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aging

If you feel "old" practically overnight, there may be a good reason for that.

Aging is weird. You're trucking along, enjoying your middle-aged life, finally feeling like a real adult, when you look in the mirror one day and gasp. "Where did those wrinkles come from?" "Is that skin on my arm…crepey?!?" "Why am I aching like that?"

Somewhere in your mid-40s, you start noticing obvious signs of aging that seem to arrive overnight. You assumed it was a gradual process that you just hadn't noticed, but it sure as heck felt like it happened really fast.

New research indicates that may very well be the case. A 2024 study from researchers at Stanford tracked thousands of different molecules in people age 25 to 75 and found that people tend to make two big leaps in aging—one around age 44 and another around age 60. These findings indicate that aging can actually happen in bursts.

 aging, age, old, growing up, growing old, 40s, 60s Simpsons Gif y.yarn.co  

“We’re not just changing gradually over time. There are some really dramatic changes,” said senior study author Michael Snyder, Ph.D., a geneticist and director of the Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Stanford University. “It turns out the mid-40s is a time of dramatic change, as is the early 60s. And that’s true no matter what class of molecules you look at.” The researchers assumed the mid-40s changes would be attributed to menopausal or perimenopausal changes in women influencing the overall numbers, but when they separated the results by sex they saw similar changes in men in their 40s.

@suddenly_susan_

The accuracy 🤣 #40s #genxtiktok #womenover40 #relatable

"“This suggests that while menopause or perimenopause may contribute to the changes observed in women in their mid-40s, there are likely other, more significant factors influencing these changes in both men and women. Identifying and studying these factors should be a priority for future research,” said study author Xiaotao Shen, PhD, a former Stanford Medicine postdoctoral scholar who now teaches at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

 elderly couple, aging, age, growing old, aging in bursts Aging happens in bursts, scientists find.Canva Photos

The study included 108 participants who submitted blood and other samples every few months for several years. The scientists tracked age-related changes in 135,000 different molecules—nearly 250 billion distinct data points—to see how aging occurs.

The study may shed light on the reasons for jumps in certain diseases and maladies at certain ages. For the 40-somethings, scientists found significant changes in molecules related to alcohol, caffeine, and lipid metabolism, cardiovascular disease, and skin and muscle. For those in their 60s, changes related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, immune regulation, kidney function, cardiovascular disease, and skin and muscle were found.

 body, human body, anatomy, study, aging Research shows the body goes through specific changes in our 40s and 60s.Canva Photos

The study authors did note that lifestyle might play a role in some of these changes. For instance, alcohol metabolism may be influenced by people drinking more heavily in their 40s, which tends to be a period of higher stress for many people. However, the researchers added that these bursts of aging in the mid-40s and early 60s indicate that people may want to pay closer attention to their health around those ages and make lifestyle changes that support greater overall health, such as increasing exercise or limiting alcohol.

The research team plans to study the drivers of these aging bursts to find out why they happen at these ages, but whatever the reasons, it's nice to know that the seemingly sudden onset of age-related woes isn't just in our imaginations.

It's understandable that we worry about aging, as physical signs of aging remind us of our own mortality. We also have all kinds of social messaging that tells us youth is ideal and beautiful and old is bad and ugly, so of course we give aging the side-eye. But none of us can avoid aging altogether, so the more positive and healthy we are in our approach to aging, the better off we'll be, no matter when and to what degree aging hits us.

This story originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

Culture

People in their 40s share the best life advice that they wish they had known in their 30s

"Trying to maintain friendships with people that are on separate paths is difficult."

Image via Canva

People in their 40s share life advice with people in their 30s.

Wisdom is accrued with years lived. Every generation has advice to pass down, and people in their 40s have a lot of life advice to share with those a decade behind them in age.

In an online forum, this question was posed to people in their 40s, asking, "For those in their 40s, what's something people in their 30s don’t realize will impact them as they get older?"

