I would just like to hear what kind of physical symptoms women experience when being around the age of 40. Just curious.

Anyone?

Oh Boy here goes. Both knees hurt. 1 ankle. Both wrists(carpal tunnel). Both shoulders sometimes. Both hips sometimes. I forget stuff. Had depression so bad. Because of all the pain my sex life has been ....(opps got interupted by the sound of something flushing. HAHA) No, not quite that bad. Had a hysterectomy in 1997. I am now 44 years old and most days I feel 88.

This 40 thing is really bugging you isn't it?

I turned 40 last December and I've noticed a few things. It's all been gradual, nothing happens overnight.

It's harder to stay in shape. I have the fine lines... those dreaded wrinkles are coming... Ack! that's the worst. My back hurts more, my hair is slightly thinner.

But..... I'm smarter, I don't stress as much about petty things.... I know myself better.

It's not so bad. I sometimes wonder what 50 will be like. I told my husband he better not turn out to be one of those disgusting middle age men who rip on middle age women and oogle over 20 someting women. He laughed and told me not to worry. I actually look younger than he does (he's 42).... I think it sucks that society seems to allow men to age, but women have to totally stress about it.

Good luck-- focus on your good points-- I'm sure you have them!

Irishcream,

MAN!!!!! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif
I feel your pain!!!! It's really weird because you go through most of your life feeling one way (usually fine) and then when you start to feel something different, you think that something is REALLY wrong! How do you know when it's just getting older or something really wrong?! That's the most frustrating thing! Hope things get better for you!!!!!

N2Golf~

I remember responding to you before. I'm 39 and will be 40 in december. YUCK!!

Let me give you an ear full..I hate my sagging boobs, I hate my flapping underarms. I used to sit on the toilet and my thighs didn't hang over the edge. I hate the changes in my hair(drier). My butt sags, it used to be very perky and bouncy. When I was in highschool I wore a size 1 http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I look in the mirror and loathe the wrinkle lines in my forehead. I want a face lift!

My tops of my hands aren't smooth like they used to be.

Heres the thing, I weigh 140lbs, I'm 5'9. I wear size 9/10 and still have a little belly. I jog 3x's a week for 2 1/2 miles. Lift 15 lb weights and work out on an excersize machine in my garage..similar to a crossbow,but not..too expensive!!

I still sag http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif Age and gravity are winning this battle http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

People tell me I don't look 39. But it's hard to believe them when I see these things.

My feet hurt constantly.. I guess I need orthotics. My back aches. It's hard to get out of my two door car..it sits low. I didn't used to have this problem.

I've had severe depression. What a merry-go-round that is! I've got that bull by the horns though. I'm not on med's any more, trying to deal with this myself. It's working. I'm not as depressed but still hate aging. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

The great thing is I don't need glasses..yet!!if I do, I will get contacts.

I have 16&17 year old sons. In a few years I could be a grandmother, now that sounds WEIRD!

Is this enough for ya http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Basically I hate the aging process. I wish we could stay younger looking just a bit longer. The aches and pains could hold off for a while also. Really, I try very hard, but father time just won't give me a break.

I'm thinking about buying this $300 foot massager, my feet hurt ALL THE TIME.

N2golf~ I hope this helps you to understand we're in the same boat headed in the same direction.

Renee http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Renee,

YIKES!!!!!!!!!!! I can relate though! My feet hurt ALL THE TIME too! I feel like I am getting arthritis...already! At least we are traveling together on this one!!!!!!! Stay in touch!!! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/round.gif

Toot..Toooooot!!! Thar she blows! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Renee http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by reneeintx (edited 06-15-2003).]

Gee, how much time do you have? 44 yrs old. Arthritis in 5 vertebrae in my neck, deteriated lower back disc, had both shoulders operated on due to arthritis, tendonitis of right elbow. Of course, being in a 3-car pile-up in Dec didn't help matters much! Now it all hurts worse. Shall I go on? Somebody just put me out of my misery. Vioxx everyday helps.

Geez, I just turned 50's a few days ago....

But I can remember 40 - i was in the best shape of my life. Still swimming, cycling, aerobics, tennis, golf - you name it; and I looked in my 20's - really! NOTHING wrong at all with 40 and I can't believe you're talking like this at 40...

