Adapting to Aging Body Changes for Optimal Health
Dr. Shawn Weiss joins Suzanne to talk about changes in our bodies that happen once we reach 50 years of age, and what strategies to use to maintain optimal health.
“One of the first things when you get over 50 that you’re losing is muscle mass. And that is so important. Increase your protein, make sure your strength training. A lot of people feel conflicted about it. Should they be lifting weights? Absolutely. You should be doing resistance training. We’re also losing bone density, and as we age, that could increase your risk for fractures. But you also see other things. Our bladder changes, it gets less elastic. The muscles in your pelvic floor start to weaken. There’s two different types of incontinence, but you might see either urge incontinence or stress incontinence. The list goes on… our large intestines, hormonal changes, hydration can cause things like constipation so things are not metabolized.
“Stress reduction plays such a vital role. And if you look at even when I was in my 20s and 30s and society in general, our world is different. It is just a nonstop world. There’s just a lot of chaos. People don’t know how to navigate it. They’re having incredibly high stress levels, which will start throwing out cortisol. It’s gonna affect your sleep. It’s going to affect your overall health. It creates anxiety. It’s a vicious cycle, and that’s why it’s such an important pillar of health that we address.
“Any time you exercise, you’re going to have an increase in blood flow everywhere. Many studies out there show if you’re starting to have cognitive decline, daily exercise of any kind — just increasing activity levels — not only improves digestion, it improves sleep, it reduces behavioral problems, it reduces falls and balance issues. It’s just so so beneficial.”
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Originally published February 05, 2024
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