Physical abilities of ageing and travel

For my wife and I (both older than you) we’re trying to do as many hiking/walking nature activities as we want while we’re able. We also realize there will come a time when I no longer want to drive over there, so we’re trying to fit in as many small towns and out of the way places not serviced by public transportation as possible.

I learned that a year, even a few months can change anything with our health. I contacted a severe case of shingles in December. It has taken me months to get my strength back - I’m 70 and push myself every day so I can return to travel. As we age it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves.
Two years ago I visited Porto and was proud that I could climb those hills. Today I would need to be more cautious.
Do the things now that bring you joy - visit unknown places and discover a new you. This year I’m going back to favorite places before I explore more unknown. I want to refresh memories then make new ones.
Enjoy whatever you choose.

I'm on Sandra's side. I retired at 58 and I'm now 68. So within the last decade I did a hiking tour of Tuscany and Cinque Terre. I was the last one off the trails, but I did all the hikes. Our guide said we were the first group she had that everyone did all the hikes. I had been going to the Y everyday and was proud of myself. I did a trip to Belize where we had to show we could do a wet exit from a kayak before we could do the kayak trips. I learned how to do that at the Y with kayaks in the pool! We snorkeled all the way around the Blue Hole. I think I could still do the snorkel, but knowing how difficult the trails are, I wouldn't attempt to do the Cinque Terre hikes. RS shows the easy trails on his show; there are more difficult ones that are more like rock climbing! In Belize we also did the swim/hike/rock climb in the ATM cave. Again, I couldn't do that again. Sitting home for a year trying not to get covid has taken a physical toll. I think I need an instructor to tell me to keep going! I'm glad we did the physically hard trips; they were all great and now I have wonderful memories and photos of what we did. After an Amazon river trip in January 2019, Robert and I came home and came down with pneumonia (yes, we had pneumonia shots) and he was in the hospital for 3 days. Two months later we had to come home early from the middle of the Indian Ocean because of Covid. We've been cooped up trying not to get sick since then.

We're fully vaccinated and we're going to keep on traveling, but now we're very aware of our limitations. At 72, some cruise ships won't allow Robert to take snorkel excursions so we are turning to smaller ships that don't have those hard and fast rules. We're not dead yet! I've learned that a lot of folks our age always take their hiking sticks with and use them even when not hiking, and I think that's a good idea.

At 57 - go for it! Hike, snorkel and take the more physically difficult excursions. Go to Antarctica and do the Shackleton hike (we skipped it because they warned us it was very very difficult, and that's the one thing I wish I had gone ahead and tried anyway.) When you're 90 you can have a scooter delivered to the cruise ship and still travel. :-)

We think about that all the time. Since our last European trip, we discovered my husband has a heart issue. Two hospital stays and one pacemaker later, we are planning trips again. We always thought we were in shape but….. So now it is daily walks, some bike riding and watching our sugar/salt intake more closely. BTW, we are both approaching 64. Luckily, we are not really outdoorsy people, both of us having grown up in large cities, so hiking and kayaking are not on our to do list. But, I do love a tower or dome climb. Always the best views. We have stairs in our home, with no first floor bathroom, so we are constantly up and down. That said, I didn’t think about driving limitations in the future. My husband loves to drive and we have driven in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Croatia. So that will now become a factor when planning some future trips. After reading some threads about aging, I think I have to be more strategic in my future planning and not so “I read a nice trip report about Norway, let’s check that country out”. How do you choose where to go is a topic for a future zoom meet up. I hope to get other factors I didn’t think to consider before. Another thread to get us thinking. Thanks Alan.

