then you will not benefit so much), replacement of heart muscle with scar tissue post heart attack, alteration to your heart rhythm that impair your activity tolerance (such as atrial fibrillation). There are others. That is simply off the top of my head, on a day off, pre coffee, as a mid level in a walk in clinic.
Thanks
DeleteAin't gonna get any better Joe. --ken
ReplyDeleteHa! At least gravity still works for you. I took Scouts to the climbing weekend at camp. Finally gave in, suited up and climbed the 60' repelling tower. Huffing and puffing at the top the stairs the instructor says "Out of breath huh?" to which I replied "Nah, altitude gets me every time." Hard to leave that guy speechless. Think I did it! Gravity works for me too.
ReplyDeletePS. Did you give up writing Remnant for Lent? I keep refreshing the screen. Still no action. I'll go make coffee to give you some time.
ReplyDeleteI get in about 45 minutes of rowing, stationary biking and light weights every other day. My weight is good and I never smoked. Saying that at 65 if I ever got out of bed with out groaning or aching I would know I died in my sleep.
ReplyDeleteGerry
This is true. We are NOT 21 anymore... sigh
ReplyDelete