From saggy skin to varicose veins, creaky joints, and droopy bits – getting old isn’t always pretty.
But an aging body will not just look different, it will feel different, too. We’re talking about weaker muscles, reduced bone density, lower mobility, and reduced vision, as well as impaired hearing and cognitive function. Yes, there are so many things we take for granted in our younger years that just don’t work the way they used to when we get older.
Want to prepare? Here’s what to expect.
The Harsh Truth: An Aging Body Means Reduced Functionality
We hate to break it to you, but you’re not immortal, and aging won’t do your body any favors. But unless you’ve completed an adult gerontology degree online, it can be hard to brace yourself for the reality of what can happen to your aging body.
Awareness is key to preparation, though. So here are the common reductions in physical functionality, and the typical changes in the body we can expect to experience as our bodies age:
Decline in Muscle Mass
If you’re over the age of 30, your muscle tissue has already started wearing away. And sorry to say it, but your muscle mass will just keep on declining as you get older.
The good news? If you keep up a good level of fitness, you’ll maintain enough muscle tissue to carry you through most of your daily tasks.
We don’t all need to be powerlifters, and sometimes you just need to accept that your physical strength will naturally decline as you get older.
Reduced Bone Density
Bone density is another thing that will typically wear away with age. The worst part? As your bones become weaker, you’re at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.
Commonly experienced by older women after the onset of menopause, osteoporosis occurs because of a reduction in the estrogen hormone – which usually helps to protect bones from breaking. This causes bones to become more fragile, and as such, break more easily.
So, those creaky knees aren’t just your imagination. It’s likely your bones are getting weaker, and that the cartilage between them is also thinning – which can result in acute joint pain for some older people.
Loss of Vision
Normally have 20/20 vision? As you age, you may find yourself needing to get glasses to be able to read your favorite book or see street signs in the distance as you drive.
Your night vision will also typically be impacted, as your pupils are yet another thing that will shrink with age, letting less light into your eyes as a result, and making it harder to see in the dark.
Hearing Loss
Just like your eyesight, hearing is also commonly affected as you get older. Make sure to go for regular hearing tests to ascertain your level of ability. Your doctor might advise that you need to get hearing aids.
Losing our capacity to hear clearly can be frustrating for some people, as it can impact our ability to follow and participate in conversations – particularly when people are speaking quietly, or we find ourselves in group settings.
As teens, have we not all had a disgruntled older adult tell us to ‘speak up’, ‘stop mumbling’, and ‘speak properly’? There could be a scientific reason. High-pitched sounds like consonants, for instance, can be more difficult for older people who are hard of hearing to pick up on. Lower-pitched sounds like vowels, on the other hand, are easier for us to hear – which can give elderly people the impression that others around them are mumbling, or mispronouncing their words.
Impaired Cognitive Function
Finally, be prepared for your brain power to decrease.
Sadly, many of us will experience dementia or Alzheimers as we get older – as many as 55 million people worldwide have dementia currently, with that number only set to grow as our population continues to age.
So what’s the good news in all of this? While we may see a decline in our physical abilities, aging has a silver lining: older and wiser – we have more spare time, and often, greater financial freedom, to live out our golden years.