Glad to see this topic here! My husband and I are 69 and very active.....and have been traveling in Europe for about 15 years. We love renting our own car, driving it away from an airport and heading off to our own adventures. We ALWAYS do extensive research before we go......maps ready, hippocket wifi with us, local restrictions noted......and this makes our trips so fun and personal. If we see something that interests us we have the freedom to pursue it. We are both blessed with good health......and then a year ago at a school fundraiser my husband got Covid......one of the first cases here....and lost 20 pounds.....the gastric type.....also found out he was pre-diabetic and we adjusted accordingly. Needless to say we were thrown for a loop but have taken this year of Covid to walk an hour everyday and eat well......realizing that we have many more adventures ahead. We really believe that the walking has built us up for future travel.......going back to Switzerland in September to walk those trails daily and then to Christmas markets in December.....don’t want to look back on this time with regrets......I am sure the day is coming when we will be tired from all of this but it is not here yet for us.......so we plunge ahead!

A fascinating question to ponder. I am now 65 and when I was 58 my husband (61 at the time and now just turned 68) and I did three weeks between Scotland and England, including an 8-day walking trip on the Cotswold Way (and many other "Ways" because I created the walking itinerary myself based on what we wanted to see). Pondering now if I could do 15 miles in a day walking from village to the next place we were staying I would say no, but mostly because my left foot has a bunion and hammertoe causing issues. Once I have surgery I expect I will be able to and our plan is to walk around southern England. We did the Wicklow Way in Ireland, after an RS Best of Ireland tour, when I was 61 and my husband 64 and that went fine too. NOW, having said all that, both my husband and I also do realize that our 70s, 80s ( assuming we are blessed to be in a body still!) will be different.

At the time we did the Cotswold Way I was in pain from undiagnosed Lyme Disease that my body had had for a long time, unbeknownst to me. The nerve damage from that lingers but it doesn't stop me from traveling. So, the moral of this tale, as I see it, is to live fully EVERY aspect of your life, as best as you can, in the moment you have, and live the song in your heart.

Our next Europe trip is the RS Best of Tuscany tour next spring followed by 8 days in Sardinia, and a few days in Corsica, where we will tool around by car and foot!

Happy travels. Allan!

Allan, you could look at it this way: maybe its better to do must-sees while you are still young and active enough to get the most out of them.

I've looked at this in a more calculated way. Based on family history, my observation, my current conditions, etc., I'm estimating I have ten good, unrestricted travel years left. Anything after that is a bonus. So I have my priority list, with enough flexibility to fit in some new opportunities.

BUT there is another important consideration, and that is the condition of your traveling companion(s). It gets even more uncertain as you look at future travel with others. Yes, we always look at the activity level for each trip we are considering, and it makes a difference.

In the end, I don't think it matters how you look at it. Just travel as much as you can while you can, and there ain't nobody keeping score.

Forget Alpine hiking! I am 68, lived in Paris for 2 years in my mid-20s and last visited Paris 2 years ago. I was suddenly struck by how many steps there are in the Paris Metro and by how far you had to walk to connect with some different Metro lines. At some points, the steps & walking seemed endless but the Metro just gets you around faster. This had never bothered me in the past. I am lucky I have no knee or hip problems but on my next trip to Paris (2022?), I will make it a point to learn more about the bus lines and Uber. In general, I have always traveled independently but I think I am seeing a Rick Steves tour in my future travels!

I'm 67. In 2019, my left knee was extremely painful walking down steps. I went to the orthopedist, as I had done a few years earlier. Replacement has never been mentioned-just PT. I've been fine since. I would not do a RS tour because of the steps and the need to drag my luggage up steps. I can usually do steps with no problem, but since they do make my knees hurt some, I take elevators whenever possible to save my knees for situations where there is no elevator. In 2019, I did walk up to the Parthenon without problems, but don't think that would be advisable in the future. Except during Covid, when I walked instead, I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, but some of those are water aerobics which is easier on the joints.

My husband (a week younger than me) does what I would consider extreme hiking. His crowning achievement was climbing Kilimanjaro on his 65th birthday.

So yes, I would say do your more strenuous activities now as you don't know which body parts will start to fail at some point and when that will happen.

I just qualified for > 60 train tickets and still can do most things although we had been considering a hike to Europe's 2nd highest waterfall located in the Pyrenees. I showed the hike to my husband since it seemed so doable. He noted that it was 5 miles ONE WAY. While I'm confident that I could handle that, it would take all day, and I'd be recovering from that for at least a few days.

