Physical decline

Anything related to fitness and physical prowess that you used to be able to do that you can't anymore? Or are you in the best shape of your life right now?

I used to be able overhead squat 1.5x my bodyweight. Which is between advanced level and elite level according to Strength Standards (for whatever that's worth) and it's not something I've ever seen anyone else do in real life. This was a only a few years ago too. I probably can't do half that now.

Funnily enough I've never been particularly good at any other lift or activity. I guess I had really good core power and mobility for that one particular action.

For that matter is there anything cool in any sphere of life that you use to be able to do but can't anymore?

I have a very physical job, so in many respects certain parts of me are still in OK shape muscle-wise. I am very overweight, though, so definitely a big decline there. I've always been big, however.

Funny how that works out haha. I've always enjoyed weight lifting and was pretty good at it, but military press was, for some reason, this one area where I just completely kicked ass. Don't even like military press all that much, but for whatever reason I was just able to keep stacking on the weights for that exercise. My work out partner is a big guy too we are pretty evenly matched so we push eachother, but he had to stop for a second and sort of test me on that. It was weird, it was like that scene in Unbreakable where the kid keeps stacking on the weight for the dad haha. Except not as badass.

Yeah it's weird. OH Squats were the only area I could compete with the big guys in in terms of total weight lifted. And proportional to my body weight it was no contest.

Doing light-ish military presses got rid of my back pain when my back was all fucked up from an accident I was in. A great exercise. Was never great at it though, maybe did 120lb max strict with a barbell. Strength standards calls that intermediate. I could push and split jerk more obviously.

knees are going downhill lately so things start to hurt more. like squatting down or walking down stairs carrying stuff.

still fairly active. can run / play soccer, just have to deal with the pain more

@ 40 now, the days of being in the "best shape of my life" are likely gone as i was very physically fit throughout my earlier years.

Pain scares me. I worry that I've done damage to my body, via that back injury and the physical jobs I've worked, that is going to come back to haunt me in middle age. The neurosurgeon that assessed me said I might need surgery in the future, but who knows, fingers crossed.

If you're physically active at 40 you're still doing better than most people. My mom is in her late 40s and huffs and wheezes doing almost anything and she's not even overweight, just out of shape. For one reason or another most people treat their bodies like something disposable. Maybe in 2100 you'll be able to buy a new body but come on, in our lifetimes you're only getting one.

for me the pain is not limiting, yet. i don't treat my body as disposable but i certainly want to make use of it. the scars and discomfort it gives me is a reminder that i HAVE actually used it :)

That's good. There were four months there where my bones were healed but I was getting pretty bad pain at work. I was so terrified that this was how I was going to spend the rest of my life. Fortunately I'm at like 99% normal right now.

I don't think my mental health would be able to survive me becoming severely impaired or damaged physically.

I thought this was going to be about the rise of digital games lol.

Anyway, I'd say I'm probably in the best shape I've ever been in at the moment. Have got morning jogs, weekend swimming or climbing and a pretty consistent gym routine going. Now I'm motivated to give gymnastics a go also. Diet is quite balanced for now, and just feel a whole lot better day to day in trying to stay healthy.

Will just have to see how long I can keep it up for.

My body is a temple. A horribly rundown, neglected temple with an overgrown lawn and crumbling walls. I gave up on maintenance years ago. I'm just gonna roll in this bucket till it breaks down for good.

Very poor eye-sight now.

I used to be able to do 2 chin-ups, now I can do 1. But I have a pretty good stamina, when there's physical work to be done, I'm the one taking breaks the least. I do need to work on my upper body, tho, but I'm not vain that way and I'm lazy by nature, so yeah, not likely to happen.

I have chronic dry eye that started in 2010 I use to be able to wear contacts I can't wear them anymore which sucks I miss them. Some days the dryness in my eyes causes serve pain to where it feels like I have a migraine in my eyes it has gotten so bad that there has been times where I got physically sick because the pain was so intense it made me dizzy and then nauseous. Wish this would go away but there is no cure for dry eyes just stuff to try to treat it that doesn't work most of the time.

Not so much problem here. Sorry to those that physically weak. Rare to find people who keep strength so much. My coworker alway talk about guy she in love with how he built like a god.

37 and and nah, I can still do it all. I've been extremely active every week throughout my life.

@Chutebox:

Careful people get jealous of that. I hear about it at work almost morning till night. It people who become bitter with age take it out on people with happiness. It sad.

I'm 42 and physically active. I'm in shape, but man, my limbs and back sure have stiffened over the past decade. I used to be able to squirrel into any small crawl space, now I have trouble getting into floor-level cabinets.

It's like my bones have been replaced with stilts.

My back has always given me problems, but has gotten way worse in the last few years. My knees have gotten screwed up as well, to where I need to grab something to help myself up from kneeling down. Only 31, but feel 71.

This thread ended up being more depressing than I had intended. It was supposed to be more along the lines of bragging about cool things we used to be able to do.

I used to be able to reach for the remote without spraining my back. That was awesome. I loved those days.

Everyone has their talents.

Had tears in both my ACLs when I was younger so that's fun sometimes. Doesn't stop me from playing football (soccer for you weirdos :P ) and I used to climb a fair bit. My knees ache a little the day after sport, and my right one makes a weird clicking noise inside. You can't hear it, but I can feel it.

My own fault really, got comfortable. Weighing a bit more than I'd like but I can still out-pace most people in a sprint. Stamina isn't too good, though!

