What would your grandfather say?

[Mike Z]

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I was never able to get any life/fitness/wellness advice from them.

If you asked one or both of your grandfathers for fitness/wellness advice, what would they say?

 

[Wade Burns]

Mine smoked and drank like a fish so he wasn’t of much use lol. The other died before I was born.

 

[Milo'sSyndicate]

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I was never able to get any life/fitness/wellness advice from them.

If you asked one or both of your grandfathers for fitness/wellness advice, what would they say?

Eat, drink, work, and be Merry! Both were farmers who had "side hustles" as PostMaster, Realtor, road construction, dog breeder, private lumber yard, and both were church going Christians. Fitness was just plain being out there doing everything but a gym, and wellness came from the farming and Church social groups.

 

[unitas03]

One of my grandfathers died of a heart attack at 69. He was fit — worked a farm, tended his cattle until the day he died — but his diet wasn't something you'd want to model. He never drank water because, as he put it, "fish piss and shit in it." He did chew ice, though. Go figure.

My other grandfather was a different story. An Argentine, fit as hell. Every morning, regardless of where he was, he did 30 minutes of non-stop calisthenics; burpees, push-ups, and sit-ups to failure. Never took a day off. He'd say, si no se entrena, se pierde — "if you don't train, you lose it." Not a big guy, 5'9", but solid as a rock.

He never ate breakfast or lunch. Just black coffee and cigarettes, though he quit smoking in his 50s.

Once or twice a week, around 3:30pm, he'd find a café if he was traveling, or make a small piece of toast at home, orange marmalade was his preference, always with an espresso.

At 6pm, he'd shake a martini, sit at his desk, and work through a stack of newspapers, old and new. Five or six different periodicals a day, alongside blue cheese mixed with butter and spread on Triscuits or crusty bread. You didn't bother him during his martini. That was the rule growing up.

Dinner was whatever my grandmother cooked. When the family was together, he'd grill — red meat, chorizo, a proper Argentine spread. He always had dessert and drank a lot of red wine. He rarely touched beer unless he was in Argentina or Europe, where he could find a Quilmes or something similarly obscure. And he never finished it — always left a little in the can or bottle.

He didn't see a doctor for nearly four decades. Didn't trust them. Outside of new glasses and a hearing aid he refused to wear, threw it straight in the trash, he was healthy.

He lived to 98. Between 90 and 96 he had numerous strokes, but refused to be bedridden. He'd take his walker and putz around the nursing home. I brought him a 2lb. weight he'd use to lift and he did push-ups on the side of his bed in the nursing home. He passed in his sleep, though it took a few more strokes to get him there.

I was lucky to spend a lot of time with him. He loved listening to Rush Limbaugh and yelling at the TV. He didn't trust the media or banks, never owned a computer, and if he needed one he went to the library.

The family recently found out he worked for the CIA for most of his life. But that's a much longer story.

 

[Al "Shifty" Schultz]

My grandfather on my mom's side fought in WW1 and had a steel plate in his arm where his forearm was shattered by a burst from a machine gun, he was also blind in one eye, he died the same month I was born.. the family always joked that I was him reincarnated.. on my dad's side my grandfather stroked out at 59 while rototilling his garden before I was born.

But my scout leader when I was a boy and mentor and lifelong friend is turning 96 this year and he's never worked out a day in his life, eats either sausage or bacon and eggs every day and beef.. lifelong cowboy and hunter... he was a commercial butcher and slaughterer. He's always been active, probably one of the best horsemen I know.

I have an uncle that's also turning 96 this year, he was a commercial painter all his life. Never worked out, spent half his life busted up it seemed from falling off of scaffolding and ladders.. he ate like crap his whole life too, his kids all are my age with heart issues, diabetes, etc. But he's going strong...

I think that a lot of it is genetics, being active, and emotional and mental health...
Here's some pics of Leo, my 96 year old scout leader and best friend. We've done everything together. He was just in turkey camp with me this past April.

