this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026

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A hotter planet is pushing older adults beyond the human body’s limits | As the planet warms and the population ages, millions of older adults could face heat their bodies can no longer tolerate. (www.mercurynews.com)

submitted 3 weeks ago by silence7@slrpnk.net to c/climate@slrpnk.net

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[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

It's like exercising; if you don't use it you lose it and once you're too old, you can't get it back. But, if you keep it up you can carry it into an ancient age. I knew very old people who could still touch their toes, lift heavy loads, and lay out in the absolutely baking sun.

I'm well past middle age and so far I can still do strenuous exercise outside at 103. I can physically feel that it is hot, but things still work. Use it or lose it. If you are under 40, I'd really suggest working out your heat-coping body systems, double so if you're under 30.

Read up on heat stroke, listen to your body and treat your body as intently as if you are lifting heavy weights. You can hurt yourself under both conditions, but if you listen and you build and you strengthen, you can have a body that is a treat to live in.

[–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 3 weeks ago

103 is very far past middle age.

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I’m normally quite good at listening to my body’s signs, but I can’t deal with heat at all. I don’t know if it comes on too quickly for me to adjust or if I’m just not built for it (all of my ancestors came from a cold, wet rock).

When I try to build up my heat tolerance, I run into a delayed onset of symptoms, which makes it hard not to overdo it. I’ll feel mostly fine until I go to eat my next meal, then I have zero appetite (which can last for hours to days, so I can’t just fast). I try eating melons, cucumbers, citrus, and drinking a lot of water, which appears to work for preventing dehydration, but it doesn’t work to provoke hunger. If I force something more substantial down anyway, I puke. If I just eat what I can when I can (I eat mostly at night in the summer), I lose too much weight.

Can you explain what signs exactly you look for that tell you you need to take a break/slow down?

[–] alavar@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 weeks ago

I remember that video had quite a lot of good information https://youtu.be/B3bBvPXPCyg?is=ZGU06vzwgrQX6udo (farmers ways of dealing with heat stress)

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Group genetics certainly play a factor. Looking at other places group genetics play a major role though, it doesn't seem to be more limiting than fractions of a percentage point at the top of the best performers. Personal genetics plays a bigger factor.

Epigenetics certainly plays a much bigger factor. The most important pieces of information being what your parents were exposed to and what you were exposed to at a young age. Both fundamentally change the way your genetics are expressed.

You might just be an outlier too. This can happen no matter where or who you are.

It's going to be very hard to acclimate yourself to heat if you can't feel or sense when you are reaching your limit. Do you have trouble sensing when you are thirsty or hungry?

Like, will you think "I'm a little thirsty" but then when you get the water to your lips your body takes over and you ravenously gulp down the whole thing? Do you get tired or angry because you are hungry, without feeling hunger pains?

Do you sweat excessively or too little compared to others?

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You're an AMAB, aren't you?

Guess what hormone regulates temperature and guess what menopause does to it

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

There is a period in early middle age where estrogen dominant individuals are more susceptible to heat stress than similarly aged people who are testosterone dominant. This changes exactly none of my advice though.

Just because two people have different maximums doesn't mean the one with a lower maximum can't participate. Or is it your point of view that anyone incapable of squatting 2k shouldn't exercise?

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Your incredibly spurious attempt at a rhetorical device aside: this does not occur "for a period in early middle age". Post menopausal AFABs will have higher risk of heat stroke than their AMAB peers for the rest of their lives. There are literal papers on this

So no, it's not just a matter of "build up tolerance". That is actively dangerous advice

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Your "meta analysis" which:

only goes to show correlation and doesn't even purport to say anything about causation
openly admits they did not directly compare men and women
does not say anything about assigned gender at birth being a factor, merely reported gender

Also says literally word for word what I just said about heat stress and middle age. You linked a study reinforcing my reply to you.

There is nothing wrong with going into the heat often, and in a safe way. Some people have different maximums than others. This is too be expected in literally anything a human can do.

You can stay inside if you want. It's just weird to pretend that you can't "because of science", and I'm not going to help you with this justification by pretending it is valid.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

yeah when you're done with your weird little fantasies of what I must be like....

I'm an Australian, in Australia, and I've literally grown up doing strenous work in 40+ heat. I still do. But since menopause kicked in, my heat tolerance has absolutely shat the bed. This isn't a "tolerance" thing, this is basic biology.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world -1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Your fussy ass literally opened the conversation assuming shit about me. It was your first sentence. Get off your pissy horse.

You're consistently arguing against this thing that hurt you, not my statements. You can't do heat. Sorry I assumed you never did, but that doesn't change your motivations.

I never said that everyone can hit a certain heat level. I never said that menopause doesn't effect heat tolerance. I never said everyone should try to hit 40c. I never said anything about gender or genitals or reproductive organs or whatever else you want to talk about.

I made a simple, true statement.

I said heat tolerance is like exercise.

You can't get out and do it like you used to. You have my condolences. That doesn't refute what I'm saying. That doesn't even go against what I'm saying in any way.

You can't exercise like you used to either, even in AC. That doesn't mean you should stop exercising.

But if you stay inside for 10 years, you'll be able to tolerate heat even less than today. If you don't exercise for 10 years, you will be able to do less than today too.

That's just facts, and it has nothing to do with what you're on about. You're just mad because you can't do 41c anymore and so you're pretending like I'm telling everyone to go out and do 41c.

Get on hormones, or live with your new maximum. No one, regardless of anything, is going to "build up more tolerance" if they're already outside all the time, and I never said they would.

