Have you noticed a change with age?

Oh yes. In my early -mid 20s I could go out all night drinking and dancing and rock up to the gym and work the next day.
I also smoked and drank twice as much, slept half as much and weighed about 10kg less than I do now.

These days I struggle to stay up past 10pm, eat more fresh fruit/veg and I don't smoke and drink every day.
I suppose I feel better and look healthier.

“It's amazing when you get to a certain age, and you talk about sleep in the same way you spoke about getting inebriated... I got eight hours last night. It was fantastic!” - Johnny Depp

So far through my twenties..

--I have more energy and endurance these days than I ever have before, mainly because I make it a point to keep moving.
--I am by far in the best shape of my life thanks to the above.
--Excess weight has not been as easy to take off as it was when I was 21 and dropped quickly from 220lbs to 170lbs (to go from ~191lbs to the low of 160lbs that I got to took probably six months, whereas that 220-170 drop was maybe four months, if that).

Yep, that is aging.....it happens to all of us (if you are fortunate).

I'll be 26 at the beginning of March. I have noticed that I just don't have the same pep I had back when I was 19-20 in terms of exercise. I don't seem to have the energy to keep up with the workouts that I used to do--upwards of 2-3 hrs/day while in school full time and working a job or two. I could go non-stop from 6am to 12am! That being said, I have found that it's easier to maintain my weight these days even with less strenuous workouts.

Has anyone else noticed a change as they've aged? I still look fairly young for 26, but I can definitely tell I'm looking older. My bf is 30 and I recently saw some pics from when he was 25, and he has definitely aged since then (very well I might add!).

The only distinct difference I've noticed is that my joints ache much more now. I think that's mostly age but it's probably partially due to me being in far better shape and much stronger now than I was in my twenties (more joint stress due to moving more weight).

I just turned 42 and actually I feel better than I did at 26 - granted I cant handle a hangover in the same way - but on a daily basis I have more energy (pretty sure because of lifting and loving it!) and I am more secure in my skin

and as my trainer says - young is a feeling not an age

I'm 40, so yes I'm noticing my age. My beard has turned grey, my joints ache sometimes, and I'm not as fast as used to be. Perhaps I'm a tad more grumpy.

On the other hand, if you're 26 you should never, ever, ever be allowed to speak of "aging"! Please, just smile, shush and be nice! When you hit 30 you can say something, but for the sake of the rest of us, keep it brief!

I'm glad you posted this, but in short the answer is yes. I'm 29 and the biggest difference I noticed is right when I turned 28. In my case, I hate driving lond distances now, need a bit more time to recoiver, when I wake up I start to feel some of those joints that have been pounded on over the years due to my military career. But, on the other side, I feel as though I'm close to my peak in fitness. My endurance has gone way up, I can push my body a lot harder and longer than my younger peers, and I need less sleep, maybe I just got used to it since I have a family now. But yeah, I feel your pain. However, at 26 you shouldnt be noticing a whole lot of difference from when you were 19, if anything, you should be improving.

At 43 I definitely feel more aches and it's a little slower to recover. But I'm happy to be back down to the same weight as my 20's. Back then I worked out pretty hard and was at 9% body fat. I ate whatever I wanted and drank a lot of beer (maybe too much). Then after age 30 I got married and didn't work out for nearly a decade. I gained 30 pounds during that time. Now all that weight is off I feel great again but it seems easier now to hurt something. My joints pop more often - especially my knees. But overall I feel good and I don't look at all like someone in their 40's.

Yep, I've noticed at age 44 I'm getting chatted up by younger and younger guys, weird....

Seriously though I seem to have more energy now than in my 20's, I go to karate with 2 of my boys and I am more enthusiastic in there then they and the others in there lol!!

PS at 26 you're YOUNG, enjoy it!!

My 41-year old self looks, feels and runs way better than my 26 year old self.

I wasted most of my 20's being a 350 pound oaf. In that regard I'm in better shape, stronger, and have better stamina than I did when I was in my early and mid-20's.

I'm not working out as much as I did in High School, cause frankly I don't have the time. However, I have a pretty aggressive workout plan and the one place I see age showing up is it takes me longer to recover from everything. A few Saturday's ago I was out till 3am. When I was younger I could sleep for 4 hours and be good to go. This time, I had to take a nap Sunday afternoon, and I didn't feel like I was back up to 100% till Tuesday. Stuff like that.

I'll be 26 at the beginning of March. I have noticed that I just don't have the same pep I had back when I was 19-20 in terms of exercise. I don't seem to have the energy to keep up with the workouts that I used to do--upwards of 2-3 hrs/day while in school full time and working a job or two. I could go non-stop from 6am to 12am! That being said, I have found that it's easier to maintain my weight these days even with less strenuous workouts.

Has anyone else noticed a change as they've aged? I still look fairly young for 26, but I can definitely tell I'm looking older. My bf is 30 and I recently saw some pics from when he was 25, and he has definitely aged since then (very well I might add!).

Man, if I was 26 again, I'd be rocking the weights! Slowly my strength has diminished and recovery takes more time. But damn, I'm still better at 48 then lots of 20 year olds.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Of course! But I didn't really notice it until recently, I turned 40 last month.

The weight loss (-80lbs) has really helped me feel more energetic and youthful than I ever did in my 20's or 30's! As others have said,I can't tie one on like I used to, and I do love my sleep now. There are some small lines that weren't there before, but there ain't a damn thing wrong with laugh lines.

Now the forehead lines from raising my eyebrows at people's WTF moments... those are another story!

At 53 my energy level is still pretty high. The weight doesn't come off as easy, that's for sure. I have to work really hard and eat very little. I am still peri-menopause, so I am fighting that, but will not use it as an excuse. It has taken me 5 months to lose 19lbs. But I am happy with it. It's better than gaining. Oh to be in my 20's again, boy would I treat my body better.

I guess there should be two comparisons.

1. Difference between when I was younger (and heavier) vs now (older and lighter):

There are obvious benefits to being older and in shape vs younger and out of shape. I dont think this was the question you were asking.

2. Difference between when I was younger (and in shape) vs now (older and in shape):

I think this is the question you want answered. For myself, the main differences between when I was in my mid 20s, in shape and 165 lbs vs now, 43, in shape and 170 lbs are the following:

My joints make a slight popping/cracking noise when doing shoulder exercises. Due to lower testosterone levels (or slower metabolism probably due to lower testosterone), it takes a longer to recover from exercising. During my 20s, I could exercise, party and drink with friends until the early morning hours (3-4am), get 2-3 hours sleep and be good to go the next day. Today, I get tired beginning at 10:30-11:00, I need at least 61/2 hrs sleep or I cannot function the next day. During my 20s, if I needed to lose 5-10 lbs, it could be achieved in a month or so with very little effort. At 43, it requires a lot more effort.