Talk about a birthday gift I wish I could mark “return to sender.” Just two weeks shy of turning 42, this ominous headline crossed my Slack: “Human aging accelerates dramatically at age 44 and 60.” Now, I’m no great mathematician, but even I can deduce that in just two years, I’ll supposedly undergo a fit of rapid aging. In a word—yikes.
But let’s rewind for just a sec. That headline comes courtesy of a recent study out of Stanford Medicine, published in the journal Nature, which examined the very, well, nature of aging by studying participants’ molecules. (The study included 108 participants, both men and women, between the ages of 25 and 75.) What they found was that the molecules didn’t shift in numbers in a linear fashion over time, but in bursts around the ages of 44 and 60.
“It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s,” said study senior author Michael Snyder, PhD, professor of genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine. “And that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.”
Initially, researchers assumed that the mid-40s shift they noticed was due to the changes women in the test group were undergoing during perimenopause or menopause. But when they isolated just the men, the same shift was still evident, leading them to theorize that there are other underlying drivers of aging for both men and women that have nothing to do with perimenopause or menopause.
Further research will be needed to identify a lot of these whys—in addition to further validating the results. Given the study’s small participant pool and limited timespan (participants were followed for a median period of 1.7 years), a bigger, longer-term study will be needed.
But the initial results were undeniably compelling. So compelling, in fact, that my solution-oriented Virgo brain began wondering what steps I could take now to fend off some of this rapid aging the study identified.
Here, doctors offer their best tips for how to stave off the accelerated aging as you approach those important ages.
Meet the experts: Keri Peterson, MD, is an internal medicine physician based in New York City. Kristen McParland is a NASM-certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. Marisa Garshick, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Cornell-New York Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.
As You Approach Age 44…
Establish these healthy habits now, and they will serve you during that first aging burst and beyond by shoring up the immune system, quelling inflammation, and more factors that all contribute to getting—and feeling—older.
1. Prioritize sleep
If you want unanimous advice on how to set your body up for success for decades to come, it’s this: Get an adequate night’s rest. (All three of the experts WH spoke with agreed!)
Quality sleep allows your body to rest and repair, and there’s no shortage of studies documenting the powerful link between catching Zs and keeping the immune system in tip-top shape. And they don’t call it beauty rest for nothing. Says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist: “The nighttime is usually a reparative, restorative time for the skin.”
Just how many hours a night should you be logging? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends seven or more for adults.
2. Cut back on alcohol.
One habit that could be disrupting your time in Dreamland? That nightly glass of Chardonnay. “As we age, we don’t metabolize alcohol as easily, and it impairs our sleep quality,” says Keri Peterson, MD, an internal medicine physician, who begins discussing alcohol consumption more aggressively with patients in their 40s. “The metabolite of alcohol is a stimulant, so it wakes us up, often around 3 a.m.” (It’s worth noting that the Stanford study also found shifts in alcohol metabolism around ages 40 and 60.)
If possible, Dr. Peterson recommends cutting alcohol out entirely. “Even with one glass, you’re going to have disrupted sleep,” she says.
3. Establish a strength-training routine (if you haven’t already).
Women start losing muscle mass as early as their 30s. In fact, we lose about 3 to 5 percent per decade. But you can preserve the muscle mass you have—or even build more!—by lifting, even just a few days a week.
“It doesn’t have to be five days a week like a bodybuilder in a gym,” says Kristen McParland, a NASM-certified personal trainer. “There’s tons of research that shows just two days a week of full-body strength training can give you a laundry list of positive side effects to your immune system, your muscle mass, your bone density, your mood, your sleep, and your heart health.”
Of course, you can’t lift the same 3-lb. dumbbell week after week in the hopes of seeing gains. “In order to see change in a muscular bone joint, you need to challenge the muscle,” McParland says. You can do this by incorporating progressive overload into your routine, which essentially means upping the weight and/or reps every few weeks.
The Bottom line, says McParland: “If a client is in [the gym strength training] twice a week, they’re lifting from 30 to 60 minutes full-body, and they’re intentionally challenging their muscle groups—that’s the most important part.”
