Age is just a number and it’s all about how you feel, but as the years pass, we all experience some physical reminders that we’re not getting any younger. Redditor MaxTheChamp asked, “Those that have just turned 30 or are over 30, what changes have you noticed in your body?” Here’s what people said about changes they’ve experienced due to aging.
1.
“Your body doesn’t recover the way it used to. Injuries take longer to heal. Your workouts keep you beat up for longer. If you get sick, it just lingers.”
2.
“When I turned 33, I had to start peeing right before I went to bed, or else I couldn’t get comfortable enough to go to sleep. If peeing isn’t literally the last thing I do before getting in bed, I will feel the need to get back up and pee again.”
3.
“Sleep becomes more important. It feels impossible to get the right amount of sleep I know my body needs.”
4.
“I’m 37. Apparently, I recently got too stressed for a prolonged period and was told by friends and colleagues that I was doing too much. I went on merrily ignoring them and continuing to work too hard like I’ve always done… until my body briefly and unexpectedly WENT BLIND.”
5.
“Recovery from a night of drinking is not what it used to be. I simply cannot drink like I could in my 20s and be a functioning adult the next day. So honestly, it’s not worth it. I don’t drink during the week, and I usually don’t have more than two or three drinks a weekend.”
6.
“I can’t eat whatever I want anymore. I’m at that age where I’m actually wondering if I’m feeling so terrible because of something I ate earlier. Gone are the days where I feel perfectly fine eating only a bag of potato chips and a couple of chocolate chip cookies.”
7.
“I fatigue much faster, and I’m noticing my diet, lack of adequate sleep, and lack of water intake are all catching up with me.”
8.
“Good, healthy eating is becoming more and more important. Your diet makes such a massive difference to how you feel and your energy. When I was younger, I could eat nothing but kebabs and chocolate for a week. I don’t eat either of those things anymore. It’s not worth it.”
9.
“I need to take the time to actually warm up before doing any physical activity.”
10.
“My cholesterol skyrocketed once I hit 40. My diet didn’t change. It was like a light switched on.”
11.
“Even if you had perfect eyesight up until your 40s, be prepared for the possibility that you will have to begin wearing glasses.”
12.
“I didn’t really notice any changes until 34. Now, I’m starting to see wrinkles appear on my face. And I’m getting gray hairs in multiple parts of my scalp.”
13.
“I’ve started to notice over-abundant nose hair…Like, what’s my body protecting? I’m thinning where I want hair and gaining where I couldn’t care less….”
14.
“I’m gonna be real. There is a day in your early 40s when you wake up weirdly tired, and that never goes away.”
15.
“If you’re a woman, perimenopause. You don’t realize how much hormones contribute to the overall running of your body until they start to go away. For me, it’s resulted in horrible periods at random times, acne, hair loss, weight problems, extreme fatigue and muscle wasting, violent emotional swings, and inability to concentrate. Fun times.”
16.
“All of your old injuries come back to haunt you. That banged-up knee you got sliding into home plate when you were nine? Hello, again! That time you tweaked your back lifting that grocery bag? Did you miss me? Blurry eyes from staying up too late on the computer? Well, now they’re always blurry!”
17.
“Getting a fitness watch led me to all but quit drinking. Just two drinks in the evening spikes my stress levels and trashes my sleep quality metrics.”
18.
“I’m going to be 40 this year, and I don’t feel any different yet. I actually feel better than in my 20s because I don’t stress about small things anymore. I’m happy with my life where it is too.”
19.
“As you age, you don’t put on muscle as easily, and you don’t burn fat like you used to. Everything you used to eat and drink without a thought starts sticking to you.”
20.
“Those injuries I thought were no big deal years ago were, in fact, very big deals. I should have gone to the hospital many times.”
21.
“Eating fast food at 2 a.m. when you’re drunk is great in your 20s. In your 40s, you feel like you’re having a heart attack the next day, and you’re dealing with acid reflux for the next three.”
Do you have something to add? What physical or mental change have you experienced as you age that has surprised you? Tell us in the comments or in this anonymous form.
