What ways have you noticed your body start going downhill?
March 11, 2026
I'll start, my back kills me whenever I'm bending to give my kid a bath, my thumb is starting to give me trouble, and I started having chronic shoulder discomfort. Oh how youth is wasted on the young.
29 comments
Here’s an original copy of /u/New_Contribution_226’s post (if available):
I’ll start, my back kills me whenever I’m bending to give my kid a bath, my thumb is starting to give me trouble, and I started having chronic shoulder discomfort. Oh how youth is wasted on the young.
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Right now it’s a 2 month old double calf injury from jumping rope lmaooo. This injury definitely has me feeling my age
Generally not in any major ways but I do find these last couple of lbs a bit harder to lose.
I don’t know if I’d say it’s a sign things are going “downhill”; but i’m definitely less flexible as i used to be and i have to actually do a real warm up and purposeful stretching after a workout or otherwise things are super tight and don’t feel as good the next day.
I can’t sleep on my back without something under my knees/legs to keep them bent. When something falls off my desk and I try to reach for it from my chair, I usually pull a neck muscle. The soreness lasts about half an hour. These both started in my late 20s.
What I find strange is that I’ve been stretching and lifting weights 4-5 times a week for about 6 years now. I’m pretty fit compared to most people my age. Can’t even imagine how other people’s bodies are feeling.
40 years old and still feel like I’m 25. I’d actually say I’m probably better off than I was at 25 since my chronic pain was a lot worse than it is now. Exercise has kept my pain to a minimum and I stay in the gym 5-7 days a week and try to get 3 runs in per week to keep the cardio up.
6′ 190lbs 17% bodyfat.
I don’t jump down from anything anymore. I’m 36 and in the best shape of my life, but now if I’m on top of a chair or a platform there’s no way in hell I’ll jump down.
My feet hurt all the time now
Zero ways. I row and am training smarter and pulling faster times than when I was in the first varsity crew boat in college, 18 years ago.
Maybe I have a tougher time the morning after a couple beers.
To other guys in their late 30s, I know that this is said a ton, but stay fit or get fit. Seriously. It makes a world of difference. And we are NOT old, there is absolutely still time before we pass our peak.
My left hip got completely fucked up in the last year. It randomly locks up and becomes painful when walking.
At first I thought it was just weakness so I started doing the hip abductor/adductor machine at the gym, which helped a little, but the pain kept coming back. It got bad enough that I’d be on a walk with my wife, get sudden severe pain in it, and be worried I wasn’t going to be able to walk home.
Eventually I realized it was just incredibly tight to the point of being almost immobile and frozen. I started stretching it regularly and it’s much better now, but I can tell it’s going to be a problem for probably the rest of my life if I don’t work on maintaining mobility in it.
Went up in the attic to run some cat-8 cables. That was 3 days ago. My back and legs still hurt 😄
General stiffness in knee, back, elbow and fingers. Rarely but on occassion would pull my leg muscle. Recovery after workout takes longer. Sleep not as good – less sleep now than in my 20s where I was able to get 8 hours almost every day. Instant headache after 1 drink of alcohol – not drunk but just headache. Gastro issues, cholesterol issues. Fatigue most days as working out has taken a back seat to work. Weight gain from precovid 72kg to now 92kg.
It all started when I got put at a desk job.
My knee hurts. Like, all the time. I think I injured it hiking a couple years ago. I try to stretch, which can help. But it always hurts. Like bone on bone.
You just don’t recover as fast.
I started having gastro issues at age 35 or so and was diagnosed with Celiac disease and ulcerative colitis last year. Unfortunately there’s not much I could’ve done in my life to prevent these from happening, so I’m just doing my best to medicate and take care of myself as best as possible.
Otherwise, I definitely don’t heal from injuries as quickly, and some deeper scabs seem to not heal at all, anymore. They heal, they just don’t fade like they used to.
Otherwise, I have less stamina and have far more general aches and pains. I’ve had a neck cramp for like six days. They used to go away after a day or two.
I wouldn’t even say that I’m in poor health. Outside of my autoimmune conditions I’m in decent shape and good physical health. BP is great, heart rate is a little high from underlying conditions but not awful, all my parts still work without issue.
