Ageing is shaped by biological, social, and environmental factors and should not be viewed as an inevitable decline, but as a stage of life that can be lived fully with the right preparation, according to geriatric care specialist and healthy ageing expert, Dr Tasneem Yamani.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Thursday, Dr Yamani explained that ageing affects people in different ways, including at a cellular, psychological, social and environmental level.
“You have to look at the whole environment you live in, because your environmental factors will affect your intrinsic capacity, which is the internal factors of your body,” she said.
She noted that while certain bodily changes are natural with age, they do not mean the body stops functioning.
“Your organs, for example your kidneys, are going to be slowing down, but that doesn’t mean they’re not functional,” she said, adding that eyesight, memory, and brain processing speed may decline slightly due to cellular ageing, but not disappear.
According to Dr Yamani, myths around ageing often cause unnecessary fear.
“There’s always myths attached to age that forgetting is part of the natural ageing process. A certain level is normal, and those are the things we try to help people understand so that instead of being scared of ageing, you’re actually looking forward.”
Dr Yamani emphasized that healthy ageing begins early in life, shaped by daily choices around nutrition, sleep, physical activity, and social interaction.
“You’re ageing from the day you’re born,” she said, noting that many people only reflect on their health habits later in life. She stressed that being conscious of how one eats, sleeps, and engages socially is key to maintaining physical and mental well-being as one grows older.
She highlighted socialisation as a medically important factor in healthy ageing, particularly for brain health. “Socialisation is very important for healthy ageing. It protects your brain,” she said, alongside good nutrition, movement, and mental engagement.
Sleep, she added, is often overlooked but plays a critical role in regeneration. Dr Yamani explained that quality sleep is not only about hours spent in bed, but completing proper REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and non-REM sleep cycles.
“Some people only get five hours, but they get a good sleep cycle,” she said, noting that good sleep hygiene allows the body to rest and regenerate at a cellular level.
Looking ahead, Dr Yamani described later life as potentially the most freeing stage. With many responsibilities easing after retirement, she said older age offers time to pursue long-held interests.
“When you’re ageing with optimum health, optimum environmental support and optimum social support, there’s a lot to look forward to,” she said.
