The saying goes old age doesn’t come alone.
It’s an old adage I remember Misery Guts’s granny saying and the older I get, the more I understand what she meant!
The fact is that as well as obvious things like wrinkles and grey hair, changes occur to our teeth, heart, and other parts of our bodies too.
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If you’re reading this because you’re wondering what to expect as you get older and ways our bodies change, this collaborative post reveals all!
Where to expect change & what to do
Ageing comes with many changes and may or may not include things like doctors’ appointments, a TRT appointment for hormone therapy, behavioural changes, and other lifestyle changes. Knowing what to expect can help you get comfortable with these changes and still enjoy a comfortable and active life as much as possible.
10 ways our bodies change as we age
1. Cardiovascular system
As you age, you can experience changes in your cardiovascular system, including stiffening blood vessels and arteries, which can cause the heart to work harder to pump blood through them. Heart muscles in the body change to adapt to the increased workload.
Your heart rate won’t increase during activities like it used to, but it will stay the same at rest. This can increase the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.
What to do: Try to promote your heart health as much as possible by engaging in physical activities, eating healthy, quitting smoking, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep.
2. Bones, muscles & joints
With ageing comes shrinking bones in size and density, making them weak and susceptible to fracture. You will likely lose strength, flexibility, and endurance, affecting stability, balance, and coordination. You may even become shorter.
What to do: Try to improve bone, muscle, and joint health by taking adequate calcium and vitamin D, engaging in physical activities, and avoiding substance abuse. Sometimes though, we need a little extra help. A visit to the topΒ chiropractor Charelston SCΒ has to offer can put you right if you happen to be in the area.
3. Digestive system
Ageing causes structural changes in the large intestine. Therefore, you’re likely to experience more constipation, which can worsen if you don’t exercise often, don’t take enough fluids, eat a low-fibre diet, and take iron supplements and other medication.
What to do: Eat healthily, including high-fibre meals, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Engage in regular exercise, and don’t hold in bowel movements. You could also consider taking wellness products like a dietary supplement to promote a healthy gut lining such as Gundry MD’s Total Restore.
4. Bladder & urinary tract
Expect less bladder elasticity, causing you to urinate more. Sometimes, it can cause difficulty emptying the bladder, losing bladder control, and enlarged or inflamed prostate in men.
What to do: Promote urinary tract and bladder health by visiting the toilet regularly, doing kegel exercises, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, and avoiding constipation and bladder irritants like caffeine and carbonated drinks.
5. Memory, thinking skills & nervous system
Your brain is one part that will change as you age. You may experience difficulty multitasking, remembering things, distraction, less coordination, and less reflex.
What to do: Promote cognitive health by eating a healthy diet, reading and staying mentally active, socialising, engaging in physical activities, quitting smoking, and treating cardiovascular diseases.
6. Teeth
Ageing affects your teeth. You may begin to feel your gums pulling from your teeth. In addition, taking specific medications like allergies, asthma, cholesterol, and blood pressure can cause a dry mouth. This can make your teeth and gums vulnerable to decay and infection.
What to do: Visit your dentist regularly for dental checkups and brush and floss.
7. Eyes & ears
With ageing comes difficulty focusing on close-up objects, and your eyes might have difficulty adapting to different light levels and become sensitive to glaring. Your hearing ability might also depreciate.
What to do: Go for regular checkups and follow your doctor’s advice. You should also take precautions by wearing sunglasses or hats when outdoors and using earplugs in loud places.
8. Skin
As you grow older, your skin thins, becomes fragile, loses elasticity, and the fatty tissues beneath the skin decrease. This can cause wrinkles, age spots, skin tags, dry skin, and decreased production of natural oils.
What to do: Maintain healthy skin by bathing with warm water and mild soap, using moisturizers, using sunscreen, quitting smoking, checking your skin regularly, and reporting to your doctor. The doctor may recommend some anti-aging treatments, such as peptide therapy in Los Angeles, which helps to recover skin cells by improving the production of collagen.
9. Weight
Slow metabolism comes with ageing, and your body will burn calories slower. Therefore, you’re likely to add weight as you grow, especially if you don’t engage in physical activities.
What to do: Incorporate a healthy lifestyle by engaging in regular physical activity, eating healthy, and watching your food portion sizes to cut calories.
10. Sexuality
Sexual needs and performance might change as you grow. Sometimes, illnesses and medications can reduce the urge for sex or the ability to enjoy it.
Men may experience low testosterone levels, and women may experience vaginal dryness. Men may also take longer to get erections, or they might not be as firm as before.
What to do: Men can go for a TRT treatment to treat low testosterone. In addition, you should let your partner know about your concerns and needs. Talk to your doctor, and they may recommend treatments for you. Lastly, engage in regular exercise to improve sexual hormones.
This is a collaborative post.
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