--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The bodies we have are not made for…" description: "\"The bodies we have are not made for extended use. We must cope with accumulated DNA damage, cell damage, muscle atrophy, bone loss, decreased muscle ma..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/s-jay-olshansky-11747_accumulate_the-bodies-we-have-are-not-made-for-exte_3235872.jpg" --- # The bodies we have are not made for extended use. We must… ![“The bodies we have are not made for extended use. We must cope with accumulated DNA damage, cell damage, muscle atrophy, bone loss, decreased muscle mass, and joints worn out from overuse during a lifetime of bipedal locomotion. It might have worked great for prehistoric humans, but it wreaks…” quote by S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/s-jay-olshansky-11747_accumulate_the-bodies-we-have-are-not-made-for-exte_3235872.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/s-jay-olshansky-11747_accumulate_the-bodies-we-have-are-not-made-for-exte_3235872.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f43/s-jay-olshansky-11747_accumulate_the-bodies-we-have-are-not-made-for-exte_3235872.jpg) > “The bodies we have are not made for extended use. We must cope with accumulated DNA damage, cell damage, muscle atrophy, bone loss, decreased muscle mass, and joints worn out from overuse during a lifetime of bipedal locomotion. It might have worked great for prehistoric humans, but it wreaks havoc on our knees and hips.” [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human bodies are not designed for long lifespans; aging causes cumulative damage leading to joint problems. **In simple terms:** Aging damages joints and muscles. Key Takeaway Plan for healthy aging. Themes aging biology healthcare Mood cautious informative Type scientific educational When to use this quote - exercise programs - dietary adjustments - medical screenings Key Concepts cellular senescence musculoskeletal degeneration longevity Questions to Reflect On - What habits support joint health? - How can society adapt to an aging population? A Different Perspective Lifestyle changes can mitigate but not eliminate decline. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell/) [Damage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damage/) [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Locomotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/locomotion/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Muscle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muscle/) ## Related quotes > [ The \[first\] argument asserts the non-existence of motion on the ground that that which is in locomotion must arrive at the half-way stage before… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeno-of-elea/the-first-argument-asserts-the-non-existence-of-motion-on-the-ground/) [Zeno of Elea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeno-of-elea/) > [“And that would be my method of locomotion, the Lion concluded. Not diplomas earned, but friendships bungled. Campaigns aborted. Errors in judgment and public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/and-that-would-be-my-method-of-locomotion-the-lion-concluded-not/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Man is the only mammal whose normal method of locomotion is to walk on two legs. A pattern of mammal behavior that emerges only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-morgan/man-is-the-only-mammal-whose-normal-method-of-locomotion-is-to-walk/) [Elaine Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-morgan/) > [“The most obvious and the most distinctive features of the History of Civilisation, during the last fifty years, is the wonderful increase of industrial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-henry-huxley/the-most-obvious-and-the-most-distinctive-features-of-the-history-of/) [Thomas Henry Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-henry-huxley/) > [Attempts to limit female mobility by hampering locomotion are ancient and almost universal. The foot-binding of upper-class Chinese girls and the Nigerian custom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-lurie/attempts-to-limit-female-mobility-by-hampering-locomotion-are-ancient/) [Alison Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-lurie/) > [“You are your own vehicular machinery that ought to propel yourself under guidance of the compass of the Holy Spirit of God. Don't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-are-your-own-vehicular-machinery-that-ought-to-propel-yourself/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Movies are always in a state of locomotion. You start with a general idea of how it should feel and then you find you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/movies-are-always-in-a-state-of-locomotion-you-start-with-a-general/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [The similarities among animals that are on the surface very different are no coincidence. In fact, animal locomotion is no different than other flows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-bejan/the-similarities-among-animals-that-are-on-the-surface-very-different/) [Adrian Bejan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-bejan/) > [The body's habituation to walking as normal stems from the good olddays. It was the bourgeois form of locomotion: physicaldemythologization, free of the spell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-adorno/the-body-s-habituation-to-walking-as-normal-stems-from-the-good/) [Theodor Adorno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-adorno/) > [“If the interest of a scientific expositor ought to be measured by the importance of the subject, I shall be applauded for my choice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etienne-jules-marey/if-the-interest-of-a-scientific-expositor-ought-to-be-measured-by-the/) Etienne-Jules Marey > [Leg locomotion was, for decades, thought to be an incredibly difficult problem. There has been very, very painstakingly slow progress there, and robots that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-j-russell/leg-locomotion-was-for-decades-thought-to-be-an-incredibly-difficult/) [Stuart J. Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-j-russell/) > [“There is this to be said for walking: it is the one method of human locomotion by which a man or woman proceeds erect,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-is-this-to-be-said-for-walking-it-is-the-one-method-of-human/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Walking takes longer... than any other known form of locomotion except crawling. Thus it stretches time and prolongs life. Life is already too short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/walking-takes-longer-than-any-other-known-form-of-locomotion-except/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [There are some good things to be said about walking. Not many, but some. Walking takes longer, for example, than any other known form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-are-some-good-things-to-be-said-about-walking-not-many-but-some/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Methods of locomotion have improved greatly in recent years, but places to go remain about the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-herold/methods-of-locomotion-have-improved-greatly-in-recent-years-but/) [Don Herold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-herold/) ## More by S. Jay Olshansky > [A lifetime of low calories has come naturally to the longest-lived people in the world... in the Japanese archipelago of Okinawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/a-lifetime-of-low-calories-has-come-naturally-to-the-longest-lived/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [What we know for sure from our work and from others' is that mice have a life span of 1,000 days, dogs have 5,000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/what-we-know-for-sure-from-our-work-and-from-others-is-that-mice-have/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The modern rise of Alzheimer's