Do you ever wonder what part of your body will fail as you get older?

[PermanentlyExhaustedPigeonZZZ]

In my early 40s and the saying about what you neglect in your 20s comes to bite you on the butt in your 40s is starting to come true. I'm overweight and can't get up off the floor like I could. My DH has a whole plethora of health problems but I think it'll be his joints that get him.

I sometimes wonder if my mind, my hearing or my body will affect me the most in my 60/70/80s. Anyone else?

I am older OP.

The part of my body that let me down first was my hip. Totally unexpected. In fact when they told me the problems I was experiencing walking couldn't be solved by physio exercises and stemned from arthritis in the hip I didn't believe them. Luckily a successful hip operation gave me a new lease of life.

I don't think it's a good idea OP to go through life worrying about how older age will affect you. Much better to enjoy your life in the present but take reasonable steps to live a largely healthy lifestyle.

I'm nearly 50.

My pelvic floor is not going to last me if I live a good few decades more. It's already hit and miss.

My finger joints are succumbing to rheumatisn, just like my granny.

My knees probably won't last either as I've been a runner all my life.

Without intending to sound holier than thou, instead of thinking about what might go wrong in future, start thinking about what can you do now to reduce the risk.

Hi , older person here .
I never thought getter older and not being able to do anything much thought, but with hindsight there are a few things I’d consider.
Look after your teeth , regular appointments etc
Strength training, not massive amounts but a little bit built into daily routine.
Lose weight if needed but not to point of being too thin , that has knock on effects.
When applying face cream don’t forget the neck .
All these have come back to bite me on the bum lol but overall is to maintain interest in the tech around you , keep the brain ticking over , be curious about the world and try a positive attitude.
That’s all aimed at me , but I wish I knew thirty years ago .

My mum’s hip went in her late 40s and she’s already had it replaced at 54. She hasn’t looked after herself over the years and has always worked on her feet. I work on my feet too so am also very active but also exercise with intention so hoping to fend that one off. I don’t smoke like she did for years and I barely drink.

I think my Gran is my inspiration. No joint replacements, mind in order, she had cancer a few years ago but surgery fixed it and she’s been fine ever since. She’s never smoked or drank and always eaten healthily.

I wonder what disabling disease I will get rather than individual bits of the body.

What is still good is that even a few weeks of some manageable exercise and things get better. Yoga or Pilates is good for that. I’m doing a weights- based circuits class every week with dp and we are noticeably stronger. Wrt your post, the class requires me to get up and down from the floor several times and know how valuable that is from work.

I am 51 and when I was 50, I read an article that said, to some degree, the illnesses of your parents might be passed on by genetics but inherited lifestyle patterns also play a big part. Previously I’d just assumed that if a thing runs in families, there’d not be much you could do about it. I was fat, easily out of breath from medium exertion, in pain with sciatica and just generally worried about where I was headed. Both sides of my family have always struggled with their weight and we have always used food as the central fun activity. Health problems in my relatives span from heart issues to kidney issues.

This last year I’ve been focusing on getting healthy and I think it’s never too late. I’ve lost 4 stone and have taken up short bursts of strength training 3 times a week. I still have about 1.5 stone to lose but I feel better and stronger.

Some things might not be preventable but having a stronger body is always going to serve you well.

The wondering has given me the impetus to do some things about it. My Grandpa was sprightly into his 90s but my dad has needed carers since late 70s. I can see a lot is genetic.

I'm planning on pilates and strengthening training, and cutting sugar for starters. Also moved near leisure centre so more swimming too.

This a million times.

Because, speaking from experience, you don't know what life is going to throw at you and the fitter and healthier less overweight you are when that happens the better you're going to cope with it.

I'm 57, I've never been overweight, I always walked everywhere, went swimming, did home workouts, I eat a very healthy vegetarian diet. A couple of years ago I injured my Achilles tendon, it's never fully recovered so now walking is extremely painful, if I stand for long periods I'm in pain. I can no longer go for long walks, I still do some home workouts but not to the same level.
You never know what might happen to you even if you do everything right.

I'm 55 and my knees are knackered. I find lunges really difficult and painful during strength workouts and yoga. Think I did way too much aerobics and step classes in the 80s & 90s!

