[IS2]

Just turned 64 and very cross that conditions stopped me doing 7a on my last visit to the forest. Will be back!!! Think my sport climbing trips may be having a detrimental effect on the boulders.

[Pebblespanker]

Just before Xmas found out that a recent upgrade of a local traverse problem meant I had actually completed my first ever 7A aged 50 in 2013 after many sessions working it over the preceeding couple of years.

[Nibile]

 

[tomtom]

Eternal youth:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/the-secret-of-eternal-youth-skintight-lycra-and-a-bicycle-9959058.html

[duncan]

Nice to see this study getting into the news. I kept bumping into the participants a couple of years ago and they were a picture of vibrant good health. Cycling's equivalents of Jim Donini.

It doesn't of course, contrary to the suggestion in the article, prove that exercise slows the ageing process. Survival bias and all that...

[tc]

Top tip: ditch the osteopath or physio who tells you to stop trying to climb hard stuff so you don't get injured and find a like-minded soul ( in my case a shit-hot remedial masseur who is still into his biking) of a similar age who has a similar attitude to pushing the decrepit old body to the absolute limit and can fix you when the inevitable injuries occur.
Oh, and spending a larger proportion of your disposable income on anti-inflammatory than recreational drugs and more time on the treatment table than the pub  is perfectly normal at 55+...unfortunately.

[rodma]

Top tip: ditch the osteopath or physio who tells you to stop trying to climb hard stuff

 

this is exactly my problem with the over educated "health" professionals

they say "fingers aren't built to take dynamic loads in the first place and at your age, etc. etc. etc................."

all i hear is "blah, blah, blah", whilst visualising achieving that elusive one-arm flick on the campus board 

[petejh]

Eternal youth:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/the-secret-of-eternal-youth-skintight-lycra-and-a-bicycle-9959058.html

Maybe the study's partcipants just cycled at really really high speed and everybody else aged a tiny bit more quickly, relatively. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation

[tomtom]

Eternal youth:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cycling/the-secret-of-eternal-youth-skintight-lycra-and-a-bicycle-9959058.html

Maybe the study's partcipants just cycled at really really high speed and everybody else aged a tiny bit more quickly, relatively. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_dilation

:D reminds of of catch22 (I think) where one of the characters trys to be as bored as possible all the time, as time passes slower when you're bored...

[Falling Down]

Top tip: ditch the osteopath or physio who tells you to stop trying to climb hard stuff so you don't get injured and find a like-minded soul ( in my case a shit-hot remedial masseur who is still into his biking) of a similar age who has a similar attitude to pushing the decrepit old body to the absolute limit and can fix you when the inevitable injuries occur.

This definately.  Mark Twight is great on this topic.... Just keep pushing as most health professionals have no idea about athletics.

[Sloper]

And most sportsman have fuck all knowledge of physiology / health.

'just tape it up' JFC how many of us have said that?

Do you remember the grisly ripping sound from my shoulder that day at Stanage?

[tomtom]

Top tip: ditch the osteopath or physio who tells you to stop trying to climb hard stuff so you don't get injured and find a like-minded soul ( in my case a shit-hot remedial masseur who is still into his biking) of a similar age who has a similar attitude to pushing the decrepit old body to the absolute limit and can fix you when the inevitable injuries occur.

This definately.  Mark Twight is great on this topic.... Just keep pushing as most health professionals have no idea about athletics.

The osteo/physio I am seeing said it was OK to start climbing as long as I didn't fall off, and because climbing doesnt involve driving or pushing hard down with the feet (things that compress the spine).... I chose not to correct him (at £40 per half hour I tend to be in receive rather than transmit) but have not chosen to follow this bit of advice Sounds like campusing is OK though :/

[a dense loner]

You've got to look at it from their point of view tho, you don't push down hard with your feet. They've seen cliffhanger. Not falling off is the best thing you can do, just bimble or dead hang for a while. Don't campus at all

[tomtom]

Yes - he doesn't get climbing... Still he seems to be helping. Might try some gentle traversing at the wall later on this week..

[Falling Down]

Do you remember the grisly ripping sound from my shoulder that day at Stanage?

I do, you didn't make a fuss either.  I had no idea it was as bad as it was at the time. 

As always take my comments with a bucket of salt.  There's pushing it and there's listening to physios who normally treat office workers and golfers.....