Disease in the twentieth century is not a sign of failure. It's a sign of success. Success in living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-modern-rise-of-alzheimer-s-disease-in-the-twentieth-century-is/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [As soon as a handful of scientists come up with an intervention shown to influence aging in other species, they begin selling it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-soon-as-a-handful-of-scientists-come-up-with-an-intervention-shown/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Reducing caloric intake is the only proven method of extending life. If caloric intake is reduced to 20 percent below maintenance, you can extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/reducing-caloric-intake-is-the-only-proven-method-of-extending-life/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I'm not sure the least educated members of the population are missing out on the advances in medical technology as much as they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-m-not-sure-the-least-educated-members-of-the-population-are-missing/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Ageing is very rare. We only see it in humans and laboratory animals and in zoo animals and in our pets. Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [People pushing the idea that everyone can live to be 100 are perpetuating a myth that goes all the way back to the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/people-pushing-the-idea-that-everyone-can-live-to-be-100-are/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [I have little doubt that gerontologists will eventually find a way to avoid, or more likely, delay, the unpleasantries of extended life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/i-have-little-doubt-that-gerontologists-will-eventually-find-a-way-to/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Lifespan extension has never really been a goal of aging science, nor should it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/lifespan-extension-has-never-really-been-a-goal-of-aging-science-nor/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [We're not trying to make us live forever; we're not trying to even make us live significantly longer. What we're trying to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/we-re-not-trying-to-make-us-live-forever-we-re-not-trying-to-even/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Death is a zero sum game for which there is no cure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/death-is-a-zero-sum-game-for-which-there-is-no-cure/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [The Faustian trade of the 20th century was, we got 30 years of additional life, but in return we got heart disease, cancer, stroke,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/the-faustian-trade-of-the-20th-century-was-we-got-30-years-of/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [As long as humans have existed, we have always desired to live longer. Every society, every religion, every culture. Of course, they all failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/as-long-as-humans-have-existed-we-have-always-desired-to-live-longer/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [Do we really want to continue to push out the envelope of survival only to see other things crop up that we may not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/do-we-really-want-to-continue-to-push-out-the-envelope-of-survival/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) [Explore all 58 S. Jay Olshansky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) ## More Accumulate quotes > [It's interesting how sleepwalking in a certain way becomes an accumulation of your outside stimuli that's actually there and what's happening in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/it-s-interesting-how-sleepwalking-in-a-certain-way-becomes-an/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [Ageing is, simply and clearly, the accumulation of damage in the body. That's all that ageing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/ageing-is-simply-and-clearly-the-accumulation-of-damage-in-the-body/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) > [The more storage you have, the more stuff you accumulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-stewart/the-more-storage-you-have-the-more-stuff-you-accumulate/) [Alexis Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-stewart/) > [What is negotiation but the accumulation of small lies leading to advantage?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/what-is-negotiation-but-the-accumulation-of-small-lies-leading-to/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [“A little here and a little there will always accumulate, so why be surprised when steady, small steps take you to great places?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-little-here-and-a-little-there-will-always-accumulate-so-why-be/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [The question becomes not just how to accumulate more, but how to covet less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/the-question-becomes-not-just-how-to-accumulate-more-but-how-to-covet/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [We've accumulated a lot of things over the years and many things from our grandmother. Hopefully it'll be all right. I really don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-fields/we-ve-accumulated-a-lot-of-things-over-the-years-and-many-things-from/) [Dorothy Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-fields/) > [Each of my novels has come from a different place, and the processes are not always entirely conscious. I have lived off and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/each-of-my-novels-has-come-from-a-different-place-and-the-processes/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [You can't accumulate anything, because anything you get you have to give away. We all know this. We watch our bodies go through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/you-can-t-accumulate-anything-because-anything-you-get-you-have-to/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [If large financial institutions can break the law and accumulate million in profits - and, if they get caught, settle by paying out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/if-large-financial-institutions-can-break-the-law-and-accumulate/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [“How long should one accumulate material things? As long as they do not become a burden.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/how-long-should-one-accumulate-material-things-as-long-as-they-do-not/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [One precedent creates another and they soon accumulate and constitute law. What yesterday was a fact, today is doctrine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junius/one-precedent-creates-another-and-they-soon-accumulate-and-constitute/) [Junius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junius/) > [Our culture is hung up on and overemphasises what can be derived from material objects. I think this is something quite new, over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/our-culture-is-hung-up-on-and-overemphasises-what-can-be-derived-from/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Over time, you accumulate a lot of life material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/over-time-you-accumulate-a-lot-of-life-material/) [Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/) > [Basically, the body does have a vast amount of inbuilt anti-ageing machinery; it's just not 100% comprehensive, so it allows a small number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/basically-the-body-does-have-a-vast-amount-of-inbuilt-anti-ageing/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) Browse all 86 Accumulate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The bodies we have are not made for extended use. 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