Old and decrepit

“The best antidote to feeling old and decrepit is to walk that silly dog.”
I texted that to my aquacise instructor after walking my dog along Lehigh Valley Rail-trail, yesterday morning (Wednesday, February 27th), 3-4 miles.
I do aquatic balance-training in the Canandaigua YMCA’s swimming-pool. Two hour-long classes per week, plus a third hour on-my-own. My “aquacise instructor” is the lady who leads the class.
What I didn’t text her is I feel more stable — normal — walking my dog.
My balance has gone away over the past couple years. I suppose it’s partly because of my age (75), but I’ve also been diagnosed with neuropathy in my legs. That’s poor nerve-communication to my legs. Not due to diabetes — I still feel pain, but the result is poor balance.
It was worse a few ago years, but mainly I’ve learned how to counter poor balance. I hardly fall any more; but I pay much more attention. I feel like I’ve gotten less stable, but I counter that.
Recently, in our on-going effort to explain my increasing clumsiness, that aquacise instructor suggested I was walking in “dog-mode” = that I’m anticipating my “pup” (her word) running.
Except he doesn’t just take off. I learned with a previous dog to let the dog pull with my leash at full extension. This negates the dog all-of-sudden running out to the end of his leash, slamming me to the ground.
The average person would say I should teach my dog to heel. Not interested. My dog is an Irish-Setter. “Heeling” would be punishment. Maybe for a more placid dog, but not an Irish-Setter. Irish-Setters love to hunt = lurch-pull-lunge-yank! Back-and-forth like a loose cannon.
Except I do it at full leash-extension so he doesn’t throw me down.
Whatever, walking my dog feels stable; everywhere else I feel less stable.
My aquacise instructor’s comment about “dog-mode” is worth considering, especially since I feel “normal” walking my lunging maniac.
But I unfortunately have the habit of thinking about it; that is, the one who determines the value of a comment is unfortunately ME. —That’s probably a result of my tortured childhood.
I’ve stolen many ideas from that aquacise instructor, but only after “thinking about it.”
Just recently my sister-in-law commented she can’t balance on one foot. I can’t either, although I keep trying. When I try I start falling over. —Which is okay in a swimming-pool, where the water cushions yer fall, or buoyancy may negate it.
In my house, or anywhere on dry land, for that matter, I hafta catch my fall. Which I’ve gotten so I do quite well.
But inability to balance on one foot seems about the same as it’s been for years.