This blog post provides a simple and concise summary of the stages of aging in relation to age-related phenotypic changes with explanations for what each change means for your quality of life. It also concludes with tips on how to make sure you’re living a long and healthy life with uf inclusive fitness and unified sports.
With that out the way, let’s get started!
Aging is inevitable and it’s something we all must face sooner or later. However, there are many misconceptions about aging which have developed over time — as such, this blog post will be able to provide you with some clarity on a number of questions that often arise when considering our own aging processes.
1. What is aging?
“Aging” is the process by which you change over time — speeds of aging vary, and these rates are highly dependent on genetics and environment. Put simply, aging refers to a body’s ability to repair itself in response to external stressors as well as internal errors that occur during routine functioning. Aging also refers to how efficiently cells replicate (this process is known as “cellular turnover” and it occurs throughout our lifetimes).
The only way of slowing down the aging process is by maintaining an active lifestyle , which will help reduce your chances of developing many age-related diseases.
2. What are the biological processes that occur during aging?
1) Cellular Turnover (also known as “ The Hayflick Limit ”) —
Thanks to the Hayflick limit, your cells will only divide a set number of times before they can no longer replicate. This means that your organs and tissues slow down their functioning each time they’re exposed to stressors such as radiation and toxins. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for us to fully understand why cellular turnover happens – scientists are working on it, however.
2) Tissue Stiffening —
This is one of the most common symptoms of aging, especially in individuals over 65 years old. This process refers to the loss of elasticity of our skin, muscles and tendons. As a result, you’ll experience a loss of mobility because it’s impossible for your joints to move freely when they’re stiff.
3) Altered Brain Chemistry —
The levels of neurotransmitters that occur naturally in our bodies change as we age, leading to changes in mood and cognitive processing – sometimes these changes can be positive (i.e. improved mental health). On the other hand, it’s worth noting that some neurological diseases (as well as mood disorders) worsen with age; Alzheimer’s disease is one such example.
4) Tissue Breakdown (Aging of the internal organ systems) —
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that changes in the internal organs occur as we age. The lungs, ears and kidneys experience gradual changes as a result of cell break-down.
3. When does aging occur?
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question — your rate of aging depends on your own genetics and lifestyle choices. Some people age faster than others and some people are blessed with longevity .
Here’s a quick overview of the aging process:
Older than 60 years old — You start to see visible changes in your skin, eyesight and dental hygiene. After that, the rate of aging increases significantly, especially after 70 years of age. This is mostly due to the increased risk of age-related diseases caused by a lifetime of exposure to stressors such as radiation and environmental toxins (including chemicals in products we consume on a daily basis).
4. What are the causes of aging?
The main causes of aging include:
·Increased cellular replication —
More cells are produced every day, leading to harmful byproducts such as free radicals that can damage DNA. As a result, our bodies become more vulnerable to disease.
·Exposure to stressors —
Our bodies naturally produce “stress” hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which help us cope with danger and stressors – the problem is that the hormone levels we experience have become too high since we’ve started living longer (as a result of improvements in modern medicine). The increased levels of these hormones lead to rapid aging over time, because they make it more difficult for your body to repair itself. ·Deficiencies —
As we age, we become less capable of manufacturing various nutrients, which includes a number of vitamins and minerals. This means that our bodies’ ability to produce waste products is reduced and so we become more susceptible to getting ill.
·Lifestyle choices —
Your lifestyle choices are one of the most important factors that influence your aging process – for example, if you smoke (even in moderation) then you’re more likely to develop heart disease ; if you choose to ‘live fast and die young’, then you’ll experience rapid aging .
5. What are the symptoms of aging?
As we age, our bodies undergo gradual changes in their physical appearance. These changes are due to a variety of factors (such as illness, injuries and exposure to toxins), however they often serve as indicators that your lifestyle choices aren’t helping you live as long and healthy a life as possible.
1) Loss of Hair —
As we wear our hair every day, it’s one of the first things to show signs of aging. While there are products on the market that can help restore your hair (such as hair regrowth serum ), I would highly recommend that you try this ‘natural’ approach instead.
2) Weight Gain —
When we’re young, we’re able to maintain a balanced body composition . We all know that our bodies start to change shape as we age and this is mainly due to the fact that we lose lean mass (muscle tissue) and gain fat. If you want to learn about how you can reverse this process naturally, then check out my premium supplements guide here .
3) Changes in Facial Skin Texture —
Recent studies show that changes in facial skin texture are influenced by lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption, smoking and exposure to sun. Some research shows that the liquid found in the whites of your eyes (known as ‘lacrimal fluid’) also contains information about your lifestyle choices.