Now 50 is different VERY different......please enjoy your 40's ... and my sex drive was way up there too.

Kitty

I can vouch for that! Actually, walking and weight-training have really helped me. I don't let my health problems get me down. That accident put a damper on my exercise routine and my back sort of went to pot. I've had 3 epidurals since then and was just getting back into walking and hiking when I fell and sprained my foot 3 wks ago. Back to square 1. Honestly, if I didn't have bad luck, I'd have none at all!!

Oh my god. My feet hurt too. And I am 39 too. IT is true. You are feeling fine and then suddenly- things HURT. I cannot get over the pain in my feet.

And I run 5x /week too. But I still do it.

Hi! I just turned 41 about a month ago. I have always looked at least 10 years younger than I am my whole life, and also I've been able to eat like a pig and stay slim . . .

. . . so it was quite a shock when my weight jumped from 135 to 155 over the past year or so. I eat less and walk more than ever. This is really the only thing about turning 40 that has bothered me.

When middle age men ignore middle age women and then make comments to women much younger than them, I do get very angry. Especially when it's a very average-to-ugly younger woman, and I believe I am above-average attractive, and they will STILL look at her just because of the age thing!

[This message has been edited by mouse62 (edited 10-13-2003).]

For all of you with sore feet:

I started taking cod liver oil ( liquid) which has omega3's. And guess what- My feet do not hurt anymore. I woke up this morning and could actually walk down the stairs without cracking my feet or having pain.

I know two days ago- I grumbled about it. But I do not have the hip pain or the sore feet. ( I started taking the liquid 2 weeks ago)

You can find it at a vitamin shop. I truly recommend it.....

For all of you with sore feet:

I started taking cod liver oil ( liquid) which has omega3's. And guess what- My feet do not hurt anymore. I woke up this morning and could actually walk down the stairs without cracking my feet or having pain.

I know two days ago- I grumbled about it. But I do not have the hip pain or the sore feet. ( I started taking the liquid 2 weeks ago)

You can find it at a vitamin shop. I truly recommend it.....

I'm now 72 am told I look 60. At forty I felt wonderful, looked great, rode our hunter/jumper horse everyday. I went to Nurses Training at 43. Am now retired - worked til 70. Any trouble started at 50 with a hysterectomy. O.K. then. On my feet a lot and did develop heel spurs after a while. Carpal Tunnel surgery in 60's. Now is another story. Things are sagging, but I can cover that with clothes. Have some medical problems but an being treated and still love life. I must have good genes because I have very few facial wrinkles. I've always been the eternal optomist with a positive attitude. Live life to the fullest, kids. 40 is a wonderful age.

it wasn't until my late 40's that my body started changing, around the menopause time. I couldn't lose any weight no matter how much I exercised or how little I ate. I'm 51 now. My stomach is a little more sensitive. Got to make sure everything is cooked thoroughly. My bladder is also more sensitive. I don't have the aches and pains though. I've come to accept myself and I don't worry about my figure anymore. I eat some of the good stuff now too like cookies and ice cream. And then there's the gray hairs but for now you can dye your hair to get rid of them if you want. I enjoyed it because I started using colors that I would have tried before. Like with gold or red highlights. I'm a brunette but when I go completely gray I try a blond. Getting older doesn't bother me anymore. Just in the beginning when I gain so much weight for no reason. The first time my picture was taken when I was heavier I couldn't believe that was me.

[This message has been edited by cloverberry (edited 10-17-2003).]

I'm 45 and feel great! I think working out really helps your body and mind. I love taking long power walks every day. And I lift light weights. Both just make me feel so good. It is like a natural high. I watch what I eat and try to be as healthy as possible. I plan on being active at least until I'm 75! I have to spend more on skincare and go regularly to have my hair dyed but I'll do what I have to do.

I'm also going to post this on the Beauty board, the Weight board, and God knows where else. Maybe the Depression board. Also touches on Relationships and Sexuality boards.

I have to admit that being seen as a desirable, attractive female has been an essential part of my "package" since the age of 19.

This topic is changes at or after 40, which I have noted is, for me, a weight gain. I have also had a much lower sex drive but believe that has a lot to do with the weight gain.

