After 40 do you start falling apart

[FilterFunk]

Barring things like a specific illness, condition or disability that keeps you doing what it takes to be healthy, 40 doesn't have to be a "falling apart" age.

You may slow down (let's face it...that's why very few people over 40 are still in major pro sports), and you won't be able to do physical things the same as you did before. But if you keep taking good care of yourself and adapt well to the aging process, you certainly don't have to fall apart.

 

[DirtDog]

I remember it like yesterday, my first attempt at moguls. We were at Crystal Mountain. A very experienced friend of ours offered to take me down Green Valley, which is like mogul heaven if you know that run. Looking at it from the lodge, it looks like a giant ski slope of ice cream scoops stacked on top of each other up the mountain.
We got to the top, he walked me through what to do, and we went about 20-30 yards together. We stopped to regroup, then he told me to follow him and he shot down that slope like one of those Olympic skiers. I took off and started rattling my hips and knees so bad I fell over 5-6 times, rolled down the mountain a ways, bounced around a few more times as it felt like my kneecaps were about to explode. 100 or so yards from the end of the slope I said screw it and walked the rest of the way. Never tried Green Valley or moguls ever again.

-Mike

Moguls were my favourite. But my knees gave out on doing that in the late 80s. Physiotherapist at the time told me to start cycling to get my legs in shape. So I did. Competitive mountain biking to be exact. I have crashed and hurt my myself 100x more on a bike than I ever did DH skiing!

 

[Ostie]

It was more like 50 for me. Developed allergies, especially to eggs, which are in many prepared foods. Developed A-Fib, which is controlled by medication. Developed GERD (reflux) but under control by meds. Hair turned silver gray and started falling out. Grandkids make old age tolerable.

 

[MrClassicMetal]

Going to the gym to lift weights and doing cardio should help a lot.

 

[ryco]

65 and doin' pretty good. Lotta gray hair, but body seems to heal pretty fast from bumps, scrapes, and bruises. Have taken a couple of good spills but came out OK with a slight spained wrist for a couple of days.

Walk about 5 miles a day and don't eat sugar and salt since the '80s. Limit processed and fast food. Not really much of special diet, but am married to a veggie*a*tarian prolly helps - altho I'm still somewhat carnivorous.

Good genes, too! Thnx Mom & Dad!

 

[buzzbass]

It happened @ 55 here

 

[Gaolee]

I remember it like yesterday, my first attempt at moguls. We were at Crystal Mountain. A very experienced friend of ours offered to take me down Green Valley, which is like mogul heaven if you know that run. Looking at it from the lodge, it looks like a giant ski slope of ice cream scoops stacked on top of each other up the mountain.
We got to the top, he walked me through what to do, and we went about 20-30 yards together. We stopped to regroup, then he told me to follow him and he shot down that slope like one of those Olympic skiers. I took off and started rattling my hips and knees so bad I fell over 5-6 times, rolled down the mountain a ways, bounced around a few more times as it felt like my kneecaps were about to explode. 100 or so yards from the end of the slope I said screw it and walked the rest of the way. Never tried Green Valley or moguls ever again.

-Mike

You are smarter than some people. I never had instructions, and as a person who was nearly 40 when he leared to ski, I will never ever be a proficient skiier. Plus, I'm not naturally graceful anyway. That didn't stop me from trying to bash my way down all kinds of things. Then do it again, because it can't be that hard if all these other people are doing it, right?

For now, as a person who is over 60, I don't ski more than once every few years. I do lots of other things and feel stronger now than I did in my 50s, and maybe even in my 40s. The recovery time is longer, of course. What I have discovered is that I have to stay better hydrated and don't get away with a bad diet and too much alcohol like I once could. Which might not be bad things to not get away with anyway.

I damaged both hamstrings almost a year ago doing wind sprints (more like wind shuffles, but who is counting?) They are finally healed to the point that running is comfortable again. So there's the recovery time. It hasn't stopped me from doing things, just slowed me down for a bit. I was still able to get in all kinds of other work at the gym. I hate to think what kind of obnoxious person my wife would have to put up with if I couldn't burn it all out somehow. Music and the gym mitigate a lot of bouncing off the walls behavior.

