Almost all of us hope to grow old one day. Age is a gift and a privilege.  If you are starting to see the signs of aging, you should celebrate those signs rather than feel sad about it. Oh sure, our joints stiffen. Our skin sags and we feel everything move a little slower. But we can celebrate that we are still here to experience these things and all the other wonderful things life has to offer. 

Over time, though, there are changes that aren't just physical. It’s important to keep in mind that we age both physically and mentally, and the mental changes are often hardest to cope with.  It may not be a pleasant thing to think about, but enjoying your golden years is much easier if you have peace of mind that you have prepared for all eventualities.   

Some conditions are harder to overcome on our own as we age. It’s important to consider what these might be so we are prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best.  Dealing with dementia, for example, or any potential drop in cognitive function.  It’s important to consider how our body is going to change - and perhaps what senior care service we would need to support us during these times. If you are unfamiliar about what services are available to you, then research is a must!  It’s just one of those things that is best decided by you, rather than left to someone else, when you are no longer capable of making those choices on your own.

Now let’s take a look at seven ways our bodies change as we age that you may not even be aware of!  So let’s laugh about it, and have a good time as we go.

1.    Larger Eye Sockets

Did you know that your eye sockets will be wider as you get older? Most people aren't aware of it! Facial bones recede with age and this is something that happens to both men and women. It makes the face look older, and the soft tissue around the eyes bunches up. This leads to more sagging in the skin in the eyelids and the crow’s feet become more obvious.

2.    Your Ears Get Bigger

Look at photographs of your grandparents from when they were young compared to when they were older. The ears are an obvious difference because of the reduction in skin elasticity over time. The ears are made of cartilage and soft tissue, and gravity really loves that soft tissue!

3.    Goodbye, Nose

Not only does your nose get bigger, the tip begins to droop. The shape changes over time and the ligaments in the tip of the nose begin to weaken. As the maxilla recedes back, and the forehead flattens, the nose looks much longer than it did previously!

4.    Revisiting Vocal Changes

When you were a teenager, your voice changed and deepened – yes it happened to the girls too. It happens again from middle age onward as the vocal cords begin to change and the structure of the vocal cords shifts. Vocal cord atrophy occurs and the nerve fibers that encourage movement start to break down. All of these changes swell and break back down and these can interfere with how the vocal cords work. This can result in a much rougher, weaker voice.

5.    Changing Rib Cages

It’s a weird one! The rib cage becomes much rounder and the angle that they sit compared to the spine becomes horizontal. The changes occur in each individual rib, too. The structural changes also put the ribs under pressure and increases the risk of breakage and fractures. The changes may not feel obvious, but if you are bumped or knocked into, you'll soon notice!

6.    Estrogen Adjusts The Pelvis

When girls hit puberty and grow into women, their pelvis widens to accommodate children for childbirth. In middle age, the pelvis narrows once again and the changes are caused by estrogen. It’s a good way to see that the body is changing with age as it only needs to widen for the transit of a child. When a woman hits that perimenopausal stage, there’s no longer a need for wider hips and so they naturally shrink down. This then increases the stability of the pelvic floor, leading to much more comfort in day to day life.

7.    Widening Feet

The arches of the feet flatten over time, and you may have noticed that the shoes that you wear become more uncomfortable. Feet become wider and longer and the tendons in the back of the foot start to weaken, too. Pregnancy causes feet to widen and the ligaments become lax. Over time, this becomes more permanent and flatfootedness is obvious.

If any of this makes you feel bad rather than laugh out loud, remember that aging is a gift. Being prepared is key.  Keeping both your body and your mind active is the best defense against some of these inevitable changes.  Though it may not stop them entirely, it will certainly delay them.  So enjoy every minute.