I've decided that, vain as it might seem, for me it is the right thing to save up a few grand and go ahead and have myself fixed up. I am only 41, probably a decade away from menopause, and I certainly don't see why I have been thrown into the "scrap heap" already.

So -- one of several goals is to LOSE THAT 20 LBS!!!!!

Actually, once I am below 140 lbs, I'll be what is considered healthy. My weight now ranges from 153 - 156. UGGHHH. Wish me luck over the next few months. I'm giving it 3 months.

Come on guys you are depressing me! I turned 40 last December and have never looked or felt better. Now, mind you it takes work! I work out, eat right and take good care of my skin. I still get hit on by boys in their 20s. I feel sexy, smart and confident. I have loved being 40 and am anticipating 41 being even better. Get a positive mindset and take care of yourself. Age really is a state of mind.
Edie

LIFE REALLY DOES BEGIN AT FORTY!

I wondered about it out loud so much that my hubby surprised me with 40 red roses! It takes this long to start "getting the hang of " life !!!!

I went back to school, art, since my children were getting older and didn't need me constantly, and had such a good time! I'm still in a large art guild, recording secretary. (My youngest daughter may have resented it, does not talk, at all, though I've tried to find out, make it up to her. Would that have made her so independent? She has a masters' degree, teaches, has her own condo. She never did talk much, actually. That's the kind that may resent not getting enough attention, mom doing own thing? )

Anyway, I started violin at age 56, had played piano since kiddie band, and band instruments in h.s., church organ, etc., wanted to be on hand when orchestras needed a pianist, also played harp parts on a synthesizer, worked my way up from section 2nd violin to 1sts. Once was even asked to be assistant concertmistress at a rehearsal but didn't want to be that close to a very unpredictable conductor occasionally having outbursts, heh heh.

After some diabetic complications, an Endo Dr. thought I was trapped into injecting insulin, but I'm starting the Atkins diet, have been a size 10 a long time and hope to get back to size 8, get my blood sugar down permanently, get rid of some of my meds and not have to inject insulin. In the Induction Phase you don't eat bread or any baked things, stress proteins and fats, no carbs. Hard to get used to the first couple of days, and in a couple of weeks if my sugar and size are down, I can begin to add a few. This is a whole new way of life. Ya gotta have the latest book. I hi-lighted a lot of it in yellow that I may need to read again. I may even go back into orchestra work, still paying Union dues so as to know what's going on. One of the girls in my art club got her sugar down into the 60's w/Atkins and she's a restaurant cook.

FEET HURTING? We're not allowed to mention brand names, but my cushy new shoes have just three letters in the name. Cost $114, but more than worth it, they make such a difference.

I can even walk on concrete floors if I have to for a while. I have bunions, needing surgery, and callouses on them, diabetic ulcers, don't know if one will ever heal. For a while podiatrists shaved off (debridement) the calluses every two weeks, and there's medicated thin patches that help. Some people have to have skin grafts or amputations, if they get gangrene, and/or bone infection.

Muscles were getting really painful from not eating enough protein, and
diabetes, but since starting Atkins, I'm working on a piano concerto again at 67, to play with an orchestra, preferrably just as a rehearssal stand-in, know almost all the piano concerto's well enough to do that, was taught to value privacy, not become what some would consider a public person. I've gotta remember to look up the Atkins support group too. Wanted a large family to cling to, and wish we could get together more. Some commute to far-away states every week, all stressed I guess.

Forty is great, everyone. About three of my five children are over forty now. AGING IS SURE BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE!

My response may be a little bit different than some others. I actually love being over 40...I'm 44 years old. I look better (healthier) that I did at 30, have a better attitude, am more comfortable with who I am, and I have more confidence.

Although I do have some physical problems, lower back pain and anemia (caused by fibroids), these are physical problems that could strike a woman of almost any age.

I thought the original poster's question was interesting.

Generally speaking, getting older is better than the alternative.

As for all those painful feet: Get and use shoe orthotics.

I love all these positive posts. I think it matters also on how happy you are with your life in general. It does help to have a positive attitude and to just be glad we are alive!

