The Affect that Ageing has on the Body

Australians have one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, ranking 5th out of 35 developed countries. While a longer life expectancy is a good thing, the process of ageing can be difficult for people to come to terms with. As we get older things start to change both physically and emotionally, and getting used to these changes, can be tough.

It is a natural instinct to be scared of things we don’t understand, which only gets worse as the years go on. By understanding the changes that are happening in our bodies as we age and how to cope with them, we are better prepared to deal with them.

The following are some of the most common changes that are likely to happen to our bodies as we age.

Bones

As we age our bones become less dense, which means that our bones are weaker and more likely to break. This is known as osteoporosis. Our bones become less dense partly as a result of having less calcium in our bodies, as our bodies start to absorb less calcium from foods. In addition, our levels of vitamin D, which help the body use calcium, drop as we age. Women typically experience quicker loss of bone density after menopause, as the body produces less estrogen, which helps prevent bone from being broken down.

Some bones are more affected by ageing than others, with the most commonly affected being the thighbone at the hip, the arm bones at the wrist, and the spinal bones. Weakening vertebrae at the top of the spine can lead to other problems as it can cause the head to tip forward, which compresses the throat, making it more difficult to swallow and increasing the risk of choking.

Joints

The cartilage lining our joints thins as we age due to normal wear and tear as a result of movement over the years. This results in the surfaces of the joints not being able to slide over each other as well as they used to, and a higher risk of injury to the joint. Joint damage can lead to osteoarthritis, which is a very common condition in elderly people. In addition, our ligaments and tendons become less elastic as we age, which creates a feeling of tightness in the joints and results in less flexibility.

Skin

As we age, our skin becomes thinner, less elastic, drier, and we start to see wrinkles. Sunlight exposure has a huge impact on this, as the sun significantly damages our skin. Other things also contribute to changes in our skin. Our bodies produce less collagen and elastin, which makes skin tear more easily. The fat layer under the skin also thins. This layer helps conserve body heat and when the layer thins, wrinkles are more likely to develop.

Muscles

Muscle mass and strength start to decrease around the age of 30 and continue throughout the rest of our lives. This is partly due to the decreasing levels of testosterone and growth hormones that stimulate muscle development. When we age, our muscles can’t contract as quickly as before because more fast-twitch muscle fibres are lost than slow-twitch muscle fibres.

It’s important to remember that most older people will retain enough muscle mass and strength to carry out necessary tasks, and older people who have always been fit can remain athletic, play sports and enjoy physical activity. While even the healthiest people notice some muscle decline as they age, the affects of ageing will reduce muscle mass and strength by up to 10 to 15% during a person’s lifetime. Any muscle loss more severe than this 10 to 15% is likely to be the result of a disease or prolonged lack of activity, rather than from ageing alone. Regular resistance training can help overcome or delay loss of muscle mass and strength as a result of ageing.

Body Fat

By the time we are 75 years old, our body fat percentage will be around double what it was in young adulthood. Too much body fat can increase the risk of health problems as we age, such as diabetes. The distribution of fat on our body also changes as we get older and most often we store more fat around the torso. It may be inevitable that our body fat will increase a bit as we age, however, a healthy diet and regular exercise can help manage the increase.

Keep your body young as you age with our Ageless Grace® program. The program uses all areas of the brain combined with movement to improve brain and body health.