Aches and grumbles - is this normal now?

I am afraid that this is your new normal as you age and you learn to make micro adjustments to your life as you go on.

Little things, like always using a kneeling mat when you kneel down to do anything like gardening, but they are, as I said, micro changes and they come more automatic as you go.

However, the main thing to do is look after yourself so that these changes happen as slowly as possible, keep active, take up Tai Chi, or pilates or something similar that exercises all your body so that you stay flexible, as well as walking regularly, eat healthily and do not put on weight and keep your mind active and develop a life that means you meet other people regularly. There are other threads to suggest how you can do that.

There was a (posssibly) fake thread by a 70 year old recently, boasting what a raver she still was, going to rock concerts and digging her garden at 70. There was very little on her list that I am doing at 78.

Of course everyone can be knocked completely off course by serious and disabling illness, but the better you look after yourself the less likely this is to happen.

But I can assure you, that despite gradually increasing minor problems, old age can be a rave, if that is wjat you want.

Thank you. x

I think the aches and pains are normal, but try hard to resist the grumbles.
Think back to your 20’s- did anybody recount their symptoms/surgical interventions/doctors’ opinions with the glee that some do today?
Sometimes it sounds as if people are trying to outdo each other - my consultant said it was the worst case of whatever,,,,,!
I don’t think they did.
It was of no interest to anybody else (still often isn’t, ever felt your eyes glazing over!) and certainly not what seemed to preoccupy their lives.
I have heard it called the organ recital and avoid it like the plague.
There is more to life than haemorrhoids ! ????

Sometimes a good grumble and moan seems to help a bit though! ?

We do have more aches and pains as we get older. I read a book called 'Sod 70' when I was in my 60s. It is written by a doctor and is worth a read.
Staying as active as possible,
keeping to a healthy weight and doing weight bearing exercises and stretches will help to keep the aches at bay.

Haha. So right!

I remember an older Dutch friend who said (when he was about the same age as I am now) "the alternative to waking up with aches at my age is to not wake up at all"

Petera

I remember an older Dutch friend who said (when he was about the same age as I am now) "the alternative to waking up with aches at my age is to not wake up at all"

Not waking up at all does not worry me. If that's how it's going to be, so be it. Not that I expect it but if it happens I won't know so why fear it?

Moggycuddler

Sometimes a good grumble and moan seems to help a bit though! ?

Not always to the long-suffering listener!

My mum wondered why the sloping walk up to her flat seemed more pronounced. She was 90 at the time, but like most of us, still expected to feel the same as she did 50 years earlier.

I am 65, and had a shock last year when I ran across the road at a tricky crossing point, in front of a car. I just wasn't travelling as fast as I thought I would be, and felt lucky to have got across.

I do walk my dog three times a day, but he's thirteen and a half and doesn't walk quickly. I definitely need to take another form of exercise in addition to walking.

I am nearing 60 and a keen walker and gym goer, I was feeling lots of aches and pains but now take a magnesium tablet each evening and they have gone?.

Yes. I was surprised during the sports day teacher's race one year why all the 30 year olds were beating me. Ho hum. Sigh.

Sago

I am nearing 60 and a keen walker and gym goer, I was feeling lots of aches and pains but now take a magnesium tablet each evening and they have gone?.

Ah. I used to take this. Maybe I will again.

In my last post. said
There was a (posssibly) fake thread by a 70 year old recently, boasting what a raver she still was, going to rock concerts and digging her garden at 70. There was very little on her list that I am doing at 78.

Last sentence should, of course have read, There was very little on her list that I am not doing at 78

Oh good!

Currently I have a bad hip which I’m seeing the chiropractor for, and which is improving, a bad knee, I twisted it slipping in the bathroom, and an aching shoulder.
I consider I could have a lot worse, so I don’t let it bother me too much.
I did recently buy some magnesium, but have never taken it, huge tablets! Maybe I’ll have a go.

Lots of aches and pains now and always accompanied by an ‘oof ‘

Pollyj, no - I don't think it's normal, not at 65! The results of bad diet and posture, lack of exercise, excess weight or injury - all too often explained away by 'old age'!

During the lockdowns my DH and I discovered Joe Wick’s exercise videos for seniors on YouTube. We got bad aches and pains at first but soon started to feel better. We still try to do the workouts most days. Despite this there are still
aches and pains. I try not to think about them too much. I’m very interested in the comments about magnesium and am going to give it a try.

Pollyj definitely normal. I have more aches and pains - lower legs, feet, back. Back is from nursing when we did have to lift people without aids. Feet have OA diagnosed with XR prior to bunion surgery. Legs maybe slightly overweight after stress from DH stroke and family issues and overeating chocolate. This week started watching eating habits and doing more walking. Been a hard year family wise and 2 year covid restrictions when for ages we stopped seeing DGS1 and DGD and walking them 3 mile trip to school/nursery and back. Now back doing this but sore on the muscles. I need paracetamol daily to get me going but determined. DH can't walk so far but I will walk further daily to try to improve fitness if I can.