Aging is a normal process of life, but many fear the signs of “old age”. As you age there may be signs you notice that indicate your body is changing. You may wonder what’s considered normal, healthy aging, what are signs of aging well, what is not a normal sign of aging, and what you can do to help promote good health as you get older. Graying hair, additional wrinkles in your skin, and slower metabolism are all common signs of aging. Aging gracefully doesn’t just include looking younger, you can incorporate healthy habits to feel better as you age as well.
What Are the First Physical Signs of Aging?
Some of the earliest physical signs of aging include the physical changes of graying hair and wrinkles, but there are changes happening in your body that aren’t as easily noticeable. The cardiovascular system, bones, digestive system, urinary tract, and mental health can all be affected as well. To promote cardiovascular health, it’s important to get regular daily exercise. Activities as simple as brisk walking, lifting light weights, and yoga can be a great way to move your body and increase your heart rate. Consuming healthy foods, limiting alcohol consumption, managing stress, and getting the proper amount of sleep are all helpful in promoting heart health.
One of the concerns of aging is the decrease in size and density of bones, leaving them more susceptible to fracture. Many people also lose height as they age. To help support bone health, consuming adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D may help decrease the risk of fracture. Eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D is an easy way to aid in increasing the levels in the body. There are also vitamin D and calcium supplements available for those who feel like they aren’t getting enough in their diets. Regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and staying mentally active are especially important as you age.
Signs of Aging at 50
During your thirties and forties, you may not notice very many obvious signs of aging. Heading into your fifties, you actually have more brain power than when you’re in your twenties. Some of the signs of aging at 50 may become more noticeable, with changes to your hearing, bones, and muscles. In your younger years your body quickly trades out worn-down bone cells with new and stronger ones. When you hit your fifties, more worn-down bone cells need to be replaced, which means that your bones start to become weaker than they were. In addition to consuming more vitamin D and calcium, resistance and weight-bearing exercise can be helpful in keeping bones strong.
Normal signs of aging at 50 also includes muscle loss occurring at a higher rate than your younger years. Strength training exercises or weight lifting can help build muscle mass and improve a sense of balance. The chances of a heart attack increase after age 50, and exercise can also help with heart health. Smoking cigarettes is also a major cause of heart disease, so if you’re still smoking, it may be a good idea to quit to improve your health.
Signs of Aging at 60
As you hit your sixties, you may find yourself happier than you were in your younger years. Many people report feeling “very happy” in their sixties, probably because at this point in life they’ve been able to embrace joy while realizing that the hard times eventually do pass. Although this decade of your life may bring increased happiness, sometimes new challenges may pop up, like losing loved ones or health concerns.
Some aging signs at 60 include increased hearing loss, weight gain, and changes in skin. As you get older, hair cells in your ear naturally die off. These hair cells are instrumental in helping you hear properly, so as they die off your level of hearing can decrease. Your metabolism slowly decreases as you age, so staying on top of regular exercise and eating a well-balanced diet can be helpful in maintaining a healthy weight. As part of the aging process, the top two layers of skin start to thin. The skin starts to become drier and may become itchier as well while wounds may take longer to heal.
Signs of Aging at 70
While you breezed through your sixties, you may start to notice different common signs of aging at 70. While everyone’s aging process is specific to themselves, lifestyle can have a significant impact on the process. Other normal signs of aging at 70 include mind and memory declining, changes in your heart, and a disruption to your sleep cycle. All of these are typical parts of the aging process, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do to help make this become a smoother process.
Parts of your brain start to shrink as you age, which may mean you start to notice some form of memory loss, problems multitasking, or paying attention. While these are typical forms of the brain aging, Alzheimer’s and dementia have a much more profound impact on memory and everyday tasks. The heart’s electrical system may start to produce irregular heartbeat or other issues, but following a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise can help counteract those issues. You spend less time in the deep sleep cycle and more time in light sleep as you age, and you may also notice insomnia increasing. In spite of these changes, at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night is still recommended.
What Is Normal Aging?
“What is normal aging?” may seem like a question that has a simple answer, but it appears to be more complex than first thought. Identifying the true effects of aging while excluding socioeconomic factors, disease, and lack of educational opportunities can be more difficult. Even though everyone ages differently, there are common changes experienced in everyone. To discover normal aging scientists had to remove disease from the research, and found out that aging is not necessarily synonymous with disease. However, they also found that the two are not completely independent of each other.
As people age, their cardiovascular health, bones, heart health, prostate, and cognitive health gradually change. Age-related changes in the body, especially in areas of arteries, do increase the risk for certain diseases like cardiovascular disease. In men, prostate-specific antigen levels change over time, with the PSA enzyme generally being elevated in men with prostate cancer. The measurements of cognitive health were studied to look for natural changes during the aging process. Some people experience a large decline in their cognitive health as they age, while others experience a more gradual degradation of memory and other cognitive factors.
When Do You Start to Feel the Effects of Aging?
While the physical process of aging is inevitable, there are many things you can do to lessen the physical and mental impact. You may start to feel the effects of aging as soon as you’re in your late thirties, while some people experience effects earlier, and some later. The twenties are generally the peak of physical human health, with our brains and bodies growing to their full potential.
During your twenties, you can help prevent the effects of aging later on by taking care of your brain health, bone strength and density, and making good lifestyle choices. Many people view their thirties as their best decade, but may notice a decline in metabolism and an increase in skin wrinkles and fine lines. In your forties, you may notice your eyesight and height starting to change. Hormones are the big health challenge of the fifties, as menopause for women can cause quite a change in their bodies. Hearing, vision, and bone changes affect people in their sixties more.
At What Age Do You Start Slowing Down?
People of all ages wonder “when do you start feeling old?”, and the answer is different for every individual. According to researchers, age 24 is when things start changing in the brain. They tested cognitive ability using a real-time game for people ages 16 to 44, and the results showed that the speed of decision making slowed over time. As the brain ages, it makes up for some of the cognitive decline in different ways. The age that individuals start slowing down physically depends on many factors, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when each person will start to feel the effects of aging.
Supplements Can Help
As previously mentioned, eating a well-balanced diet and exercise can help slow the effects of aging, but many people find that taking vitamins and minerals in supplement form is extremely helpful. Spermidine is one of the supplements that people of all ages find beneficial, as it assists in cellular renewal. The building block of the human body, cells are important in overall health and longevity. Spermidine has been regarded as “nature’s answer for cellular health”, as it naturally activates the cellular renewal process. As we grow older, our cells also age, and overtime can accumulate dysfunctioning organelles and toxic matter which can lead to health complications. Spermidine helps to clear out these aged cells, ridding them of toxic debris and allowing them to continue to operate at peak efficiency. Cleaner, better functioning cells have a myriad of health benefits which affect your entire body.
