Some of Australia’s top experts share what happens to our bodies and brains as the years pass, and what we can do to mitigate less-desirable changes.
Whether we like it or not, ageing is inevitable. But that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a source of both fascination and fear.
“The primary contributor is decreased physical activity,” explains Dr Angelo Sabag, an accredited exercise physiologist for the University of Sydney’s Get your heart rate up with short, hard bursts of activity or try high-intensity interval training . An example is six rounds of high-intensity cycling or running for 20 seconds to one minute, with equivalent rest periods in between.
Balance is also essential to prevent falls, and while the single leg test – standing on one leg for at least 10 seconds – is used to examine balance, incorporating single leg stances into training can also help.Mix up your activities – incorporating strength, endurance, speed and balance – as much as you can. Starting aerobic and strength training at any stage of life will have profound effects on our health, but the sooner we start, the higher our fitness ceiling.
Sometime in our 50s, 60s or 70s our taste buds start to age, which can diminish our sense of taste and enjoyment of food. Our digestive system starts to age too and our sphincter, around the top of our stomach, isn’t as good at keeping the stomach contents in, meaning reflux becomes more common.Any nutritional deficiencies, which often present first as constipation, high blood pressure, high blood sugar or ulcers, are confounded by poor dental condition, says Collins.
In our 40s and 50s, when skin cell renewal slows to 64 days instead of 28, our skin cells are drier and not as resilient. Our skin’s ability to repair itself also declines and, each year, we start to lose about 1 per cent of our elastin and collagen . Moisturise twice a day and use sun protection to minimise inflammation in the skin and the rest of the body.
“They’re moving all the time and sending up branches and withdrawing branches and so forth,” Brodaty says. “So it’s a very dynamic process.”
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