Innermost Being Blog

What do you complain about the most?

I am sixty years old, and my body is showing the natural signs of aging. It seems like I complain on a daily basis about one ache or another – my knees, my back, my shoulder. I don’t want to be one of those people who constantly complain about aches and pains and don’t do anything about them. Well, I really don’t want to be one of those people who complains constantly, period.

Here are a few of the ways I address my complaints:

Exercise. Exercise is great for cardiovascular health, but it also strengthens your bones and muscles. I have osteopenia, a condition less severe than osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises help preserve my bone density.

Supplements. I take a multivitamin every day, as well as calcium and vitamin D3 supplements for my osteopenia. I consume some dairy every day, but not enough. I live in a northern state, so I don’t get enough vitamin D naturally.

Rest, ice, support. Exercise is important for overall health, but sometimes you have to rest painful joints. Tendinitis is one of those times. I tend to get tendinitis 😉 in my elbows and wrist. Another common complaint of aging is osteoarthritis. We keep ice packs in the freezer. I wear compression sleeves for my knees.

Prevention. Last summer, I fell while trail running at a runners club race. I have fallen many times before and only sustained minor injuries. This time, I fell on my right shoulder, fracturing and dislocating it. Knowing that I’m injury prone and imagining how much worse my fall could have been, the smart thing for me is to do is to stop doing this risky thing.

Acceptance. This is probably the hardest. It’s hard to accept that you can’t do the things you once did. See above. I don’t want to stop running on trails, but I accept that it’s for my own good.

It’s also hard to accept the fact that you can’t fix everything. I consulted a specialist about painful swelling in my ring finger. I injured it years ago, falling in an exercise class. Now I have arthritis and a swollen, ugly knuckle. My hope was that surgery could fix my joint. The doctor said that surgery would not make it better. His advice was to use pain medication. Basically, deal with it.

Aging is not for sissies. It comes with aches and pains. It comes with disappointment at not being able to do what your young body could do. But there are many benefits to staying physically active as long as possible!

I can’t end a post about complaining without an expression of gratitude. I am grateful that I’ve reached this age. I am grateful to be healthy. I am grateful that I can get up and move!