Middle aged: Has lockdown aged you? The 50 tell tale signs that you could be middle-aged have been revealed in a new health study backed by leading psychologists.
Do you groan when you bend down, need a nap in the afternoon and prefer a cup of tea to, well anything?
Then you could be entering middle age or at least adopting an older mindset. It’s all quite understandable given the last year we’ve endured, so why not see how many of these boxes you tick?
Apparently, Brits don’t consider themselves to be ‘middle aged’ until they’re nearly 47 and the study of 2,000 adults found feeling stiff all over, getting a ‘middle age belly’ and not knowing what songs are in the charts were among the biggest signs you have reached the older age category.
But men think they reach the milestone later than women, believing it to start at 48 compared to just 45 for females.
It also emerged 53 per cent believe middle age begins later than it did in previous generations, with more than one in 10 claiming they have until their late fifties before taking the title.
As a result, one in 10 adults of those in the middle age category believe they are ‘too young’ to worry about ‘middle age’ health issues like heart attacks or strokes.
It also emerged 53 per cent believe middle age begins later than it did in previous generations, with more than one in 10 claiming they have until their late fifties before taking the title.
As a result, one in 10 adults of those in the middle age category believe they are ‘too young’ to worry about ‘middle age’ health issues like heart attacks or strokes. And of course they are too young to apply for medical loans.
Dr Meg Arroll, a chartered psychologist working with Healthspan, which commissioned the research, said: “The findings in this survey show a very positive picture all round, despite some of the negative associations with ageing, individuals’ attitudes towards getting older were generally quite optimistic.
“For example, those who had reached middle age reported it wasn’t actually as bad as they had expected or feared.
“Furthermore, many in the survey said that they believe ‘middle age’ is a life stage reflecting people who are older, and that they are far too young to be using the term to describe themselves.
“Taken as a whole, this research supports the notion that and that age, and specifically middle age, is a state of mind rather than number.”
Top 50 signs you’re middle aged