Inquisitive.me

I can’t wait to turn 65!

…Said no one ever—except me.

Hear me out. I constantly hear things like:

“I’m in pain because I’m old.”

“I can’t do that anymore—I’m 55 now.”

“Getting old is the worst.”

Honestly, I could write an entire blog just listing the things people say about aging.

That’s exactly why I want to be 65—so I can prove aging isn’t the villain here. What most people call “getting old” is really just years of inactivity and neglect finally catching up to them. It’s not the candles on your birthday cake holding you back—it’s the habits you’ve carried for decades.

We’ve made life too easy for ourselves. Escalators instead of stairs. Elevators instead of walking a floor or two. Driving to places we could easily walk. We choose comfort over movement, again and again. And then, years later, we’re surprised when our bodies start to complain.

Don’t get me wrong—you’re not going to be as strong, flexible, or quick to recover as you were in your 20s or 30s. Aging happens. You can’t stop it. But you can slow it down. You can maintain your independence well into your later years.

What shocks me most is that I rarely hear these complaints from people in their 80s. Instead, they’re coming from people in their 60s, 50s, 40s—and yes, even 30s. Our life expectancy keeps climbing, but our tolerance for discomfort is plummeting.

And it makes me wonder:

At what point did you decide to spend the rest of your life in pain?

I know most people never made that decision consciously—but they also never decided to fight against it.

I did.

In my late 20s, I was in constant pain. And I told myself:

I will not stay miserable.

I will not accept this as my “normal.”

I will not be someone who just complains.

Yes, training is hard. Building healthy habits is hard. Changing your lifestyle is hard. But so is being weak. And weakness comes with its own kind of pain.

Choose your hard.

Am I pain-free? No. If I push myself in training, I feel it. But now I know why I’m in pain—and that pain means progress.

As you age, you are going to have pain. You can be strong and have pain or you can be weak and have pain.

Layne Norton

Today, I’m stronger, more mobile, and have better endurance than I did in my 20s. My joints move freely. My muscles aren’t tight all the time. At almost 35, I feel great. Yet I hear people my age complaining about back pain, knee pain, and “getting old.” Social media doesn’t help—it’s full of posts that normalize and even glorify this mindset.

So, please—stop complaining about your age. Start empowering yourself instead. A little discomfort during training won’t last. But if you do nothing, that pain will last—maybe for the rest of your life.

Do the work. Hit the gym. Go for a run. Do mobility drills. Prioritize your health. The pain you feel now is building a body that will carry you through the decades ahead. It means sports will still be on the table for you. It means daily life will feel easier. It means you’ll be able to care for yourself without relying on someone else.

Will any of this guarantee a pain-free future? No. But I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything I can to give myself the best shot at a strong, healthy, long life.

You are never going to regret being stronger.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon

Because let’s be honest—no one says, “I miss being weak.” But plenty of people regret taking their healthy bodies for granted. Some of them were once in incredible shape. When I ask why they stopped, the answer is often:

“Because I was in pain.”

And my response? “What made you think getting weaker would make the pain go away?”

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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The heaviest weight in the gym is the front door.

This is a quote from Jonathan Goodman and I love it because it’s true. Walking through that door—whether it’s a gym, a studio, or your own living room where you’ve rolled out a yoga mat—is often the hardest part. Not because the workout is impossible, but because starting means you’re stepping out of your comfort zone.

🎯 Try This:

It’s never too late to start moving, but the longer you wait, the harder it feels. And you don’t need to begin with anything fancy. Think of it like learning to cook—you don’t start with a seven-course gourmet dinner.

• If you can do squats, great. If not, stand up and sit down from a chair 10–15 times.
• If you can do push-ups, do them. If not, try them on an elevated surface like a countertop.
• If you can run, go for a jog. If not, walk faster than usual.
• If you can do yoga, try it. If not, start with beginner postures and work your way up.

The point is: pick something and do it today. Tomorrow, do it again—or try a variation. Over time, these small wins stack into big changes. And if you feel lost or unsure, reach out to a coach or physiotherapist to get you moving safely.

🧠 Final Thought:

Movement is a skill. The more you practice, the better you get. But if you never take that first step, you’ll always be carrying the heaviest weight: the one between you and the door.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