Am I the only one whose body has an expiration date?!

dcglobalgirl
dcglobalgirl Posts: 207 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
I was going along fine, then last year everything started to fall apart! I hit 46 and I got plantar fasciitis, incredible knee pain, I have a Morton's neuroma and nothing stretches anymore. I still work out about 4 times a week but it doesn't seem to be helping. Does it ever get better again, or should I give up now and get one of those electric wheelchairs?
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Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    this last year I've had my knees going. First one, then it would heal, then the other. Then it would heal, then another.

    Dionk.

    Old yeller me.
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
    I'm about to turn 30 and I feel this way. I woke up earlier this week with a pinched nerve in my neck. I also get sick a lot more often than I used to. I'm hoping these are not signs of things to come...
  • T_X_L
    T_X_L Posts: 140 Member
    edited February 2015
    I highly suggest adding pilates one day a week. I found that strength training was actually increasing my body imbalances, and pilates is fixing that. For the record, I'm a 50 y.o. male.

    For the o.p.: My wife also had plantar fasciitis, pilates and melt balls helped her immensely.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    Yeah, started happening to me in my mid-30s, so I'd say you've gotten off lucky ;)

    Does it get better? I don't think so. Once you've got a vulnerability you've got to watch it for life, even if you manage to heal it. And, you've got to be careful with everything else, now that you know you're on the downward slide. We just get the one body, got to take care of it.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited February 2015
    not to mention that if you don't heal one thing properly soon enough, you start introducing imbalances elsewhere and can wind up with injuries from compensation.

    +1 pilates, except it's like $30+ / class. Useful, though.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I found that a lot of my aches and pains went away once I lost the excess weight.
  • CanadaEh1
    CanadaEh1 Posts: 31 Member
    Never give up. It will only make your quality of life worse. Hope you feel better soon :)
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    tomatoey wrote: »

    Does it get better? I don't think so.

    that's an awfully pessimistic view. It depends on what the issue is. Some things won't get better, but we can make sure they don't get worse. And other things CAN get better.
  • DebHutton55
    DebHutton55 Posts: 48 Member
    Wow, y'all sound like you're almost dead. Listen to your body, let it heal and do things that don't aggravate, but keep doing. Strength training is a great thing. As an almost 60 yr old woman, a cancer survivor, among other life "stuff", it's all great. Life is great! Just be smart and realistic.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited February 2015
    AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »

    Does it get better? I don't think so.

    that's an awfully pessimistic view. It depends on what the issue is. Some things won't get better, but we can make sure they don't get worse. And other things CAN get better.

    I've never met anyone who got back 100% to the way they were pre-injury. Forgetting that our bodies have limits is the road to problems.

    Sorry, though, yes, you can certainly improve function or work around it to keep exercise in your life. But expecting your body to magically work the way it did when you were 20 is dreaming. We have to be responsible about our bodies, that includes sensible upkeep (like rehab, dealing with things, not ignoring or pushing past limits). I'm focusing on that more because I'm someone who naturally wants to push myself and I've screwed up that way in the past.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    DebHutton55 wrote: »
    Wow, y'all sound like you're almost dead. Listen to your body, let it heal and do things that don't aggravate, but keep doing. Strength training is a great thing. As an almost 60 yr old woman, a cancer survivor, among other life "stuff", it's all great. Life is great! Just be smart and realistic.

    this
  • gmallan
    gmallan Posts: 2,099 Member
    Haha, I definitely feel you :) I'm only 28 and a couple years ago I had patella tendonitis in both knees. Ever since then I feel like I'm falling apart. It's one thing after the other. Then again I train pretty hard and play contact sport so I probably don't help myself.

    I'd recommend finding a good physical therapist who can help correct any imbalances that you have as a result of your injuries. A good massage therapist is also a must (fully remedial none of that wishy washy relaxation stuff). Mine definitely keep me on the track.

    Invest in a foam roller, various balls and resistance bands and make sure you're doing plenty of release and mobility work.

