What Does Psychology Say?

Figure 13.1 Physical and cognitive wellness in middle adulthood is maintained by activities that promote healthy life balance. (credit: modification of work “Walking The Dog Turku Finland Color Street Photography” by Giuseppe Milo/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Chapter Outline

13.1 Physical Development in Middle Adulthood

13.2 Reproductive and Sexual Changes in Middle Adulthood

13.3 Cognition in Middle Adulthood

13.4 Maintaining Health and Well-Being in Middle Adulthood

It’s Bert’s first day as a driver for a national delivery company. He was getting burned out in his previous job at the distribution warehouse, so he is excited about this new position that comes with better pay and hours. He’s good at reading and understanding the route map for deliveries, especially now that he has new reading glasses, but he finds the GPS alerts distracting. He also feels the stress of learning new responsibilities, and he misses the exercise of walking around and lifting items at the warehouse. Luckily, this new delivery job offers more free time to walk his dog and play softball with friends, and it will provide more opportunities to save for retirement. Bert’s even had time in the morning to blend smoothies to take along on his route, which his doctor suggested as part of a healthy diet. Bert finds that focusing on those benefits helps him to adopt a positive mindset and sleep better at night. He is hopeful about navigating other changes to come in this stage of life.

Bert has concerns and questions about middle adulthood that many share, including:

• How does the brain function differently at this life stage than at younger ages?
• Is it better for life satisfaction to stay in one job or workplace, or to look for new opportunities?
• Is it true that forgetfulness increases in middle age?
• How do the changes of middle adulthood affect overall well-being?
• How do people at this life stage balance work and leisure?
• What are the most important benefits of regular exercise, a healthy diet, sleep, and a positive mindset in middle adulthood?

In this chapter, you will learn about the changes in physical and cognitive development that occur during middle adulthood, including how those changes impact well-being at this time of life.