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For me, it is trying to stand back up from a squatting position. This physical movement seem to appear rather quickly. I have to have the cat litter boxes right next to a waist high cabinet so I can push myself up. So weird, as I used to be a gym rat for decades until I had to stop to help out my parents.

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Being referred to as a "senior." It is an insult and a marketing term and condescending as far as I am concerned. Every ad is senior this or senior that. I am a 74 year old woman. Nothing more, nothing less. I resent being lumped in with a group of people of any kind.
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Reply to Sandra2424
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I have one replaced knee and one very arthritic knee so it's painful to put any weight on them without substantial cushioning. I use this method to get up off the floor without putting weight on either knee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC6Tngu_xZM
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I've watched a few YouTube videos that recommend getting to your knees and then crawling to a chair to help get up Margaret, sort of similar I think. Of course that's going to be harder for people with bad knees who can't crawl easily, and you still need to maintain the strength to get up from that low.

Even at my age I'm appalled at how difficult it is to get up off the floor, I can do it well enough but it sure does take extra effort!
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I lie down flat on the floor a lot, and have a different way to get up. I roll over until I an in a crawl position, resting on my knees and knuckles, then move my weight onto my knuckles and feet. Then I move my knuckles back until most of my weight is on my feet, and lastly push down on both and stand up straight. I never need help, and pulling me up by my arms would do me quite a bit of damage. Does anyone else do it this way?
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Reply to MargaretMcKen
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I found my then 97 year old neighbor just sitting on her grass. I greeted her and asked what she's doing.. pulling weeds.
Iparked my car and checked on her. Asked if she needed help up.. yes, she replied. My 19 year old neighbor a couple houses up saw us and helped my friend up. She confessed, she had fallen down on the grass., thankfully it was grass..,
she's 98 years old now..😊
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I also buy the New Balance 860's. They are available in Extra Wide on Zappos. Send them back for free if they don't fit.

I've gone from a 7.5 to a 9.5 shoe in a couple of years.
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My ten year old granddaughter is doing gymnastics. She told me she plans to do 20 squats today. I told her I doubted I could get up off the floor from the first one. 😊
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MAYDAY Oct 1, 2026
I tried yesterday to do a squat while these kids were doing cartwheels!! I looked at a parent and said my wrists would break from the weight if I tried a cartwheel!🤣
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I’m 89 and I can squat. I started about 10 years ago but couldn’t get very low at first. Now I can and do one squat daily to keep flexible. I also work on balancing on one leg, then the other. Core strength and fast reflexes are what you need to avoid falls. I also walk when I can. The CFS/FM limit me. And I suppose aging.
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Reply to golden23
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SQUAT....you can squat? I am jealous!
When I am down on the floor or the ground (voluntarily mind yo) when I get up I think I must look like a just born giraffe trying to stand up. probably not a pretty sight for my neighbors. Although they might be placing bets on whether I can accomplish the goal🤣
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Reply to Grandma1954
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I'm most surprised by different things regularly. Sigh. Currently, it's that I went from easily being able to go on a 4-mile walk about once per week to suddenly feeling as though that is nearly impossible. (I do go on shorter walks every day.)
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Reply to Rosered6
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I climbed a ladder to clear the rain gutter, and the ladder and my feet decided I needed to come down.. fortunately I grabbed the fence and got my balance.
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Reply to MAYDAY
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Oh boy, where do I start? My knees and back. I went from a sprinter and walker to moaning and groaning. This started back in July. I managed to get Twinkie to the vet back in May and didn't have problems commuting with him on the way back from the vet. June rolled around and I was okay. July and August I was practically a vegetable after my shift. I would doze off in my chair. I can't figure out why I was so tired.
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Be careful MAYDAY, my sister thought a good long soak would be just the thing when she was having some back pain, it was lovely until she couldn't get out of the tub! (She finally managed but her back was worse than ever lol)

I always buy the same style of shoes Send (either New Balance 860's or Saucony guides) so it's definitely my feet. It seems our tendons and ligaments stretch and our arches fall, we also lose the fat pad on our soles and the loss of cushioning makes walking more uncomfortable. Who knew?
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Scampie1 Sep 30, 2026
cwille,

I did this one myself. I thought about that commercial; I've fallen and I can't get up. They need to make a commercial saying; Help! I'm stuck in the tub and I can't stand up! I was like; heck! I'm officially old! I managed to roll over in the tub, get on my knees, get one leg forward while pulling myself up. I was sitting in the tub and my phone was on charge in the other room. I was like; oh Lord, I'm cooked.
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Getting out of my wonderful, comfy bathtub!!
It's a cast iron deep soaker that holds the heat!!!