    This site has a lot of great information http://www.allthingsgym.com/mobility101/

    I also recommend the book Becoming a supple leopard
  • cdloyer
    cdloyer Posts: 18 Member
    I think everybody's body starts to pooch out a bit at some point, but I think "realistic and smart" is the way to go. The fact that you're trying at all is already more than a great many are doing. Take care of yourself. :)
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    DebHutton55 wrote: »
    Wow, y'all sound like you're almost dead. Listen to your body, let it heal and do things that don't aggravate, but keep doing. Strength training is a great thing. As an almost 60 yr old woman, a cancer survivor, among other life "stuff", it's all great. Life is great! Just be smart and realistic.

    ^i like this reply
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »
    I found that a lot of my aches and pains went away once I lost the excess weight.

    *nods*

    70 pounds later I feel better than I did in my mid 20's (I'm 35 now).
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    I go by the sniff test. If you stink, I will throw you away.


    Hang on what are we talking about?
  • gerrielips
    gerrielips Posts: 180 Member
    Age is a state of mind, even though there are increased aches and pains are part of it. I'll be 66 next week - one knee needs to be replaced, the other knee hasn't healed from Aug 2014 miniscus surgery and I've developed Baker's cysts in both knees. Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch...I am exercising more now and my slow approach to changing my eating habits is working. My inspirations are people like my employer who at 81 wrote 2 books this year, and still plays a great game of tennis a few times a week...and my husband at 75 who looks and acts 20 years younger. FYI - we all have expiration dates, but with proper diet, exercise and a positive state of mind perhaps we can either extend them, or just feel better about the inevitable.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
    I'm 52. When I was in my early 20s, I had some cartilage removed from my left knee, leaving my kneecap, tibia, and femur rubbing against each other without that padding in between.

    At 30, I herniated 4 discs in my back (with one sneeze), and ended up with permanent sciatic nerve damage in my right foot, which caused essentially muscle atrophy from some muscle going over the top of my foot to my knee, as well as "dropfoot." A year of massage therapy (don't kid yourself, it was painful) and chiropractic helped tremendously other than the dead nerve in my foot and atrophied muscle.

    At 45, I got plantar fasciatis, same foot as my nerve-less one, took about 3.5 years to heal. I wouldn't wish PF on my worst enemy.

    At 48, I joined MFP and dropped about 75 pounds in a year. Maintained ever since. Started mountain biking a couple years ago, and in general am pretty fixed in my maintenance routine.

    Four months ago, I started weightlifting with personal trainer and progressive-loading free weights for the first time in my life (did machines, but....bleh). About the only things that have NOT hurt me through this process have been my cartilage-free knee and my back, as my trainer is a form-master. I do have an issue with that nerve-damaged right foot, as it tends to splay out, causing my knee to overcompensate and turn inwards. We have been working on that form for several weeks, and it seems to be improving tremendously, and weights are increasing.

    When I turn 53 in a few months, I suspect I'll be in the best shape I've ever been in.

    Don't give up; you may have to take the time to care for a few things, but you never know what's around the corner. About 6 months into my lower back issues, I was about ready to throw in the towel (at age 30; my 30th birthday had to be spent in bed as I couldn't move); I honestly could not even imagine ever getting better and didn't think I could survive that pain. But I pushed through and made it to the other side. Still have to be careful with a few things, especially shoveling snow, but heck yeah, life is GREAT--you'll see. Hang in there.

  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    edited February 2015
    dcglobalgirl wrote: »
    I was going along fine, then last year everything started to fall apart! I hit 46 and I got plantar fasciitis, incredible knee pain, I have a Morton's neuroma and nothing stretches anymore. I still work out about 4 times a week but it doesn't seem to be helping. Does it ever get better again, or should I give up now and get one of those electric wheelchairs?

    Ha ha! I'm not 46 (37) but due to sports and my involvement in lifting I've definitely hit a laundry list of problems. Because of how I train I've reduced my training from 4-days of lifting to 3-days so I have an extra day of recovery. To be honest, I'm stronger than I ever was; going to 3 days was one of the best training decisions I've ever made. Quality over volume all the time. Sometimes you just need to sit back and take a break. I program deload periods into my training and you know often those deload periods turn into a week vacation from the gym altogether. I'll stretch at home, maybe do some cardio, but not do anything. This week I'm actually on a deload and I haven't decided if I'm going to go do anything or not. I hit some great PR's recently so I might just reward myself with time off.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Just saw the doctor today about my knees.

    yup. Old yeller me.