You just notice that you’re not as durable anymore. Spend more time making healthy choices and being active. Do some yoga. Honestly yoga is probably the single best thing you could do for yourself. It’ll help with virtually all of the aging pains you’ll get.
Started with the lower back. Then the left shoulder. Then the knee on occasion.
Right now the shoulder is my biggest nuisance
35. Things hurt for no reason. Had veigns getting swollen and hurting. I feel slower. I dont feel confident quickly decending stairs.
Sphinx stretches will help you. They don’t work right away you have to hold position.
I sprained my ankle walking downhill. And then my knees be popping when I’m at the library. And then my knees were feeing minor pain walking down the stairs.
Light exercise has helped, but I’m just a few weeks of no exercise from being there again.
mostly i haven’t been too bad actually cause of strength training but i notice that somehow i injure myself like my shoulder or neck through sleeping :/ sometimes and my KNEEs have started crackling very sketchily and hurt someone’s
Birth
My knew is starting to hurt on random moments even just when standing for too long.
The transition from 39-40 was an eye opener. Gym gains slowed down, endurance was limited and various body parts starting hurting out of nowhere.
I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at 30 which stopped me dead in my tracks and I had to give up sport and could barely roll over in bed.
Thankfully once eventually diagnosed, it responded well to treatment – I’m 46 now and in the best shape of my life and feel fantastic.
YMMV
Joints and skin are the most obvious signs but also finding it markedly harder to lose and maintain weight than in the past.
A rhomboid strain in my college years has followed me to the present, so I have persistent back pains.
I also now have an impingement in my left shoulder that hasn’t improved with PT, and needs an MRI. Putting on a jacket, backpack, or tool belt suspenders is painful and needs to be done carefully.
Recently discovered I have mild scoliosis, although tbf I’ve probably always had that.
Crushed discs in my neck, causing numbness and pain down my right arm.
Knees starting to pop and strain. I grunt like an old man whenever I squat or kneel.
Other than that and the constant achiness, ironically I’m probably in the best shape of my life thanks to a physically demanding job. I can lift and carry 150lb windows on one shoulder with relative ease. But damn will I feel it the next day.
My body goes downhill in some ways and up in other ways. Honestly, my 44 year old self could probably kick the shit out of my 22 year old self.
29 comments
Here’s an original copy of /u/New_Contribution_226’s post (if available):
I’ll start, my back kills me whenever I’m bending to give my kid a bath, my thumb is starting to give me trouble, and I started having chronic shoulder discomfort. Oh how youth is wasted on the young.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMenOver30) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Right now it’s a 2 month old double calf injury from jumping rope lmaooo. This injury definitely has me feeling my age
Generally not in any major ways but I do find these last couple of lbs a bit harder to lose.
I don’t know if I’d say it’s a sign things are going “downhill”; but i’m definitely less flexible as i used to be and i have to actually do a real warm up and purposeful stretching after a workout or otherwise things are super tight and don’t feel as good the next day.
I can’t sleep on my back without something under my knees/legs to keep them bent. When something falls off my desk and I try to reach for it from my chair, I usually pull a neck muscle. The soreness lasts about half an hour. These both started in my late 20s.
What I find strange is that I’ve been stretching and lifting weights 4-5 times a week for about 6 years now. I’m pretty fit compared to most people my age. Can’t even imagine how other people’s bodies are feeling.
40 years old and still feel like I’m 25. I’d actually say I’m probably better off than I was at 25 since my chronic pain was a lot worse than it is now. Exercise has kept my pain to a minimum and I stay in the gym 5-7 days a week and try to get 3 runs in per week to keep the cardio up.
6′ 190lbs 17% bodyfat.
I don’t jump down from anything anymore. I’m 36 and in the best shape of my life, but now if I’m on top of a chair or a platform there’s no way in hell I’ll jump down.
My feet hurt all the time now
Zero ways. I row and am training smarter and pulling faster times than when I was in the first varsity crew boat in college, 18 years ago.
Maybe I have a tougher time the morning after a couple beers.
To other guys in their late 30s, I know that this is said a ton, but stay fit or get fit. Seriously. It makes a world of difference. And we are NOT old, there is absolutely still time before we pass our peak.
My left hip got completely fucked up in the last year. It randomly locks up and becomes painful when walking.