One thing we did a bit back was take both a Viking River Cruise and a RS tour. There were many reasons why we did those, but a major one was that we wanted to try them and to get an idea of what they are like before that kind of travel was necessary.

In my 30s and 40s I used to backpack for weeks every summer. In my 60s I kayaked and canoed. In a city I'd head for the highest available viewpoint even if it meant lots of stairs. Now, at 76, my backpacking and kayaking days are over, and I forego bird's-eye views unless there's an elevator. My general health and mobility are good but I'm recognizing limitations now that I wouldn't have years ago. So -- we're all aging -- what else is new?

Allan, only you can decide whether your second-tier Amalfi kayak goal deserves priority over some bucket-list city you can expect to manage for decades to come. I think the key is to keep exercising and staying in shape (including balance) so you're fit enough to travel as far into old age as possible. At 57 you're a spring chicken, and as I recall about to retire. Now's the time to fly the coop! ;-)

Allan,

The physical effects of aging are hugely variable as described by the posters above. You can also pretty well count on some unexpected medical or physical surprise along the way. So, that basically argues for front loading any plans for extremely physical trips/activities. You may turn out to be lucky and able to continue these activities into your 70's but there is no guarantee.

The inevitability of aging and physical decline does not mean you cannot travel and engage in activities that you enjoy. You must, however, be aware of your limitations and adjust accordingly. That means allowing more time, pacing yourself and avoiding activities that are potentially going to hurt you.

One of the saddest things I see in my travels is fellow travelers who attempt tours or activities that exceed their current capabilities. Some are in denial and some just haven't done the pre-planning they should have done. They were not aware of what they were getting into. These folks sometimes slow or inconvenience their fellow travelers and sometimes put themselves or others in danger. It follows that you need to really be aware of your capabilities and plan accordingly. Always be aware that just because you could do it last year does not mean you can this year.

"Keep on traveling"
Robbie (age 79, the voice of experience)

I did a trip report last year on my RS Loire to the South of France tour and someone had posted a question regarding stairs, and also elevator access in hotels. I had posted an answer that the trip wasn't that bad and was easily doable. But then my wife suggested that I wasn't the best person to answer because my activity level is so high. She told me I should re-post with facts not opinions so the person could judge for herself.

I suspect, I'm not going to figure out until it's too late that I'm no longer a spring chicken. In 2017 when my Mom was 85, we did a final family vacation to Disney World with my kids and their Grandmas (my self proclaimed final vacation to celebrate the closing of the Bank of Mom and Dad, as both kids were finally over 18 years old). My Mom and I both badly misjudged her physical abilities. In comparison to others in her senior's home, she was in great shape and so I compared her abilities to that instead of the reality of hard walking days in the Florida sun. We realized within a few days that my Mom was overmatched, but I still had to sit her down kicking and screaming as she accused me of treating her like an old person. Clearly it's in my DNA and I'll likely bite off more than I can chew before I figure it out as well.

I'm in my 40s and I do prioritize physical trips (treking and hiking and other physical endeavors) at this point in my life because I already know I'm not as spry as even 10 years ago, and I need to use my strengths to my advantage while I still have them. So that's why Europe (in general) is not really on my top list - I am from there and can see it again when I'm old(er), it's easy to get around in cities. In the meantime, I'd rather do more physical travel (like Utah or South American Andes hiking and things I actualy have to train for) even though I thoroughly enjoy city travel too and can easily wear myself out going all day in hilly places.

I think this aspect of travel is definitely worth thinking about since there is a wide variation of what you can do/ see based on your fitness level and age. Age is not always a good proxy for fitness level - there are more and more quite fit people who are > 60 doing amazing hikes all over the world (although they are admittedly a self-selected group of way above-average fitness folks). On the other hand, there are a lot more people whose fitness is underwhelming, often coupled with weight issues.

