When you’re young and in good health, the human body seems like an incredibly complex feat of engineering. But as you get older, it starts to feel more like my ’97 Volvo that’s held together with duct tape and happy thoughts. Recently, older adults on Reddit shared the body parts they wish they’d paid a bit more attention to back in the day, and it’s so relatable. Here’s what they had to say:
1. “In my 20s and 30s, I worked jobs entirely walking or standing for eight to 10-hour shifts, and fancy arch supports for shoes weren’t a thing at the time. My arches collapsed at around 35. Now, I am close to 60 and can’t walk across a room barefoot without a lot of pain. Old-style shoes were horrible.”
2. “My hormones. The culture of silence and shame around menopause and how it affects women has been so harmful to me personally that I can’t even describe it. Yes, some women sail through menopause mostly unaffected. But most don’t. And because most women have historically refused to talk about menopause before now, even to their closest relatives and children, so many of us did not understand what we were in for when it finally arrived.”
—u/Retired401
3. “My grandfather was a dentist, and he used to say, ‘Be true to your teeth, or they will be FALSE to you!’ I wish I had heeded that advice earlier in life.”
4. “Kidneys. Drink — and I cannot stress this enough — water.”
—u/allhinkedup
5. “My god damned knees. I used to run 10-14 miles outside every day. Now, I can barely do three miles on a treadmill before my right knee wants to give out.”
6. “Clitoral atrophy, girl. Look that shit up; it is hella depressing that so little is done to help women through these changes.”
—u/dirtytomato
7. “I live in Seattle which has a ton of tech workers and also a lot of people running around on those little motorized scooters without helmets. I always want to scream at them, ‘You’re one traumatic brain injury away from losing your entire career! Put on a fucking helmet!'”
8. “Preventative maintenance for hearing. It’s no fun always hearing only parts of conversations, and I’ll never be able to hear music again the way it should be heard.”
—u/ZappaZoo
9. “The pancreas. Nobody spares a thought for their pancreas. Ever. You think organs, it’s heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys, but then your pancreas goes belly up, and you’re like.. what???”
10. “I’m not that old (46), but I have MS [multiple sclerosis]. I can tell you that strengthening your core can do wonders. I use one of those wheels with handles and do like 10 minutes every day. I’m more confident that, even if I fall down, I can get back up.”
—u/tn_tacoma
11. “Legs. Keep your legs strong for balance and mobility.”
12. “This sounds gross, but your rectum. It is like a rubber band to let out poop. At a certain age, it loses elasticity. Go see a butt doctor at the first sign of irregularities.”
13. “Main one: my back. Herniated a disc in 2011, and it took a long time (eight years) before I had little to no pain.”
14. “My bladder has given me lots of fun. Had to stop drinking caffeine and carbonated beverages because they irritate my bladder. Have to do 30 kegels a day to be sure what goes in the bladder stays there until I want it to leave.”
15. “My eyes. PSA: When your reading vision starts to go, it goes FAST. Get those readers as soon as you start squinting at text and save yourself a ton of aggravation.”
16. “The adrenal glands and the brain bits that control them. When your cortisol levels get out of whack, it causes a cascade of serious consequences. In my case, chronic stress was the cause of the problem.”
17. “My saliva. I have Sjogren’s. I had no idea how important saliva was. It’s really important.”
18. “It’s amazing how the very bottom of your body can directly affect something else on your body nowhere near it AND with, like, 10 different joints between them. ‘WTF is up with my shoulders?’ ‘Oh, it’s your feet.’ ‘WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?'”
19. “Hips. Sitting all day at a desk. Sitting on the couch of an evening. Sitting in the car. These babies stiffen up! I have to stretch them at least daily, or I feel like I’m about 70.”
20. “Not really a body part per se, but I recently realized how much flexibility I have lost.”
21. “Thumbs. I am a right-handed person. I always tried to be semi-ambidextrous. Got arthritis in my right hand, starting with thumb. Cant grab anything now. Had to learn to do everything but write lefty.”
22. “Prostate, obvs. Preventing cancer is seriously important. Get your PSA blood tests at least once a year, and, yes, the physical exam, even though it might feel uncomfortable and embarrassing. It could save your life. But it could also have a lot to do with your love life, so keep making sure it’s still working well if you want it to keep…*working*. I have personal experience with prostate cancer and even removal (it was the right choice considering my family history). Shit’s no joke. Even if you don’t have cancer, it could cause libido and erection issues, and nobody wants that.”
23. And finally, “‘Fail’ is perhaps too strong a word for mine. Just cardiovascular fitness. In my early forties, I got out of breath easily and would grunt and groan when standing up. I thought that was normal and just part of ‘getting old.’ I started using a rowing machine three times a week. About six weeks in, I felt 15 years younger. I couldn’t believe it. It boosted my mood and motivation, too. I’m 47 now and still at it. I wish I had started in my 20s.”
Is there anything you would add? Tell us all about it in the comments.
