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Aging is an ongoing process. There are no set rules that tell you that you will have trouble walking at this age or will lose your memory skills at that age. Surely, we all know men who seem to rapidly slide downhill in their fifties. But you probably also know men in their seventies and eighties who have tremendous energy and enthusiasm, men who are in great shape and leading an active life.
Theories about aging are changing rapidly as scientists are learning more about human potential. One thing is already quite clear from their studies: Aging is inevitable — there is no way to stop the clock — but a gradual decline in good health and good looks is not. Many of the things that we blame on aging really have nothing to do with getting older. Changes such as diminished vitality, strength, sexual vigour, mental fogginess, and even premature wrinkling are natural as one gets older, but each of these can be controlled.
You can lead the pack, by staying strong and active well past middle age, or you can follow those who accept the notion that aging and decline are inseparable. But make no mistake for you have a choice: You can lead an active life and hold on to your looks, strength and sexuality, or you can let a little bit of each slip away with each birthday.
The earlier you start thumb wrestling with the hands of time, the better. The problems that lead to aging are cumulative, and the sooner you start correcting them, the better off you will be in the long run. But it is never too late to start on them.
You can redefine your personal agenda for the coming years to change your thinking about 'aging'. Take practical, simple steps now and back the clock towards longevity.
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PLOT YOUR OWN COURSE |
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You have noticed the changes. Maybe it is subtle as aches and pains from a weekend pickup game, or as obvious as thinning hair or a thickening gut. It could be that you are squinting a little more or hearing a little less, panting too hard from exercise or are not too hard over sex. Whatever it is, it means you are putting on a few years. But that does not mean that you are necessarily becoming old.
Scientists who are minutely studying the aging process readily agree that there is little you can do about the aspects of aging. The fact is, as men age, certain changes tend to occur — what those in the aging biz call 'biomakers' of aging.
Some of these changes are obvious: Hair gets thinner and greyer, skin becomes loose and more wrinkled, vision gets more fuzzy and hearing begins to fade. Muscles get weaker and the lungs wind more easily. And of course, the gut tends to expand as metabolism slows down, making you more likely to gain weight even if you eat the same amount of calories.
Some changes are less noticeable but can even be more significant to overall health. Cholesterol levels start increasing steadily, raising your risk of heart disease. Immunity weakens, so you are more susceptible to illness and you take longer to bounce back. Even the brain cells start dying off by the thousands each day around the age of 30. To add insult to injury, the part of us that for so long did a lot of our thinking, our libido, also begins to wane, thanks to the lower levels of testosterone that decrease our sexual appetite. But none of these changes are inevitable.
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OUTPACING AGING |
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You may not be able to outrun the clock, but a deeper research seems to indicate that you can keep one step ahead of it. How you age is more a reflection of how you live, an accumulation of things you do everyday, and to a great degree, these things are under your control.
And it is never too late to change. Research shows that this wonderful body of ours is almost indefinitely renewable if we give it a chance. Simply by taking charge of certain key actions in your life, like eating the right food at the right time and exercising regularly you can boost your life expectancy by up to 15 years. |
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