I am almost 49 years old and in great shape. The only problem I have had is seeing up close. I didn't like glasses so now I wear a contact in one eye. It took about 3 weeks to get use to it. I do wear glasses toward bedtime if I plan to read a great deal. Also, I began playing tennis at age 41. I am on a tennis league and play 2 or 3 times a week. I now have more stamina than I did at 35. I walk two miles a day and teach school. I am married and take care of my mother who lives with me. My only son is grown and lives 125 miles away. He and his fiancee visit often. She is still in college. I have two dogs and two cats and lots of friends.
The only thing is that I could care less about sex!

I must be mature for my age then cause I turn 40 in couple weeks and I have been going down hill all year! lol Im not taking to turning to that magical number very well either! my dad died at 41 so i have that in the back of my head.

Turning 40 was the hardest, but being 40 was great! I lost alot of weight and was the thinnest I've been since college. I had this feeling that if I don't do it now, I'll never do it, so I tried a lot of different things that I had never done before, like scuba diving! Funny in Europe, they don't focus so much on the looks and fear of aging; they just accept it as a natural part of life. They respect their elders, not like here in the states.

I think I want to move to Europe then! lol

I am 45 and all the things you have said are just now starting (what is with the aching feet?) I felt great at 40 thought I would feel great forever need to adjust my attitude I think. Losing those impossible 20lbs would be a step in the right direction. I am pretty sure that attitude is everything so keep your chin and boobs up and enjoy every age. :bouncing:

Okay, my turn....I turned 40 back in May. Compared to some of your complaints, I think I'm doing okay. I've gained weight, yet haven't been too diligent in exercising or following a better eating plan, so that's my own d*mn fault. My hair started thinning noticeably a couple years back and I do use Rogaine, and have colored it since my 20s (I do have some grey).

Wrinkles, wrinkles, and more wrinkles seem to be cropping up all over my face. I don't mind the fine lines and smile lines, but I sleep on my face and the vertical creases have finally become permanent. I can see a bit of droop in the eyelid, and a bit of puffiness (fat?) too. But I still have great vision, though I can tell I can't hold a book up quite as closely. I have a few more years yet before the reading glasses...1.25 are still too strong...LOL.

I never had any problems with heartburn until just a few months ago. Not even when I was pregnant, so I finally know what it feels like. I guess just watching my diet would help that.

My feet don't hurt on a regular basis, but I do stand on them for 5 hours straight on concrete at work, and some days they do hurt, but that goes away.

My right hip has gotten stiffer over the last few years, stretching it would probably help a lot. Going to the chiropractor these last few weeks DEFINITELY seems to have helped it. Actually, that's helped a lot of the aches and pains in my neck, and headaches are gone.

Sex is awesome (when I get it...LOL). Even though I'm fatter and less firm than when younger, I have more confidence in myself sexually.

I do my best to take care of my teeth, yet they are starting to crack and break on me. I get two crowns for X-mas. I find that very very frustrating...perfect gums though.

The things that are bothering me are mostly related to fitness and a healthy diet, things I should be able to easily change, yet things that are so hard to do. I don't care if I don't look 20 years old, but I do care that I feel good physically and emotionally.

I cried when I turned 40. I told myself I was knocking of 50’s door. But now I’m 43 and past that.

I think my ailments are common for women my age. My feet don’t hurt but I do have fibroids that caused anemia. I think too much now…… :confused: It’s hard to make decisions without analyzing them to death. Also my memory sucks, I wonder if its because I think too much. Good thing I keep my ID on me, I might forget who I am :D . And if anyone can recommend a good pillow my neck would appreciate it.

QTee

I'm 44 years old, look about 10 years younger (or so I've been told), sometimes feel my age or older, and sometimes feel about twenty!

The past couple of years I've developed lower back problems (but this could happen at any age), eyesight problems-yes, I now need those darn "reading glasses", and uterine fibroids (which I understand is very common for women in this agegroup)

But I'm working on trying my best to get rid of these/deal with these issues by stretching & exercising more for my lower back muscles to strengthen them, making it a goal to lose about 15 lbs. For the reading glasses issue, I just found a really cute pair of frames, so I don't mind wearing them, and for the fibroid issue, I realize that eventually they'll go away and they're not cancerous or causing me pain.

