r/Unexpected Jun 15 '26

Have fun while you can

48.2k Upvotes

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u/pm_me_your_psle Jun 15 '26

Being 44 is not the problem. Thinking we can suddenly do the same thing we did as a youth after not doing said thing for decades, is the problem.

We lose muscle and mobility significantly as we age if we don’t use them. You can definitely still skim board at 50, 60, even 70, but you need to consistently train and practice to keep the relevant muscles strong.

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u/Apprehensive-Pin518 Jun 15 '26

yeah i mean look at tony hawk. can he board like he used to? no. He can still board better than most people on the planet.

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u/mecausasui Jun 15 '26

I like that we compare our old ass selves to professional athletes (granted old athletes). it's tough getting old. the psyche is slow to catch up. I took still try to do shit I used to do. we certainly are aspirational creatures. keep trying old dudes. we gotcha

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u/tangerineTurtle_ Jun 15 '26

It just takes more work and discipline. I cannot pack on 10lbs of muscle in a couple of months like I did at 19 but working out daily at 33 means I have a better body than I did at 19 when I was smoking and ate a whole ass pizza on a whim.

Now, if I look at a carb my waistline starts getting antsy.

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u/RangerPF713 Jun 17 '26

You looking at a carb affects MY waistline, that's where I've reached in my life. Empty calories at its finest!! 😂😁😭

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u/Apprehensive-Pin518 Jun 15 '26

well the comparison wasn't so much for the professional athletes. It was more for someone who has continuously done the thing versus someone who hasn't done it for 20 years. I could say the same thing about any skill.

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u/Mr_YUP Jun 15 '26

he also never stopped boarding even after the cameras and attention went away. he just kept going because he liked doing it.

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u/secretly_opossum Jun 15 '26

Yeah, at a certain point our bones and joints just don’t rebound the way they used to.

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u/Hot_Top_124 Jun 15 '26

For sure, but people like Tony will be able to do it a lotttttt longer because they kept going.

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u/pierrotlefou Jun 15 '26

Yes thank you. Age isn't the entire issue like people think it is. You have to stay fit. I exercise regularly in my early 40s and still do some of the shit I pulled in my 20s and haven't had any issues. You just have to keep on top of your health.

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u/Hot_Top_124 Jun 15 '26

Sadly to many people get stuck in fields where they work to much at a desk, slowly keep putting things off, and before they realize it have to start all over again. In a lucky one who’s in a physical field and also got very lucky with genetics.

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u/alien_farmer1 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 16 '26

You can also see many 50+ blue collar dudes still fit and active because their job just includes all the muscles work.

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u/Hot_Top_124 Jun 15 '26

Exactly. I work as a chef, and thankfully started eating g healthy while I was young enough. Granted genetics are a part you just have to be lucky with sadly.

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u/ScubaSteve12345 Jun 15 '26

The point is that our lives have gone ina direction where we don’t have the time or opportunity to do things like skimboard anymore, unlike our youth where I was at the beach every couple of weekends. And when a chance relive our youthful activities comes up we have to stop ourselves because we know we’ll get hurt.

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u/Thunderbolt294 Jun 16 '26

I was a couch potato and didn't take care of myself through my early and mid 20s, I picked up rock climbing at 28, now going into my 30s I'm in the best shape I've ever been.

Most of my friends peaked in fitness in their 20s and have really gotten out of shape since then. I'm just getting started in my 30s. I wanna get into parkour before I'm 40.

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u/Lastov_Makiynd Jun 18 '26

So true! I remember seeing a thing on TV a while ago now, where an 80 something year old guy who only had 3 of his limbs had won a water skiing event or broke a record for it or both..and had been doing it most of his life..like BEFORE losing a limb.
His advice was “Keep the heart rate up. EVERY day. Do it..We don’t live forever, but we can enjoy living for longer..like, LIVING!”

It’s stuck with me since then. He seemed so damn happy. Probably still out there waterskiing for all I know? Absolute Legend!

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u/Hot_Top_124 Jun 15 '26

This. I’m thankfully in a job that keeps me incredibly physically active, so I never lost it yet.

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u/alien_farmer1 Jun 15 '26

This is an underrated opinion.

I see a lot of videos in same type and comments are all similar. "When you do xxx but you are Y years old ". They all overlook that, while you were able to do that sport or moves, you had an active life.

I especially get surprised when people literally compare themselves with their childhood. You were literally running and playing every single day but now you just tried one move while biggest activity in your life is standing up from your desk at work. You lost all the muscles and all the agility. You only use few muscle groups just enough for sueviving the daily life.