Scaling back with age

In preparing for retirement, I've come across that a high percentage of people really start scaling back and choosing to stay home and not travel as much at focusing on longevity once they hit age 70. Do you people that are of that age agree with that or no?

The people, I know who live the longest, stay very active until they die and mostly die from complications from falls in their nineties and early hundreds.

Keith

Mom and Dan travelled quite a bit until about 75, when Mom's cancer came back and Dad had a stroke. They still want to, but not sure if they should.
They are still busy, just not driving as far.

I think whether a person scales back depends on alot of things some already mentioned heart problems, stroke,legs getting bad COPD back problems, cancer and much more those that can doing more as they age a doing something right or maybe its in their genes, you dont have to be old to have to scale back.

I don't mean sitting on the couch.

The people I know who lived the longest retired late, 92 in the case of my paternal grandfather, 78 for my maternal grandfather and traveled more after retiring, than they did before by far. They didn't stay home.

Keith

Staying active is a lot different then traveling. We do not do long distance of flight travel now at 77 and 76. My wife has had 2 knee surgeries and has limited mobility. Glad we did that when we could. We are moving to a zero entry condo in 2 days. All my outdoor activity stuff is scattered over a lot of places and will be until I can have time to organize and construct. I don't plan to not do my trapping, hunting, fishing, sapping, canoeing, hiking but it wiill be more inconvenient to do so. I have scaled back, mostly due to not being able to go as hard and long as I used to. This year will be a real hodge podge until things get settled.
I met most of the people in the condo association 3 days ago. I am not ready yet for the snow bird winters and the set on the patio summers.

Bryce

Buy my book. The Three Thirds of Living.. 1/3 genetics, 1/3 what you eat, 1/3 what you do when not sleeping.

Just keep going, don't use age as an excuse. If you feel you have to cut back, do it, don't do it just because you reach a certain age.

Sounds good Bryce !

I'm trying to.step it up now cause I KNOW what's ahead...

It's not about doing it or not. It's about statistics show it. So I was curious how the T-man group compares to the statistics.

Like the old saying goes . ....I'd rather wear out than rust out. I believe the Beav coined that phrase.

We all slow down whether we want to or not, but I’m not ready to quit. A couple slow days a week would be nice. Hunting season is almost here, I’ll rest a little in the deer blind.

Hey rat that's what I said.
At 86 I'm still trapping and I killed a big doe last Wed. Had to have help getting it in the truck.
Will start my ADC rat trapping on the 20th then I'm long lining a skunk and coon line. I'm sure I'm going to catch more coon then skunks but I have a market for the coon.
The marsh I've trapped for 40 years has dried up but I have a backup area with lots of rats and stable water conditions. And they are paying me $10.00 a rat and $500.00 set up fee. Life is good.
My new knee is doing great, and my pacemaker is keeping me above ground. I might even make it to 90. LOL
I think I'll leave the beaver trapping to the younger trappers.

The Beav continues to lead by example.

Beav, when you hit 100 you should highly consider scaling back a bit. The goes for you too Muskrat!

My wife says I'm working harder at 68 than when I first swept her off her feet at 43. Poverty will do that.

Retirement is like working with no weekends to look forward to but I’d rather be busy than sitting around. You get a lot more done with work not getting in the way but the overtime sucks.

They ask at your Doc visits when you’re older what day it is to see if the old cheese is slipping off the cracker. I said lady I don’t know what month it is most days I’m retired everyday is the same.

from what I seen, with older people they have to stay active, I watched guys that I worked with work until they were 67-70s and I wonder why as I got older I understood they had quit everything , they didn't bowl or golf or hunt or fish, anymore all they had was work, when they did retire, most didn't last two years,

Way to go Beav. Wish we had water and rats still

Sit back with a hot water bottle on your lap and a blanket and sip Geritol all day.

Well I told my boys after I was 80 I would get them to help me get my deers out of the field so after December I probably still won't ask them. Been in all the lower 48 states time to stay home.

Focus on quality of life not length of life.

The quote form them, I have a porch swing that i am going to use and do nothing else. Down inside the year.

I have had to scale back a lot due to this dang kidney failure. Been 8 years so far and body is breaking down more as time goes on. There are still things I want to do both in the shop and outdoors. I just adapt as I can, my hip hurts terrible bad with every step but I bought some leg braces that I will use as a foundation so I can still stand at the bench for instance. Got a permit from the fish and game to hunt from a vehicle, and of course I can still hunt from a blind even though I can't climb the hills any more. Trapping is going to be close to home

I'm like Beav. will be 86 the 1st. part of Jan. and am still trapping. I've had a few medical problems but have cleared all those hurdles and don't do much Muskrat trapping due to lack of numbers but still do ADC for Beaver & Coyote. Of all the outdoor activities I consider trapping to be my favorite as when you go out to check the traps it's just like Christmas morning as you never know what you might get. Also like Beav. I think my time in Corps gave me a more positive "Can Do" and "Keep Going" attitude to not quite doing what I like.

