For those of us that have reached a "certain age", we can't help but be aware that our time is limited, as friends, colleagues and mentors give it up or pass on. We also become aware that after a long day, aching knees and stiff backs signal our own age and that while we don't have control over most of the aspects of aging, we can do things to keep ourselves on the roster a a bit longer:


By this, I mean physical conditioning (apart from sound dietary and personal habits and medical care that are also necessary).


I'm curious if anybody else is doing physical conditioning with the goal of maintaining railroad-related functionality and what you might be doing.

Yes, I go to our local Y faithfully MWF mornings and do a 90 minute workout ( 60 minutes on the treadmill at 4.0 mph and 30 minutes on 10 different machines for upper and lower body muscle strengthening ) for exactly the reason you stated.

In addition to trying to put off the drool stage as long as possible, a main motivator is so I can continue to be in good enough shape to do my annual stint as steam engineer on the Santa trains at the NH&I, and pass the FRA mandated annual physical. Very grateful to report that so far its worked and I was able to put in a full compliment of 12 hour days this year and keep up readily with the "youngins".

Was I REALLY tired at the end of the day?? You bet, and slept those nights like a rock.

Hopefully my love for steam will continue to get me to the gym faithfully.

Now, if I can generate the discipline to shed 20 lbs. of belly I'll be in great shape!!!

Happy New Year, Ross Rowland

"Now, if I can generate the discipline to shed 20 lbs. of belly I'll be in great shape!!!"

I hear that. I started this "hobby" in 1995. Back then, a flat bellied 225-230. Now, North of too much, and not so flat.

Age has a way of accumulating pounds, especially if you don't severely limit the pulverized carbs that are everywhere.

Happy New Year.

While I am not even into my 30s yet, I have already had knee surgery and consequently have terrible knees. I would like to pass on the fact that there are some modern work pants that have built in knee pads that feel very natural to work in and you don't have the problems associated with traditional knee pads. The two manufactures I have had experience with are Berson and Crye Precision. The Bersons can be had for around $50 shipped. The other end of the spectrum are so called "tactical" pants from manufactures like Crye Precision for upwards of $130. While the Crye are what are no doubt very expensive they hold up very well as work pants (mine are used multiple times a week, and are second hand from a friend in the army but they are khaki) and have pockets everywhere for all sorts of things. I have worn the kneepads out in the Crye but they are replaceable which is another nice feature.

One of my favorite mentors during my teenage years was a particularly old and gruff tourist railroad steam engineer, but he didn't mind cab riders. He was also beginning to 'tare out instead of cube out' to the point he began to have great difficulty getting up the tender gangway steps.

The railroad solved the problem by loading him into the cab every day with a Bobcat front-end loader. He never, ever gave up the right-hand seat.

I tried discussing knee replacements on this forum, but the thread was buried in "railfanning". If anybody is interested, there's plenty of replies over on "railfanning". Seems to me like it might interest guys who actually do the work, instead of just reading magazines and taking pictures...

Anyhow, I've had a knee replaced, plus tunnel carpal releases and cubital tunnel releases done on both sides, within the last six months. I'm slowly getting better, with the idea of getting back to work on my engine when the weather gets better this spring. I've already gotten back to playing bar band drums (more fun than going to the gym, AND I make a little cash).

We're dropping like flies. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Take Care & WORK SAFE.

Whoa, I just had a brilliant idea (suggested by other replies to this thread and the two I started):

While I've never seen anybody using knee pads for steam locomotive work, if I had been using them in Guatemala 15 years ago, I'm pretty sure that my knee would not have needed replacement last year. Too bad I didn't think of that back then. Sounds like a great idea to me, only NOW, my knee is still too sore to wear one, we'll see.

Not only that, but if I had gone to an ortho guy right after the injury, maybe he could have fitted me with a knee brace. This maybe could have prevented grinding half an inch off the length of my leg bones, and hobbling around for years in pain.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda...

Preserving ourselves is also about our mental well being. I am thinking of one guy who knows just about everything. He volunteered physically, and also on committees. He kept getting asked to do more administrative stuff due to his vast knowledge. He made the mistake of saying "yes" too often and simply got burned out. Also, as organizations using volunteers, we need to be cautious of overworking, both physically and mentally.

YIKES! This is getting deep, now I need to go back to paint schemes or something.
:)

Clyde -

You are right. We had a member who was a lawyer and the museum wanted him to do some "lawyer type stuff". He eventually ended up as an active member at a rail museum doing non-lawyer type work. Which is why most railroaders (active and retired) don't end up as active railroad museum members, unless they can get into something other than what they do (did) for a living.


Les

Tai Chi, Qi Gong, regular exercise. Tai Chi done properly can be a real knee saver.

Of course the #1 knee saver is terminating obesity. Some people gain 5, 10 pounds a year and go "I should do something about that". Seriously though... It intersects so many other health problems... diabetes, heart disease, stroke, you see the illnesses cutting us down, most trace back to obesity. You have to make a lifetime commitment to make that job 1.

And the #1 thing in obesity is what you eat (and how much). And it's really hard in America because the food is so corrupted. As are the perceptions of food, which tend to be deeply wired into the psyche. Simply conquering good eating can be a hero's journey because you are up against your own lifelong thinking and habits.

Like Cher said... If it came in a pill, everyone would be healthy.

"By this, I mean physical conditioning (apart from sound dietary and personal habits and medical care that are also necessary).


I'm curious if anybody else is doing physical conditioning with the goal of maintaining railroad-related functionality and what you might be doing."


So, just me, Ross and Robert?

I'm reminded of a Garrison Keillor episode in which an old Norwegian Bachelor Farmer is taken to the city by his family for medical treatment, and he's puzzled by the people he sees running around a lake for exercise.... wonders, "why don't they just get work?"

I'm a desk jockey. It's go to the gym, or let nature take its course (faster).