At first I thought it was just weakness so I started doing the hip abductor/adductor machine at the gym, which helped a little, but the pain kept coming back. It got bad enough that I’d be on a walk with my wife, get sudden severe pain in it, and be worried I wasn’t going to be able to walk home.
Eventually I realized it was just incredibly tight to the point of being almost immobile and frozen. I started stretching it regularly and it’s much better now, but I can tell it’s going to be a problem for probably the rest of my life if I don’t work on maintaining mobility in it.
Went up in the attic to run some cat-8 cables. That was 3 days ago. My back and legs still hurt 😄
General stiffness in knee, back, elbow and fingers. Rarely but on occassion would pull my leg muscle. Recovery after workout takes longer. Sleep not as good – less sleep now than in my 20s where I was able to get 8 hours almost every day. Instant headache after 1 drink of alcohol – not drunk but just headache. Gastro issues, cholesterol issues. Fatigue most days as working out has taken a back seat to work. Weight gain from precovid 72kg to now 92kg.
It all started when I got put at a desk job.
My knee hurts. Like, all the time. I think I injured it hiking a couple years ago. I try to stretch, which can help. But it always hurts. Like bone on bone.
You just don’t recover as fast.
I started having gastro issues at age 35 or so and was diagnosed with Celiac disease and ulcerative colitis last year. Unfortunately there’s not much I could’ve done in my life to prevent these from happening, so I’m just doing my best to medicate and take care of myself as best as possible.
Otherwise, I definitely don’t heal from injuries as quickly, and some deeper scabs seem to not heal at all, anymore. They heal, they just don’t fade like they used to.
Otherwise, I have less stamina and have far more general aches and pains. I’ve had a neck cramp for like six days. They used to go away after a day or two.
I wouldn’t even say that I’m in poor health. Outside of my autoimmune conditions I’m in decent shape and good physical health. BP is great, heart rate is a little high from underlying conditions but not awful, all my parts still work without issue.
You just notice that you’re not as durable anymore. Spend more time making healthy choices and being active. Do some yoga. Honestly yoga is probably the single best thing you could do for yourself. It’ll help with virtually all of the aging pains you’ll get.
Started with the lower back. Then the left shoulder. Then the knee on occasion.
Right now the shoulder is my biggest nuisance
35. Things hurt for no reason. Had veigns getting swollen and hurting. I feel slower. I dont feel confident quickly decending stairs.
Sphinx stretches will help you. They don’t work right away you have to hold position.
I sprained my ankle walking downhill. And then my knees be popping when I’m at the library. And then my knees were feeing minor pain walking down the stairs.
Light exercise has helped, but I’m just a few weeks of no exercise from being there again.
mostly i haven’t been too bad actually cause of strength training but i notice that somehow i injure myself like my shoulder or neck through sleeping :/ sometimes and my KNEEs have started crackling very sketchily and hurt someone’s
Birth
My knew is starting to hurt on random moments even just when standing for too long.
The transition from 39-40 was an eye opener. Gym gains slowed down, endurance was limited and various body parts starting hurting out of nowhere.
I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at 30 which stopped me dead in my tracks and I had to give up sport and could barely roll over in bed.
Thankfully once eventually diagnosed, it responded well to treatment – I’m 46 now and in the best shape of my life and feel fantastic.
YMMV
Joints and skin are the most obvious signs but also finding it markedly harder to lose and maintain weight than in the past.
A rhomboid strain in my college years has followed me to the present, so I have persistent back pains.
I also now have an impingement in my left shoulder that hasn’t improved with PT, and needs an MRI. Putting on a jacket, backpack, or tool belt suspenders is painful and needs to be done carefully.
Recently discovered I have mild scoliosis, although tbf I’ve probably always had that.
Crushed discs in my neck, causing numbness and pain down my right arm.
Knees starting to pop and strain. I grunt like an old man whenever I squat or kneel.
Other than that and the constant achiness, ironically I’m probably in the best shape of my life thanks to a physically demanding job. I can lift and carry 150lb windows on one shoulder with relative ease. But damn will I feel it the next day.
My body goes downhill in some ways and up in other ways. Honestly, my 44 year old self could probably kick the shit out of my 22 year old self.
30-34 and you feel like that?? 😳
I’m 47 and feel as fit and strong as I ever have