I really think a lot of the physical problems or issues can be outweighed by a positive mental attitude...whoops, oh, did I mention that "brain fog" thing, lol.

I think the body changes just creep up on ya as the days go by. Arthritis set in my mid 40's hereditary type and then i ended up with carpal tunnel and several surgeries with that, I quit my job of 20+yrs to help out in the raising of my grandkids, that was a couple yrs ago. If ya have medical conditions it does tend to make you feel older I guess. I still work out 4 times a week and with osteoporosis and arthritis it is the best treatment for me and I have fun doing it. Actually things didn't really start to hit me hard til about last yr at 54, I slowed down from working out at the gymn 6 days a week to 4 and the body aches are more frequent but I won't give in to them, it's called denial and I love it, I didn't need reading glasses til just a year ago Some days I wake up and feel in better shape than I was at 35(which I am cuz I didn't start to care about my body til I was 45)and I've always kept my weight that I had in high school with little variables like pregnancy, I'm told I have a youthful appearance even with my crows feet and the jowl line beginning to sag(I hate that part), I carry myself like I was still 20, I can give my 12 yr old grandson a run for his money at times and he tells me he doesn't want to run against me cuz I'm in better shape than him and that is a compliment. So I feel great most of the time and the rest of the time, well I deal with it by accepting what I have and denying it's rule over my life..

well I'm 56. I feel VERY Over The Hill this winter.

I'm an "old soul" kind of person. I was about 80 when I was 25. However LIFE does begin at 40. Mine sure did an about turn and I became so alive at 40.

40-50 were the most enjoyable years of my life.. even though I got PN at 45.. it di not make me feel older. I still was enjoying a lot of good things I will always remember. I'm thankful I had the "young feeling" decade.

51..life style changes.. not good ones.. I guess that pushes you downward and a slide begins.. 52 arthritis.. OK physical problems abound since 52.

I'm very much hopeing to get a handel on my current multiple physical hassels before summer.. My Dr is certainly trying to help me. If I can just manage to get some things physical under better control then maybe I can try for a "second childhood"

60's just can't be a bad as 50's

well I'm 56. I feel VERY Over The Hill this winter.

I'm an "old soul" kind of person. I was about 80 when I was 25. However LIFE does begin at 40. Mine sure did an about turn and I became so alive at 40.

40-50 were the most enjoyable years of my life.. even though I got PN at 45.. it di not make me feel older. I still was enjoying a lot of good things I will always remember. I'm thankful I had the "young feeling" decade.

51..life style changes.. not good ones.. I guess that pushes you downward and a slide begins.. 52 arthritis.. OK physical problems abound since 52.

I'm very much hopeing to get a handel on my current multiple physical hassels before summer.. My Dr is certainly trying to help me. If I can just manage to get some things physical under better control then maybe I can try for a "second childhood"

60's just can't be a bad as 50's


60's they scare the heck out of me, I can feel the 50's more so this year and i wonder if it feels even worse in the 60's. You sound like me, with my other medical conditions I have Perepheral Neuropathy brought on by PA and I was 45 when that hit me to. I give myself b12 injections every 2 weeks and this is for the rest of my golden years of life. Alot of things hit me in the 40's to but I took it in stride and it didn't slow me down but this year it a different story. My 40's were one of the best 10yrs I had next to my late 30's. So enjoyable even with menopause which I went through easily by 48. If I had a decade to choose going back to and stay with it would be my 40's for sure. And to think that when I was in my 20's I thought someone at 40 had one foot in the grave, how little we know til we get there.

I would just like to hear what kind of physical symptoms women experience when being around the age of 40. Just curious.

None whatsoever. If they're healthy. I didn't have any.

Okay let's see, High BP, High Cholesterol, Eye Site, Hearing, The harder I workout the harder it is to lose. I eat less and still gain. Knees and legs hurt after cardio. Palpitations got rid of those with magnesium. It's all a rude awakening that I have since gotten use to..good luck to all misery loves company at least I feel better that I am not alone..Lisa

Hi, Moxie.

Hope you're having a very happy holidays season. "Life begins at 40," I always say, and even 60 and 70 is "better than the alternative".