[–] Taleya@aussie.zone 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I made a simple, true statement.

ya made a ridiculous comment that got pointed out as ridiculous and threw a verbose fit over being challenged. Get over it.

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Good job getting me to waste breath on your troll. I hope it brought you joy.

[–] Nbard@aussie.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Rather than argue over building tolerance and strategems, we could simply not barbecue the planet?

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Because I don't have their ear? Do you think those billionaires are here? I mean, it's worth a shot.

Hey people who own the corps running everything, billionaires, and politicians, please stop destroying the planet.

[–] Nbard@aussie.zone 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So you admit you're just attacking what you see as nearby targets?

[–] Nouvellalia@lemmy.world 0 points 1 week ago

😆🤗

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

in fairness, it's kind of their fault it's happening.

[–] orioler25@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

In what possible way is that a fair statement? It's so strange how people on Lemmy get so bloodthirsty when they think they're saying something critical.

The reason we talk about systems is to avoid exactly this kind of conclusion where genocide is a favourable option just because there's an association (not "hey it is this group specifically and exclusively") between any particular group and any particular behaviour.

[–] Honytawk@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If the baby boomer generation actually listened to the scientists, we wouldn't be in this mess. Then Climate Change would just be a funny memory instead of the global catastrophe it is now.

[–] orioler25@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

My brother in Christ, are you about to argue that the decisions to continue with extractive capitalism was somehow made in an egalitarian, democratic way wherein these people had the power to stop it? That's going to be fascinating to read while simultaneously arguing that this has happened because of hierarchal stratification of power.

In all seriousness, I think it is also telling that you're willing to support the devaluing of an entire group of vulnerable (most boomers are not US Senators) people and also think that the negative ecological and climate impacts of capitalism are a problem only because it effects you. Many liberals will resort to ecofascism like what you've expressed because they are not actually concerned about human life, they are just angry that this system hasn't benefited them like it did past privileged groups. Even if there was some "sustainable" way that this system could exist, it would still do so through the destruction of indigenous relationalities to the land they exist on and the transformation of every environment around capitalist imperatives. It wouldn't be "fixed" just because you wouldn't have to worry about carbon emissions.

Also, "scientists?" You mean the ones that also produced disinformation and were complacent in the disarmament of academic institutions as sites of political disruption? Anyone who works at a university knows that STEM people are some of the most common traitors and collaborators, and that's actually something they chose to do and be. Boomers vaguely are far less responsible for climate change than the fucking engineers who designed the fucking machines to do it with, or the shills who publish counter-disinformation and erode public trust in those institutions. Why not say that "scientists" should pay for climate change because a substantial number of them have been invaluable in its facilitation? Would that seem a bit silly?

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 3 points 3 weeks ago

They are the ones who would under no circumstances chanfe anything about their lifes because they don't care anymore. Ever told an elderly person how bad eating meat is for the planet?

[–] benjirenji@slrpnk.net 3 points 3 weeks ago

But even then it's collective punishment and we all will be old and weaker and some point. By that time we hopefully have building standards that provide cool temperatures.

I was also thinking of public shelters in cities that could cool people down while they're out and about.

[–] CarpalTunnelButt@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Not all of them. Guilty by association is immoral bro.

[–] MeatPilot@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I'm older and my blood circulation is shit because of the medications I'm on. Also I sweat horribly like all the men in my family.

I'm fucked.

[–] xav@programming.dev 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Maybe not. Sweating will help you a lot !

[–] idiomaddict@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Only if you have enough water to replenish it. If not, it fucks you faster

[–] save_the_humans@leminal.space 2 points 3 weeks ago

I learned recently the amount of fluid you lose can be trained, but the amount of sodium lost to sweat stays the same your whole life. This was in the context of hydration for endurance training. I imagine age plays a part in how much can be improved though.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Fortunately, thanks to the power of denial, I'll be able to stay young forever!

[–] motruck@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 weeks ago

You and I are gonna live foreverrrr

[–] EggInDisguise@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I have never been able to sleep mid-day (take naps) since I was 5 or 6. It upset my parents of course, when I was still "napping age" but "refused" to do so. Plenty of times as an adult I've been exhausted and still couldn't sleep. Cool room, blackout curtains, even a basement room without windows and away from other sounds wasn't enough.

Yesterday I pushed my spouse in a wheelchair for a bit in the park before we left because of the heat. I was out the minute I laid down and woke up 6 or 7 hours later still feeling like shit.

If my grandparents were around, I'm sure they wouldn't have made it through this summer since they never had AC

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 10 points 3 weeks ago

You can deal with heat until you can't.

Heat waves would commonly kill a lot of elderly and still do in places without regular AC. Even places where AC is common still set up places where people can go to access AC if they don't have it at home for various reasons.

You're also seeing people living longer thanks to modern medicine with reduced overall health. So you have a larger population sensitive to heat because they can survive other things that could kill them.

[–] CarpalTunnelButt@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Planting more trees is one of the easier things you can do to cool your surroundings.

[–] ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 weeks ago

Very much so! And for those curious, there's more techniques to prepare for global warming over at !disasterresponse@slrpnk.net.

[–] dethedrus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 weeks ago

Hah.

As an old who couldn't EVER handle heat, I am already feeling drained every single time I walk outside in this current boiling swamp.

[–] HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

We cookin'

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 3 weeks ago

Good. They vote against the future. Let them die.

Seriously, we should cut off the right to vote when your life expectancy is shorter than most longterm decisions.

[–] Lumpenmole@slrpnk.net 2 points 2 weeks ago

Plus Ultra!