What age comes to mind when you think of “middle age”? Chances are it’s younger than you’d probably guess.
This time in life is often associated with the namesake “midlife crisis” and the start of grey hair, smile lines and chronic back pain. That’s not how health experts would define it, though.
“The oldest millennials are now in their early 40s to mid-40s. And I think … they don’t want to be called ‘middle age’ because ‘middle age’ has a bad connotation,” said Margie Lachman, author of Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife and professor of psychology at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.
“That is unfortunate,” Lachman said. “I call it prime time.”
Yet, getting older does have a certain negative implication, even for someone who is 50 but doesn’t actually feel that way. This is especially true as people delay major life milestones, such as having kids, buying a house and getting married. Life may feel a lot like it did at 26 for some people who are, likely, in middle age.
Experts say that middle age is not one exact number, but the time period starts younger than you think – and extends longer than you think.
Midlife isn’t one set age, but there are some decades that experts generally consider to be middle age.
Lachman is an investigator on the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, a 30-year research initiative led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison that looks at the health, psychological and social factors that are important for healthy ageing.
“We started this study, and we asked people of different generations … when is a man or a woman middle-aged? When does it start, and when does it end?” Lachman explained.
Most people surveyed said midlife starts between 40 and 48 (older adults said it starts closer to 48, while younger adults said it starts closer to 40), she noted.
“And the exit, when you leave midlife, is somewhere between 55 and 65,” Lachman added. “What I usually say is that the heart of midlife is the 40s and the 50s.”
“There isn’t a single age when someone officially becomes middle-aged,” said Dr. Baljash S. Cheema, the medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Human Longevity Clinic in Chicago. “I generally think of it as roughly the 40s through 60s, but biologically people of the same chronological age can look different.”
“Genetics matter to an extent, but so do decades of accumulated lifestyle, environment and cardiovascular risk factors,” he said.
Your lifestyle and responsibilities may define midlife more than a specific age.
“I don’t think chronological age is the best way to define midlife, because people of the same age have very different experiences,” Lachman said.
For instance, one 50-year-old may have a child in elementary school at home and ageing parents who require care. Meanwhile, another 50-year-old may have an empty nest and parents who have already passed away.
“There’s so much variation in a particular age … the way I like to define midlife is really based on the roles that you have,” Lachman said. “If you are smack in the middle … you have people who are younger than you and older than you who are counting on you and depending on you – and it could be financial support, it could be advice, it could be some sort of physical support or errands.”
Perhaps there is some truth to the joke that says being 35 in New York City is the same as being 23 in more rural areas.
“You’ve probably heard ‘the sandwich generation,’ so, that’s definitely midlife,” she said, referring to “people who are smack in the middle of taking care of a child under the age of 18 and having a parent who needs their help.” That in-between is “a really good definition of midlife.” This could happen at any time in life, likely between your 30s and 60s, but it tends to be most common in people in their 40s and 50s.
And what about those who don’t have children or young nieces or nephews?
“Even if you do not have children or nieces or nephews, younger and older colleagues often rely on those in midlife for help,” Lachman said. “Those in the middle in many ways are at the top of their game so others go to them.”
This could be at work, at church or in your local community. “They are often the ones that the younger and older members turn to for leadership,” added Lachman.
“Since so many are counting on those in the middle, it can feel like you are pulled in so many different directions. So it is important to find a balance between giving and receiving support. We find that is best for one’s health,” she said.
What I usually say is that the heart of midlife is the 40s and the 50s.
– Margie Lachman, author and professor of psychology at Brandeis University in Massachusetts
More, your health at 47 is very different than someone else’s.
“One of the ideas we’re particularly interested in at the Human Longevity Clinic is the difference between chronological age and biological health,” Cheema explained. “Your birthday tells us how many years you’ve been alive, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of how well your cardiovascular system, metabolism and physical function are ageing.”
There are health changes that tend to happen around this time – and things you should do to get ahead of them.
“I think middle age is a great time to think deliberately about preserving health,” said Cheema.
When we’re younger, it’s common to take our health for granted, but slow health changes start to happen in midlife. Perhaps you need reading glasses now, have some new grey hairs or notice a new neck pain after sleeping on the sofa.
“Ageing is a gradual process, and the good thing is there are a lot of things you can do to slow it even more, or delay some of the physical changes that typically come with ageing,” Lachman said. “There’s a lot within your control.”
The factors to prioritise at this time in life aren’t exciting. Instead, they’re the habits you’ve likely been told to stick to again and again.
“Regular physical activity, particularly maintaining strength and aerobic fitness,” said Cheema. “Eating a predominantly whole-food and heart-healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, avoiding tobacco, maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight – and staying socially and mentally engaged while managing stress.”
A decrease in muscle mass and lung function happens in midlife, according to Lachman, and bone loss, particularly in women, happens at this time, too. Medical issues can also go undetected at this time, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and more, she said.
“The biggest advantage is identifying risk factors early, while there is still plenty of opportunity to change the trajectory before these things can result in the development of chronic diseases,” Cheema said. “Ageing is inevitable, but a steep decline in health and function is not.”
It’s important to see your doctor regularly, get your levels checked via routine bloodwork, and manage any health conditions with either lifestyle changes or medication.
“Middle age can be an incredibly productive time to intervene because many of the diseases that affect us later in life develop silently over decades,” he noted.
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“Rather than viewing your 40s or 50s as the beginning of a decline, I’d view them as an opportunity to invest in maintaining your health span, meaning the number of years you remain healthy, active and independent,” Cheema said. “The goal isn’t to avoid getting older. It’s to identify risks early and help people preserve their health and function for as much of their life as possible.”
Lachman said it’s important to prioritise certain types of activity during midlife, which includes cognitive, social and physical activity.
Between caring for kids, helping ageing parents, and responsibilities at work and in your community, midlife is a busy time, which can make it hard to find time to prioritise cognitive and social activity, but it’s important to try to fit it in.
Perhaps do puzzles with your kids or parents. Or take a pottery class with your neighbour. Or make an effort to learn a new craft instead of scrolling on your phone in the evenings.
“It’s got to be something you enjoy doing because, given how busy we are, if you’re not enjoying it, then the motivation won’t be there to engage in these social, cognitive or physical activities,” added Lachman.
Having a negative mindset can make some of the fears you have about middle age a reality.
It’s common for folks to dread middle age and dread getting older. Middle age is often looked at as “the beginning of the end,” but both experts stressed that could not be further from the truth.
“It is really a great time because you’ve accumulated a lot of experience. You have a sense of what matters in your life, what you want to do, what’s important to you and then you can really use that experience,” Lachman said.
People are often more self-confident during this time and feel more in-control of their decisions. “There’s a lot of positive changes that come with midlife,” she said. “I think what’s important is really having a positive mindset.”
“There’s research to show that people who have negative views of ageing, including midlife, they are not as healthy,” she continued. “They’re more likely to have cardiovascular disease. They don’t live as long as people have a more positive attitude.”
It’s important to shift our view on ageing “because that goes a long way,” Lachman said. “If you have a positive view and you realise there are things that you actually can do to optimise your health and well-being, then you’ll be more likely to take action.”
If you think you can’t control your health or life as you age, you won’t make the changes to do so, which then creates a midlife that’s the doom and gloom you feared.