Robbie, you described my experience with aging and physical capacity for travel. I have an old skiing knee injury that occasionally flairs up. I always have a collapsible walking stick that can provide a third point for balancing. Our guide for the Machu Picchu trip January 2020 had everyone get a walking stick for all the steps no matter their age. I did this trip at 73, older than recommended, but no problem. Just did not do the longer higher trails that would have done 10 years ago. My husband can’t easily negotiate lots of stairs in bell towers, so we don’t do them anymore. Glad we hiked CT trails when we were a lot younger. I don’t get the problem with snorkeling when over 70 if you are very comfortable in the water. Basically you are just floating. In Lima Peru a woman on the tour wasn’t allowed to do a parasail with a flying guide because she was over 70. She was in very good physical shape. If you like physical activities when traveling, don’t wait to experience them. Physical or age restrictions will creep up on you. We can travel many ways as we age-starting with camping, backpacking, cycling, hiking or kayaking, then on to independent travel, tours, cruises or a combination all through life. Health is the big issue. Most of those reading this post can adjust to the cost and time to travel. Write down your travel goals and start traveling. The years go by so fast. We just lost almost 2 years at a critical time in our travel life in mid and late 70’s. You youngsters in your 50-60’s gotta travel at every opportunity to fulfill your personal dreams.

The snorkeling comment above brings to mind a story and a caution. Sometimes snorkeling is not just floating and looking. A few years ago we took an excursion in Turks and Caicos on a rather large boat (maybe 50 people). They anchored on the reef and basically turned us loose. Fabulous reef. 20 minutes later I looked up and saw that the current had taken us (and many others) maybe 300 yds from the boat. The current was strong, maybe 1 mph. Since we could swim at perhaps 2 mph it was the equivalent of maybe 600 yds! My wife and I were able to make the up-current swim back to the boat but we were very tired when we made it. Some others could not. The boat crew had to scramble to get the rest of us aboard and then up anchor and go fetch the stragglers. Fortunately everyone was safe but it was a close call. Some had to be lifted aboard - too tired to climb the ladder. The boat crew bears a large portion of the responsibility but individually we have to be aware of our situation and our capabilities. We have never again left the area of the snorkel boat without assessing the current and wave conditions in light of a realistic appraisal of our abilities. Food for thought.

Here in the Land of La I try to hike on trails in nearby Griffith Park every weekday morning. Pre dawn treks. I’d even did it when working. Retired now. 70.

Pre the Covid lockdown had those trails to myself. Now, it seems Angelenos discovered the park that has been here since the early 30’s.

Now far more pre dawn hikers so solitude and the white noise of traffic is often disturbed by chattering. Such is life.

I like to think all this walking and hiking helps with my meandering on foot I’ve done when in Europe.

I have noticed it’s better to pop Aleve before I trek than after. Eases the arthritis in my hip joints and I don’t lock up and become the Tin Man after the sojourns.

Couple of weeks ago joined friends in Pismo Beach about 3 hours north of LA. I chose early one morning to tackle the Lone Oak Trail in the nearby Pismo Reserve. No other takers in the group.

Steep but lovely trek with beautiful views of the mighty Pacific.. 8 miles rounds trip. Biggest worry was ticks and made certain I was tick free by immediately showering and washing my hair when I returned to the hotel.

As I noted to a friend I’ve known since high school we are lucky to be alive, walking, talking and living in the Golden State of California.

If all the stars are aligned it will be another Christmas in London. More waking along the Thames Path which I love doing. Seeing how the Thames changes, admiring the bridges, the rocky shores, the houses, etc. Some of my best finds have been on these river path walks, places like Mari’s Deli in Chiswick or Hurlingham Books near the River Cafe in Putney.

The walking done here helped eased the many stair climbs in Varenna on Lake Como. Or trekking on the lengthy Costwold Way to the Broadway Tower and back to Chipping Camden.

Those of us here in the States of a certain age will remember Jack LaLane. Google if you must. Pretty sure there are youtube videos as well. My mother loved him, I loved his white German Shepard. Either way as an only child with parents who loved being in nature, many trails hiked in the Sierras and the Santa Cruz Mountains which bordered my hometown.
Yes the same Santa Cruz Mountains where serial killer Edward Kemper trolled.