I'm 67 and smoked for most of my life. I always thought I would get lung cancer like my Dad. Finally gave up in 2020.
A couple of years ago I found out I had a malignant melanoma that has spread to my lungs. So now I have lung cancer but not through smoking. My advice is use factor 50 and stay out of the sun whenever possible.

Mid 50's. Religiously been doing 10k steps for years. It seems to be working as no aches or pains yet. Cut right down on alcohol, sugar and salt. Lots of protein and veggies. No aches or pains yet.

It's small things really but I think as we age we have to adopt a healthier lifestyle if we want to stay fit and well as long as possible. In laws in their late 70s rarely leave their house or their chairs and dh & I really don't want that to happen to us.

Also look at getting a really good mattress. We changed ours and dh's hip pain disappeared almost overnight.

For the last 10 years mine has been rotator cuff issue which was eventually fixed with surgery, absolutely fine now, I have arthritis in my thumbs probably due to so much keyboarding as my job was always typing/computer. Also skin cancer which I know I may well get more of so am constantly scrutinising my face for the signs.

I can live with the arthritis as I have steroid injections to keep the pain at bay. I know it will probably get a bit worse but if that's the most awful thing I am likely to get then I can certainly put up with that.

In my case, it was breasts. I’ve had breast cancer three times in five years since I was 50.

Look after your legs!
Venous insufficiency runs in my family and I haven't escaped.

My Mum spent her final years often with ulcers which became infected with cellulitis, and with very poor mobility, and varicose veins.

I can't prevent many aspects of this, but I now do what I can:

Never stand when you can sit.
Put your legs up when possible.
Moisturise your legs after a shower.
Don't delay seeing a chiropodist for any foot issues.
Walk whenever you can.

My legs and back have failed. I cant stand or walk more than a few steps without pain. My eyesight is also deteriorating although I don't regularly wear glasses and that's probably pretty good for an 82 year old. Fortunately my brain is still as sharp as ever.

All the time. I’m 60 which is when so many of my peers seem to be having problems. Cancers, arthritis, diabetes, heart problems...
I’ve not had a single issue yet, not even been to GP in decades, but do feel I’m waiting and wondering what it will be when it comes.
Meanwhile I do cardio and strength stuff and eat healthy and keep weight down.

I'm 53 and out of the blue this year I have ended up with a lot of problems in my right leg - achilles tendonitis, knee bursitis and hip pain. Still waiting for a hospital appointment 🙄. Has come out of absolutely nowhere, and some days I hobble like an old lady. Could not have predicted it at all, and I am so pissed off about it as it prevents me being as active as I want to be.

I’m in my late 60s and am beginning to wonder what on earth I will actually die of. I’ve done/am doing all the “right” things so am in good health right now, and barring accidents I come from long lived stock. I work/volunteer in health and see a lot of very worn-out 90+ year olds living a life I really don’t want.

Not really, I'm so decrepit already! I've had breast cancer and wouldn't be surprised by a recurrence or a new cancer. I have type 2 diabetes so have to be on the lookout for all the diabetes-related ailments. I have a heart problem already, more wouldn't surprise me. I'm developing cataracts, so that's my eyes gone....

I don't want to develop dementia, I suppose.

Excellent advice.
I played too much sport whrn younger. Now have so many injuries but holding everything at bay with gym classes, pilates and a personal trainer. Reading many sources, staying mentally fit, and having a hobby, all help as we age.

It’s more what you don’t maintain in your 30s that will bite you. Bone density, muscle mass, vitamin D and Iron levels, good fat intake (important for joints, brain and basically every cell in the human body - the membranes are all made from fat), healthy weight.

I reckon it'll be my hearing. I'm 50, go to the gym 3 times a week, heavy lift, take HRT, excellent metabolic health, did a lot of work on my teeth in my thirties and look after them well, gave up alcohol. Most of that I started in my 40s so it's not too late. I'm a little overweight but actually older women in the overweight category have better health outcomes than the others (I assume it's protective in some ways). But my hearing is not amazing, in noisy places I struggle more than others. I don't know if there's anything I can do at this point. I know it can contribute to cognitive decline so it does worry me.

Bits of me seemed to fail when I was in my 20s, so no curiousity left on body part failure.

I sometimes wonder about what disease will kill me, or combo, assuming I don't die due to a trauma event. People my age are already getting chronic illness & hip replacements. Bracing myself hoping I can stave those things off for a while longer, yet.