What if I Actually LIKE Getting Older?

9 Things That Can Actually Get Better With Age

My social media algorithm has been feeding me a LOT of menopause content, and I realized yesterday that a lot of it is kind of fear mongering. It mostly keeps highlighting all the “terrible” things that happen as we age, and while much of it is solution oriented, it still paints a picture that aging isn’t good.  I feel like we’ve lost the plot a little bit here, because in the mix of so many of us openly discussing our bodies changing in mid-life (which is awesome and pretty new to our culture), we’ve forgotten that there’s a ton of really cool stuff that’s coming along with that.  

Here is an unofficial list of 9 things that can actually get better with age. 

1. Your bullshit detector gets MUCH better.

Anyone else notice how much more frequently you’re calling bullshit on things?

Whether it’s questioning someone telling me a fitness trend is the new magic pill or putting up with someone else’s ego, this has been one of my favorite parts of getting older.  “Says who?” is a complete sentence!

2. You know what you actually like.

I love having a positive attitude and being willing to try new things.  I also love confidently saying “Nope, that’s not for me.”

I can definitively tell you that I don’t like snow sports or activities involving boats.  

I love knowing that I’ll pick Strength Training over Pilates every time. 

It makes me happy knowing that Oppenheimer and Interstellar are bad movies and there’s zero you can do to convince me otherwise.  I will also die on the hill that The Goonies is the greatest film of all time.  

3. You stop caring about doing fitness "correctly."

Need to modify the exercise? Modify it. Don't want to jump? Don't jump. Need an extra rest break? Take it.

Eventually you realize there are no bonus points for making your workout unnecessarily miserable.

4. You've watched your body change before.

Bodies change. Weight fluctuates. Hair changes. Skin changes. Shapes change.  I realized recently that I’ve done a lot of work in the last decade to become okay with these things.  It continues to surprise me whenever I notice a new thing, but it’s so reassuring that it doesn’t require an emergency response. 

5. Exercise can stop being punishment.

For many of us, our younger years were filled with messaging about exercising to burn calories, lose weight, or compensate for what we ate.  I remember so many workouts I did to feel like I deserved my food.  

Getting older can bring a completely different relationship with movement: I exercise because I want my body to keep up with all the cool stuff I love doing.

6. Your appearance isn’t for anyone else’s benefit.

I don’t know if I’m just in a fortunate phase right now, but trolls on the internet and strangers on the street have stopped commenting on my appearance and I LOVE it.  Apparently I’m too old now for them to care what I look like and it’s absolutely great.  This one might actually be my favorite.

7. Your boundaries get better.

No is a complete sentence.  Time is my most valuable resource and I spend (less of) it on things that aren’t worth the return on investment.

8. Being a beginner gets less embarrassing.

Being a beginner at something is actually one of my favorite things.  The freedom to not be expected to have all the answers is genuinely wonderful.

You don't have to already be good at something to be allowed to enjoy it.

9. You can train FOR aging instead of AGAINST it.

Your fitness routine doesn't need to be an attempt to keep your 25-year-old body forever.

You can train for the future instead.

Strength to carry your own suitcase. Power to catch yourself when you stumble. Mobility to get down on the floor and back up. Sometimes I catch myself using the skills I’ve been training for in real life and give myself a mental high five.  

So yeah, what if aging is actually pretty great?

Let’s realign our midlife plot a little better.  Yes, things change with age.  I don’t feel old, but things are definitely different.  I want to make sure I don’t send myself the message that aging is a negative, because that’s definitely not the experience I’m having.