The Top 10 Aging Problems I Saw in My Practice in 2025 + Top 3 Solutions for Each
Bloating. sagging skin, thin hair ... here is what I saw and the top 3 things that worked for most.
I polled my patients over the past 12 months and these are the top 3 most effective interventions we’ve found in my practice for my patients who came to me worried about their aging.
Welcome to the Healthy Aging Newsletter, a free publication translating trustworthy medical research into simple habits to age well, free of chronic disease. I’m Dr. Ashori, a family medicine doctor turned health coach.
1. Skin Feels Loose
Collagen, blood supply, and nerve endings on muscles all tend to suffer more as we get older. Premature changes are often lifestyle related, rarely genetic.
I first try these top 3 steps with my patients:
Strength training.
Better sleep.
Enough healthy fats + lean proteins.
Bonus: Topical retinoids + less alcohol.
Skin restructuring takes a few months, sometimes 1-2 years. Be patient.
2. Hair Thinning
The follicles need a decent blood supply, but your scalp’s health is also important. We want hair strands that are thick, forming a solid root at the base.
Control excess body fat.
More sunlight.
Better gut flora = better nutrient absorption.
Bonus: Oral + topical minoxidil.
When these first few steps don’t work, I refer to a competent dermatologist who specializes in hair health. Just one consult can be incredibly helpful.
3. Stubborn Weight
Less sedentary hours.
More muscle mass to drive down insulin.
More mental downtime to lower cortisol.
Bonus: Bump up fiber intake.
My 30 & 40 yo patients are almost always dealing with #3. They are doing way too much without getting enough rest & downtime. Also check out this article on post-meal weight gain 👇
4. Belly Fat
More resistance training.
Stress reduction.
Longer, lower-intensity exercises.
Belly fat usually is visceral fat which tends to melt away relatively quickly. But it needs an overhaul of the stress/diet ratio. More stress means eating worse foods.
5. Light, Restless Sleep
Less thinking, more relaxing.
Less mental stimulation close to bedtime.
Some body-fatiguing exercises.
Bonus: Avoid eating heavy later at night.
Check out this article on sleep I recently wrote 👇
6. Painful Joints
Cartilage is constantly turning over and it can’t do so if the mechanics of the joint fail.
More stability exercises.
Improving mobility.
Controlling high blood sugar spikes.
Bonus: Take longer recovery time between intense workout sessions.
My patients are often doing too much exercise. They are professionals with young families. Healthy but way too busy and trying to achieve too much.
7. Energy Is Crashing
The classic mid-day slump. Often cured with caffeine or sugar that leaves you tired & wired by bedtime. This leads to poor sleep and feeling exhausted the next morning.
More sleep + more downtime.
Walks/squats after meals.
More fiber + lean proteins to stabilize sugar.
Bonus: 4 sessions of 1-minute deep breathing exercises in your day.
8. Bloated Gut
The classic description is feeling bloated even after drinking water. It’s uncomfortable and you feel sick to your stomach. It seems to have a lot to do with how food moves through your gut (aka motility.)
Play around with your fiber → soluble + insoluble.
Intermittent fasting. Aka, less snacking.
Walking after meals.
Bonus: Stress reduction techniques, such as slow eating + chewing.
Check out this article on gut health:
9. Irritability or Angry
The short fuse syndrome is from having too much on your mind and not enough downtime to get your circuitry balanced.
Take more off your mental plate.
Mindful practices such as breathing, journaling, pausing.
Socialize with people who love you and you love back.
Bonus: Spend more relaxing time in nature.
I don’t have kids but I know what my young parents go through - it’s a LOT of responsibility. You’re not a bad person because you’re a victim to your emotions. You can reel it in but it takes a bit of time and a little more self-love.
10. Poor Focus & Attention
Practice attention by blocking uninterrupted time. Take planned breaks.
Meditate to catch wandering thoughts.
Exercise to build physical and mental stamina.
Bonus: Emphasize process over outcome.
Focus is something you have to practice. Keeping up with a deep conversation is something you can nurture. Reading books, journaling, and staying on a task at a lower intensity for a longer time is a good start.
Looking for help on your healthy aging journey? Book a session with me and we’ll build you a custom 90-day plan to get you feeling back to your old self.
The information here is for general education. It is not medical advice. Reading or listening does not create a patient–doctor relationship with me. I care about each subscriber and want you to get care that fits your life and medical needs. Always speak with your own licensed clinician before starting, stopping, or changing any health plan, medication, or routine.
Excellent synthesis of lifestyle medicine backed by practical patient feedback. The emphasis on stress reduction for bloating, energy, and weight issues is spot on, in my experiance clinicians often overlook the gut-brain axis under time pressure. I noticed the progressionfrom skin/hair to metabolic concerns mirrors how aging compounds when foundational issues like sleep and cortisol aren't adressed first.