People in their 40s generously shared their best life advice and aging tips with those in their 30s. These are 16 of their most impactful pieces of wisdom on getting older.

 old, getting old, aging, getting older, old Aging Jamie Lee Curtis GIF  Giphy  

"You wish you’d been more prepared for your family and friends to start dying or getting sick." —@G-base

"How well you took care of your teeth." —@aggieraisin

"Open a Roth IRA. Start small, but don't stop and don't take anything out. I didn't have a decent paying job until I was 39 years old. It's never to old to start saving. I did it and am now retired comfortably." —@FritzTheCat_1

 stretch, stretching, stretch routine, stretching routine, doing stretching Gym Stretch GIF by Chance The Rapper  Giphy  

"Stretching." —@SillyDistractions

"For those in their 30s, you need to know this. 40 is not old. Neither is 50." —@Mattynice75

"Posture." —@Prior-Force1068

"Your friendships will shift if you grow and change as a person." —@theprostateprophet

 friends, friendship, changing friendships, relationships, friend Tv Show No GIF by HelloGiggles  Giphy  

"It was around 40 that I started to realize that most people you meet are in your life for only a certain period of time, and even though it sucks, it’s actually normal. When I moved to a new city at 30, I had a pretty nice new group of friends. Now that I’m 40, I rarely talk to any of them. But they were perfect for that particular period in time. I think the same thing will continue to happen in your 40s, 50s, etc. Perhaps some will become lifelong friends, but the majority will just be rentals." —@_Toaster_Baths

"Find a life partner. Stop being part of toxic relationships. You are not going to fix anyone. Don't waste time with someone who can't be a good life partner. It's time to grow up and understand that if you are having serious relationship problems, it's because you are with the wrong person and you need to find the right person, not try to fix the relationship." —@RonGoBongo111

"Your childhood traumas." —@Skydreamer6

 do it, just do it, motivation, dont wait, take a risk just do it GIF  Giphy  

"There are no grownups, and there is no someday. Do it now, or stop saying you will 'eventually'; and stop waiting for the answers to come. Sometimes you need to gamble." —@Bitter_Pilot5086

"When I asked my mom what really changes after forty, she gave it to me straight — no sugarcoating. There’s no magical transformation. Things that used to work quietly start creaking. Fatigue becomes a background noise that doesn’t go away with one good night’s sleep. She said that in your thirties, it feels like you’ve got endless energy, plenty of time, and unshakable health. But then you realize — one bad night’s sleep can ruin your whole day. Your back isn’t 'just sore,' it’s 'this is how it is now.' And everything that once felt automatic — stamina, resilience, even friendship — starts to require intention, care, and effort. The hardest part? You start to feel that 'everything’s ahead' doesn’t quite apply anymore. Some things are already behind you, and you have to learn to let go. Not cling to the past, not drag it with you. Because if you do, you’ll miss how strange and beautiful the now can actually be. And most importantly, she said — stop postponing things. Love, change, taking care of yourself. 'Later' isn’t a guaranteed destination." —@Inevitable-Rice-702

"I think this goes well for any age in all honesty; it is never too late! You are never too young, if you love something and have a passion for it do it! If you love someone , love them so hard! Most importantly be you, I know a lot of people my age (46) who also have come out it’s never too late to live and love fully you will never regret following your heart!" —@UnknownUser

 go for it, never too late, soar, never too old, get after it Inspire Follow Your Dreams GIF by Positive Programming  Giphy  

"Wasting time. On jobs, on money, on looks. Instead of living free, focusing on being present, and spending quality time with their family." —@Shiasugar

"Deepen your close friendships now. You’ll see them less as time goes by, but their presence is equally as important." —@Single-Major2055

"I'm bit more mature now so i don't judge people on appearances or face value. Trust is a valuable commodity don't give it loosely. Let people earn it." —@saransh000

Culture

Gen Xers and Boomers discuss the eye-opening aging warning signs no one warned them about

"That eventually you will end up in that CVS aisle you always skipped because it didn’t pertain to you."

