Ageing is the process by which we become old.  A more scientific definition of word is: the process of body deterioration in one’s life time. Many factors lead to this deterioration.  In this article, we will be taking a look at some them.

Internal factors and their effects
Muscle atrophy is the result of muscle ageing.  The muscles begin to shrink and lose mass.  As we age, our handgrip weakens and our muscle response decreases.  Although this process cannot be stopped, a sedentary lifestyle can actually speed it up.  Don’t think that just because you are 50 or nearing it, that you are automatically weaker and too old to do the physical activities that you used to do.  It’s about time you do something to make yourself fit, for health purposes primarily although the satisfaction of achieving a nice looking physique is certainly a good reason to start working out as well.  Go to the gym, take up yoga or simply take regular invigorating walks.

Our bones also age which explains why many old people suffer from posture problems.  Bone minerals and bone mass loss are manifestations of bone ageing which in turn causes osteoporosis whereby the bones become very fragile.

Premature ageing refers to the condition by which the characteristics of an old body are manifested on a young body.  It is caused by genetic factors.

Environmental factors and their effects
The sun is the number one cause of skin ageing.  It is causes wrinkles and spots on your skin as you get older.  The avoid this, apply sunscreen to protect your skin every time you expose yourself.  If you are a sun-lover or do something that requires prolonged exposure to the sun exposure.

Gravity is another environmental factor that causes ageing.  As you advance in years, your skin loses its elasticity and your skin begins to look sag.

Nutritional factors can also result in ageing.  A bad diet can cause serious damage to both your body and your immune system.  Older people have different nutritional requirements. What they need is a diet that will not stress the system.

The cognitive and cultural factors and their effects
Your brain must continually be stimulated for it not to atrophy.  If you want to avoid the kind of depression associated with ageing, make the effort of using your brain cells as often as possible.  Many old people feel useless but that is simply a result of the cognitive changes that take place as we get older.  The good news is that these can be avoided by keeping your brain occupied with interesting and challenging activities.

The social factor
This factor is basically stress which as we know can know can wreak havoc on our physical and mental health if not properly dealt with. Stress causes premature ageing such as hair loss and hair whitening.  It is important to identify your stress factors and work on eliminating them one at a time.