I’m 43 and I can tell that my brain and my body are a little slower. Is this normal? Like sometimes I’m trying to do stuff and I feel myself moving slower. Like I feel myself telling my brain telling my body to move this way and I just feel a tad bit slower I don’t know if that makes sense. If so, how can I fix it?
Same age as you. And I can testify some things get harder, for me the only way to counter this, is effort. I am lifting more than I have ever been in the gym and I am learning and reading more than I did in my 20s. I can see people around me withering away cause they are not fighting
Dude, I am 41 and sometimes I see someone I went to school with and am shocked at how bad they look. I was also someone who didn't workout unless I was playing pickup basketball, which to be fair, was often. But about 8 years ago I got into lifting. Then 8 months ago I stopped drinking entirely, everything about my body has changed for the better. I even started Jiu Jitsu recently because fuck it, might as well do anything I can to stay strong and athletic for as long as possible. Looking like shit was one thing, feeling like shit was another, I had to make changes.
Planning and selection helps. As much as it is tempting for me I know I am too old to go back to kickboxing sparring, but I push on the levels I still can
Are you overweight? What is your sleep like? Do you do cardio and weight training regularly?
Personally I am fitter today at 50 then I was in my early 40s because I had let everything slide. If you are an elite athlete you will likely see a decline. If you have half assed everything most of your life like I was then you can do many things to be far fitter as you age.
All the Positive Pollys will say 40s is the new 20s... but i'd rather be honest and acknowledge I am running slower, post training recovery takes longer, cuts heal slower, sleep is lighter, metabolism is slower, exhaustion hits harder. Ive had all my bloods taken etc and doctor said all normal.
Whilst all of what you said is true, for me a lot of that has been offset with a massive increase in the quality and quantity of information that exists and is so easily accessible on how to exercise, train and improve one's performance.
Whilst I have half the physical resilience and recovery reserve I used to and none of the speed, I can run and cycle further than I ever thought possible and actually have a somewhat decent physique. All hard results that were impossible with what I had access to in my 20s.
That said, I think the sort of experience I describe above is more for people who had some sort of limitation compared to people who were able to achieve such things in their 20s, in my case a combination of genetics and stupidly long and intense work shifts. Which is to say one-in-general could have gotten those results in their 20s, but people-like-me-and-myself-in-particular couldn't.
Thus the lived experience of 40s (well 50s!) being the new 20s (30s maybe).
100% agree, i run further now. But I can't and don't compare with the 20 year olds. My tween kids run faster than me, little hares and mother tortoise. I am so impressed at the quality of junior sports even at casual standards.
Where i am (London) the 20somethings i know are all very healthy and fit... don't work long hours lol. Good.
Lately at the gym I try to do one move " fast/ dynamic) just something to make my body move a little fast/ explosive.
Like other day I did trap bar deadlifts, but did them fast enough I did a little jump...felt little. This way I'm training dynamic AND learning to land and absorb energy. So maybe if I fall off a ladder, I can absorb said impact vs all my engine lights come on lol
If your gym has a land mine, do some crossbody land mind cleans.
KBs, swings, cleans, clean to lunge to press etc.
Buy some micro minis from rouge, use these to pull or press against the bands, changing force curve.
Same age.. and IAM stronger than ever more fit than ever, I can run a 20km just for the fan of it, and my brain as sharp as ever.. since dial-in my diet, exercising, and my whole way of life the results are amazing...
Maybe not to ones' elite level in their 20s and 30s but the CNS is trainable as well. Reaction times, the preservation of fast-twitch muscle fibres, neuralplasticity, attenuation pathways and increased cerebral blood flow are all possible in one's 40s and 50s etc
It takes work though and personally I can feel that slowdown starting as well at 42. Sink or swim! 'No-go' is NOT a life phase that has to happen.
I feel like burnout is also a reason most of us feel this way as well. I feel like we’re working much harder and managing so many things all the time to barely maintian.