 

[darinmbyrd]

No matter how much money you make, the only thing we get to take with us to heaven is our children.....Put in the work at home!

 

[rigriffin91]

One of mine took care of his health and died at 77 from cancer. The other did not and is 81 and doing pretty well all things considered. I wouldn't known which one to listen to if they both started giving out advice.

 

[Wiley Watson]

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I was never able to get any life/fitness/wellness advice from them.

If you asked one or both of your grandfathers for fitness/wellness advice, what would they say?

Go surfing.

 

[Wiley Watson]

One of my grandfathers died of a heart attack at 69. He was fit — worked a farm, tended his cattle until the day he died — but his diet wasn't something you'd want to model. He never drank water because, as he put it, "fish piss and shit in it." He did chew ice, though. Go figure.

My other grandfather was a different story. An Argentine, fit as hell. Every morning, regardless of where he was, he did 30 minutes of non-stop calisthenics; burpees, push-ups, and sit-ups to failure. Never took a day off. He'd say, si no se entrena, se pierde — "if you don't train, you lose it." Not a big guy, 5'9", but solid as a rock.

He never ate breakfast or lunch. Just black coffee and cigarettes, though he quit smoking in his 50s.

Once or twice a week, around 3:30pm, he'd find a café if he was traveling, or make a small piece of toast at home, orange marmalade was his preference, always with an espresso.

At 6pm, he'd shake a martini, sit at his desk, and work through a stack of newspapers, old and new. Five or six different periodicals a day, alongside blue cheese mixed with butter and spread on Triscuits or crusty bread. You didn't bother him during his martini. That was the rule growing up.

Dinner was whatever my grandmother cooked. When the family was together, he'd grill — red meat, chorizo, a proper Argentine spread. He always had dessert and drank a lot of red wine. He rarely touched beer unless he was in Argentina or Europe, where he could find a Quilmes or something similarly obscure. And he never finished it — always left a little in the can or bottle.

He didn't see a doctor for nearly four decades. Didn't trust them. Outside of new glasses and a hearing aid he refused to wear, threw it straight in the trash, he was healthy.

He lived to 98. Between 90 and 96 he had numerous strokes, but refused to be bedridden. He'd take his walker and putz around the nursing home. I brought him a 2lb. weight he'd use to lift and he did push-ups on the side of his bed in the nursing home. He passed in his sleep, though it took a few more strokes to get him there.

I was lucky to spend a lot of time with him. He loved listening to Rush Limbaugh and yelling at the TV. He didn't trust the media or banks, never owned a computer, and if he needed one he went to the library.

The family recently found out he worked for the CIA for most of his life. But that's a much longer story.

Great read.

 

[Chad Adams]

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I was never able to get any life/fitness/wellness advice from them.

If you asked one or both of your grandfathers for fitness/wellness advice, what would they say?

Same here brother. My dad's dad died while grandma was pregnant with him. My mom's dad died on her first birthday. Some serious hillbilly tragedy stuff. I think that's why The Old Man and the Boy is one of my favorites. I never got that, but I hope to give it to my grandkids.

 

[Chad Adams]

One of my grandfathers died of a heart attack at 69. He was fit — worked a farm, tended his cattle until the day he died — but his diet wasn't something you'd want to model. He never drank water because, as he put it, "fish piss and shit in it." He did chew ice, though. Go figure.

My other grandfather was a different story. An Argentine, fit as hell. Every morning, regardless of where he was, he did 30 minutes of non-stop calisthenics; burpees, push-ups, and sit-ups to failure. Never took a day off. He'd say, si no se entrena, se pierde — "if you don't train, you lose it." Not a big guy, 5'9", but solid as a rock.

He never ate breakfast or lunch. Just black coffee and cigarettes, though he quit smoking in his 50s.

Once or twice a week, around 3:30pm, he'd find a café if he was traveling, or make a small piece of toast at home, orange marmalade was his preference, always with an espresso.

At 6pm, he'd shake a martini, sit at his desk, and work through a stack of newspapers, old and new. Five or six different periodicals a day, alongside blue cheese mixed with butter and spread on Triscuits or crusty bread. You didn't bother him during his martini. That was the rule growing up.

