Honestly, these days, my neck feels stiff for no reason and my trapezius muscles are as hard as rocks.

When I wake up in the morning, I wonder, "Who slept in such a way that my neck hurts?" and just a little time in front of the computer makes my neck stiff.

In the past, I could game all night and be fine, but now just sitting for 2 hours brings a backlash.

Now that I'm over 45, my body is slowly starting to speak differently. If I turn my neck and hear a "crack," I pause for a moment and reflect on life.

When I was younger, I would just laugh at such comments. I thought, "It's because of lack of exercise," or "It's because of bad posture." That was about it.

But now, all those statements are true. And one more thing to add... it's because I'm getting old.

I don't want to admit it, but it really is true. My body is telling me not to use it carelessly like before.

When I sit in front of a computer all day at work, at some point my neck is stiff, my shoulders are raised, and my vision is blurry.

When I try to stretch by raising my arms, I even feel my muscles creaking. An automatic "Oh dear..." escapes my lips.

I used to not understand adults making such sounds, but now I'm the one making them. I guess this is aging.

Still, sometimes it's funny. How should I express it... it feels like my body is talking to me.

"Hey, if you stay in this position for 3 more hours, you'll be in trouble tomorrow."
"Get up and stretch. Otherwise, your neck won't turn."
I have these warning-like conversations several times a day.

My mind is still in my 20s, but my body is clearly reminding me of the reality of being 45.

I keep thinking I should exercise, saving stretching routines on YouTube, but I don't actually follow through.

Then the next day, when my neck is stiff again, I regret it. This loop repeats.

Now I have to admit it. Youth has an expiration date.

But what's both sad and funny is that my body telling me this might actually be a grateful thing.

It seems more like a signal to take a break rather than a message to keep pushing myself.

So these days, I try to gently turn my neck, loosen my shoulders, and walk for at least 10 minutes.

It's nothing special, but that 10 minutes makes a bigger difference than I expected. My stiff muscles loosen a bit, my mind clears up, and my mood improves.

Still, sometimes I lament like this.

"Why does my neck keep hurting? I really am getting old."

And yet, I go to work again tomorrow, sit in front of the computer, and my neck hurts again...

Well, this is life.

I believe it's about losing youth but gaining a bit more realistic wisdom.

And today, let's try to exercise for at least 10 minutes.

Hoping my neck creaks less when I move it tomorrow morning.