In the diabetics forum, a woman's husband had his leg amputated this morning, and that seems so depressing to me, but he'd been Type 1 for 40 yrs, has so many problems, dialysis, etc., he's probably just glad to be alive, and hopefully end the gangrene that was going to be creeping higher up.

I just have a diabetic foot ulcer I can't seem to get rid of because I can't sit still and stay off of it. After Christmas I may make a resolution and keep it. I'm "doing Atkins", most of the time, only a few lapses when I'm out shopping all day or something like that, and it really helped get my blood sugar down to nearly normal. Her husband couldn't try it because of kidneys.

Talk to you later. Eagle

Wanted to add: I freaked at turning 30; saying goodbye to the 20's was hard.

But thanks so much for making me feel REALLY young tonight; I needed that.

Whoops; somehow I deleted my previous post.

Must be this old age creeping up on me!

I think anticipation is the worse thing. We're all diferent. We'll all react differently to aging. Visit your doctor regularly, don't worry about what's coming. Take it one day at a time. My grandmother lived to be 95. If she had any health problems she never said. I'm not going to worry about tomorrow. I feel pretty good right now. My age never bothered me. I'm 51, I'm never going to be younger.

Just wanted to update -- since October 30, I dropped from about 155 to 145 lbs. I had complained that the only sign of aging I see in me (I'm 41) is all this excess weight, all in the abdomen/waist area. Well the most noticeable difference is in my upper abdomen; near my ribs and the waistline are a bit smaller; my husband even noticed. So I can't complain about being 40 at all now! I do have to eat less . . . but after a few days of eating less, I actually got used to it and now the thought of too much sweets or dough-y foods makes me sick to my stomach -- those were my downfalls.

N2Golf~

I remember responding to you before. I'm 39 and will be 40 in december. YUCK!!

Let me give you an ear full..I hate my sagging boobs, I hate my flapping underarms. I used to sit on the toilet and my thighs didn't hang over the edge. I hate the changes in my hair(drier). My butt sags, it used to be very perky and bouncy. When I was in highschool I wore a size 1 http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I look in the mirror and loathe the wrinkle lines in my forehead. I want a face lift!

My tops of my hands aren't smooth like they used to be.

Heres the thing, I weigh 140lbs, I'm 5'9. I wear size 9/10 and still have a little belly. I jog 3x's a week for 2 1/2 miles. Lift 15 lb weights and work out on an excersize machine in my garage..similar to a crossbow,but not..too expensive!!

I still sag http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/eek.gif Age and gravity are winning this battle http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

People tell me I don't look 39. But it's hard to believe them when I see these things.

My feet hurt constantly.. I guess I need orthotics. My back aches. It's hard to get out of my two door car..it sits low. I didn't used to have this problem.

I've had severe depression. What a merry-go-round that is! I've got that bull by the horns though. I'm not on med's any more, trying to deal with this myself. It's working. I'm not as depressed but still hate aging. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

The great thing is I don't need glasses..yet!!if I do, I will get contacts.

I have 16&17 year old sons. In a few years I could be a grandmother, now that sounds WEIRD!

Is this enough for ya http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Basically I hate the aging process. I wish we could stay younger looking just a bit longer. The aches and pains could hold off for a while also. Really, I try very hard, but father time just won't give me a break.

I'm thinking about buying this $300 foot massager, my feet hurt ALL THE TIME.

N2golf~ I hope this helps you to understand we're in the same boat headed in the same direction.

Renee http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif




Wow Renee! And you're only 40. I'm 48. I love this age! At your age I felt (almost) the same way you do. Then I began to make changes. I went from 205lbs to 122. I joined a gym and began weight training. Then I began competing. Yep, after the age of 40! I'm now and have been a CPT and, believe it or not, I still compete (Masters). Much of my clientel consists of women over 40. Put them up against a 30 year old, and they put the 30 year old to shame! Much of it has to do with the drive women in their 40's have to turn back the clock. Much of it is wanting a life change. Whatever the reason, the drive to succeed is huge! They made changes in their bodies that create change in their entire outlook. They feel healthy and strong. Aches and pains? If you develop the body with correct form and core strength, aches and pains become much less. I just wish there was an exercise I could do to prevent my gums from showing age! I hate periodontitsts!

