when you're young but feel old.
why our body changes so quickly, why one day you wake up feeling like you have new aches and pains, and what I use to help me feel my best.
as you step into the first few years of your 30’s, you might have already noticed (or will start noticing) that your body just feels different. you can be doing the same daily activities, but the aches and pains creep up on you and your body doesn’t feel the same it did just a couple months ago.
aches and pains are way more common as we stroll through our 30’s and that’s due to a combination of factors. I’m going to run you through these factors, and then share some things I do at home to combat them and feel my best.
Natural Aging Process: you may start to notice things like sarcopenia, bone density loss, ligament and tendon wear, and cartilidge degradation. These sound like big, scary terms but they are common.
Sarcopenia - a condition where you start to lose muscle mass. this puts more stress on your joints and makes you more susceptible to little injuries through your workouts, or things like picking up your child, bending down wrong, etc. It’s no secret that strength training as we get older has it’s benefits.
Bone Density Loss - bone density starts to decrease with age, beginning around age 30, and can make you more prone to fractures. It’s not a bad idea to ask your doctor for a bone density scan to see where you fall if you are in or around your 30’s. That way, you can proactively approach bone density loss, or maintain where you are if everything looks good. I did a bone density scan a couple years ago, and it’s a little tool that looks like a thermometer that was placed on the inside of my wrist for a minute. So easy!
Ligaments and Tendons - they start to lose elasticity and flexibility with age, making them more prone to injury. Just like strength training for muscle mass, it’s no secret your trainer and doctor tells you to stretch more often (psst - don’t worry, as a trainer, I’m guilty of not doing this more myself but it’s important!).
Cartilage Degradation - the cartilage in your joints acts as a cushion, and with age, can be worn down which leads to osteoarthritis. To avoid this, eating a healthy diet rich in whole foods and healthy fats, low impact movement and staying hydrated can help.
Lifestyle Factors: healthier people feel better, it’s a fact. There is no arguing that someone who moves their body, drinks their water, sleeps well and eats a whole foods diet looks, thinks, speaks, acts and moves through life better. There are a few ways that your lifestyle factor can contribute to your aging process, leaving you feeling and looking less than your best. They are:
a sedentary lifestyle
injury from overuse or pushing it when feeling pain or discomfort
poor posture
obesity
lack of restorative sleep
Stress: we know it’s dangerous and detrimental to our health, and it’s often hard to avoid. We live in a stressful world! But making sure we take care of ourselves, even when we are stressed, can make us feel way better than giving into not working out, not eating well, drinking more alcohol, and more. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle even when you’re feeling stressed can combat stress, and reduce it over time.
Okay, now let’s get to the fun stuff! I love to use at-home remedies or tools to help me avoid injury and feeling good. These are super simple and borderline self-care tips that are easy to fit into your at-home routines.
Chirp Wheel+ Set - I am SUPER prone to pulling my trap, neck/shoulder muscles, I hold a lot of stress there, and I was a gymnast growing up so I have a lot of overuse and overcompensation issues from that. Instead of taking the time and money to go to the chiropractor, I love using my wheels for my neck, shoulders, traps and back. It only takes a couple minutes a day, and they help to improve pain, tension headaches, posture, sciatica, stretch your anterior and posterior chain, and more. I have the 3 wheel set so I have a variety of sizes, but you can pick and choose the ones you feel are right for you. Less pain = better quality of life!
Beckham Pillows - if you follow me on instagram, maybe I officially sound like a broken record. However, these pillows have really changed things for me. They are the only pillows we sleep on and were recommended to me by my chiropractor. They help to keep your head elevated and inline with your spine, so your head doesn’t dip lower and cause pain or strain. Highly recommend!
Low Impact Movement - truly nothing feels better than moving your body in a way that feels good. Mentally, low impact movement can be difficult if you’re not used to it. I am a gymnast, runner and tennis player at heart - so I love to keep it moving and thrive in high intensity environments. This 34-year-old body, however, does not. I’ve been through a lot of wear and tear in my day, so keeping it slower most of the time with heated sculpt and walking feels best - and I’ll throw in strength and HIIT once or so a week.
Glutamine - a common and naturally occurring amino acid in the body that our body makes, but we can also get it from food. As we age, similar to collagen, our body makes less of it. This means supplementing it can be helpful. Some reasons I like to take glutamine is for muscle recovery, an energy source for cells, nitrogen transport (essential for protein synthesis) and immune support. I add a tsp of this to my coffee when I’m taking it and you can’t even taste it. Feel free to add it to your smoothies, electrolyte water, plain water or tea!
If you’ve suddenly felt more aches and pains lately and you’re only in your 30’s, you’re not alone! I definitely recommend the above to use as a preventative and as a way to try to reverse some of the damage.
let me know if you try anything, what you like and if you have any questions!
xoxo, lara