I took my dog to the vet and decided to sit on the floor with dog and the vet.
The dr popped up to exit the room with my dog.. she looked at me and asked if I needed help getting up...
I told her when she returns back to the room I was sitting in, if I'm not up off the floor, then she csn help me up..
yup!! I DID IT 🤗😁🤗
I wasn't pretty, but I got up..,
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Here's a new one for me - my feet were killing me so I went to the local shoe store to check out their running shoes, imagine my shock when I ended up needing bigger shoes. In my youth I was an 8, then in my 50's I needed 8 wide, I ended up buying 9.5 wide (and I'd probably be happier if I could find them in extra wide). No wonder my feet hurt.
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Sendhelp Sep 29, 2026
Something to look forward to: New shoes!
Has anyone heard of the benefits of "barefoot shoes?".

Shoe size often depends upon the brand and quality, in my opinion.
A wider shoe did help my comfort after age 65.

It is my underwear comfort and size that I worry about.
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Not being able to do daily chores that I have always taken for granted. I'm 70 and lately I can't stand to prep meals over my kitchen counter for long periods because I have been getting back spasms. Also loading and unloading the dishwasher hurts. It sucks knowing this is just the beginning of a plethora of problems.
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ElizabethAR37 Mar 21, 2026
I'm 89 and I hear you loud and clear (thanks to my hearing aids and eyeglasses)! Vacuuming and gardening are things of the past that I used to do without thinking. No longer.
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My hearing is not as sharp, and classical music is not the same. My memory is not as good, learning new languages is hard. And I get tired after pulling out a handful of weeds. As an ex colleague said, aging is the ultimate extreme sport.
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freqflyer Mar 21, 2026
AnneKat, same here when doing yard work. I use to be able to be outside doing that work for most of the day. Now I am ready to hang it up after 15 minutes (sigh).
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The resentment and ire I feel about the fact that we haven’t really lengthened seniors’ lifespans. Instead, we have lengthened the dying process.

This is the elephant in the living room few dare to discuss.

Years of frailty and chronic, costly suffering among millions of elderly people taxes us ALL too much. It should be legal for a senior to have death with dignity on their own terms — yes, assisted suicide — IF that is what an individual wants to choose. This is legal & possible in Switzerland and probably some other nations.

We actively, compassionately end companion animals’ suffering. Why do we not have the freedom to choose this for ourselves?

(I am 66, in mostly good health, and am not suicidal. )
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Hothouseflower Mar 20, 2026
My father is dying in slow motion. Three years in a NH with dementia and unable to care for himself. I just keep hoping and praying for this to be over but his body refuses to give up.

I need for him to die already and for this freaking ordeal to finally be over. I cared for both my mother and father -- two ungrateful miserable people. who sucked the life out of me. I am so ready for him to be gone. I am 70 and can't believe I'm still at this.
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In my original posting back in 2022 I had mentioned trying to stand back up from a squatting position. Well, it was getting more difficult as time marched on. I know this is going to sound like an advertisement, but after I went to The Good Feet Store and got arch supports for my shoes, I found it was so much easier to stand up from a squatting position. Who knew??


Hubby also got those arch supports, and he said now his back does hurt like it use to. He works part-time to keep busy, and does a lot of walking at his job. So this was a godsend for him.


