Getting Older.

[SteveHGraham]

I would definitely like to have more stuff to lift and move things. I thought about getting a Harbor Freight lift cart.

I still have not moved my mill to my current location. I will have to put at least one heavy rotary table on my truck. I have no desire to pick it up or take it apart.

It's funny how much heavier things seem when they're not packaged in balanced, convenient barbell form. My mill's vice weighs 75 pounds, but when you move it, it feels like 150. My 10" rotary table weighs 80 pounds, but it feels like a ton.

When I was young and stupid, I didn't mind picking up beer kegs and moving them. They weigh about 160 pounds, but they have nice comfy handles. Much easier to move than an 80-pound rotary table. Not that I recommend it.

[Downwindtracker2]

Besides, when I was young ,beer kegs lightened up pretty quickly.

[tim9lives]

I like your set up and am actually considering something similar to that but with a motor. That said...I have already added two gas charged struts which made a big difference in counterbalancing the weight on the upstroke.

[Harold_V]

Cardiovascular health is fine, but it won't help you pick up your rotary table.

I strongly suspect it will help avoid a heart attack after such activity, though.
Truth be told, we need both of them.

H

[Mr Ron]

I turned 84 in October and have noticed my physical condition has started going downhill much faster than I anticipated. My big problem is my spinal stenosis has affected my right knee. When I walk, my right knee unexpectedly gives out and down I go. This has happened about 4 times so far and thankfully I haven't broken anything. Just went for a stress test to see if It is safe for me to have spinal surgery. I was told the procedure takes around 4 hours, so that amount of time under anesthesia is risky. Next week I will hear from the cardiologist. In the meantime, I use a cane to steady myself. That makes it difficult to work in my shop; can't carry a vise or RT when using a cane. As far as exercise goes, I lift a 10# dumbbell every day to keep my upper body strong.

Getting old sucks, but I'm surprised I have lasted this long. In my youth, I drank to excess and smoked since I was 18. All told, my doctor thinks I am in pretty good condition despite my past history. Can't dwell on it though; have to keep active as much as possible.

[SteveHGraham]

I just picked my dad up from four days in respite care today. One thing that surprised me about his decline is that it speeds up. He declines faster now than he did in 2017.

A year ago, he was fairly mobile, but I had to take his canes away in November. He was having falls, and he needed to be forced to use a walker. I have to be very careful about taking him to restaurants and stores because of certain things he may not be able to control. During the summer, he was doing back exercises and taking long walks every day. Now he just sits. A couple of weeks ago, he forgot how to make breakfast, so now I have to prepare every meal for him. On top of all this, he now has a hard time standing up. The hospice people are about to bring a wheelchair.

When he was 83, he was a top-notch lawyer. He had to quit at 84. He turns 87 this month, and he is about to go into assisted living. I can't handle the burden any more. I expect him to pass during 2019.

I don't know how long assisted living will work, because he will "graduate" out of it quickly.

My advice to people who are middle-aged or worse is to consider their age when they make plans. Start as soon as you can, because you can't wait around like a young person. If you start a hobby at 65, you may have to quit after 10 years.

When you're over 50, and you put something heavy on a shelf, you have to ask yourself: "Will I be able to take that down if I need it in 5 years?" That's a wake-up call. You don't have to worry about things like that when you're 35.