Re: Somewhat OT: Health Issues

i guess i'm one of the youngest contributors here. i've had a bit of a bad back since i was a kid – probably the chair topic gone wrong in school :) but now i'm doing well, physically, as well as working freelance.

all the big topics have been covered, and of course sitting, sleeping, moving and eating are the essential points in all of our lives, and everyone is trying to find the best, individually ideal way.

something i've been hearing a lot from colleagues and training partners is that they chose martial arts (tai chi, boxing and pilates have been mentioned here) as a form of staying fit, not only as a means of a physical and mental excercise, but for their complexity:

i spend my day improving my skills in my application or technology of choice, but after work i want to do something different. still, that keenness for improvement and making use of my time remains - so dully doing push-ups to activate a couple of muscle regions is not my idea of good fun.

in martial arts, i get to do all sorts of complex, demanding stuff that is great fun for me at every moment, even when someone is trying to make me cry (reminds me of work). and the good thing? i strain all parts of my body (even those i didn't know existed before), without ever needing to motivate myself to go on for another 100 repetitions.

another absolutely essential question in choosing any sport for me is this: are there people above 60 doing the sport, and are some of them better than their 30 year-old colleagues? if yes, i know i won't be wasting my time and ruining my body.