To wonder what's normal re pain or health issues over 50?

I think things would be worse without HRT. But I was seeing things that weren't there without it.. nobody tells you that could happen, rare or not.

I do mobility training on top of weights though. Just a couple of times a week, keeps your body moving the way it's supposed too, so no compensations or instabilities develop. Which means pain in various places.

I miss my young body me.

I went though hip, knee, back and joint problems in my 40's. But it was because I was carrying too much weight. Lost a few stones and I'm now 60 with no joint pains at all, and perfectly able to walk several miles at a time. Makes sense really that the joints and bones of the lower body will struggle if you're carrying a few stones too many!

Yep, hip pain, niggly knee issues, heartburn issues (had a while but worse) sleep disturbance. Menopausal which is cause of the latter I expect but I’m refusing medication as it has other issues. But my mind wants to act like a 20 year old! Dh wasn’t impressed at the standing tickets I booked for tonight

52 and its just my joints that cause me problems. Had a bad hip since my twenties and being seriously obese (but still very active) all my adult life means I have alot of wear and damage damage.
So my hip hurts if I sit too long and my knees hurt if I stand too long!😄

But I lost all the excess weight a couple of years ago and now walk loads, do weight training, pilates, cardio, take supplements, HRT and have so far avoided my family history of high blood pressure and diabetes.
So my joints feel about 80 but the rest of me is healthier then ever!

Have just found this thread. I'm almost 53 and have just been diagnosed with arthritis in my shoulder. Already got it in my hip, same side, though that's mainly just stiff and annoying. Shoulder aches like a bastard though. A few twinges in my toes and fingers, I can mostly ignore those. But I definitely felt like my body pinged a few cogwheels once I turned 50!

I don't take hrt. No issues until 10 years post menopause. It's a bit of a red herring at times.

I'm 54- teach full time. Usually by noon I've done my 10k of steps. Most days average around 16- 7k once I've thrown a dog walk in as well.

I have Hashimotos and 2 other autoimmune conditions, but they arrived in my 20s- i manage them well, they don't wipe me out. I do take vitamins and plant sterols and aside from being a stone heavier since menopause, im within bmi with good blood pressure. I am knackered at the end of the day and don't sleep well, but ive started drinking mugwort, velarian and passion flower tea at bedtime and that is helping.

Hrt definitely sorted out any minor issues. I still don't want to work until retirement though!

The thing is the people saying “I’m doing great and that’s down to looking after myself” have no idea if they would have been great anyway.

Don’t get me wrong I’m doing everything I can to load the odds in my favour, but I’m also aware that I’m very very lucky too.

I had awful joint pain for years when I was in my late 40s/early 50s and was living on painkillers. Ten years on I don’t get it any more weirdly. I have had a health scare recently and so have several friends. All seem ok at the moment although I find people don’t really talk about it unless it’s serious.

My model for aging is my mum. She's 80. Still enjoying life, travelling, socialising, gardening. Works hard on her health but never moans about minor ailments, so has a huge number of younger friends. Just tries to stay busy and active because she was widowed early.
Obviously this won't work for serious illnesses, but there is something to be said for just keeping on keeping on.

I agree to an extent. While I think it's great we are all talking about menopause and ageing and how we don't have to just accept symptoms as part of 'getting old', sometimes it can counter productive.
I don't want every conversation to end up talking about HRT, I want to explore other options. I also don't want every single darn thing to be put down to menopause.

I have to say I actively avoid convos of this sort. The more I hear about snipers alley, the more it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy for me, personally.

It is definitely a thing in real life for me. I work in a school office with a lot of middle aged women and there is a lot of discussion of migraines, menopause, bladder issues, auto immune problems, surgeries of various kinds, thyroid problems, frozen shoulder, worsening chronic long term issues that flare up.

A friend called the 50s 'snipers alley' and now I know what she means!

I'm 66 and have no aches or pains. I started strength training at 50 and I have a good diet.
Broke a bone 5 weeks ago and consultant said its healed very quickly " considering my age". I don't take any medications and never have.
I had an awful bereavement 4 months ago and am determined to look after my health and my wellbeing to get through it.

I'm slightly less fit that I was but that's to do with less time due to increased work hours not age but I don't have any health issues. My friendship group is mixed but I'm by no means the only one whose fit and well

I've only come across this falling apart at 50 on here, it's not something that is ever mentioned in real life

Obviously some illnesses are luck or unluck of the draw but sudden falling apart as inevitable is just not the case

I think that you have to look after yourself to age well. I am 60 and have a bit of arthritis. I have found that if I do 15 minutes of stretching every day it makes a huge difference to my mobility and prevents joint pain. I also take hrt and keep my weight down and fitness up.

Sorry you have these issues.

It seems varied. I'm in my 40s and already I have friends with health issues. One has a rare condition and needs transplants. I have pcos. Another has a sinus issue but seems very health. Another has back problems, one has athsma and recently got pneumonia. Then there are an equal no with no conditions.

Personally I think it's a combination of genetic factors, childhood trauma and stress mainly that can be excacerbated by life-style issues.

Foot exerc ises cured mine. Nothing else. Rotate your foot 8 times clockwise and anticlockwise daily plus push back towards you top half of the foot say 6 times. Hold the foot in the forward position a few seconds each time.

After months of problems it cured in no time! Wear trainers a lot too.

Chronic Plantar Facilitis, other than that ok.
Nothing I've tried has got rid yet and God knows I've tried.

I'm 62 and exercise a lot and run a number of marathons a year.
I have a few aches and pains but nothing too bad.
I think a lot of it is pot luck. We are told that we should have a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of getting a serious illness, but literally all the people that I know who have died from cancer, excluding those who died from lung cancer as a result of smoking, did have a pretty healthy lifestyle.

I am turning 50 and definitely feel more aches and pains but nothing that I would consider actually impacting my health or quality of life, I exercise pretty hard so do find I recover slower and it is easier to get small injuries/minor chronic problems but tut has always been the case to some extend, I switched to more yoga and lifting and stopped running a few years ago because of this. It is just more important for me to listen to my body now, make sure I sleep, eat well and take care of myself. A little change in routine can also has impacts on me now in terms of digestion etc. I still consider myself in perfect health and am very grateful for it.

I’m completely fine! But I do take HRT! Sorted out my aches and pains and made me feel young again!

Are you sure they're all fine?

If a friend asked how I was I'd say "fine"...I'm not on any meds and I can climb a mountain/do an hour gym class/walk ten miles.

However...when I wake up my hip aches, and I take a few minutes to loosen up in the mornings. My Achilles hurts frequently, and I get lower backache and knee pain some days too.

I just accept it's normal at our age to have some aches n pains so I don't bother mentioning them.

52 and 'blessed' with a dodgy hip and knees, which were Def made worse with menopause.
I made an effort to sort myself out though. HRT, supplements, healthy diet, weight training, running, pilates and I lost 7 and a half stone. In general I'm probably the healthiest I've ever been!

Genetics does play a big role though. My brother inherited high blood pressure and diabetes from our mother in his 30s. I'm glad I just got the arthritis and anxiety from my father instead!