Now, what we need to find is something that will keep us awake after eating lunch :)
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Reply to freqflyer
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Biggest surprise is the hours of exercising weekly needed to maintain mobility.
Also, number of friends & family caregivers for loved one suffering dementia.
In 2013 doctor recommended strengthen training for leg and back issues. Trainer recommends replacing recliner with straight chair which my wife also agreed to. We soon readjusted our six way power car seats to less reclining position. Eventually arthritis stiffness set in, worst in hands. Orthopedic surgeon sent me to physical therapy to strengthen muscles in wrists and fingers which alleviated most pain. Able to play piano again but must maintain this muscle strength. Once weekly attend stretch mobility class and seeing improvement. Was unable to mount and dismount my men’s 3 speed bicycle safely. Woman’s 28 speed is more comfortable and increased my confidence. I’m now 79, instructor full body exercise class at Senior Center. Most people start this class to increase leg strength because getting off commode, up from soft sofa or recliner becomes difficult or impossible.
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Reply to Dynamite
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I am surprised at how little I can eat and still maintain my weight never mind .osing any
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Reply to golden23
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Probably not surprised me, but disappointed me. How hard it is to lose weight. My PCP told me that as we age, even if we eat the same about of food, we will gain weight. So now every year, we are supposed to eat less just to stay at the same weight. I feel like I need to speak to the manager. Lol
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cwillie Jan 9, 2026
OMG I feel the same way!
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I didn't expect my son to die in an accident, which means I will be mourning him the rest of my life. Holidays are especially difficult. I dread being asked, "Did you have a nice Christmas?" My sweet husband is in memory care, and my other children are scattered and won't be here for the holidays. Of course I won't have a nice Christmas, at least in the general sense of the words!

On the other hand, I feel blessed that DH and I will have this coming Christmas together at his memory care home. It's just that I miss the fun and excitement of family all being here, when they were all alive and happy.
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bundleofjoy Nov 24, 2025
HUG
& courage

sometimes, in the most unexpected ways, the best days of our lives are ahead of us!
🌸🕊️🌸🕊️🌸


bundle of joy
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Nothing tastes the same. I can only really taste sweet things and I crave salty. None of the physical limitations were expected either.
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My. My, I was a gym rat also for many years. Once Covid came along (never had it) I had to curtail many of my activities. Now at 82, after several surgeries (back & knee) my balance is completely gone! Have to order store pick up, can't walk very far, so those are a couple of of the challenges I have difficulty accepting!
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I’m 70 and my lower back hurts once I start doing gardening and lifting stuff, other than that I’m good.
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Okay I have a new one - for the last year or so my eyes have been tearing up whenever I'm outside on very cold days, but now it's getting that I'm constantly dabbing my eyes with a tissue even on days like today when it's not so cold. I just did a little research and apparently this can be caused by a narrowing of the tear ducts, caused by aging of course. Sigh.
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Sendhelp Apr 2025
Search Vitamins "A" and "D".
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I'm going to echo the physical breakdown that I see others here share.
At only 62, soon to be 63, I can barely walk. I certainly can't bend down to pick something up without searing pain in my legs!
I always thought of myself as strong, fit and active. I loved walking!
Now, after 9 years of caring for my 180 pound husband, who requires a lot of help with transfers in and out of bed, I find it has put an enormous amount of stress on my hips and legs.
Most days I don't know how I can continue doing this. But I have to. I can't afford to place my husband in a NH. I would lose his SS income, and my income as his caregiver. And he's already been kicked out of 2 NH's for his aggressively uncooperative behavior. They don't want him. And I can't blame them.

Besides taking care of my husband, I now have three grandchildren whom I help to raise. Their father is in prison, and their mother is homeless. I share responsibility with the other grandmother to take care of them.

I never envisioned my "Golden Years" being anything quite like this.
I used to embrace life's struggles, as it allows us to gain courage, strength, and confidence. But now, I feel defeated. My body hurts like hell every day!
I feel like I just can't do it any more. But, I push through because I have to.
I just try to get through the day, taking one day at a time, and hope for a better tomorrow.
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MTNester1 May 23, 2026
About those Golden Years we're supposed to have....I do believe someone swapped mine out for Fool'sGold!!!!
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Retired. Relocated to be near my son & his family, but I’m on my own, caregiver to my 65yo autistic brother. Just bc you are near family, doesn't mean they gonna help you. It is an eye opener but I’m holding on.
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What surprised me the most is that I’m 66 with painful knee arthritis taking care of my 95 year old mother. It’s very tough.
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