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I'm 50 and get tired more easily, also forget things more easily. We had to increase the lighting in our home because of visual problems that seem to be getting worse. And I limp now due to scoliosis that has worsened over the years.
I also drop things - a lot. I drop things more often than I'm able to hold on to things.
I'm only 64, but I definitely feel it for 2-3 days after spending 4 hours or more doing unusually strenuous projects. The most obvious example is every spring when I go to my parents to plant their vegetable crops. After 6-7 hour on my hands and knees, I feel fine driving home and that evening, but the next day every bone and muscle aches. The other is working on cars, or home renovation projects. The same sore muscles but also a lot more bloody scratches and scrapes.
You're seriously saying spending 6-7 hours on hands and knees once a year and being achy is shocking at any age?
Over the past few years, I've noticed some changes in myself that were puzzling but did not take too seriously as I thought they were temporary. I've had limitations put on me by my eye surgeries and total knee replacement. I knew there would be a recovery period for both of them. And I fully expected to go right back to my "normal" self once I was healed. I was not fully able to comply with some of those limitations as I live alone and have no family to help. I've always done things for myself, been able to do them without too many problems, etc.
Recently I realized that the changes are not improving and started to remind myself that I'm "not a kid anymore." I can't seem to get the strength to do the physical work I've done in the past and have been beating myself up quite a bit over it. I "should" be doing this and that, but I'm not doing. Fatigue is there every day. Yesterday I needed to go to Walmart for a few things and when I got home, sat down on the couch and went right to sleep. I woke up with a start..... how long had I slept? About an hour.
It's hard to believe a short trip over to Walmart, doing some shopping, getting some info from a clerk about something I might want to get later on..... wore me out. When I got home, I needed to go over to another building in my complex for something and dreaded the short walk.
Oh my gosh, what is happening to me? I'm 74, really not old by any stretch of the imagination, but really feeling like I am old. I do have a lot of arthritis, the damp weather (we've had a real snow storm over past few days and now it's just cold -- 30'ish degrees). So it's generic Tylenol and heating pad.
Has anyone else experienced these changes? What have you done to get back to normal?
Or is this the new normal and I'm just whining?
You can't know if it's the new normal or not without a full physical.
To ME, it sounds like it could be something you wouldn't think of like heart.
I'd have that checked.
As far as the knees go, most people do some formal rehab then exercise on their own after that IME. My neighbor had hers done and is playing tennis now. She's 70 BUT she was a former constant tennis player and pro.
You have to see your doctor then get a strength building program going if it's recommended.
Nothing really age related, lately. I started to notice night vision issues when I was 45 or so, but my eyesight has always been terrible (glasses since age 5) and it hasn't changed much in recent years.
I am finding working 40 hours a week on third shift increasingly tiring. Maybe I've always been this tired and just got used to it, but I certainly feel the shift work thing *a lot*. Retiring in 13 months and not a moment too soon (at least not physically. My accountant might disagree).
I am nearly 70. Becoming vegan helped a great deal. I look younger, feel younger. As we age, winter can be a lot more challenging. We have earned the right to age as gracefully as possible. I limit my gallivanting to a few days a week, I avoid crowded places, and seek out higher end shops, and restaurants. Better to go for low quantity high quality than cheap junk in abundance. I go to movies about one day a month, and food shop every 2 weeks. Health wise, I try to nip things in the bud early. Stress can be a killer. Sudden shocks, and changes are harder to deal with as we age. Comfort, and familiarity are essential, but staying in a boring rut is to be avoided. It's good to be silly, dance around, and even play board games like Scrabble. Keep the mind busy. Exercise accordingly. Hang out with upbeat people, attend pot luck dinners, and help people who appreciate you. Stop obsessing over death. I have a tendency to hoard, and I'm addressing that problem by selling off a lot of it. I have no husband or children to worry about. Think positive, and forgive yourselves for moments of gloom.
I'm actually in better shape than I was even 6 months ago but I started back at the gym 6 months ago. My biggest problem is from the fibromyalgia. Right now my lower back is hurting terribly and the two Advil liquid gels I took aren't even touching the pain. All this from bending over doing my pedicure. :-( I'm not one for pain pills either.
These days I can't ride in the car for long distances without getting really stiff. Ditto for Christmas shopping. I'm only 61, can't imagine what it's going to be like when I'm 70 or 80.
My mind is still sharp but I find I can't find the words for something on occasion. I used to be great at trivia and now I struggle sometimes to remember an actor's name. Thank goodness I have Siri to help me.
I am nearly 70. Becoming vegan helped a great deal. I look younger, feel younger. As we age, winter can be a lot more challenging. We have earned the right to age as gracefully as possible. I limit my gallivanting to a few days a week, I avoid crowded places, and seek out higher end shops, and restaurants. Better to go for low quantity high quality than cheap junk in abundance. I go to movies about one day a month, and food shop every 2 weeks. Health wise, I try to nip things in the bud early. Stress can be a killer. Sudden shocks, and changes are harder to deal with as we age. Comfort, and familiarity are essential, but staying in a boring rut is to be avoided. It's good to be silly, dance around, and even play board games like Scrabble. Keep the mind busy. Exercise accordingly. Hang out with upbeat people, attend pot luck dinners, and help people who appreciate you. Stop obsessing over death. I have a tendency to hoard, and I'm addressing that problem by selling off a lot of it. I have no husband or children to worry about. Think positive, and forgive yourselves for moments of gloom.
Love the word gallivanting! Hardly anybody uses it anymore.
Almost 62 here. I am still pretty active, but my endurance isn't what it used to be for working 8 hour days on my feet, for example. My strength in my arms and legs is pretty good as well. I feel that strength and endurance can still recover with increased activity as I am working on walking more and lifting light weights and seeing that capacity for improvement still. My tolerance for extreme heat and cold has lessened, that's for sure. My body just can't handle the adjustment very well. My sleep pattern has changed to where I feel my best getting 7-8 hours between 12 and 8am. If I stay up late or sleep in I am a zombie the next day. I do get sufficient sleep but I still enjoy an afternoon nap every once in awhile. Really enjoy them! I don't take any meds and try to stay away from fried and processed foods and white flour and HFCS and soft drinks. What makes me feel tired the most is when I don't drink enough water or eat too much sugar. So I am working mostly on improving my diet and exercise to maintain a healthy body and mind. My vision is vulnerable due to a history of problems and I pray to keep it as long as possible. I am hard of hearing with some settings, but I find myself craving more and more silence these days anyway.
I am grateful for the health I still have and always amazed at my limitations such as driving long distances or feeling wiped out after extended periods of emotional stress. Just can't handle stuff like that anymore. Oh, and I forget alot which comes in handy with rereading favorite books again and again but not so much with other stuff which sometimes scares me. Old friends will say, ''Do you remember when we did such and such?'' and sometimes I won't have a clue. Wow.
I am coming up to 62. Up until 3 years ago, I felt no difference in strength or stamina than in previous decades but that is not the case anymore. Despite working harder at the gym and on my diet, I no longer have the same level of endurance. If I go for a beach walk and gym session I will then "relax" on the couch with Word with Friends for an hour or so in the afternoon. Would not have felt the need a few years ago.
Less tolerance for coolness so I a now understand why older people will wear a pullover or jacket on warm days. Balance is not what it was and my tolerance for rich food is also decreasing.
These changes have made me decide to tick off the big travel dreams sooner rather than later whilst my wife and I can fully enjoy them.
Final worrying note is that my 96 year Mum says I have not seen anything yet....
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