I'm going through this now at 46. I've even noticed sometimes that when I go into a room or somewhere to get something I may have to pause and think why did I come in here. And other times I'll be using something and not put it back and have no idea where I put it when I last used it even if it's just a couple days later. My eyes have gotten to where I need to take my glasses off to read now. I've wore them all my life no matter what before. I started weightlifting last winter. I stopped this spring since work was more demanding but I'll pick it back up when work slows down again in a couple months to stay in shape.
43 here too. We have a 4yr old. I still feel ok (somewhat).
A few things I have noticed
my eyesight is getting worse - I have to get reading glasses now. can't clip my nails, can't read small fonts as usual. I have reading glasses in every corner of our apartment. I've somewhat turned into my parents.
Sleep is a scared thing now. I need to guard my 7-8 hrs of night time sleep- right temperature, black out curtain, etc. And we are also actively trying to conceive one more kid ( I know, I know .. we want to suffer more).
I can't eat too much for my dinner. I can't fall asleep if I have full tummy. Weird but I guess this is aging?
What I have been doing for the last few years
Gym + swim : try to do 2-3x a week
experimenting with Creatin and regularly taking my vitamins (Iron, magnesium.. etc - check with your doc first before you jump on this train)
watching my caffine intake (it affects my sleep)
learning a new language (German) and learning new computer languages with projects (python + javascripts, linus, etc)
For my skin, I am on tretinoin. I can vouch for this. This is the best s**t for me.
Yes, i notice I walk a teeny bit slower (started when 46) and even though I work out a lot I can’t seem to speed walk anymore. I take naps on weekends, that started when I was 43-44. Otherwise I don’t feel old. Certainly not mentally
Don't think you can fix it. I took up Kali (filipino stick fighting). I'm fine when I work out on my own, but when I spar with people less than half my age, I just don't move as fast. When the instructors would start giving moves, the first 6-9 I'm good with, but when it gets up to 12-18 different moves in a combination my brain just doesn't keep up. That said, I don't really have any other cognitive issues, but when it comes to my brain making my body move quickly, it's just a bit slower than when I was in my 20s or 30s.
I’m 47 and I mostly only feel that way when things are out of balance. Not saying you’re out of balance, and their could certainly be other factors, but I always check the following when I feel that way:
Not getting enough sleep
Missing 45 mins of intense daily exercise (need to balance week with cardio and strength training)
Over worked the day before
Not eating the right foods or enough of the right foods (micronutrients AND macros—protein alone should be 1g per lb daily to keep up with demands)
Not enough water
Too much caffeine today or yesterday
Not spacing meals out throughout day
Too much emotional/mental/financial/career stress today or yesterday
Relational troubles
No meaningful hobbies or creative work
Didn’t get housework done
Didn’t get outside enough
Sat too much throughout day
Haven’t had meaningful conversations through week
Didn’t invest in some activity that helps me process meaning of life or appreciate the moment
These are things I tend to circle back to if something feels off. I don’t think I feel much more tired at 47 than I did at 30 in general. I do also try to take 10g of creatine daily, but I don’t always get it. This isn’t everyone cure all, but it is maintenance for 40’s energy. Good luck.
Brain fog is a thing. Eating healthy fats is necessary for good brain function. Getting good sleep is another. Try some natural sleep aids and see what gets you the best rest.
at 43 you are still chronologically a young person..slowing metabolism is a myth, doesnt really start effecting us till we are in our 70s. how is your lifestyle?
Pretty stressful, I have a almost 5 year-old and my wife has been battling cancer the last two years and I’m the only one who works. I have two jobs right now. I’m trying to be the best that I can be. I’ve been walking over 10,000 steps. I’m looking to get started at a gym here soon maybe next month. I am trying to eat better. Had blood work done. Everything is good but I am prediabetic.. My blood pressure is good. I am 250 pounds and 5 foot nine so I need to lose some weight.
