Lifestyle

How To Reverse Aging: Turning Back the Clock

June 8, 2022

There’s a common saying in sports.

“Father time is undefeated.”

No matter how amazing the athlete, eventually age catches up.

While this might be true for athletes in the sporting world, it doesn’t have to be true for guys in the bedroom.

There’s no denying that age is a significant factor when it comes to sexual function. According to one national survey, the prevalence of erectile dysfunction increases for every age group to as high as 77.5% of men aged 75 or older. Some estimates put the prevalence of erectile dysfunction at 10% for every ten years of age: 50% for men in their 50's, 60% for men in their 60's, and so on.

A prescription medication like Viagra® or Cialis® is one way to effectively manage the symptoms of erectile dysfunction, but it’s not the only option.

Turning back the clock and reversing the effects of aging is another way to naturally improve overall health and sexual function.

What Does Age Have To Do With Sexual Function?

As we age, we naturally undergo meaningful physical and mental changes.

One of the most common and noticeable, of course, is the onset of wrinkles. The elastin and collagen found in your skin breaks down faster and regenerates more slowly as you age, and your skin loses its ability to stay taut and bounce back.

This is what leads to saggy skin and the appearance of wrinkles.

Obviously, the changes that come with age are more than just skin deep. Perhaps the most significant for men is the decrease in testosterone production.

Testosterone is the primary sex hormone for men, and it starts being produced in greater volume by the testicles at the onset of puberty. Testosterone production levels steadily increase until they reach a natural peak during your late 20s or early 30s.

After this peak, production begins to decrease by a rate of about 1.6% each year. Low levels of testosterone have a strong association with an increased risk for erectile dysfunction and reduced sex drive.

Another effect that age has on the body is that your odds of developing a physical condition that negatively affects sexual function increases.

Due to changes in your heart and blood vessels, the risk of developing heart disease, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes increases as you age.

These are all risk factors for sexual dysfunction.

Erections rely on a strong and consistent blood flow. Anything that has a negative impact on your cardiovascular health will increase the odds of experiencing erectile dysfunction.

How Can You Reverse the Aging Process?

Since the Fountain of Youth still hasn’t been found (yet), there's no way to truly “reverse” the effects of aging.

But there are ways that you can slow the process and maintain a healthy sex life as you get older.

Taking certain prescription medications like Viagra to reverse the symptoms of ED can be an effective way to improve sexual function, but you should also consider the following to really "turn back the clock" and boost your bedroom performance.

Reduce Stress

Stress is one explanation for why presidents seem to age a few decades despite their presidential terms only lasting a few years.

(Check out Obama after his two terms.)

You probably don’t encounter stress on the same level as a president, but you still experience stress on a daily basis.

While it's not possible to completely avoid stress and stressful situations, taking steps to reduce your stress levels as much as possible can help you live longer and healthier.

Under stress, your body releases a hormone called cortisol , and high levels of cortisol can cause several issues in your body that contribute to accelerated aging.

For starters, cortisol can increase the rate that your body breaks down elastin and collagen, which can lead to wrinkles. It can also lead to elevated inflammation in your body, which can accelerate the onset of chronic issues and tissue breakdown.

Another problem created by elevated cortisol is its negative effect on testosterone. Cortisol and testosterone have a relationship similar to a see-saw—when one goes up, the other can go down. As mentioned earlier, low testosterone can have a negative impact on your sex life, sex drive, and even endurance.

Physical exercise is one way to lower stress, but meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises can also be helpful as well. Hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and things that bring you joy can all help, too.

Get More Exercise

Speaking of... exercise is one of the biggest things you can do to fight the effects of aging.

It’s common knowledge that exercise can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health. What might not be as well known is how effective it can be at slowing down the aging process.

Your heart rate starts to naturally slow down around the same time that your testosterone production levels reach their peak in your late 20s and early 30’s. After reaching this peak, your resting heart rate begins to slow by an average of one beat per minute each year.

Another issue is that your circulatory system's arteries and veins begin to harden and blood actually becomes thicker. This combination can naturally cause a rise in blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular issues.

Getting more and regular physical exercise can dramatically combat these effects and keep your cardiovascular system in better health.

For best results, you should try to get at least four separate 30 to 40-minute exercise sessions of moderate intensity each week.

This routine can help improve the strength of your heart, lungs, and cardiovascular muscles, keep blood vessels flexible, and maintain a lower blood pressure.

If that's daunting to begin, even getting 15-20 minutes of walking in daily can be beneficial. At the end of the day, anything above and beyond the sedentary lifestyle of many Americans can improve longevity and physiological function.

Protect Yourself From the Sun

Overexposure to sunlight is the main cause of premature skin aging and can lead to the development of wrinkles much earlier in life.

There are two types of ultraviolet light emitted from the sun:

UVA rays have a longer wavelength, will penetrate deeper into your skin, and are closely associated with aging skin
UVB rays have a shorter wavelength, primarily affect the surface of your skin, and are associated with burns

Regardless of whether or not it’s overcast, you should take proper precautions to protect yourself from potential sun damage.

Sun over-exposure is the leading cause of premature skin aging, and preventing it with regular sun protection is the single greatest thing you can do to maintain a youthful look.

You should get in the habit of wearing sunscreen whenever you intend to go outside. If you're planning to be out in the sun for longer than 30 minutes, you should be wearing sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 or higher.

Even if you do wear sunscreen, it may be best to avoid being outside for too long in direct sunlight, particularly when the sun is at its highest point in the sky between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. These are the times of day when ultraviolet rays are their strongest and damage most common.

The Takeaway

While you can’t reverse the aging process, there are a few things you can do to slow it down.

Reducing stress, regular exercise, and protection from common "aging" elements (like the sun) can slow down the process and help you maintain mental, physical, and sexual health much longer.

Frankly, all of them are great for living healthier, longer living, too.

If you're still having difficulties in the bedroom, the licensed medical professionals at Rex MD can help. Our experts can prescribe FDA-approved medications for common men's health conditions, including ED and premature ejaculation, without even seeing you in person. It's all done online, with medications sent to your door if approved.

Click here to get started.