 

[Geogio]

At 40 you should seriously start working on flexibility and balance along with a light weight routine maybe dumbbells. Walks.

At 60 is when you really start feeling the nagging body parts. And in the mid-sixties you realize that flexibility and balance exercises have really helped or if you didn't do them you're probably saying something like I should have probably taken up something like that 20 years ago.

 

[MJ5150]

Great advice @Geogio about stretching. I neglected it as a youth, using my first set or two as warm ups which I counted as stretching.
Nowadays, I stretch before and after walks and hikes. Wow, does that feel good to stretch out after a hike. It also makes the ride home much more comfortable.

-Mike

 

[Pilgrim]

As the parent of one of my girl friends once said "In my head I'm still 25, but my body lets me down a lot more than it used to."

Keep flexible, and make yourself take the stairs, preferably two at a time or jogging up them.

I'm 71 and retired at 69. I was still jogging up stairs on purpose when I retired. Covid hasn't helped me stay as active, and my feet aren't very good, which doesn't help either....but I'm 5 pounds lighter than when I retired.

Don't assume you should be doing what you did at 30, but keep doing what you CAN DO.

 

[WG Plum]

A sever back injury in my early thirties accelerated my decline. Almost fifty now and running isn't really an option. I'm probably looking at fusion at some point, but I'm pushing it off as long as I can by doing what exercise I can. I'm heavier than I'd like to be, but proper diet helps with that.

 

[hrodbert696]

51 here. As far as the OP goes, no, I didn't experience any "falling apart" in my 40s. I'm sure everyone's experience is different. I was never very athletic, but had a fast metabolism, so I basically was always the skinny nerd growing up. I didn't binge on junk food or anything but I didn't make any major effort to eat too healthy either. Some years ago I started being more deliberate about exercise - running, a rowing machine, occasional weights. I'm probably five or ten pounds heavier than I was ten years ago but not really noticeably gaining that much.

I've also been lucky to avoid any major health problems, just some minor ones. No injuries, a minor sleep apnea, GERD that I just take Prevacid for. I can run a 5k (never tried training for a marathon), hike a mountain, dance, help the kids move their furniture, etc., none of which is physically extravagant but I want to keep fit enough to keep doing those kinds of things as long as possible. There may be some slight slowing down over the years but I definitely don't feel like I've fallen apart.

 

[D M C]

A few years ago, in my mid to late 50s, after being nagged by my doctor for several years, I lost about 60 pounds. I was at the point where I had to catch my breath whilst tying my shoes because my gut kept gettin in my way and my arms weren’t long enough to reach around it. It was surprisingly easy because all I had to do was watch what and when and how much I ate. I otherwise got plenty of exercise (walking, biking, swimming, yard work and household chores, etc.) but it really wasn’t too hard. I just kept my intake below 2,500 calories a day. I reached a plateau though and had to cut down to 2,000 calories a day to continue loosing weight. Then, it was 1,800 a day, then 1,500. Now I’m at 1,300 just to maintain my current weight. I’d like to drop another 20 lbs. or so to get me to 175 - 180 lbs. but I’m afraid I might have to stop eating altogether to maintain that weight!

I miss my 20s, 30s and 40s when I could eat anything I wanted and not gain or lose.

 

[Jeff K]

I didn't realize any true decline until my mid-50s. I always stayed active. I think my downfall began in my mid-50s because after having jogged for about 40 years (albeit not real long distances), my knees were getting pretty bad. After my 3rd knee surgery, my ortho doc advised me to quit jogging (which I did).

