Regardless of what we do, we will age over the years. Until recently, many thought that the cosmetic signs of ageing, like grey hair and wrinkles could be dealt with easily, but that muscle, joint and bone deterioration were unavoidable.

Luckily, recent research has shown that much of the damage caused by age is due to inactivity, which means that if you maintain a moderately active lifestyle, you can stay healthier for longer. That’s why we want to highlight some of the negative effects that an inactive lifestyle can have on your body as you age, and how physical activity can help reduce these symptoms:

The effects of age on your bones

The structure of your bones consists of living tissue; this means that over time, your bone structure can change due to a loss of bone tissue, which can cause weakness and breaks from even the most minor falls and bumps.

The reasons for this loss of bone density can be because of an inactive lifestyle, certain hormone changes – for example, menopause in women and a decline of sex hormones in men – and a loss of calcium and other important minerals over time.

The effects of age on your joints

Joints are a set of bones that are kept together by cartilage, which is lubricated by synovial fluid. Ageing causes this fluid to diminish, which results in stiffer joints and difficulty when it comes to moving. Luckily, physical exercise can help to offset the loss of fluid, as the constant movement in the joints keep them from stiffening up, and keeps the fluid circulating through the joint.

The effects of age on your muscles

As you age, your muscles lose strength and size, which in turn causes weakness and feelings of fatigue. This is due to the amount of muscle fibres reducing, the slower replacement of new muscle tissue, and nervous system changes.

There is a solution

While nothing we do will offset the effects of ageing permanently, a healthy lifestyle will help tremendously with slowing or even preventing the effects of ageing on your bones, joints, and muscles.

If you are looking for help with your exercise and physical activity, you can take advantage of our Movement Motivator. Alternatively, contact us today, or get in touch with your doctor, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist.

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