When people say that teenagers feel like they’re invincible, this is what they’re talking about. The reality of life is that all this stuff starts much sooner than you’d expect. Growing up, you think you’re probably fine until you get old but it’s all part of a gradual decline that you have no choice but to get used to.

Good luck, buddy!

My body started falling apart in my 30s. It took a radical diet change to discover I have major issues with gluten. It cleared up so many problems I had. A little while later I discovered I don’t process alcohol well and it had a cumulative effect. Once I cut that out things got much better again.

I guess what I’m saying is, consider your diet. I used to make fun of gluten free people. I’m not laughing anymore.

I am 60 and felt fine into my late 30s, and even then the changes happened slowly. Our world has become more toxic, and you are suffering the direct results. Some are luckier than others, but you are correct that things have changed for the worse. Plastic is a likely main contributor but there is a lot more crap in your environment than there was when I was 20. It breaks my heart that it should be so. I hope the future has some remedy.

I was a sedentary teen, so I’m more active and feel much better now. Never look at yourself in decline. The more you work hard to be healthy the less aging will impact you.

Yes, sort of.

My 20s saw my first real back, ankle, and knee injuries/soreness. Also had my first crown done around then. I felt pretty depressed about it.

I picked up stretching, yoga, and low impact cross training. 20 years later I can honestly say that my back and knees have never been better. I’m a lot more thoughtful about preparation and risks I choose to take.

What’s your diet like? Are you eating a variety of leafy green vegetables? If not, add that to your daily food intake. You don’t even really need to change anything else if you don’t want to. But eating a variety of dark leafy greens will help your mitochondria, the powerhouse of your cells. Foods that help your gut are also imports, so sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt etc. fermented foods.

I add them to pretty much any of my foods, even when I am eating junk. Kimchi on pizza is one of my favorite combinations. It’s really good. I’ll cut up arugula and add it to my nachos. I add dark leafy greens to all my burritos, whatever else.

With any new diet change, start small and slow. So, if you barely eat dark leafy greens, start with spinach and add a bit of kale or arugula every couple of days. Same with yogurts and kimchi’s and stuff. Eat small amounts to begin with. Your body needs to adjust to the new foods. Eating too much too soon can cause discomfort.

I’m 37 I feel much better than I did in my 20’s but I have completely transformed my diet from mainstream processed foods to vegetable laden, especially dark leafy greens. I also do stretching exercises 1-3 times a week. Keeps me limber, and its relaxing, vs working out which is tiring. ( I work out too, but it’s the stretching that makes me feel better!)

I feel like that in my 30s

earlier than that for me:

• ran into a barbed wire fence on a bike in 2nd grade & cut one of my thighs down to the muscle layer, requiring a couple hundred stitches (and let me tell you, pulling those out was not fun).
• fell off of a rock onto one of my knees in 5th grade, necessitating surgery (it didnt cut my jeans, havent worn jeans since)
• had to get glasses in 6th grade, and stepped on broken glass that year, bunch of stiches in my feet.
• broke an arm in 8th grade
• had a power sander accident in 11th grade (rerouting some of the veins in my left wrist).

in my 20s, I had 3x wisdom teeth removed and 2x root canals/crowns in other molars.

in my 30s, I had dental surgery removing the last wisdom tooth as it was impacting a nerve causing the left side of my face to go completely numb & extracting the 2x teeth from the failed root canals I had in my 20s. got bone grafts for those two, plus posts and dental implants, and then one more unrelated root canal.

in my 40s now, I am beginning to develop lower back and knee/ankle pain - it’s not awful or debilitating but it’s constantly there.

Those seem genetically driven; how have your parents fared with similar stuff? That might give you an idea of what you’re in for.

I feel like I’m falling apart more in terms of pain and chronic aches and pains. Wrong positions and movements bother me for way longer than they should. Don’t think I’ll ever wake up without low back pain ever again.

I’m 32. I feel like a lot of these things bothered me in my 20s but it wasn’t until mid-to-late 20’s into 30’s that it really started to affect my life. Now I’m trying to fix what I can and just maintain. Be healthier and more active.

Sounds like your already doing that so that’s why I would consider genetic, which blows because what can ya do?

Kind of, but not fully. It’s more like I’m aware that the reality is I have to start being careful even if I’m still considered “young”, more like don’t do any stupid shit

I swear, since the day I turned 28, anytime I stand in 1 spot for more than 30 seconds where I lock one of my knees, if I then adjust or move, I get fuckin rice crispy knees LOL

I had my gallbladder out in my late 20s, but that’s more caused by gaining 50 lbs in college and then losing 20 lol

Other than that, that’s basically it so far, thankfully. I don’t really have back pain or other stuff. I have a sedentary job (I’m in IT) where I sit at a desk almost the entire work day (we do 1 walk), but I also can take a 1.5 hr break if I go to the gym instead of 1h, so I do that instead, which helps my health. I’m trying to do tennis on Tues and Thursdays as well

I have never been as fit and lean as I was when I was 24. One year later I injured my back and that made it difficult to work out as hard as I had been. I’m still in shape (mostly) but I can spend no more than 35 minutes a day lifting weights. Things that were easy ten years ago are now painful; i.e. golf swings, running, overhead press. I’ve had to modify my workouts so I don’t aggravate my injury, instead of running I’ll bike, and many exercises are cut from my free weight routine. The moment is start hurting I go home.

Doctors are mystified, lmao, I’ve had all the imaging and they have no idea what’s going on inside me.

Oh well. The hardest part is just learning to not eat like you have been all your life. I’ve cut out alcohol (I allow myself one night of drinking a month) but I’m still getting fat. It’s a struggle, and it feels unfair because I’m one of the only people I know that has taken meticulous care of his body.

Maybe go to a Dr about your knees, I’m in my 30s my genetics aren’t great. I did go bald in my 20s but besides that Iv never felt better, I do take vitamin and mineral supplements though. I have 2 kids but my body form has never been better

I’m in my 30s and perfectly fine and top notch. I don’t really exercise or eat well either. I can’t say it’s genetics either lol. My mom has had chronic health problems of every kind since her late teens. So idk what the secret sauce is

I think what it comes down to is just genetics. I live a moderately unhealthy lifestyle and yet have no back pain, have good eyesight, and maintain a reasonable weight.

Did your parents also go through the same “early” downward spiral, by chance?

30s for me, but yeah I know what you mean, feels like you start racking up the health problems at an alarming rate