For the past 3-4 months I’ve been having some shoulder pain that I thought was from lifting too many heavy cinder blocks earlier this year. But it wasn’t getting better, even with rest. Being in my mid-50s, I was concerned that I did some real damage that would take a long time to heal.

I finally asked my doctor about it, and she suggested getting an x-ray. It turns out I have some early arthritis starting in my shoulder. This lead me to do some research on managing farm chores without further damaging my shoulder as I continue to age. I discovered a lot of great tips on aging gracefully while farming.

Key Areas to Focus On

• Physical issues like chronic pain and injuries
• Psychological aspects like memory loss and depression
• Medical conditions that require vigilant monitoring
• Financial planning for retirement

Managing Physical Limitations

As we age, our bodies change. Hips, knees, and shoulders take more of a pounding after years of heavy farm work. Overuse injuries and arthritis become more common. My shoulder pain is likely from decades of heavy lifting.

Monitoring chronic injuries and being willing to use ambulatory devices like canes or walkers can help reduce pain. Consider powered equipment like electric wagons or wheelbarrows to move heavy objects instead of using pure back strength.

And be sure to stretch! Simple yoga poses and stretches done throughout the day can keep your body limber for tasks. (Don’t laugh! There are a lot of medical benefits to doing even a little every day. It’s not so hippy-dippy after all.)

Don’t Ignore Mental Health

It’s normal to start having some memory problems as we age. Developing checklists and notebooks to remind yourself of multi-step processes can help.

But more serious issues like depression, loneliness, and dementia should not be considered a normal part of aging. Maintaining an active social life and engaging in cognitively stimulating activities can help. This can mean getting off the farm to meet with others for non-farming activities. Just meeting friends for breakfast in town once a week can be socially stimulating.

And be sure to speak up if you start to notice serious memory problems -— catching issues like dementia early makes a big difference.

Stay on Top of Medical Issues

As the years go by, trips to the doctor become more frequent. Key things to monitor are heart and lung function, diabetes risk, medications, and injuries. Be diligent about medications — use reminders or have prescriptions delivered. Knowing the signs of strokes and heart attacks could save your life. And don’t avoid doctor visits due to cost if possible — preventing problems is cheaper than dealing with complications down the road. Consider signing up for health insurance even if not at retirement age yet.

Plan for a Secure Retirement

I throw this one in here, too, even though it’s not medically or physically related. As we age it’s good to start thinking about having a plan for when we actually can’t farm any more. That day may come sooner than we thought, unfortunately.

It might seem impossible to imagine retiring from farming. But make sure you speak with financial advisors, attorneys, and family members about a possible exit strategy. This will help ensure the farm can stay financially viable for the next generation.

Automating transactions can also help keep bills paid even if you become injured. This is something I do, even now. Getting routine bills like utilities on autopay is certainly a stress-saver. And assigning more tasks to younger workers will both ease your burden and train future farmers.

Just a note: I’m categorizing this post under “sustainability” because I feel it fits. Taking care of our bodies as we age lets us sustain our farming/homesteading life into our golden years. It’s all part of sustainable farm design, IMO.