General Question

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

How come when we age, we tend to feel more tired?

Asked by MRSHINYSHOES (13996points) July 16th, 2011

When I was in my 20s, I had more energy than I do now, even when I didn’t get much sleep back then. Now that I’m in my early 30s, I notice that it takes more energy to do certain things, stay awake, lift weights, take care of my kids, and so forth. What are the physical processes that make us more tired and have less stamina as we age? Just curious, because I do a lot of swimming and weight training exercises.

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29 Answers

obvek's avatar

Thyroid hormone deficiencies are very common anymore and a source of that kind of chronic tiredness. If you haven’t ruled that out, you would do well to bring it up with your doctor and get the blood work done.

atlantis's avatar

General aging process. Body loses power and regains it much more slowly. I read somewhere that the depreciation of our body’s cells is caused by the oxygen left there as a residual after processing for energy and regeneration.
So whatever is needed for sustaining life is also the cause of our cells depreciation.

Coloma's avatar

The normal aging process, unless you have a medical condition.

Young trees have flexibility, old trees get brittle. lol

I was wasted yesterday, spent the whole day before kicking ass in my yard, raking, moving dirt around some big plants I transplanted, cleaned the goose barn, watered everything, swept, cleaned my house from top to bottom and had a friend over for lunch and wine yesterday…man, I was whipped! haha
Went to bed at 9:30 last night and slept til 7:30

woodcutter's avatar

It’s the natural process of dying. It will come a time when the tiredness will progress to the point where you never wake up.
You’re already observing this and you’re only in your 30’s?
Got life insurance?

Coloma's avatar

The biggest thing I have noticed is the over doing it thing now.
When you’re younger you can over exert yourself and hardly feel it. Now, if I put in 6–8 hours of extreme physicality I can hardly move the next day. haha

Coloma's avatar

Oh, and the cocktails before dinner thing. Now when I have a few and then make a late dinner as I have been doing on these summer nights, man…within 15 minutes of eating I am about to fall asleep. haha

woodcutter's avatar

@Coloma says: Now, if I put in 6–8 hours of extreme physicality I can hardly move the next day. haha.
I know what you mean, except it might take me 2 days to uncurl. Extreme physicality = bad ;(

Coloma's avatar

@woodcutter

Haha, oh yeah, I am a little less sore and stiff today than I was yesterday, but…it’s gonna take another few to feel normal again. I beat myself up pretty good. lol

woodcutter's avatar

@Coloma It’s a good feeling just to know you can still be that active, even though the after effects, not so much. Sort of like getting hammered when you don’t regularly drink…...Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, uuuuuuugh ;p

incendiary_dan's avatar

Bad diet wears us down, sedentism takes a toll. And part of it’s just natural; things wear out.

Coloma's avatar

Get a giant beanbag loveseat and have fun rolling yourself out of it. haha
I bought one last Xmas, it is very comfy but, it’s comic relief getting out of the damn thing.

woodcutter's avatar

@Coloma Oh no, no no. I would be trapped in one of those.

Hibernate's avatar

The body wears out.

Sunny2's avatar

Machines wear out. The body is a machine. You can take good care of it and it will last longer, but it WILL wear out. Oh my, yes.

bob_'s avatar

In addition to what has been said about the body wearing out, there’s also a psychological aspect to consider: as we get older, we tend to have more things to worry and stress about. Who wants to do shit when they’re all stressed up?

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

@woodcutter Yeah, I don’t know whether it’s because I’m getting older or if it’s just the result of having two very young children and being a father. I didn’t have kids in my early 20s——it was not until I was almost 28 when I had my first child. I think the parenting thing has affected my energy in the past six years, to the point where swimming 5 lengths of the pool is not as easy anymore.

woodcutter's avatar

Well you’re probably in better shape than most of us here so its all relative I think.

downtide's avatar

I’ve found as I’ve got older I need less sleep than I used to, presumably because I’m less active. I do fine on 6–7 hours a night now, whereas at 20 I needed 9 and was happier with 10.

john65pennington's avatar

Shinyshoes, if you think the 30s are bad for lack of energy, wait until you hit the 60s. I drink the caffeine to keep me going. At least six cups a day. jp

Pandora's avatar

Physical stress and mental stress take its toll. When we are younger we tend to be less stressful or at least vent the stress physically through exercise.
Besides the reasons already mentioned, stress ages our bodies more rapidly because it knocks down our immune system. It also makes our heart work harder and so it hastens our deterioration.

woodcutter's avatar

I would really love to be in my 30’s again, or even 40. My late 30’s I was really ripped and everything was in excellent working order. memories

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

@woodcutter I’m really ripped now, but I tire more easily too. Hey, I can still pull off wearing skimpy Speedos when I swim. ;)

woodcutter's avatar

Soooo glad to know that

Coloma's avatar

Snickers

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

@woodcutter
@Coloma

Well, check out this question and my answers to it. I’m just telling it like it is, don’t hate me! Lol-lol! ;)

http://www.fluther.com/125234/how-much-or-how-little-of-a-bikiniswimsuit-have-you-ever/

MRSHINYSHOES's avatar

@woodcutter I couldn’t hate her at all even if I tried. lol

Response moderated (Writing Standards)
blueiiznh's avatar

What?????? I get better with age like a fine wine!

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