Image via Canva

Gen X and Boomers share unexpected signs of aging.

No one can speak on the truths about aging quite like Boomers (those born 1946 to 1964) or Gen X (those born 1965 to 1980). With years of life under their belt, they possess rare wisdom and insight into what it's like to really get old.

Over on Reddit, user @Knightress04 posed the following question to Boomers and Gen Xers on the hilariously named /AskOldPeople channel: "What’s something about aging that no one warned you about, but you wish they had?"

The responses did not hold back. Gen Xers and Boomers opened up about their first-hand experiences and let their opinions flow. These are the best responses to the warning signs about aging from Gen Xers and Boomers, including the good, the bad, and the ugly:

"The slow loss of everything, your abilities, your health, your friends, relatives, places you loved, etc. Just the eroding away of everything." —@ BreadfruitOk6160

"All the loss you endure." —@southerndude42

"I wish they had warned me that it's OKAY 'not to do anything' when you retire. My husband and I have been retired about two years now, and it's been wonderful. But we're not jetting around the world. We are just relaxing, enjoying being home. And that's okay, it doesn't mean we have a worse life now." —@slenderella148

"The invisibility." —@TimeSurround5715

 aging, aches, pains, getting old, pain hurting season 3 GIF  Giphy  

"Aches and pains don’t go away in a day. Sometimes it takes a week." —@OscarTravolta

"Start appreciating the smallest things… like a quiet morning, or when a friend texts u a meme outta nowhere. those tiny moments hit diff now." —@quietswoon

"It’s so much harder to gain muscle once you age." —@GroundAndSound

"That eventually you will end up in that CVS aisle you always skipped because it didn’t pertain to you." —@IntentionAromatic523

 time flies, time fly, flying by, time passing, time pass Alarm Clock Time GIF  Giphy  

"How fast time goes by. I was 21 yesterday. Now I'm 69. Time went by way to quickly." —@Dry-Cause2061

"That I would feel this great. And content. And so much more in love with my SO, decade after decade. That there would be as much joy in walking fast laps as there was in running full court basketball. That for all the travail I've had a wonderful life. That it would become so easy to understand Robinson Jeffers:"

Still the mind smiles at its own rebellions,
Knowing all the while that civilization and the other evils
That make humanity ridiculous, remain
Beautiful in the whole fabric, excesses that balance each other
Like the paired wings of a flying bird."

—@Own-Animator-7526

"All the napping! I've never needed so many naps..." —@Familiar_Collar_78

 nap, napping, naps, take a nap, naptime The Blacklist Sleep GIF by NBC  Giphy  

"Menopause. I knew so little about it beyond hot flashes, but what absolutely NOBODY told me was: after 40+ years of mostly painful, heavy periods, it is a GLORIOUS feeling not to have a period anymore. 🙌 I especially love the freedom of being able to travel without having to calculate whether I’d need to pack extra products and underwear. (Thank God my agony came pretty much like clockwork every 28 days. 🙄)." —@Technical-Bit-4801

"Death, there are fewer & fewer people that know who you really are & where you came from. I've these parts of my life I shared with friends, & they're dead now. It's a strange feeling, when I'm gone it'll be like those moments never happened. The loss of shared experiences, I guess. It's nothing terribly important, or even very impactful, it's just slightly sad." —@Inside_Ad_7162

"How precious time will feel. Every moment matters to me now and I have no patience for squandering it. I consider myself very laid back but if there is anything that will trigger me, it's someone wasting my time. Feels like they're stealing my most precious resource." —@PicoRascar

 nose hair, nose hair, hair in nose, waxing hair, nosehairs Waxing Hair Removal GIF  Giphy  

