10 Jan Why is everything sore after I’ve turned 30?
You may have heard people say “You’ll feel it after you turn 30” or “My body hurts, maybe this is what it’s like being old”.
You’re not alone. We hear this a lot because we’re all kind of going through this. Trust, you’re not broken but, maybe just need to figure out the potential reasons why. On the bright side, it isn’t the end of the world and we can fix it.
Let’s break down why so many people in their 20s and 30s are dealing with pain and what to do about it.
I thought only old people were in pain. Does that mean I’m old?
Not really. Pain doesn’t discriminate against age but, usually it’s a battle between load and capacity
This image represents what we can do vs what we can tolerate.
If we’re a couch potato who hasn’t done much physical activity before and we suddenly engage in intense exercise beyond our capabilities, this can shift the balance and put us at a higher risk of potentially injuring ourselves.
In fact, people between 20-40 years of age are experiencing more:
- Neck and back pain
- Chronic tension and headaches
- Joint and tendon pain (like knees, shoulders, elbows)
- Stress-related muscle tightness
- Posture-related fatigue and discomfort
Perhaps it’s our work-from-home lifestyle or maybe we’ve become a little bit more sedentary. Life can also hit us hard and be a real struggle at times making us not want to do much.
The Real Reasons You Might Be in Pain (Even If You’re Young)
1. Weekend Warrior Mentality
Many of us may sit for long periods of time throughout the week then go hard on the weekend at the gym or when playing sports hoping to “compensate” all that sitting you’ve done earlier in the week. This can be a huge mismatch that can overload underprepared joints and muscles.
→ Fix it: Mix in daily movement (a walk at lunch, getting up more often, etc), mobility work, and strength training that builds gradual resilience.
2. Life’s Tough and We’re A Bit Stressed
Your body doesn’t separate physical stress from emotional or mental stress. Tight jaw, clenched shoulders, shallow breathing? That’s your body reacting to stress overload.
→ Fix it: Learning how to manage stress through any way you prefer. Going out for a walk/hike, listening to Golden by Huntrix on repeat, getting that massage, going out and having KBBQ, etc. Saying “It is what it is” isn’t going to fix it, your nervous system needs help too. So do yourself a favour and chill out (easier said than done).
3. Are you exercising enough?
The American College of Sports & Medicine guidelines recommend for healthy adults to achieve at least a total of 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate level of exercise or 75 minutes of intense level of exercise along with 2 sessions of strength training per week.
→ Fix it: Maybe that run club you’ve been thinking about isn’t such a bad idea or maybe it’s time to book that pilates class you’ve been putting off. The thing is, find what YOU love doing. Remember consistency is key and split the sessions up to make it easier for yourself.
4. Your Body Is Tired of Being Ignored
That ankle sprain from five years ago? Or that shoulder niggle you said you “rehabbed” but really only did a few stretches and kinda went away. Your body is going to remind you and it will catch up to you. Compensation and overuse patterns develop when we least expect it and when we don’t address it early there’s a high chance you’ll find out you wished you had fixed it sooner.
→ Fix it: Don’t wait for the pain to become chronic. Early treatment = faster recovery.
5. You’re Not Sleeping or Hydrating Enough
We know this sleep is so important so how much quality sleep are you getting? The key word here is quality. “But I get 8 hours of sleep a night” Yeah but, you also wake up every hour so that doesn’t count. Water is life and although it is important for our kidneys, oxygen and electrolytes. But, did you know that water also helps lubricate our joints?
→ Fix it: Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep and stay hydrated. The guys should aim for around 2.6L of water and the girls should aim for 2.1L of water per day. Don’t blame me, NSW government made the rules 🤷
How We Can Help
At Sun Chiropractic, we work with people just like you who are active, ambitious, and wondering why their body feels 50 at 30. We offer:
- Postural & movement assessments
- Hands-on treatment for pain relief
- Strength and mobility coaching
- Stress and recovery management strategies
- Or if you just need a friend to talk to
Book A Session, It’s Time For Change
If you’re tired of saying “I’m too young for this,” let’s actually do something about it.
Book your initial assessment today and take the first step toward feeling like yourself again 🙂