So that’s why you get colds more easily as you get older

There’s a reason you rely more often on cozy blankets or sweaters for warmth as you age, and it’s safe to say you’re not the only person who feels like you’re getting colder and colder.

Doctors say it’s expected that people will have more difficulty staying warm as they age. In fact, it’s a natural part of aging. Below, experts share why this happens and what you can do about it.

The skin gets thinner as we age, loses some cells, but also loses its fat padding, explained Dr. June McKoy, a geriatrician at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

McKoy compared our skin’s fat padding to home insulation: its purpose is to keep us warm. As we lose some of this padding, our body loses its ability to stay as warm as it once did.

This fat loss occurs primarily in the legs and arms, said Dr. James Powers, program director of the Geriatric Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Centers Center for Quality Aging. Therefore, you may notice that these areas in particular feel colder than the rest of your body.

We tend to lose… 3% to 8% of muscle mass every decade, starting at age 30. Thus, by age 65, many individuals have lost 10% or more of their muscle mass, and by age 80, [theyve lost] 30%, Powers said.

This not only affects your strength, but also your heat. Muscle is the most actively metabolizing organ…muscle tissue uses the most oxygen, metabolizes it, and creates the heat that keeps us warm, Powers explained.

Very rarely, feeling colder can be part of a health problem, so it is not part of normal aging, said Dr. Ariel Green, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and vice chair of clinical practice. of the American Geriatrics Society and care committee models.

But I think…it’s unlikely that the feeling of cold is just a symptom of that, Green pointed out.

According to Green, people with diabetes, poor circulation or heart failure, for example, may feel cold, as can people with hypothyroidism or anemia. But you’d probably notice other symptoms first if it was the result of an underlying condition, Green noted.

It’s good to ask your doctor about this, but it’s not something to worry too much about, Green said.

It goes without saying, but blankets and sweaters are always a good way to keep us warm, especially in late fall and winter. Additionally, Powers said layering and getting into a warm environment can also be helpful.

Physical fitness can also be a big help. You can slow down one of the culprits of that cold feeling, muscle loss, by exercising, according to Powers. Plus, it’s also a good way to feel warmer in general.

We all tend to feel colder if we are sedentary, so if you already, as you age, tend to feel colder, keep walking, Green added.

This might mean going for a walk, riding a bike, or doing some simple strength exercises while sitting in a chair. For chair strength training, Green suggests using a full water bottle or soup can and lifting it a few times for an effective workout.

Just doing something to get your blood flowing can help you feel warmer, Green added.

I think the main thing is to just move as much as possible [you] can, Green said. In addition to staying warm, exercise can support heart and mental health and can help reduce your risk of injury. In other words, exercise is a win-win.