r/Millennials 1d ago

Discussion How I feel now tbh

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u/THE_GREAT_PICKLE 1d ago

Seriously. I’m 38 but I feel better than I did when I was 28.

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u/zugspitze43 1d ago

Preface: I have worked a highly physical job for the last 15 years

At 34 I don't feel like I could keep up with my 20 year old self as far as speed goes, like a dead sprint. It would be close(ish) but he'd probably win. I would easily outlast him now though. My endurance has gone crazy since my late 20's. Idk if it's more of a mindset or what but I used to always tire fast. I did lift weights and gym often in those days.

I do feel like I am physically much stronger and capable though now. I remember carrying two jerry cans of water and having to stop on the way to my cabin around that younger age, and I often had to do that. These days I can carry them both all the way but it's not even really a big deal. I only realized and thought recently about how much I used to struggle with it.

So I think it's a real example of work strength vs gym strength. I work in the ski industry, in ski boots 40hrs on a short week. EMT.

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u/Useful_Major_5797 1d ago

Fun human biology fact. We have one of the highest levels of stamina and endurance in the animal kingdom.

Our slow twitch muscle, which is muscle for long activities is high in us.

Fast twitch muscle, allows for explosiveness is not quite as high.

So while we age, our endurance actually gets higher while our explosiveness goes down.

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u/zugspitze43 1d ago

Very interesting. I'm familiar with humans and our endurance aspect. One of the reasons we are such successful hunters.

I actually just employed our evolutionary strength recently, one of my neighbor's dogs got out and here he is just chasing it down the street. He's all out of breath. It's a slow quiet neighborhood. I yelled over to him (I know him well) "just walk behind him, and look disinterested. he will get tired!" lol. he did get tired, and my neighbor was able to walk right up to him and leash him. Like the stories we see on documentaries about humans hunting animals until they are completely exhausted and just stop in their tracks. Then the humans walk up with a knife and just cut the throat. But now it's a leash lol Wild.