AGING MIGHT NOT BE as simple as counting the number of candles on your birthday cake, the years on your calendar or the wrinkles in your face. A lot of research suggests that people age in bursts instead of continuously over time, giving a new perspective on what it means to get older in a healthy way.
In fact, the concept of fast periods of growth isn’t new. Babies and toddlers grow at a rapid rate, and teenagers do too. But the idea of going through these aging spurts outside of things like menopause as an adult is new.
Rapid genetic changes at certain points in life is newer scientific territory. But recent research suggests that taking steps to prioritize your health during certain times of life may help you age in an even healthier way. Here’s what the research has found, and what it might mean for you.
Aging bursts have been the focus of recent studies. Researchers found that the effects of risky behaviors like smoking and heavy drinking, as well as exercising less than once a week, were more likely to catch up to people from a mental and physical health perspective from age 36 and on.
A study analyzed the cells of 108 people between the ages of 25 and 75, as well as their microbiomes and followed them over several years. The researchers discovered that most participants’ molecules and microbiomes didn’t age in a gradual way. Instead, they went through two periods of rapid aging: around 44 and 60.
Overall, this research demonstrates that functions and risks of aging-related diseases change nonlinearly across the human lifespan.
Aging burst is evolving science, and no one has conclusive answers yet. We know that in your 60s, your immune system declines and your muscle mass declines. But the existing theory is that people aren’t prioritizing their health in their 40s as well as they did when they were younger.
We’re all very active in our 20s and, as you hit your 30s, you might not be as active or eating as well. People aren’t taking as good care of themselves and it’s catching up with them.
Doctors say the best way to prepare for these aging bursts is to work on weeding out bad behaviors and focus on ones that support your health. In people who have very unhealthy lifestyles, you definitely see the earlier onset of chronic disease and physiological aging, where they seem older than they actually are.
Doctors assure us that all is not lost if you’ve already passed these aging bursts. Even if you’re approaching 39, 45 and 60, there’s no need to stress — just be aware that you may go through some faster aging around this time. Everyone does age differently. Just do your best to be healthy. Otherwise, you’ll not enjoy the perks of retirement. By Manny Palomar, PhD (EV Mail AUGUST 18-24, 2025 Issue)
