One article published in the Biochemia Medica Journal in 2019 described aging as an irreversible, time-related deterioration of physiological processes and a reduction of the ability of the body to regenerate new cells and repair itself. It is natural and inevitable for your body to age. However, knowing what to expect will help you adopt lifestyle changes, such as finding the best vape deals to help you quit smoking,  that will slow down the process. Of course, you will enjoy aging gracefully! In this article, we will enlighten you on everything you should know about how your body shape changes as you age.

Loss of Bone

As you age, bone loss is one of the most common body changes. The rate of bone breakdown outdoes the new bone cell production. As a result, the bones shrink and reduce in density. They become more brittle and weaker, and thus you are more susceptible to fractures and bone conditions such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. Moreover, loss of bone may affect your height. Yes, every 10 years after age 40, adults lose their height by ½ inch.

Loss of Muscles

Your body's lean mass starts to reduce between ages 30 and 40. By the time you reach 50 years, you may have 10% less muscle mass than you had at the age of 30. All this is because the ability of your body to produce muscle mass slows down as you age. Muscle loss reduces your body's strength, affecting your mobility, balance, and endurance. No wonder you may find it more difficult to carry heavy luggage. Also, you may fall and trip more easily.

Change in the Initial Shape of your Body

The loss of muscles and bone mass changes your body shape. Moreover, your body fat increases despite the loss of bone and muscles. Most of this body fat accumulates in the abdominal fat. The visceral fat increases the risks of lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Changes in your Sexuality

As you age, you may suffer changes in sexual needs and performance. In women, estrogen reduces drastically, resulting in menopause. Also, the wall of the vagina becomes less elastic, stiffer, and thinner, thus increasing arousal time. Vaginal dryness is also common and may make sex uncomfortable. Among men, testosterone levels start to decline by 1-2 % every year after age 40. The decline in this sex hormone affects sex drive, results in erectile dysfunction, and also increases the loss of bones and muscles.

Moreover, low testosterone levels may cause you to gain weight, lose hair, and experience undesirable changes in your mood. If you are a man over 40, it would be best to speak with a testosterone doctor for guidance on testosterone replacement therapy. The therapy will help increase your sex drive, boost weight loss, and improve sleep. The therapy will also boost your strength and muscle mass.

Changes in your Cognition

When you hit between 30 and 40 years, the transmission of nerve impulses between your body and the brain will naturally begin to slow. Thus, your ability to multitask, pay attention, and process information decreases. Also, you may take longer to remember things and learn new skills after this age.

Changes in your Skin

As you age, your skin becomes thin, fragile, less tight, and less elastic. The fatty tissues, bones, and muscles under the skin begin to decrease. Moreover, you start developing age spots, skin tags, and wrinkles. There is reduced production of natural oils from the skin, which makes your skin drier. In addition, due to the fragility of your skin, you may bruise easily due to reduced collagen and elastin.

Changes in your Sensory Abilities

Aging also affects your senses of taste, vision, and hearing. After the age of 40, you may experience difficulties reading words. This is because, as you age, your eyes become less flexible and more rigid, which lessens the ability of light to focus on your retina. You can develop increased sensitivity to glare and experience difficulty adjusting to various light intensities. Also, the lens of your eye might become clouded, impairing your vision. Your ability to hear also reduces due to the ear's structural changes. Your saliva production and taste buds decrease and shrink, affecting your tasting senses.

Changes in your Teeth

As you age, the gums around your teeth may start to pull away, resulting in tooth loss. Medications, such as those used to treat high cholesterol and high blood pressure, may dry your mouth. Subsequently, your gums and teeth become more vulnerable to infections and decay.

Wrapping Up

In a nutshell, aging is an inevitable process but you can take control of how fast you age. The best place to start is to make lifestyle changes that will slow your aging and improve your quality of life. You can also seek help from professionals like testosterone doctors to help you slow down the process and roll back some years!