[nik at work]

OT (more bad backs than elderly benchmarks) but when I tweaked my lower back lifting heavy things I found dead hanging on a fingerboard with added weight hung off a climbing harness quite effective at stretching out and easing my back pain. Obviously this is totally anecdotal and there is no reason to believe that not doing this would have meant a slower recovery ( or faster for that matter...) and I'm sure any passing physios would be horrified...

[Falling Down]

TC is right though, find someone who at least has an appreciation of what it is we're all doing... 

[nai]

OT (more bad backs than elderly benchmarks) but when I tweaked my lower back lifting heavy things I found dead hanging on a fingerboard with added weight hung off a climbing harness quite effective at stretching out and easing my back pain. Obviously this is totally anecdotal and there is no reason to believe that not doing this would have meant a slower recovery ( or faster for that matter...) and I'm sure any passing physios would be horrified...

when my back went recently I tried deadhanging after 10 days or so when it was slightly improved and ended up back at square one.  If I have recurrence I will follow your advice and try adding weight 

[IS2]

Key benchmarks for climbing in one's old age may also include:

Minimise injuries.... Probs no more than one a year and no big ones.
Effectively deal with injuries.... Treat and rehab as quickly as possible.

Being very old I've had and dealt with many injuries. I have tried several physio s and the quality varied massively. None of them initially, had a clue what stresses climbers put on their bodies. To be fair I was the first climber most had met. Everyone of them, over a twenty year period, has advised me to stop climbing as being the best solution. Perhaps this is standard advice for all sports injuries.

[tomtom]

OT (more bad backs than elderly benchmarks) but when I tweaked my lower back lifting heavy things I found dead hanging on a fingerboard with added weight hung off a climbing harness quite effective at stretching out and easing my back pain. Obviously this is totally anecdotal and there is no reason to believe that not doing this would have meant a slower recovery ( or faster for that matter...) and I'm sure any passing physios would be horrified...

when my back went recently I tried deadhanging after 10 days or so when it was slightly improved and ended up back at square one.  If I have recurrence I will follow your advice and try adding weight 

Inversion chairs and hanging from legs etc.. Are treatments for lower back pain... I did a load of dead hangs over the weekend... Can't say they did much either way :-/

[Mike Tyson]

TC is right though... 

The only rule I follow in my climbing life 

[Sloper]

Do you remember the grisly ripping sound from my shoulder that day at Stanage?

I do, you didn't make a fuss either.  I had no idea it was as bad as it was at the time. 

As always take my comments with a bucket of salt.  There's pushing it and there's listening to physios who normally treat office workers and golfers.....

Yes, it wasn't until a bit later that the damage became apparent, the physio and gp missed it, the surgeon didn't. My view is (with the benefit of hindsight and accumulated injuries and age) is be far more conservative than the people treating you, it may delay hitting your stride by a bit but if you do have something latent it will prevent a far worse injury that takes far longer to recover from.

[Rocksteady]

My dad did a couple of V7s last year and a V8, aged 61-2. He's been steadily improving since taking up climbing again aged 56. More into sport though, he's going for his first 8a this year.

His trick is (a) being weirdly strong (b) not doing too much in any one training session. He's more into doing individual hard moves on his board than doing whole problems. Seems to work.

[BobbyBear]

Having only started bouldering 6 months ago (at 40) I've found progress has been good on plastic. But fear of falls without a spotter and technique/finger strength are the limiting factors outside. The power is there I just need to strip some fat and continue to push my flexibility (Plus grow a pair for crux moves). For me the affect on performance when feeling warm and light can be worth a grade indoors. Just attempting V0s at Pex and the Breck make plastic grades seem like a stroll. It's great inspiration to realise I've plenty of years of improvement ahead. Providing I don't fall on my head.

[tomtom]

Having only started bouldering 6 months ago (at 40) I've found progress has been good on plastic. But fear of falls without a spotter and technique/finger strength are the limiting factors outside. The power is there I just need to strip some fat and continue to push my flexibility (Plus grow a pair for crux moves). For me the affect on performance when feeling warm and light can be worth a grade indoors. Just attempting V0s at Pex and the Breck make plastic grades seem like a stroll. It's great inspiration to realise I've plenty of years of improvement ahead. Providing I don't fall on my head.

Take yer time though... muscles grow in weeks/months, tendons take months/years...