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Isageinganinevitabledeclineorarethereunexpectedperksto
gettingolder?DavidRobsonreports.

ByDavidRobson
26May2015

Doyoueverworrythattheprimeofyourlifehasalreadypassedyoubyanditdidnt
evenhavethecourtesytoletyouknowasitflewoverhead?
Theysaythatlifebeginsat40,orthat60isthenew50butwhatsthetruth?Whatsthe
bestagetobe?
Tofindout,BBCFuturescouredthemedicalliterature,examininghoweverythingfrom
yourmemorytoyoursexdrivechangesacrossthelifetime.Andwewerepleasantly
surprisedbywhatwefound.
Considerphysicalfitness.

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BBCFutureWhatstheprimeofyourlife?

(Credit:NigelHawtin)

Foractivitiesthatrequireshortandsuddenburstsofenergylikethe100msprint,shot
put,orjavelinthestartingpistolshouldhavefiredbyyourmid20s,sincethereisa
rapiddeclinethereafter.Footballershittheirstrideevenyounger.

"
Somesportssuitolderathletesbetter
Yetolderathletesperformmuchbetteringruellingultraenduranceevents,suchas
100km,or1000km,marathons.Evenafteryour30sand40s,thedeclineisgradual.
SunnyMcKee,forinstance,celebratedher61stbirthdaybycompetinginherfirst
IronmanTriathlon,whichinvolveda180kilometre(112mile)cycleride,combinedwitha
marathonand4km(2.5mile)swim.Indeed,manycompetitorsaresoaddictedtothese
punishingsportsthattheypushonintotheir70s.
Atfirstglance,themindsfateislesscheering.

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BBCFutureWhatstheprimeofyourlife?

(Credit:NigelHawtin)

Pastyour20s,yourabilitytocommitnewfactstomemoryhasalreadyseenbetterdays.
Infact,ithadprobablystartedlosingitsshineevenbythetimeyoudleftschool.Our
capacitytoholdinformationintheworkingmemorysuchasaroundofdrinksinthe
pubplateausforalittlelonger,butittoosteadilydropsinour40s.

"
Youhityourcreativepeakyoung
Evenmoredepressingly,youmayhavealsopassedthezenithofyourcreativitymost
Nobelprizewinningdiscoverieshavebeenmadebyaround40andourwhitematter,
thelongdistanceconnectionsthatformthebrainsinformationsuperhighways,tendto
startdwindlingtoo.Thatcouldmakethebrainslower,overall.
Yetthereisasilverlining(andImnottalkingaboutyourhair).

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BBCFutureWhatstheprimeofyourlife?

(Credit:NigelHawtin)

"
Ourmentalabilitiesriseandfallinwaves
Althoughfactsmaytakealittlelongertostick,otherskillskeepsondevelopingreading
comprehensionandarithmetic,forinstance,continuetoimproveintomiddleage.Social
reasoningourabilitytomanoeuvreourwaythroughthecomplexitiesofourfriendships
peaksevenlater.Inotherwords,ourmentalabilitiesriseandfallinwavesasone
cresthaspassed,anotherisonitsway.Theresnoageatwhichwearebestat
everythingorevenmostthings,saysJoshHartshorneatHarvardUniversity,who
conductedmuchoftheresearch.
Therecouldevenbeanupsidetoyourflagginglibido.

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BBCFutureWhatstheprimeofyourlife?

(Credit:NigelHawtin)

"
30%ofhealthypeopleaged6574havesexatleastoncea
week
Ifsitcomsandmoviesaretobebelieved,your20sand30saresomethingofanongoing
orgy.Infact,neithersexualdesire,norsexualactivity,falloffveryquicklyuntilwellinto
your50s.Andeventhenthedeclineisfarfromprecipitous.Accordingtoonepaper
examiningsexuallyactivelifeexpectancy,menwhoare55todaycanexpectanother
15orsoyearsofrelativelyfrequentsexwomenofthatagecanexpectslightlymore
thanadecade.Intercoursemaynotbequiteasregularorvigorousasitoncewas,but
accordingtothatstudy,30%ofhealthypeopleaged6574stillenjoysexatleastoncea
week.
Whatsmore,thefallingsexdrivemayhaveothercompensationsjustasyourlibido
startsfalling,yourzestforliferises.Thisissomethingofaparadox,giventhephysical
complaintsthatcomewithage,butitcouldbepartlydowntothefactthatyouhave
finallylearnttobalanceyouremotionsafterthetumultofthepreviousdecades.
Elixirofyouth?
Sowhatarewetotakeawayfromthesefindings?Crudelyspeaking,youmayconclude
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BBCFutureWhatstheprimeofyourlife?

thatyouareatyoursexualpeakinyour20s,yourphysicalpeakinyour30s,yourmental
peakinyour40sand50sandatyourhappiestinyour60sbutthesearejustaverages,
soyourowntrajectoriesmayfollowverydifferentpaths.Perhapsmoreimportantisthe
generalrecognitionthatagebringsitsequalsharesofupsanddownsthereisno,
overall,primeofyourlife.

"
Thesecrettopeakinglater?Unfortunatelyitrequires
effort
Themorehearteningnewsisthatsomeofthelesswelcomepitfallsarelessinevitable
thanyoumightimagine.Exercise,inparticular,notonlyensureslongerphysical
fitness,andfightsarangeofagerelateddiseaseslikediabetesandcancer,but
alsostrengthensaweakeningmemorytoo.Peopleingoodhealthalsoenjoyabout
fivemoreyearsofsexualactivityattheendofthelife.Itreallyistheclosestwevegotto
anelixirofyouth.
Psychologistsarealsorealisingthatyourmentalattitudecouldplayabiggerrolethan
youdthink.Somepeoplereportfeelingyoungerthantheiryearsayouthfuloutlook
thatcancausethemtobemoreactive,andlivelongerasaconsequence.Inother
words,somelimitationsmaybeselfimposed,ratherthanbeinganinevitableproductof
ourbodyswearandtear.
Nothingcanhelpusreversetheprocessofageing.Butbymappingtheterrainand
acknowledgingthehighsaswellasthelows,wecanatleastmakeitamorepleasant
journey.Anotherpeakmaybeyettocome.

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