I'm now 71. Still look (somewhat) okay for my age. No gray hair except for my whiskers; although my forehead is now about the size of Rhode Island. It DOES get harder to lose weight as I've aged. Probably the main thing I've noticed is that I'm tired and achy a lot of the time. I'm retired, so most days I try to take a nap if possible. Me at 71:

 

[Doc Blue]

I remember it like yesterday, my first attempt at moguls. We were at Crystal Mountain. A very experienced friend of ours offered to take me down Green Valley, which is like mogul heaven if you know that run. Looking at it from the lodge, it looks like a giant ski slope of ice cream scoops stacked on top of each other up the mountain.
We got to the top, he walked me through what to do, and we went about 20-30 yards together. We stopped to regroup, then he told me to follow him and he shot down that slope like one of those Olympic skiers. I took off and started rattling my hips and knees so bad I fell over 5-6 times, rolled down the mountain a ways, bounced around a few more times as it felt like my kneecaps were about to explode. 100 or so yards from the end of the slope I said screw it and walked the rest of the way. Never tried Green Valley or moguls ever again.

-Mike

I grew up in Puyallup, Crystal Mt was the nearest skiing and Green Valley is well known to me.
Back in high school I was enjoying the icy moguls, crossed the tips, fell from the top of one mogul to the top of one below it, hit my left shoulder hard. It hurt, but nothing broke, so like a 17-year old kept skiing another hour or two.
Time to go home. Loaded up the ‘65 Chevy, got in, closed the door. Attempted to pull out the headlight switch on the dash, my arm wouldn’t go. It refused my brain’s instruction. Very strange. Lifted it with my right arm to make sure it was mobile, then tried to hold it up by itself. The pain was intense. Left arm back in my lap, I tried to lift it again - not going to happen.
Fast forward to 50, the old man switch turns on and off. At 61 it’s always on with the intensity dial at various positions.

 

[MJ5150]

I grew up in Puyallup, Crystal Mt was the nearest skiing and Green Valley is well known to me.
Back in high school I was enjoying the icy moguls, crossed the tips, fell from the top of one mogul to the top of one below it, hit my left shoulder hard. It hurt, but nothing broke, so like a 17-year old kept skiing another hour or two.
Time to go home. Loaded up the ‘65 Chevy, got in, closed the door. Attempted to pull out the headlight switch on the dash, my arm wouldn’t go. It refused my brain’s instruction. Very strange. Lifted it with my right arm to make sure it was mobile, then tried to hold it up by itself. The pain was intense. Left arm back in my lap, I tried to lift it again - not going to happen.
Fast forward to 50, the old man switch turns on and off. At 61 it’s always on with the intensity dial at various positions.

Then my friend you will appreciate this picture. That's from the end of August 2021. We were up there for a Ragnar Run.
The wife isn't keen on having her picture on the internet, so I had to crop us both out.

-Mike

 

[Gaolee]

At 40 you should seriously start working on flexibility and balance along with a light weight routine maybe dumbbells. Walks.

At 60 is when you really start feeling the nagging body parts. And in the mid-sixties you realize that flexibility and balance exercises have really helped or if you didn't do them you're probably saying something like I should have probably taken up something like that 20 years ago.

A colleague who is about 10 years older than me told me that if I didn't hit the gym pretty hard in my 50s, I would hate myself in my 60s. That hasn't been a problem, but I see it happening to people around me and I'm grateful to be semi-hyperactive by nature.

 

[WG Plum]

Semi?

 

[FilterFunk]

I didn't realize any true decline until my mid-50s. I always stayed active. I think my downfall began in my mid-50s because after having jogged for about 40 years (albeit not real long distances), my knees were getting pretty bad. After my 3rd knee surgery, my ortho doc advised me to quit jogging (which I did).

I'm now 71. Still look (somewhat) okay for my age. No gray hair except for my whiskers; although my forehead is now about the size of Rhode Island. It DOES get harder to lose weight as I've aged. Probably the main thing I've noticed is that I'm tired and achy a lot of the time. I'm retired, so most days I try to take a nap if possible. Me at 71:
View attachment 4615126 View attachment 4615127

I would have never guessed 71 looking at those pics. You must have been doing something right all these years!

 

[Doc Blue]

Then my friend you will appreciate this picture. That's from the end of August 2021. We were up there for a Ragnar Run.
The wife isn't keen on having her picture on the internet, so I had to crop us both out.

View attachment 4615160

-Mike

Beautiful! That was a 2-person chair and no enclosure last time I was there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it green either