Are you having difficulty remembering names and faces? Or maybe you’ve tried learning a language in retirement, but to no avail? Don’t fret, its not you per se – it’s just that you’ve probably already ‘peaked’ at those skills.
Scientific studies indicate that there are specific ages at which humans peak at certain abilities. For example, muscle strength peaks at 25 years of age while arithmetic skills are at their strongest at 50.
So while you may be ‘past your best’ in terms of:
- learning a new language (age seven)
- brain processing power (age 18)
- running a marathon (age 28)
- playing chess (age 31) and
- making a Nobel Prize-winning discovery (age 40)…
You may be excelling at understanding others’ emotions better (peaks at age 51), or perhaps you’re feeling most satisfied with your life (peaks at both age 23 and 69).
Or maybe you’re further along in the journey of life and relishing an exceptional vocabulary (age 71) and happiness with your body (age 74). And something else to look forward to – psychological wellbeing is said to peak at 82 years of age; proof that it’s not all downhill from your 20s.
What do you think about these ‘peak’ ages? What are you enjoying most about your current life stage?
Related articles:
Ageing: what’s normal, what’s not
Five great myths of ageing