4. Support your muscles with protein.
Show of hands: Who’s heard the saying “muscles are built in the kitchen“? While it’s a bit of a generalization, there’s certainly a nugget of truth to it, says McParland. “It doesn’t matter how hard you work in the gym if you don’t have an adequate protein and carbohydrate intake to help build the muscle.” While the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein has long been .36 grams per pound of body weight, McParland recommends aiming for .8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight to support muscle-building goals.
5. Don’t forget the cardio.
The heart is a muscle, and it needs exercise too. (The Stanford study notes that aging has been associated with cardiovascular disease.) The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic activity.
But what exactly constitutes “moderate aerobic activity”? “I like to tell my clients that you should start to feel your heart rate go up, maybe you’re a little out of breath, but you could still keep up with a brief conversation,” McParland says. That could take the form of incline walking, biking, hiking, or a light jog (emphasis on the light, McParland adds).
6. Protect your skin with SPF.
If you aren’t already wearing a daily sunscreen on your face, neck, chest, and hands, now is the time to start, says Dr. Garshick. That’s because UV rays cause skin cells to age and can harm the cells’ DNA. (Plus, there’s the increased risk of skin cancer.)
When shopping for a sunscreen, make sure it has an SPF of at least 30 (higher is even better) and that it’s marked as “broad spectrum,” meaning it provides coverage against both UVA and UVB rays.
As You Approach Age 60…
If you are already doing all of the above, here are a few more expert-backed action items to consider adding to your list in your later 40s and 50s.
1. Talk to your doc about hormone replacements.
During perimenopause and menopause, women’s estrogen and progesterone levels drop. This causes numerous side effects, including hot flashes, weight gain, sleep disturbances and more. You may be able to stave off some of these symptoms—and prevent some age-related conditions—by taking a hormone replacement.
“I do recommend women discuss the pros and cons, whether they’re a candidate, and whether they think it’s for them with their doctor,” says Dr. Peterson. “If you’re doing estrogen and progesterone without testosterone, it’s going to help hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, osteoporosis prevention, and just overall sense of wellbeing. If you also do it with testosterone, that will help support muscle building and libido.”
2. Implement practices that help keep your brain stimulated and sharp.
Most Americans (about two-thirds) will experience some form of cognitive decline by the age of 70, research shows. (The Stanford study notes previous research finding that diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease have distinct “turning points” around the ages of 40 and 65.)
And while a lot of our brain aging is determined by genetics, Dr. Peterson recommends keeping the brain stimulated by engaging in activities like hobbies, reading, and crossword puzzles. “Menopause is when I start to tell patients that, if you plan on aging in the same state you’re in now, you have to engage your brain.” She also recommends these types of activities, plus gratitude journaling, to help with mental health. “For some people, it’s a time where I see a little more depression,” she says.
3. Add flexibility and balance exercises to your routine.
If your strength-training warm ups and/or cooldowns don’t already include flexibility and balance work, now’s the time to incorporate those. “You start to get stiffer, tighter,” Dr. Peterson says. “I usually recommend a lot more stretching and balance training as patients start to approach their 60s.”
Balance work could take the form of walking in a straight line by placing one foot in front of the other; closing your eyes and standing on one foot; or walking down stairs without holding onto the handrail. If you’ve got a Bosu ball in your closet (or have one available at your local gym), Dr. Peterson suggests standing on top of the domed portion while doing upper body exercises.
4. Consider power moves.
If your routine already includes strength, cardio, flexibility, and balance work, McParland suggests upping the ante with power training, which will help your reaction time during a trip (and maybe even prevent a fall). “It doesn’t have to be jumping because that can be intimidating,” she says. “It can be simply kettlebell swings or drop hinges where you go up on your toes and drop down into a hinge position, practicing your landing technique.”
One final note: Remember that wherever you are in your own personal timeline, it’s always a worthwhile moment to start incorporating new healthy habits into your routine. “It’s never too late,” McParland stresses. “I work with clients in their 60s that see really positive changes.”
Amy Wilkinson is an entertainment editor who also specializes in health and wellness. When not editing or writing, she can be found teaching Pilates as a comprehensively certified instructor.
