Where to get advice on perserving orthopedic fitness into old age, especially with a deformity
I am 60 and have metatarsus adductus and arthritis in my feet. Recently I've had what I describe as numbness in one foot. I had EMGs done and they showed that I didn't have a diabetic neuropathy but instead a repetitive use injury to the motor neurons. This was shown to be worse in the left. However, this led to no concrete advice for how to preserve the utility of the foot. I have been doing belly dancing and stopped doing releve and now avoid turns since that seemed to make things worse. I have since been looking for advice on preserving fitness while sparing damage to my feet, but it is tough to know even what type of professional to look for. I thought there might be simple guides with activities ranked most to least demanding on the feet--e.g. pointe ballet to swimming--but I didn't even uncover something like that.
Zone 3, 4
Peter discusses the benefits of Zone 2 and 5 training. Is there any reason to believe that exercise in zones 3 and 4 is not as helpful for healthspan as 2 and 5? Or do we simply not have data on 3 and 4 to the extent that we do on 2 and 5? Is this a case of evidence of absence or an absence of evidence?
Adaptogens
Can you please share a perspective on the use of adaptogens in combination with other healthy lifestyle choices to manage stress, sleep, and mood? I’ve read so much about them and they seem like no-brainers given the widespread benefits, but western medicine seems to hold them at arms length. What’s a reasonable, evidence-based person to do?