telerib | Dress rehearsal for my old age

Sure, I'm thirty. I can't reprogram my body clock on the fly like I could in college. My metabolism's even slower than it was when I was twenty. I have to relearn how much alcohol I can drink without becoming an idiot. But in general, I'm as physically able as I was in college - maybe moreso, since I've started with the gym thing.

Enter the Spud.

I get winded going up stairs. It's getting hard to bend over and tie my shoelaces. I find that I want to sit down and take a breather after doing certain mundane, daily tasks, especially if they involve bending at the waist or holding my breath, even briefly. I am extra-careful to lift, push and pull on things the "right" way whenever possible, complete with a smooth exhalation of air. (Not a Valsalva maneuver; I know that's Right Out.)

I know this is normal. It's still weird. It's like a sneak preview of getting much older. Definite enhanced understanding of/sympathy for the frustration that arises when your body won't do what you think it ought to be able to do anymore.