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Mid-forties are a decision point. It's when you decide to either get healthy, and stay healthy the rest of your life, or... you don't.
Your body starts falling apart faster if you don't maintain it. Unlike the years before, the health losses are forever.
Fair warning.
massively reduced alcohol consumption in my late forties, dropped 20Kg. significantly better for it going into my 50s. probably could do more exercise but I'm 80kg with 32" waist. I'm happy in my body now. 💯 decision time. I've seen friends who made the choice and those who didn't and the difference is stark. one is dead and I didn't think that would start happening to me in my 50s.. RIP Paul
Starting to lift was the best decision I ever made at 40
Same but cycling. Stumbling into a workout that I look forward to was game changing.
That is me with running. I feel like I could do a zone two run forever. Just such a refreshing activity.
Your body starts falling apart faster if you don’t maintain it.
There's a corollary here that I don't see anyone talking about. If you set a good plan to maintain your body fitness from say your mid 30s on, one day you'll be doing that same reasonable workout routine and then you hurt yourself because its too much. Yesterday it was fine, the prior 15 years it had been fine, but now its not, and you have an injury you need 3 to 6 months to recover from. You think its a fluke and, once healed, you go back to your fitness routine and you injury yourself in a different way. Another 3 to 6 months of recovery.
There appears to be a need to modify or abandon parts of your fitness routine as you get older, but there's no guidebook on what to stop doing and when, nor what to be doing instead.
My guess is as you get older, those support muscles that help keep everything in place also need work. Also, bad form habits are more likely to rear their head as time goes on.
So the people who didn't perfect their form, the ones who use tricks to lift what they do (like a curl you can only complete if you start out my building up momentum on the lower part to get through the upper part), the ones who only work their major muscles, those are most likely to get hurt.
Though there's also wear and tear on your non-muscle infra, like your bones, joints, tendons, and cartilege. If you keep pushing for heavier weights, you put more and more strain on those. They can improve somewhat with training but they aren't like muscles where straining them to the point of failure and tearing encourages the body to build more and age doesn't help there either, especially if you develop arthritis or something that further weakens that support infra.
I feel like this is like tech debt, it's usually a result of neglect in other areas that are easy to dismiss or overlook. Stretching, foam rolling, staying on top of rest and recovery, avoiding ego lifting, etc. I think you can definitely course correct but it gets harder to do so the further you stray.
Im 42 and im just happy i have Head full of thick, long, black hair without a single grey. And I look more attractive than I ever did. I hated looking younger when I was in my 20s and 30s but I love it now. I don’t think I have a wrinkle more than i did in high school.
Im poor as shit and hate my job, but I have my hair!
And 30 years ago 30 year olds looked like 50 year olds. Receding hairlines and all
Wow, you're the complete opposite of my partner. She's 23 and has about 20% gray hair. Apparently runs in the family because her uncle was fully gray by his college graduation.
I love gray hair! Looks so beautiful
Same. My partner has none (mine started a good 15 years ago) and Im stoked for when it happens. No rush though, Im here for the long haul
Your 40s are where your life situations and choices seem to catch up to you
In your 20s people largely look young and energetic, regardless of whether they exercise, how they eat, whether they smoke, etc.
By the 40s, the smokers look terrible, the people with poor diet and exercise aren’t no longer getting away with it as their metabolism slows, etc. These are the years where you start to see the trajectories diverge.
By the 60s, I see people who are as spry as they ever were, and people who are resigned to the end being near.
Millennial: "Socialism is my retirement plan!"
[proceeds to participate in no direct action whatsoever]
Slight correction, metabolism doesn't slow in the 40s either. Though at least thats better than the slowing in 30s stereotype.
Metabolism stays the from 20s up to 60s, everything else is explained by lifestyle.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/surprising-findings-about-metabolism-and-age-202110082613
I was one of those lucky elder millennials who got to own a home by my mid 20s. Bought cheap, the market exploded and several years later made bank off the sale of the property. I thought for once in my life I would treat myself and wife and go after our dream home. I successfully did it and it was great, but real life caught up, had to take care of my grandmother and disabled sister since no one else in the family would. It drained our bank account and had to sell the house at a massive loss and am now living with in laws in a converted shed in their backyard. Now, strapped with debt, I barely see a way back to home ownership, even renting is not in the cards for at least a couple years.
It's awful that in the span of 3 years I went from the happiest, most comfortable I've been in my entire life, to the most stressed and on the verge of homelessness, all due to fucking shit healthcare and shit ass family.
'murica yeah!
Cynicism aside, I am sorry things are so fucked up for you (and also increasingly so for everyone).
The 2 big factors are level of activity and kids. They will drain the life out of you.
Like being in the trades. You trade your physical wellbeing for wages.
It depends on the trade, sitting on your ass in an office has it's own set of problems.
My prostate so healthy.
Weirdly accurate. Early 40's and about to get a divorce and start over. Losing the house I've been in for 12 years and will likely see my children much less. I'm excited and petrified of whats to come.
I got divorced 10 years ago and since I decided to be child free I was able to travel a lot. Now I bought a new house and am just vibbing to be an old lady lol
The journey is shit but the destination is worth it. Keep your kids in mind with everything you do and you'll always be ahead.
Sorry but, isn't the destination... Death? If so, I agree completely ❤️
I was specifically referring to the divorce journey, with the destination being more or less settled after it's finalized.
Your interpretation definitely works though 😆
I’m old enough to remember selling Tupperware as a viable economy.
By the way, Tupperware is crap now. They deserve to go bankrupt. When a friend started selling Tupperware, I saw stuff that my mother still uses and I remember seeing at home when I was a kid. Now, we bought some stuff that two years later I had to throw away. It’s super shitty now. Not worth the money.
45 no kids drinking gin tonics on a rooftop bar in Malaga atm
45, with 11 and 15 year old kids, currently hoping the Excedrin Migraine I took kicks in soon
As a 44 year old, I remember my aunt throwing Tupperware parties.
Also yes to all the branches of lifestyles. I’m single and enjoying my freetime consuming media. Meanwhile a mutual friend of a friend I know has 3 kids, a wife and pets, and a weekend timeshare out near the beach.
It’s p wild.
After high school or college the training wheels are completely off and the guard rails imposed by parents and schools are essentially gone. You’re no longer surrounded by people of similar socioeconomic backgrounds and especially age.
Nobody’s telling you that the “successful relationship” assignment is due by 30, “marriage” by 32, “kid(s)” by 35, etc.
You’re on your own. You don’t have to conform socially anymore, you can get away with ignoring rules. Maybe it works and you become a trendsetter, or maybe you end up in a tent under a bridge. A lot of what happens is luck, good or bad, and a lot of that luck is going to come from how well off your family was when you were young. You’re far more likely to be exposed to other people’s randomness, too, and that can push you up the ladder quickly or wreck you.
There’s variables that you can control and even more that are outside your control once the guard rails are gone that will make your life very different from your peers.
I'm the guy who didn't sleep right for the last 3 years. Anyone wants to trade? You get a lot of extra time that you don't spend sleeping!