Dinner was whatever my grandmother cooked. When the family was together, he'd grill — red meat, chorizo, a proper Argentine spread. He always had dessert and drank a lot of red wine. He rarely touched beer unless he was in Argentina or Europe, where he could find a Quilmes or something similarly obscure. And he never finished it — always left a little in the can or bottle.

He didn't see a doctor for nearly four decades. Didn't trust them. Outside of new glasses and a hearing aid he refused to wear, threw it straight in the trash, he was healthy.

He lived to 98. Between 90 and 96 he had numerous strokes, but refused to be bedridden. He'd take his walker and putz around the nursing home. I brought him a 2lb. weight he'd use to lift and he did push-ups on the side of his bed in the nursing home. He passed in his sleep, though it took a few more strokes to get him there.

I was lucky to spend a lot of time with him. He loved listening to Rush Limbaugh and yelling at the TV. He didn't trust the media or banks, never owned a computer, and if he needed one he went to the library.

The family recently found out he worked for the CIA for most of his life. But that's a much longer story.

Awesome read. Sounds like a dude for sure. That CIA angle at the end - we'd love to hear more on that story!

 

[Hammer]

My grandfather would likely not say anything. As far as I could tell, he hated talking.

He worked in a concrete plant and was a welterweight boxer in his spare time. He was still lean and tough as nails in his 80s.

 

[Jeff Forrester]

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I was never able to get any life/fitness/wellness advice from them.

If you asked one or both of your grandfathers for fitness/wellness advice, what would they say?

They would probably say "What is fitness?"

 

[Al "Shifty" Schultz]

They would probably say "What is fitness?"

The old timers I knew/know were just naturally active... I had Bill Lester tell me one time "if you need to work out befor or after work, you ain't working hard enough!" (He ran B&L Logging back in the day)

 

[Al "Shifty" Schultz]

The old timers I knew/know were just naturally active... I had Bill Lester tell me one time "if you need to work out befor or after work, you ain't working hard enough!" (He ran B&L Logging back in the day)

I feel like I'm a "tweener" or a dinosaur.. I'm old enough now (born in the 60s) that just in my lifetime I've seen some incredible changes, from technology (I grew up with no cell phones, computers and we didn't even have a color TV until the mid 70s and that only had a half dozen channels), social changes, political, economic, you name it. My grandparents were born in the late 1800's and my uncle's fought in WW2 and Korea and my older cousins and youngest uncle fought in Vietnam. Many of my closest friends are in their 90s.. but, I've also recently retired and as such have enjoyed working with newer technologies, younger people and can relate to mindsets, especially regarding fitness, health and diet.
In my career as a SWAT team leader, fitness was a requirement and there were minimum standards, much like the military (at least when I was in).
When I was actively working on SWAT, physical training and cardio was very important. Now that I'm retired and primarily working part-time as a PI, Consultant and Trainer, my lifestyle is more like that of the "old timers" who didn't workout or have a scheduled training regimen.. now my time (well it always has, I'm just not working full time now ) is spent bucking hay, cutting, splitting, stacking firewood, and a host of other physically strenuous chores (I'm a single Dad so it's just me, myself, and I doing the work)... So I can relate to both states of mind I guess.. be active and emotionally and mentally well.. that will help keep you healthy and feeling younger. That and hanging with my young children playing ball, fishing, horseback riding, riding quads, etc.

 

[aja8ten]

For aging baby boomers I recommend checking Wildman Athletica. Numerous videos on ytube.

 

[Jillian C]

My grandpa and I spent a lot of time watching and listening to George Carlin and bill engvall. When he passed away, I got his notebook he used to write notes in. He believed in God, but my grandparents never really went to church so I guess this was his version of the 10 Commandments. Probably could have guessed, but he was a Marine. ️

Some of my most favorite memories are sitting in his study with him, birdwatching or talking about when we were going to go fishing again. Time goes by so fast.