You know this well, aging will likely cause wrinkles and gray hair, but do you know how aging will affect your teeth, heart and body in general? As we grow older, our bodies naturally change with each passing day, month, and year and most of us aren’t in the same physical shape we were five or ten years ago, no pun intended. Today, people are living longer than ever, often well into their sixties and beyond. What changes can we expect as we age ?

With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density: This weakens them (the bones) and can affect coordination and balance. Remember that time you could run around and not break a sweat, well with age the muscles tend to lose strength and endurance, and you will indeed find you cant keep up with your past self of 5-10 years back. However, you may/can help your bones stay healthy by incorporating some of these;

• • Consume enough calcium. This can be obtained from dairy products, broccoli, salmon, to mention but a few.
  • Take calcium supplements (after consultations with your doctor), incase you are unable to get them any other way.
  • Include physical activity in your daily routine: Do regular exercise such as walking, jogging or even weight training can help strengthen bones. Keep in mind though, to take it easy on yourself and most importantly listen to your body.

As we age, you might find yourself at times forgetting familiar names or words, or noticing that multitasking becomes more challenging. I remember my grandfather, who passed away in 2017 at the remarkable age of 94. His memory was sharp as a tool—he could recount stories from decades past with impeccable detail, as if they had happened just last week. His mental clarity at such an advanced age was truly impressive. To support and protect your cognitive health as you age, consider the following steps:

• • Include physical activity in your daily routine: This helps to increase blood flow to your whole body, including your brain, which can go a long way in reducing stress and depression – things that may contribute to memory loss. 
  • Eat healthy and reduce alcohol intake too much of  which can lead to confusion and memory loss.
  • Maintain a social life and have regular social interaction  to remedy stress and depression.
  • Stay mentally active: Helps you to sustain memory and thinking skills. 

Aging also can affect your eye’s lens, causing clouded vision (cataracts).With age, you might have difficulty focusing on objects that are close up. Your hearing may be affected as well.   Promote eye and ear health by  doing these:

• • Take precautions, such as wearing sunglasses in too much sun, hearing aids, staying away from loud sound for long periods of time.
  • Schedule regular checkups with your doctor and heed his/her advice.

As we age, we can expect stiffening of the blood vessels and arteries, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood through them. Such changes increase the risk of high blood pressure and other organ related problems. Remedy Heart problems by doing some of these:

• • • Get enough sleep. Aim for around 7 to 8 hours of un-interrupted sleep, as sleep is known to play an important role in the healing and repair of blood vessels and the heart.
    • Do regular exercise. Keep it simple and listen to your body while at it.

2. Pictures courtesy of Pexels.com