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

[UncertainWife]

As of recently (early 50s) I have lots of things gone wrong, hip arthritis, lower back pain, shoulder pain, and some new stomach issues, but most of my friends in their early 50s seem fine with no health problems at all.

I'm quite shocked at how rapidly my health and mobility has gone downhill. I eat well, am good BMI, before my hip went wrong I took regular walks each day.

If you're over 50, are you fully healthy and in good working order? Or are bits of you starting to 'go'?!

Is it just a lottery? I did all the advised things, diet, exercise, no alcohol, good sleep, but I am falling apart much more than my boozy friends who eat a lot of rich food! And am in worse health than my smoker husband!

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 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.

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'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!

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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.