When we're young, we feel strong and invincible. We can stay out late, eat fast food, have an extra couple of beers, recover quickly, and for the most part, do whatever we want. Our bodies are lean, flexible, and resilient. Then, as if it were magic, all these abilities seem to disappear in an instant.

If this hasn't happened to you yet, it's coming sooner than you'd probably like admitting. Some random morning, you'll wake up and feel age creeping into your joints. A few gray hairs appear, and what's going on around your belly? Are you getting a "dad bod"? The onset of these mind and body transformations may occur gradually, but we notice them suddenly. From that point forward, it becomes hard not to see them.

As we approach 40 and beyond, a variety of physical and mental indications of aging appear. If aging gracefully, or better yet, stubbornly is our goal, the time for action is now. Sure, we can dye our hair and go on a diet, but Father Time is undefeated. 

1. 20/20 with assistance - There's probably not a more overnight change than our eyesight. Yesterday we could see perfectly, and today everything is a bit blurry. If we haven't needed glasses before now, this new dance starts by purchasing a set of readers. It's downhill from here.

2. Back pain - We're most likely to develop disc issues from age 30 to 50. Symptoms of disc problems are lower back pain that radiates into our buttocks and legs.

3. Brain fog - We begin to lose our train of thought more easily and have trouble recalling words and names. This mental uncertainty and lack of clarity is common in men over 40 due to age-related hormonal changes.

4. Loss of reasoning - Our brains begin deteriorating around age 20, but it's usually not noticeable until 40 when our reasoning skills start declining. Studies report an estimated 4% drop in reasoning ability between ages 40 and 50.

5. Low testosterone - Middle age is when our hormones tend to be less stable, and testosterone levels drop significantly as we age. It's why we lose muscle, energy, and our sex drive wanes.

6. Muscle loss - Our muscles begin deteriorating at age 30, but it is a slow-moving process. Our gym sessions become more muscle maintenance than building. Muscle loss is a factor in brain fog, decreased energy, and slowing our healing and recovery abilities.

7. Arthritis - That pain we feel in our joints when getting out of bed is likely osteoarthritis, and this type of arthritis involves the deterioration of cartilage between the bones.

8. Digestive issues - Eating that late-night burrito becomes uncomfortable due to muscle weakness in the digestive tract. Digestive problems like heartburn and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) become more common as we age.

9. Lactose intolerance - As if the burrito wasn't enough punishment, ice cream becomes an issue as well because the body's level of the enzyme that processes lactose decreases. If you experience bloating, cramping, and diarrhea after consuming dairy products, it's likely that you're lactose intolerant.

10. Growing prostate - Get ready for the finger! Although mostly occurring in men over 50, our prostates grow and cause difficulties urinating as we age. Prostate cancer is a slow killer that we should not ignore.

11. Erectile dysfunction - A 1999 survey from the University of Chicago reported that men in their 50s are three and a half times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.

12. Loss of virility - Even if getting our soldiers to salute is not a problem, men over 40 are generally less fertile than the younger version of themselves.

13. Flat butt - Whether it's from years of sitting in a desk chair or hormonal changes, fat migrates from back to front as we age. It's one of the common causes of "dad bod."

14. Wrinkles - Around age 40, when testosterone levels begin dropping, our facial skin drys out and thins. This drying effect, combined with the migration downward of the fat in our faces, causes our skin to lose elasticity, and wrinkles appear.

15. Alcohol tolerance - Once you hit the big 4 - 0, don't expect to keep the drinking habits of a college kid. Our livers gradually lose the ability to metabolize alcohol, and we slowly become lightweights. Not only does it take fewer drinks to get tipsy, but hangovers and our ability to recover from them worsen significantly.

Have you heard the good news? 

Wow, that's a lot to look forward to in the next decade or so. But the good news is that even though Father Time is undefeated, he runs slowly, and we can outpace him for a while.

If we exercise regularly, eat healthily, and take dietary supplements, it's possible to delay the effects of aging. The secrets in the fight against aging are maintaining muscle mass, increasing blood flow, achieving flexibility, and reducing inflammation.

What can you do today to fight aging before it's too late?

Anther. Male wellness where it counts.