I have heard countless people tell me how mad they are at themselves for beating up their knees in their younger years. They stood too much, or played the wrong sports, or lifted too many heavy things.
You can stop berating yourself emotionally for your past movement discretions. The evidence shows that the absolute worst possible thing that you can do to your joints is to not move them. Read, you would have been worse off without getting out there and living your life.
The incidence of osteoarthritis decreases gradually as lifetime activity levels increase. There is a small uptick in incidence of arthritis in incredibly active people. However, the incidence of arthritis in very active individuals is still less than in those who are completely sedentary.
Go ahead. Lift heavy things. Run, skip, jump. Ski in the snow and the water. Hike all of the trails. Go do something fun. You’re not fragile. You were made to move.