50 a couple of weeks ago but probably in my best shape ever. Won a trail marathon in October and did a sub 19min 5k run in December. Running GUCR here in the UK in May which is a 145 mile non-stop ultra marathon

It seems many have knee and back problems. I also had knee problems but now it's doing okay. There was period where my knee actually hurt when I tried to get up every time like when I'm finished eating. I also had back problems but my back is doing much better than years ago. To help my back I sleep on my sides, drink milk, try to sit straight and do back excerises. There is this called the walrus where you position yourself in plank form and raise up your head.

Are you all senior citizens?

For guys I think the skeleton reaches adulthood at around 21 on average... So say something you could easily do at 18, might be difficult when you're 25.

Personally noticed I can no longer grab my hands on my back like this.

@volsung: Nope. Far from it.

@horgen:

Seriously? I must be gifted. If you lift too much its only natural to lose some agility in that area.

I'm only 28 but the one thing that has been stressing me out was my libido going down. At 24, I thought there was something wrong with me because the little guy downstairs wasn't always rock solid like it used to be when I was a teenager. I realized my testosterone levels were going down, and the stress of finishing school was affecting me too.

Luckily, cardio, heavy weights, watching my diet and dropping 40 pounds (20ish kilos) helped a lot.

At 57 I am still likely in far better shape then most my age, at least here in the U.S. Even so, I'm still overweight but not morbidly so, though I am having a harder time losing weight (which is probably expected at my age). I did have a bout with Cancer at 51 but beat it, and since then I did a 180 with nutrition and eat much more healthy these days. No question the chemotherapy knocked some of my systems out of whack a little bit, particularly the endocrine and digestive systems, but my numbers are generally outstanding including glucose levels and blood pressure. I count myself lucky thus far as I still have a full head of hair and amazingly NO GRAY. Still look about 40-42.

One area of concern was back problems late last year for the first time ever, with sciatic pain running down from back thru right leg. The pain is gone for now.

Damn, this thread did not make me look forward to aging at all lol.

@PSP107: That's pure spam...

It's very different among people. I had people in my class in high school who couldn't do it. Other friends are closing in on 30 and still able to get their feet behind their head. Honestly though no surprise if you know their parents.

I've done the mistake of beginning with weightlifting and not stretch. Something I am trying to change and I do see improvements. But I still have much work to do.

I would get this checked by a doctor.

@horgen:

It is different and i think many people dont understand that. People overlook simple habits they build over time. People assume one stretching session and they are good to go, but from my experience the way someone carries themself throught their life has a greater impact on this.

People with desk jobs you often here how they complain about back problems. Chair manufacturers try to say this or that rectifies so and so problems, yet fact of the matter is sitting for that period time is part of the problem. Its not a new market by any stretch but those desks with adjustable heights have become immensely popular.

Some people just stretch on the bar. Before a run of course. Yes if you build up the upper body too much losing agility in that area is just going to happen.

@horgen: "That's pure spam.."

?

@horgen:

Thanks, yes, I did, eventually physical therapy and about a month off from work did the trick....but my understanding is these kind of back problems tend to re-occur from time to time. Unfortunately X-rays did show degeneration in the back and that's only going to get worse. Still I would say I have less health problems than most my age, and since beating Cancer I have been very vigilant about preventing further health decline.

@XVision84:

Yes, there is unfortunately not much good about aging, but generally many can keep themselves in excellent shape these days until age 50. After 50 it becomes a crapshoot, with the body beginning to show signs of breaking down. Still, if you are young right now, chances are you can even be in better shape than we are by the time you hit your 50's, if you are vigilant. At 57, I am probably about what 35 was healthwise in the 1950's or 1960's.

@AFBrat77: Sometimes I wish that I was born at a later time. As of now, we're still in the early years of science and technology. Human history as a whole compared to history of life on earth is miniscule.

In this short time we accomplished so much as a race. I see no reason why the "curing" of aging can't be one of such accomplishments. We've seen it in all sorts of animals and the theories are all in place.

Those born into a society where death by old age is optional are very very lucky. However, we are also comparatively lucky when looking on lifestyles of people many years ago. So there is much to be grateful for.

A new user could have been banned for it. It's looks like an advertising post. Surely you must have seen one or two here over the years? :P

I would say it is a habit or a lifestyle. Just like staying healthy is.

I do have a desk at work, but I don't spend much time there. Others at work do have them (those desks you can raise) and they are happy with them. Something else to get is some kind of pillow (I think) to stand at.

I think quite many who are serious about lifting do stretch at the bar, or use a foam roller. For exercises like squats, some stretches for legs or and shoulders are often common.

I recommend a foam roller even to people that don't lift. They feel great.

I've heard they are painful. Still want one. At least try one.

@horgen: "A new user could have been banned for it. It's looks like an advertising post. Surely you must have seen one or two here over the years?"

Oh my intent wasn't to advertise.

@horgen:

Thats why i could never have a desk job. A lot of these gym routines are actually physical rehabilitation routines.

@XVision84:

I wish that we had been born at a time when all cancers were curable. We may be close but in the meantime I believe it will overtake heart disease as the number 1 cause of death in the U.S.

Conspiracy theorists might believe we already have cures, but there is too much money to be made with chemotherapy and radiation treatment

I can't see the basic smooth ones being painful unless your back is all messed up. The rough studded ones are a bit...rough though.

@PSP107: Thought so.

The pressure on the muscle might hurt.

Because once a cure is released, no one will ever get cancer again. I don't really get this line of thinking.

@AFBrat77: There are many theories like that regarding the medical system which hold little basis. The cost of such treatments, both economically and through human resources and of course morally, is tremendous. I've never understood the notion that physicians keep people sick just to capitalize on it.