Lastly it’s said nobody walks in LA. Pretty true as the car mentality is what LA is about. However, as shown after the Covid lockdown there’s a resurgence in enjoying the outdoors on foot. I think parents locked up with young children 24/7 relished getting outside on the trails to burn off their broods energy levels.

For me when I travel it’s about exploring on foot. Never know what you’ll find around the next corner.
I’ll keep walking, hiking, strolling and meandering as long as I can.

Move it or lose it!

Get in as much as you can now of strenuous activities. Even in those of us past 60, stuff can pop up as you have seen on the other posts. We’re hoping our hiking trip to Switzerland in Fall won’t be our last there but we just don’t know. Things happen, even now my spouse is trying to get a new bout of plantar fasciitis straightened out before our trip. We swim to stay in shape, we are lucky to live in a climate where we can do that almost year round and that helps on the old joints and bones. Back to the BO this year for hikes but we won’t do the 12 miler we did 11 years ago. Those days are done but that’s ok as there is still plenty we can do.

I've never been a real outdoorsy person either, though I love to see it all from afar.
I used to rent apartments in fifth floor walkups in Italy, as a lot have a great terrace or view.
Now, after two knee replacements, and another in a year or so: I look for no more than one floor up, and ideally a ground floor.
Or, an elevator!

As I’ve stated before on this forum, my husband inherited an apartment in Rijeka, Croatia. Fabulous right!? But it is on the 5th floor in a walk up. If I remember correctly about 72 steps. The one pro is that the staircase is very wide and has an extra landing between each floor. I don’t need to list the cons. How long we will be able to keep it, I don’t know, but the upstairs neighbors are in their late 70’s, and his father lived there till he was 82. Food for thought.

My husband and I were 72 (him) and 74 (me) when we made our spring 2019 trip to Europe. We have been very lucky healthwise until he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease just before that trip (not a surprise - it had been coming on). We use backpack suitcases and public transportation. We were in cities for the first three weeks of our trip, where we averaged about eight miles a day of walking, then went to the Dolomites (Ortisei), where we averaged more than ten miles a day!

I am so grateful for all our previous travels and for that 2019 trip. Now, if I'm pushing him, he can manage a couple of miles before he needs to rest and, if he's on his own, will rest more often. And his walking has slowed. I fear we've made our last trip to Europe - and possibly to anywhere.

Carpe diem!

I grew up with a dad with polio. He got it when I was only 8mths old and he was only 25. Sadly he was in an iron lung for a year and then a quadriplegic for the nxt 25 yrs. till death. He was a positive and faithful influence on his family and entire community. He taught me my zest for travel. He had been stationed in the army in Germany and during Korean War and actually had learned to appreciate Europe and encouraged me to travel while we can. Like through Covid this year maybe we have learned to live life now...not wait! Hence my “wanderlust” for travel! Both of us are in our late 60’s and grateful for good health! Like Janet...bless you! Carpe diem!

I'm with Bobby -- taxis!! A taxi ride beats trying to walk or use public transit if it means I don't have to rest up for a half hour once I get to my destination. Plus with all the proposed estate and capital gains tax law changes, I might as well spend my kid's inheritance myself.

I get tired more with a solo life and full time work. Being less that agile doesn't help, but no diagnosed ailments or needs for meds. I was once on a Galapagos Island ship (well hard to call it that when it only carried 15 passengers), and we had snorkelling every day. The oldest of the group was 80 and some in their late 60's/early 70's. By about day 5 the oldest stopped the daily snorkeling and needed a stick to slowly do the lava flows on one island. But needed no assistance getting up and down the boat ladder.
Something to add to your consideration of trips is that I see more and more a 70 or 72 age limit for renting cars. So get your road trips in sooner than you may think.

I can't speak to this directly, but Ive discussed similar topics with my aunt and her husband, in their late 60s. I'd say prioritize only your must sees by activity level. If the kayak trip is a must or a near-must, do it sooner. If you don't really care all that much, put it off. Physical activity and aging is one concern, but travel could end for you next week, or next year. We just had this hit home by the pandemic, other large events could happen, or more individual situations making you unable to go. So if your #1 priority is a very low-activity type trip, but it is something you want to do most and will be sad if you never get to - do it ASAP, don't save it for when you are older because who knows if you will be able to go in 10+ years.