I told my wife, I'm not working past 80.
She said, why would you want to quit? You're really healthy for your age.
I said, that's why I will quit while I'm still healthy cause there's so much I want to do that I never had time for when I was working. I don't want to wait until I'm unable to do these things because of poor health.
Now, I cut wood and buckthorn in my woods. Make walking sticks from the buckthorn for my friends. Go fishing, trapping mostly pocket gophers, and hunting. I do all the clothes washing, she likes that.
In conclusion, I can say I can't recall when I've ever been happier.

I've accepted that I need to scale the hard labor back, but I will most likely die doing what I love. My soul needs to escape from the stress of stupid people so I find places (usually mountains or foothills) with no cell service, no data, no BS. Take off and hunt or just stalk and glass critters. Success to me is day of doing something that 99% of the people in this country never experience. Amazing how refreshed and young you feel

I am excited about retiring so I can get more active in what I really want to do. Just don't know how or when to make that decision.

I have been retired for 3 years as of Saturday but I sure wish I had the energy I did in my 30's. If I had known I was going to live this long I would have taken a lot better care of myself.

Not scaling back because of age , because of prices.

Can't take the money with you.

I have been retired for 30 years. I got more done when I was working a full-time job. LOL

I retired in 03 trapped,hunted, fished, cut firewood and logs raised medincal plants, hunted mushrooms any thing from the land. Left NY in 07 been busy hunting Elk and trapping whatever is available I've had surgeries for a bunch of stuff, just recovering now from a rotator cuff on the left side did the right three years ago! My wife and I butchered our Elk on the ground last year, I still walk down some canyons for the cats now I skin them there. The biggest thrill I get is catching a lion, my new dog has done well, the one before her was a once in a lifetime. I don't go like I did when I was 60 my hands quit at 4 beaver/4 coyotes , can't complain still got most of my teeth!

well, I got medical retire, from my place of work, 35 years and they never ask they just got rid of me, [stroke and cancer], I was 53 planned on retiring at 58, so I had a good amount of money saved up , lawyer said he could get my job back, but told me to check on it and see if I should take retirement, well it turn out that I took it, older guys always said that they didn't know how they found time to work that they were so busy, and that's how I live my life busy busy busy, but that's my choice, I've had three cancer , since the first one, and a year ago July they told me to go home and get things in order, [man that will knock you back in your seat]but I'm still here doing everything I can , in march of this year, doctor at university, of Michigan, said that after 7 months that my heart recovered, they don't know why, I believe it's because I didn't go home and sit and watch tv,

Every day is a gift, but every day you feel good and can get around is an even greater gift.. Absolutely the years before you turn 70 will be your best retirement years as far as physical and mental capacity for just about all of us. Biologically we begin to age and break down physically and mentally each year. Doesn't mean we just sit on the couch and wait for the grim reaper, just means we can't do what we once did. Shoot look at some of the folks posting above.. But even as busy as active as they are, they cannot physically do what they did. Plan your big trips early and get them in the books then take what comes and enjoy the heck out of your life. I'm trying to do that right now, heading out the door to ride my bicycle 8 miles and it ain't an ebike, then to the shooting range.. Heading to Montana with my son in a couple weeks. I'm 63 and been partially retired since 59 and fully since age 62.. Been dealing with just debilitating back/sciatica issues the main reason I retired early. Finally getting some relief and recovery, managed to drop 20 lbs since our FTA convention and am riding my bike 30-50 miles per week.

Next year we are planning a month in Idaho camping in the high country and fishing in the summer. Then two months in trapping season (wife said I have to drive her to Boise and put her on a plane when she taps out lol) in a canvas wall tent down in the Owyhee country of Idaho. In addition to a few trips to TX to see the kids and a couple other hunting and fishing trips planned. I don't see us having the ability or inclination to do all that at 70 plus.. fwiw...

Get after it every day you are able, because there is a day coming for all of us we won't be able to..

My neighbor who was one of my high school teachers is still bow hunting at 93. Killed two deer last year. Usually ask for help dragging them out. He butchers them his self. He did change one thing, he always push mowed his yard, upgraded to a rider.

Said.... Mickey Mantle