A guide to (healthy) ageing: What happens to the body and how to slow ageing down?

For a long time, it seems like it doesn’t concern us. And then it happens: glasses, wrinkles, slower recovery, a slower metabolism… As if the body were waiting for a signal to start aging. In reality, though, there is no real turning point. After forty (or later, for the luckier ones), all those small changes simply build up and start to become a little more visible. What exactly changes in the body as we age, and how can we influence the pace of aging?

We don’t age overnight

“Just wait until you hit forty/fifty – everything suddenly starts going downhill!” If you hear similar prophecies too, or you tell yourself that your body started declining at one specific moment, believe that it’s only an illusion.

Our physical performance really does have its peak. We typically reach the highest levels of muscle strength, aerobic capacity, or the ability to recover quickly from exertion in young adulthood. After that, a decline begins. At first, however, it is very gradual, and in active people it often remains almost unnoticeable for a long time. Still, some people begin to feel signs of aging as early as their twenties or thirties.

Alongside natural internal changes, external circumstances also play a role. As we move from student life into a work routine, we usually sit more, sleep worse, and deal with more chronic stress. That means part of what we consider “normal aging” is actually a consequence of lifestyle.

What actually changes in the body?

Scientists today describe several basic biological processes of aging (the so-called Hallmarks of Aging), for example:

1. Cells repair damage more slowly

Every day, thousands of small forms of damage arise in our bodies, affecting DNA, proteins, or cellular structures. The body continuously repairs and removes them, but with age some of these processes gradually become less effective.

The result is slower recovery, greater susceptibility to illness, and a higher likelihood that this minor damage will accumulate.

So should we take it easy and avoid exerting ourselves so the body doesn’t wear out? Quite the opposite. Regular movement – when balanced with enough quality sleep – supports the body’s ability to respond appropriately to stress and helps maintain its functional reserves over the long term.

Diet is just as important. Focus especially on vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and extra virgin olive oil – they contain polyphenols and other bioactive compounds that help protect cells from excessive oxidative stress and support their natural repair mechanisms. Rather than one-off routines built around a single miracle food, variety and consistency work better.

2. Mitochondria produce less energy

Mitochondria act as the power plants of our cells. With age, however, their number, quality, and ability to produce energy efficiently can change.

This may contribute, for example, to greater fatigue, lower physical performance, and slower recovery. 

Even so, it’s worth motivating yourself to keep moving regularly. A combination of endurance and strength training has been shown to help keep mitochondria functional and more efficient.

► Read more in our article about mitochondria

3. Chronic inflammation increases

As we age, the tendency toward so-called inflammaging increases – a mild but chronic inflammation. We often don’t feel it, but over the long term it is associated with a higher risk of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and some cancers.

This is not an inevitable consequence of a higher number on the birthday cake. Chronic inflammation is supported by common but modifiable issues such as obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, long-term stress, or poor sleep. 

On the other hand, regular physical activity, enough fibre, polyphenols, and good sleep management help keep the body’s inflammatory activity under control.

4. We’re no longer able to use some nutrients as well

Over the course of life, the ability to obtain certain nutrients from food and the way the body responds to them can change. That does not mean that after forty we suddenly absorb everything poorly. Some changes become more pronounced only at an older age, while others – such as so-called anabolic resistance in muscles – may start to appear earlier.

In older adults, for example, the risk of vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency increases, and the body’s calcium balance also changes, which may lead to a greater tendency toward fractures. Not only age plays an important role here, but also diet, medications, certain health conditions, and the amount of time spent outdoors. Some medications and health conditions may also increase the risk of magnesium deficiency.

That is exactly why a balanced diet becomes more important with age. While in your twenties the body can cope with many nutritional missteps, after forty it tends to be less “forgiving.” In addition to getting enough of potentially problematic nutrients, it also makes sense to look for higher-quality sources – whether on your plate or in supplement form.

5. Muscle mass declines

If we do not systematically work against it, after around the age of thirty we begin to slowly lose muscle mass. In women, this process usually accelerates after menopause. In older age, however, it affects both sexes more significantly.

The loss of muscle and muscle strength can then lead to falls, loss of independence, or slower recovery after illness or surgery. That is also why experts today consider muscle mass to be one of the most important indicators of functional health in older age.

Fortunately, this is something we can influence quite well. Building new muscle may no longer be as easy as it was at twenty, but it is definitely possible – strength training simply works at any age. To maintain muscle mass, it is also necessary to consume enough high-quality nutrients, especially protein. For older adults, around 1.0–1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day is recommended; with higher physical activity or certain health complications, even more may be needed.

► Read more in our article about muscle mass

6. The brain changes

Forget the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” The brain retains its neuroplasticity – its ability to create new neural connections – for practically the whole of life. It just needs more stimulation.

Sudoku certainly doesn’t hurt, but there are better ways to keep your mind in shape. According to current evidence, what benefits the brain most is:

• regular movement,

• quality sleep,

• social contact,

• learning new skills,

• enough auditory, visual, and other sensory stimulation.

Can we prevent aging?

We can’t stop time. But to some extent, we can limit or slow the onset of certain signs of aging – whether visual, subjective, or clearly physical.

Research shows that people with an overall healthier lifestyle are more likely to live to an older age without serious chronic disease and remain independent for longer. So the point is not simply to LIVE as many years as possible, but to truly EXPERIENCE as many years as possible.

The most commonly mentioned “accelerators” of aging include chronic sleep deprivation, smoking, lack of movement, loss of muscle mass, long-term obesity, chronic psychological stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and a long-term poor-quality diet.

So what slows aging down?

The biggest impact comes from surprisingly ordinary things:

• regular movement, 

• enough muscle mass, 

• quality sleep, 

• a varied diet rich in vegetables, fruit, legumes, and quality protein, 

• maintaining a healthy body weight, 

• good relationships and mental wellbeing, 

• no or very low consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other addictive substances.

Ice baths, red light, or exotic superfoods may be a nice extra, but they cannot replace the basic pillars mentioned above.

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Did you know…

…most compounds associated with longevity do not actually “switch off” aging?

Their goal is not to stop the biological clock, but to support the natural mechanisms by which the body defends itself against everyday wear and tear.

These include, for example, polyphenols, which influence cellular signalling pathways linked to adaptation to stress, or calcium alpha-ketoglutarate, which naturally takes part in cellular metabolism and is currently being studied in connection with healthy aging.

This is exactly why comprehensive products such as LifeCharge are created. They do not aim for a quick effect, but rather seek to support cellular mechanisms linked to vitality over the long term. They do not replace a high-quality lifestyle, but they can complement it appropriately.

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What should you take away from this?

Aging is not a disorder that needs treatment. It is a natural part of life. The good news, however, is that it does not happen at the same pace for everyone.

How well we function in our sixties or seventies is largely being decided already today – with every workout, every well-slept night, and every ordinary meal. We do not need to look for a way to stop time. It makes far more sense to create the conditions that help the body preserve, for as long as possible, the ability to do what we need from it every day.

Sources:

• https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)01377-0

• https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health 

• https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age

• https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-018-0059-4

• https://chronicdisease.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Lancet-2024.pdf

• https://www.aicr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/summary-third-expert-report.pdf