17 Middle-Aged People Revealed The Shocking "Body Changes" They Experienced When They Turned 40
I definitely went through a "second puberty" in my mid to late 20s. I gained a little weight, my body composition changed, I developed chronic back pain, and I even started getting acne again! Isn't getting older swell???
According to the comments on this Reddit thread by u/successful-bonsai, things get even more ~interesting~ once you enter your 40s. Here's what 17 people said started happening to their bodies once they hit that milestone:
1."I like to joke that I hit 40 and the 'check engine' light came on. You'll get random aches and pains that just come and go, and sometimes stick around permanently. If you injure yourself, expect healing times to be two to three times longer at least. Same with illnesses — you just don't bounce back like you used to."
2."I barely drink anymore. The hangovers suck, but it also makes my heart race. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with my heart going as fast as if I’ve been working out."
3."My body started degenerating a lot more after about 45. It's still healthy and works, but I have to be careful about feeding it properly, getting some exercise, and the like. But now I look old, and people treat me differently because of it, and that's sad."
4."What the fuck is up with all this ear hair?"
5."Peeing more often. Not being able to get it up as easily. Forgetting names more often."
6."Despite all the negatives, your 'give a fucks' plummet at 40, which is pretty great."
7."Skin tags."
8."I’m gonna be real. There is a day in your early 40s where you wake up weirdly tired, and that never goes away."
9."All of your old injuries come back to haunt you. That banged-up knee that you got sliding into home plate when you were 9? Hello, again! That time you tweaked your back lifting that grocery bag? Did you miss me? Blurry eyes from staying up too late on the computer? Well, now they're always blurry!"
10."I wear glasses to see far, but have to remove my glasses/contacts to read."
11."If you’re a woman, perimenopause. You don’t realize how much hormones contribute to the overall running of your body until they start to go away. Horrible periods at random times, acne, hair loss, weight problems, extreme fatigue, muscle wasting, violent emotional swings, and inability to concentrate. Fun times."
12."I finally got diagnosed with ADHD at age 38 and started meds that work. I'm 40 now, and this is the most emotionally stable I've been in my entire life, and it's amazing. So it's never too late to figure out your life."
13."I've noticed the skin on my hands is much more sensitive to dryness and is thinner than it used to be."
14."Dick quit. Hair quit. Eyes quit. Brain quit...annnd I forgot the last one."
15."I sneezed once, and it felt like I broke two ribs."
16."My body is more dependent on regular movement. I can still jump and run and move with some agility, but if I sit for too long, my joints have a weird five-second warm-up period."
17.And finally, "No one warns you about your ballsack creeping down and sticking to your knee in the summer, like a hot piece of silly putty."