Those of us in ok shape currently might want to make sure we are active in day-to-day life to preserve our fitness as long as possible. A sedentary 20 year old might be able to push it and muster enough strength/endurance to handle some tougher travel situations. A sedentary 60 year old might not, but if that 60 year old has been keeping up activity at home s/he might be more likely to be able to manage it. Of course at we age adjustments will be necessary, and injuries and illness can happen no matter what, but maintaining whatever level fitness we can is always a good idea.

Do the active trips while you can! We are 65 and 68. We did a hiking trip in England 4 years ago that consisted of several 10, 15 miles a day walks. I think those day are behind us, so I'm glad we went when we did. We can still hike, but I think 5-7 miles a day are the MOST we could do due to hip and feet problems. Our last trip European trip was to France in 2019. We did take it slower than past trips. These days we'd prefer to stay in one place longer and we didn't do any nightlife.

We've always done our own planning and touring, but we are thinking of a RS tour next year for the first time. Someday we will probably resort to Viking River Cruises.

(I did some traveling with my mom when she was in her 80s and needed a wheelchair to get most anyplace. It was easier than I thought it would be. I just brought lots of cash for tips! The airport skycaps treated her like gold.)

No camera. Have enough photos that nobody wants to see

I hope I never get tired of taking photos. Nobody in years has asked to see them, but that's fine with me, they are a personal memory that means a lot to me. In fact I still scout out potential perfect-shot locations in advance. It's part of my preplanning fun. As I get older I've become much more patient and am willing to wait for the right light instead of the click and run style. Drives my wife crazy at times. That, and photos of her from behind as she's walking toward a scenic view; I get in trouble a lot because all she see's is her butt, not the view of what she's looking at.

Ironically, we approached that very question question when I was your age. We are happy to travel anywhere, so we rank-ordered our travels based on the physicality they required. I’m now 68 and spouse is 75. We are thankful for considering that issue while we still had time to map out a plan. Despite being physically active daily, we are finding “surprise” twinges seem to pop up randomly and the damage we did years ago that we thought was healed sometimes gives us an unpleasant reminder. Years ago we’d rank price above amenities- now we look more closely at things like whether the hotel has an elevator.

Robbie, I agree that you have to be careful when snorkeling in open water. We did it on the reefs with current off Cozumel. The boatmen were very alert. No problems. In my post we snorkeled in a quiet bay in the Galapagos. I have paid guides to make my many adventure travels safe and would be very unhappy with the event you described. Everyone’s comments on aging and travel have been just what we have experienced. My husband claps for all the support for use of taxis, something we never did in the past.

Anyone ever see the movie Open Water? Based on a true story. https://allthatsinteresting.com/tom-eileen-lonergan

A few years ago I was considering whether to go on a trip to Africa that included being part of a teacher training team and getting to meet my sponsored students. I kept waffling when my son asked, "If not now, when?"

I can't begin to explain how great that trip was and how much it meant to me in the end. Now, when I am thinking about travel, I remind myself of that question, "If not now, when?"

I'm 63 husband is 68 - we still hike and bike. We just bought kayaks. Neither of us has many ailments but we know things could change so we will continue to take the stairs until we can't. Booking another bike trip in 2022. I have friends in their 50's who aren't very active and wonder how the heck we still hike and bike. If you are an active person keep it up until you can't.

Age did not motivate us...Cancer did. Just turning 50 we though we had a lot of time, realized 10 years had passed since our first international trip to London, in great physical shape, good health...till we weren't. Husbands cancer diagnosis at 50 was a wake up call that we may not have a tomorrow. Been to Europe twice since then. Now we are looking at the clock ticking, the aches and pains are more consistent and doing all we can to turn that around.

I am now 73 and been active most of my adult life.
I retired at 62 1/2 (a year earlier than that, I did a 108 mile bike ride (not a race) in 7.5 hours). I averaged biking on my road bike (no motor) 5000 miles a year.