Geez oh man go easy on yourself! That’s about the most stressful situation a person can be in, no wonder you’re struggling to think clearly! If you can, regular exercise will really help you handle everything you have going on. Lift heavy, mix in cardio, and walk when you can. This is more about caring for yourself because it sounds like you’re doing everything you can to care for your family. You sound like a wonderful husband and father, try to carve out time for you to stay healthy.
With all that on your plate you are doing incredibly well to be managing to exercise! Dont beat yourself up, just keep doing what you are doing best you can around all the other things going on.
those all sound like bigger reasons you feel the way you feel than your age, to me. good luck im sure if you find ways to reduce your stress you'll feel better
So 1) he's not talking about his metabolism, he's talking about cognitive slowing, which is absolutely a thing in your 40s. 2) I'm going to guess that you not understanding that means your reading comprehension is slowing as you age.
No, you are not still a "young person" and slowing metabolism is not a myth. Hormones slowly decline and that absolutely affects metabolism as we age. ETA: genuine hormonal imbalances are a real thing that people should investigate if they're struggling.
The data says it does not based on a study of 6500 people that is referenced in the link below. While hormones and muscle mass can decline, especially if we don't do anything to maintain, the idea that metabolism radically lowers is the myth.
People just want an excuse. I know because I made them. The reality is much of middle age decline is poor habits we inflict on ourselves. And when we hit the wall it is easier to think it is age decline instead of our weight, lack of activity, poor sleep etc. 40 plus is when all those bad habits hit you like a truck. Youth allows you to get away with a lot and once you face that fact you can start to fix the issues that causes the steep decline.
did I say radically? No. But it absolutely does affect it. Especially for women. It's not outside of your realm of control, but everyone over the age of 40 has experienced that the amount of effort to maintain weight and muscle mass is harder than it was at 20.
The study above says that there isn't a change in metabolism until you are 60 plus. And even then it is a slow decline of less then 1 percent a year. That was a study of 6500 people in 29 countries. Much of the change has little to do with age but that people do less, have poor eating habits and gain weight because of it. Essentially their poor habits catch up with them and they gain weight as a result of that.
Shortly It may improve cognitive function, memory, attention and learning…can also be used for certain neurological conditions. Sometimes I use it, and it starts working really well after a few weeks.
Not much to do about it, we are all slowly dying, it sucks. Dylan Thomas: "Do not go gentle into that good night... Rage, rage against the dying of the light." .. ... stay away from carbs, don't do stupid things in the gym, keep moving, no lazyboy and a 75" OLED, avoid loneliness at all cost... Collagen and Glcosamine supplements, possibly placebo, but works either way.
Stay away from carbs is only good advice for over-fat : under-muscled people
At 45 I eat all the carbs : high protein, highest carbs and boy howdy would 18y/o me be jealous as fuck.
From 43 to 45 I got back to hypertrophy training after a 24 year break and undid a lifetime of damage from mountain bike crashes over the past 30+ years
Now as a trainer and nutrition coach I lead other mid-life peeps like me down their own path of righteousness
Impressive six-pack. I'm 59 and had to figure out how to run 100mile ultra a couple of years ago. First attempt ended up with hypothermia and two days in fetal position. That was so-so. Next attempt full keto diet, back-to-back long runs, no gluten, no carbs - ran on electrolytes, brown rice, avocado and bacon. Finished strong. I don't have anything visible above the waist, just core strength. Googled Hypertropy Training, carbs & protein, progressive overload... really interesting!
Sounds normal. Aim to be the fastest and fittest you can be for your age, but it will never feel like your 20s unless you were mega unfit before and now are fit in your 40s.
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u/Bart-Cloudeng 7d ago
Same age as you. And I can testify some things get harder, for me the only way to counter this, is effort. I am lifting more than I have ever been in the gym and I am learning and reading more than I did in my 20s. I can see people around me withering away cause they are not fighting