"As a male. The crazy ear and nose hairs that grow." —@Mikethemechanic00

"Late sixties. ....something about aging no one warned about? sounds like it's gotta be something bad. I wasn't warned about how independent, footloose and fancy free I'd feel once all work and family commitments and obligations were fulfilled. And I can be cantankerous whenever I wanna be. Most folks get warned about long term health consequences but it is difficult to overcome the insidious long-term ill-health consequences of commercial, corporate, processed, fast food pressures and convenience. way too much is spent on consequences of poor health and not enough on prevention and education --- imho." —@Buzzhoops

"The sensitivity. I have always been a very sensitive person who feels things deeply. But I'm also GenX so calloused, but lord a mercy if middle-age hasn't turned me into a crybaby. I swear I never used to cry so much." —@earthgarden

 cry, sensitive, feelings, emotional, tears Sad Cry GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants  Giphy  

"That regularly putting money into savings or a retirement account is as important as brushing your teeth every day." —@InternalAcrobatic216

"When you hear a song or band from your youth that you absolutely hated because they were so cheesy and god-awful bad, but now when you hear it.. it brings back smiles and memories…. that’s the cleansing power of Nostalgia!" —@Hillman314

A graduate, a teacher, and woman reading a book.

Why are some people mentally sharp as they reach their late 80s, while others begin to have “senior moments” in their 60s and have a sharp mental decline thereafter? A recent study published in Psychological Science has found that the key component to remaining mentally sharp into advanced age is having a sense of purpose.

The study was led by Dr. Gabrielle Pfund of Auburn University and colleagues from Rush University and Washington University in St. Louis. “I have been interested in the construct of sense of purpose since early in my graduate school experience,” Pfund said, according to PsyPost. “As I continued throughout graduate school, I came across more and more research that highlighted the predictive power of purpose, particularly for healthy aging. Like many, I’ve personally experienced the pain of losing a loved one to dementia.”

Why is it so important to have a sense of purpose?

peacher, minister, man with bible, choir, churchA man holding a Bible.via Canva/Photos

Pfund and her team learned the importance of purpose after conducting a study on 1,702 people, 65 years old and older, and asking them about their mental sharpness and levels of well-being for up to 10 years.

“This study focuses on the reciprocal relationship between cognitive function with three domains of well-being: (1) sense of purpose (the extent to which one feels they have personally meaningful goals and activities), (2) eudaimonic well-being (one’s sense of autonomy, personal growth, purpose, and connection to others), and (3) life satisfaction (one’s sense of contentment with their life),” Pfund explained.

The study found that people with a sense of purpose were likely to keep their mental sharpness, and when people experience cognitive decline, it has a greater effect on their sense of purpose than on general life satisfaction. “I expected the findings to be stronger for sense of purpose than life satisfaction, and that ended up being the case,” Pfund said.

What is a sense of purpose?

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Pfund’s study should make many consider whether they have a sense of purpose, especially as they get older and risk cognitive decline. But what type of purpose should we consider?

“Sense of purpose can be understood as the extent to which one feels that they have personally meaningful goals and directions guiding them through life,” Pfund said on The Mental Wellbeing Podcast. “So rather than saying ‘I have a purpose in life’ or ‘I do not,’ it's ‘how purposeful do I feel? ‘How high is my sense of purpose?’”

How do I find my life’s purpose?

woman raising hand, seminar, class, purpose, questionA woman raising her hand.via Canva/Photos

Pfund believes that a top-down approach, which involves thinking of our purpose and organizing our day-to-day lives around it, can be overwhelming. Instead, she recommends a bottom-down approach that starts with examining our daily interactions.

“Think about as you're going throughout your day, where are the moments that you feel purposeful? That short-term momentary experience of purpose. If you feel purposeful when you're spending time with your friends or when you're learning new information, reading a good book, making podcasts,” she told Indi, the show's host. “If you're able to identify moments where you feel purposeful, then, over time, maybe you can use those moments to find similarities and what all of these experiences have and start to figure out … what your purpose in life may be.”