Just hit me today actually how old I am

[Mancity08]

So I’m a 67 yr old woman

As the sun was shining this afternoon I picked a couple of plants up whilst out shopping today.
I made a brew and took myself outside to plant them.
last year I enjoyed doing the garden, would just go out and tinker about tidying it up mainly flower beds as dp woukd cut the grass.

so now to today, It was a chore ! My knees were burning feeling with bending down I had to sit on the grass. The soil is full of cement balls/stones and twigs from last year when we cut hedge down due to next door neighbour damaging about 2 foot of hedge and neighbour put fence in for the damaged hedge.
It felt so so much like hard work, hard soil(winter also) obviously I had to finish what I started and dp helped move the rubbish etc
but I’ve come in and Im literally too tired to make a tea and just feel completely scattered and really feel down. I know people say you should be grateful for your good health and what you have (I do have bad feet and it’s uncomfortable to walk) but I feel so defeated and deflated
I come to realise
In my head I think I can do. But
my body isn’t as capable

anyone else come to this conclusion?

Yes, sadly a lot earlier than you have done! I'm 69 and have had 20 years of back problems. Once that hit, I just couldn't do a lot of the things I used to enjoy to the same degree - gardening being one of them, right at the time I'd finally gotten my own garden! My health isn't great so I've learned to scale my expectations back and now concentrate on small pots of plants and pacing myself with other tasks. It does take awhile for your head to catch up to your body's capabilites - or lack of them. Yes getting old sucks!

AlteredStater
it’s a horrible feeling when the penny drops isn’t it
it’s like a massive shock to yourself

ive always been the type to have a go at things as I lived on my own for 11 yrs with 4 yr old when exh left.
unfortunately for me I’m a perfectionist most of the time ! So I’ve got a lot on my plate to learn ir turn a blind eye without it having a mental impact on my health
I think I might have to find a book or something to learn/accept how to scale my expectations on things back !

Yep. When you look in the mirror and see an older face or can't quite make your body do things as quickly. I guess focus on what you can do and keep moving however you can and you'll feel better for it

My 88 year old Mum is absolutely furious with everyone and everything this week because she's finally agreed to get a stair lift installed and it makes her feel ancient......

My inevitable slide into "feeling my age" came quite gradually. So at 64 I was swimming 40 lengths of the pool four times a week and walking to the pool, nearly an hour, as well.

Slowly but surely this all stopped. The swimming was hurting my hip, the walk was hurting my feet.

And then came lockdown. My thrice weekly potter round the city stopped as did my two months a year abroad.

I try not to dwell on what I cannot do, after all I've still got the memories. I can still look after myself, feed, shower and such, though my adult child can make my lunch in about half the time it takes me.

I know I still serve a purpose. I'm loved by my child and their partner and I take great pleasure from making them laugh. I'm a sounding board (in listen only mode) when either of them needs to vent.

The greatest complement my child's partner ever have to me was when they told me I appeared to get much joy from everyday life. I do. I love watching the changing seasons out of my window, when I worked I was way too busy to notice, now it's one of my greatest pleadure.

And I better stop now, because I'm starting to sound like fucking Polyanna.

Yep, early 50s. Fucking awful.

And I keep catching sight of myself as an old person. Need a facelift pronto

I'm 62 (it feels weird to write that!) and have always been bone idle. My idea of gardening is to stick a bunch of daffodils in a vase.

My 82 year old MIL does the gardening for me 😊

Well I totally empathise with you about the gardening.

I've always been a really keen gardener - I moved to my present home 5 years ago because it had a big garden.

Then last year there I felt a sudden change and gardening became a chore instead of a pleasure.

I'm a bit more enthusiastic this spring but I don't have the stamina I had. I've been scarifying the grass this week and whereas it was always a tiring job it's now exhausting and I can only do it in shortish bursts.

I'm 72 now and live alone so it's starting to worry me how I'm going to cope with what needs to be done and what I've taken on with the garden.