    Result: Inflammation. Keep pushing, you wimp.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    Every cell in your body is rebuilt and replaced over time. While the rate of that replacement may change as you age, it still happens. So, I ask the question, what are you taking in to build those cells? We all know the phrase, you are what you eat. Eat clean, train with good form, and provide general maintenance (stretching, self-myofascial release, etc.) and your body will respond by getting healthier and more fit.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    edited February 2015
    At 30 I tore my ACL and had a botched replacement. At 35 I snapped my spinal ligaments in a car accident. Got my Morton's Neuroma (HOLLA!) a few years ago. Just this year my feet have started to ache on the bottom something fierce.

    When I first started exercising back in Sept it sucked and everything hurt. I've thrown my back out twice and gotten used to all-day every-day aching there. My knee gets sleeved up before every workout and iced a lot after. The steroid treatments for the Morton's aren't working so well anymore. But I have still improved my fitness a great deal and lost 30% of my goal. My knee hurts less than it did, I went to Disney last week and my core strength held my back up through all of the crazy rides, and I feel real good about it all.

    So don't give up - if you do, it will only get worse. Now is the time to think about protection and prevention as well. You're still going to be 50, then 60 etc...how do you want those years to feel?

    Oh and trying rolling your feet on a soup can. It can give you some blessed relief at least for awhile.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »
    I found that a lot of my aches and pains went away once I lost the excess weight.

    *nods*

    70 pounds later I feel better than I did in my mid 20's (I'm 35 now).

    Same here. Lost 50+ pounds and feel the best I've felt since college. I'm 38 now and feel a bit sad about wasting so many years but there's no since crying about it now. Onward and upward.

  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Not falling apart due to age, yet. My nagging issues have almost completely been taken care of since I started lifting.

    Back pains from sitting all day with poor posture? Gone. Posture improved.

    Elbow I'd dislocated as a kid that still had a tendency to pull out of the socket? Not an issue anymore.

    I do have a hip that is probably slightly dysplastic - tends to rotate out of socket if I'm doing something like mounting a horse, and has for as long as I can remember. I'm working on it with weighted hip abductions.
  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
    Not to be maudlin, but everyone's body has an expiration date.
  • dcglobalgirl
    dcglobalgirl Posts: 207 Member
    wow, this is very helpful! Lot's of good info here and at least I don't feel so alone. Most of my colleagues are younger than me, and some of the older ones (who also have knee problems) have given up and are on their way to morbidly obese. I know I have a hard time losing weight (or staying the same) when I don't exercise so I keep doing the things i like which are pretty high impact (zumba, running, salsa dancing). But I've taken all your good advice to heart and I've finally made an appointment with the orthopaedist and podiatrist and am committed to taking care of myself. I'm also planning to incorporate more yoga and swimming into my routine.

    Here's hoping that a little care (and losing some weight) will help alleviate some of the aches and pains!
  • icemaiden37
    icemaiden37 Posts: 238 Member
    Lol - glad it's not just me! I've had a shopping list of joint problems since my teens, I feel better having read about everyone else's issues!
  • spfldpam
    spfldpam Posts: 738 Member
    AllonsYtotheTardis wrote: »
    I found that a lot of my aches and pains went away once I lost the excess weight.

    I agree. I had been very obese my entire life but didn't let it stop me from being active. I was fine till I hit around 43 then I started having all kinds of problems, feet, knees, back, hips. Once I lost alot of weight in 2012-2013, the aches and pains went away most of the time. Granted I still have bone on bone on my left knee and messed up right knee but it doesn't bother me like it did with all that weight on me. I still have twinges of pain in the knees from time to time or other areas if I really over do something but most of the time I am ok.
    Good luck!
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited February 2015
    Certain issues can get better, sure.

    But getting old is a long downhill ride.

    The best you can do is be as healthy as you can for that ride to suffer as little as necessary.

    Life sucks. Get a helmet. Die anyway. Sad, but a fact.
  • lemon629
    lemon629 Posts: 501 Member
    Pilates equipment classes have helped me a lot. Iyengar yoga has helped, too, but probably not as much as the pilates equipment classes. I noticed big improvements after only a few months of the pilates equipment classes.

    Be sure to stretch your legs and feet and use a foam roller for self massage on hips, thighs, and back.
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