The first trip we took after I retired was a cruise in the Adriatic and Eastern Med(and Aegean). My wife and I walked up the 800 plus steps to the castle at Napilon, passing several persons half our age. Until I hit 69, I felt that I could do what any traveler half my age could do on tour. However, I developed arthritis in my lower back reducing my abilities somewhat. Also, I used to go up on my roof and sweep the leaves every year. I stopped doing that four years ago, due to degeneration in my equilibrium.

We did Machu Picchu (also, Cusco and Sacred Valley) two years ago and loved it, but found hiking up and down those high altitudes just ran me into the ground after four days of that.

Much depends on your overall health, fitness and whether or not you have good knees, hips and a health back.

My suggestion is if you want to do Machu Picchu or climb the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico, don't wait until you are over 70.

My wife and I walked up the 800 plus steps to the castle at Napilon,
passing several persons half our age.

A few years ago my wife and I took a boat from Fira to Oia on Santorini. At the dock in Oia we were required to walk maybe 200 yards up a gradual hill to catch a bus into town. I was shocked how many people that were 15-20 years younger than me were huffing and puffing and needing to stop and rest. To me, that wasn't a case of me being fit, but a case of so many people not even being at a basic fitness level. When I think of the demographics of people on this forum, it makes me wonder if being in better than average physical conditioning-while taking age into account, is something many serious travellers on this forum have in common?

The Rick Steves travel concept has always required some movement and a tad extra effort. Early on, even packing light, involved toting a bag before bags had wheels. Staying at a place with the toilet down the hall, and probably up stairs. His guidebooks now list all kinds of sightseeing walks in towns and cities. And tips for avoiding standing in a line to get into a sight - you’re in the place sooner, moving about, rather than waiting in the line.

His guidebooks are thicker and heavier than they used to be, so there’s a little extra weightlifting involved there, too. And now, with ubiquitous smartphones, they’re bigger with each new model. Advancing technology and advancing age takes more effort to keep up.

In addition to all the excellent points made in the posts above, there's one more factor for me - flights. My last pre-Covid trip was to Japan, and I found that the flights to and from New York really took a lot out of me - especially the return.

For quite a while, I had wanted to go to Vietnam "sometime." I've decided to try to go as soon as feasible (hoping for 2022), since I don't think I'll be up to it in 10-15 years, whereas Europe trips should be quite doable then. That is, assuming I don't have any unforeseen issues, like cancer, injury, etc as posters above have experienced.

I just turned 65 and retired last year. For the past half dozen years we have focused on our physical fitness and have been working with a personal trainer. We figure our full-time job now is to exercise regularly so we can continue to go on physically active trips.
While nothing is guaranteed in life (especially when it comes to health), we figure it can’t hurt. If it extends our go-go years even a couple years, it will be more than worth it.

Allan-Talking about people huffing and puffing...that may be my husband and I from day 1-3 on our trips, it is amazing how much fitter we are by day three. We take video on all trips and always notice a significant improvement on our stamina and energy level from day 1 to day 21! With that being said I do "train" for a trip about 90 days out by walking more, more uphill walking etc.

If you can provide a little help, quietly offer it.

Quietly is a keyword.

On an RS tour in 2018 it was a long walk (1km?) from our bus to our hotel in Arles with a slight uphill most of the way. An older woman had been tiring during the walk and someone in our group took her suitcase and got it to the hotel for her. On the way back to the bus a couple of days later I took her suitcase for her and got it to the bus. She was appreciative, but in hindsight I should have been more discreet because it was obvious I had embarrassed her. Even good intentions need to be done with tact and grace.

Overreacting, emma, might have been if you’d whacked the would-be good-deed-doer with your stick - maybe. When acting without any warning, a case-grabber is just a snatch-and-grab thief, until proven otherwise.

Allan, even if she was a bit embarrassed, she must’ve been grateful for the assistance. It probably made the day after Arles easier for her, not struggling with her bag to the bus. She’s probably helped someone else out, someway, in the past, or since that trip.