You my love need to start weight training! It's not too late, you won't regret it xx

I agree with @BonnieBug. It’s never too late to get fit. Please don’t give up on yourselves.

Turned 57 earlier this month. 56 was absolutely fine. But 57? Boooooo!

Hasn't helped I've stopped dying my hair after a reaction to a patch test. Looking into alternatives.

This reminded me of my nan. Forced to have one in her 90’s but only used it to send her washing up or down the stairs🤣

64 here and generally pissed off about not having the energy levels I used to have. The body is still willing and able but if I do something very 'busy' on one day, the next day I have to scale back a bit. I can't do long runs on two consecutive days and if I have a busy day at work then I have to chill a bit the next day.

I swear I used to be full on five days a week and just do a bit less at weekends. Now it's alternate days...

I’m only 50 and I have the knees of a much older person, it’s shit! I can’t kneel down or get up again without significant pain! Mine started as a running injury from a younger life! Haven’t run for more than 10 years.

I’ve decided this is the year things change and I’m trying to lose weight, swim regularly and do strength training to improve my mobility and future proof my knees a bit!

My cousin is 88, terminally ill, almost blind and often confused. She said this last year (I'm paraphrasing):

"Ageing is not for the faint-hearted. It can be brutal as you lose your strength, flexibility and possibly your marbles. You start losing relatives and friends until you're the only one left. Your sight goes, your hearing goes, your bladder shrinks and your bowels have a mind of their own. You never imagine when you're younger and fitter that this will happen to you but it will, unless you die first."

So I hope that's cheered everyone up! 😂

(I'm 71, still healthy and taking one day at a time until I can't).

57 this year. I saw the writing on the wall a couple of years ago. I couldn't get up the stairs without my knees hurting or needing to catch my breath despite doing a weekly Pilates class.

Joined a gym backend of 2023, overhauled my eating, losing weight, getting fitter, feeling much better and no longer dreading getting older. I just want to be strong, mobile and flexible. Hopefully that will stand me in good stead.

I feel your pain. I am 61 and pretty fit, but I am struggling to get my lovely horse fit to compete with a younger jockey on board. Sadly I now can't ride her every day due to my arthritis. My hands and back are absolutely destroyed and it's keeping me awake at night. Fortunately I am also too stubborn to give up just yet!

I’m 67 have multiple illnesses autoimmune I can’t do the things I used to but make sure I walk as much as I can to try and keep mobile, I’m just grateful that I wake up every morning, thankful for the things that I do achieve and learn to let go of the things I can’t do anymore, Always think positive and realise there are a lot of people with worse off things than me, and I refuse to wallow in self pity!

Sympathies @Mancity08
Me too - also gardening related and it hit me about 6 months ago. I have no energy, and can only kneel down or bend over for a few minutes before everything aches like crazy. I used to be able to spend hours at a time in the garden, but not any longer. Using secateurs for any length of time makes my arthritis in my hand flare up. I'm seriously dischuffed.

All you gardeners! You seem to be suffering from similar injuries. I think it’s the gardening. You all need to outsource the gardening and get yourselves to the gym. Then come home and appreciate your beautiful gardens .

OP it’s not normal to be this tired after some light gardening.

my dad is 72, he’s gardened all day, shifted wood around, looked after his granddaughter and been on a walk and he’s still pottering around at gone 10pm.

I’d say that your dad is unusual to be doing so much at his age

For sure OP. I'm waiting for a hip replacement. It went suddenly last year. I'm only 63 and last year I was doing 25 mile hikes on Exmoor. Now I feel like a 90 year old.
I'm still trendy I love fashion and styling clothes, I lost a lot of weight and I'm looking really good now, I was always out, busy, meeting people and now here I am stuck at home, working from home as I can't get into work.
It absolutely sucks.

I'm late 40s and I feel broken. My hips, knees, Achilles tendons and back are done. I get out of bed every morning and walk like a cowboy on my heels to the loo.

Your dad is very lucky, most people at that age will be starting to struggle physically.