So, stay on the exercise machine. Or better yet, go to your local gym and talk with a trainer. Explain the equipment you have at home and she/he can work up an exercise plan for you. Invest in a physio ball and begin some core work. Your body is more capable now of wonderous things because your mind is much stronger. I hope I don't come off as preachy! Have fun with your years. You've earned them!

This 40 thing is really bugging you isn't it?

I turned 40 last December and I've noticed a few things. It's all been gradual, nothing happens overnight.

It's harder to stay in shape. I have the fine lines... those dreaded wrinkles are coming... Ack! that's the worst. My back hurts more, my hair is slightly thinner.

But..... I'm smarter, I don't stress as much about petty things.... I know myself better.

It's not so bad. I sometimes wonder what 50 will be like. I told my husband he better not turn out to be one of those disgusting middle age men who rip on middle age women and oogle over 20 someting women. He laughed and told me not to worry. I actually look younger than he does (he's 42).... I think it sucks that society seems to allow men to age, but women have to totally stress about it.

Good luck-- focus on your good points-- I'm sure you have them!

Heredity is the biggest factor here... All one can do is postpone the inevitable... AGEING! Of course we can do things to look better and feel better in the meantime. I used to be able to eat anything in any amount and not gain a pound. At over 6 feet and at 53, I weigh 190 and I used to have a 30 inch waist. I'm a loose 36 now. We "old" guys need a little more room at our age :)

I saw an interview with Cher a few years back and what she said stuck in my mind because I can so relate to it. She candidly stated that she could find nothing good about aging (very brave I thought since most stars love to say that they have never felt better, and maturing is so wonderful, etc.) Anyway, Cher said that when she turned 40 she thought "Wow, 40 isn't so bad...I look pretty good!". But, she said that in just a couple years she could see herself really aging. She said around 43-44 you really start going downhill. That's how it's been for me. I think I looked better in my 30's than I did at any other time of my life, and at 40 I looked younger than my age. But the last few years....eww-we! I'm starting to see my mother in the mirror. My skin has really started to lose it's firmness. I'm getting deep lines above my upper lip (no, I don't smoke...but it looks like I do). I never thought I'd mind getting older, but now that it's happening, I want to run to the nearest plastic surgeon!!! I can understand why women (and men) spend a fortune on surgery and lotions & potions. It's so depressing to watch your face changing. Especially when you still fell young on the inside! I'd love to be able to do something about these lines around my mouth, but I'm afraid I'd end up looking like a duck or have no improvement and be wasting my money. Cher's right..age sucks!

Attitude is the problem. I'm not spending the second half of my life being miserable about something I can't change, age.

Well put Cloverberry

Gee, someone is finally interested in hearing about my aches and pains!

All of this after 40.

1. Giardia for practically an entire summer two years ago (I'm now 44).

2. Ovarian cysts (painful and bothersome).

3. Migraines.

4. Miscellaneous aches and pains.

On the bright side, I have two adorable young boys and a loving husband!

I would just like to hear what kind of physical symptoms women experience when being around the age of 40. Just curious.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I will be 42 in March. I will be graduating from college in December specializing in nursing. I've began running and exercising at least 3 times a week. For some odd reason, I am taking better care of myself now and can actually do more than I could when I was 30. I haven't had really any pains except I do have a frozen shoulder, but that was kind of my fault..LOL
I hate getting old, but it is all a state of mind. We make our lives the way we want to live. Live it to the fullest and enjoy your loved ones.

My wife is 40. She had her right ovary removed by emergency surgery last December. It had been cystic for years. She had been suffering from recurring pain in her right side for years. She feels so much better now that she has joined a gym and swims 3 times a week and lifts weights too. I am 53 and I have been working out with her...

My wife is 40. She had her right ovary removed by emergency surgery last December. It had been cystic for years. She had been suffering from recurring pain in her right side for years. She feels so much better now that she has joined a gym and swims 3 times a week and lifts weights too. I am 53 and I have been working out with her...


That is so great! :D I've just been thinking that this is the only body I'm going to have so if I intend for it to be around for awhile, I'd better start taking better care of it. The exercise has not only helped me tone, it gives me so much more energy and a constant feeling of self worth!