Health & Life

Development and Aging Cycle: 7 years for women, 8 years for men

These cycles help us enhance our understanding of how males and females go through different stages in life.

21 January, 2024

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For women, knowledge about these stages can help them understand important events such as when to have children and how to navigate menopause without worry or face other physical issues. Emotional and mental aspects also need to be addressed, just like our bodies.

For men, it’s the same, these stages act as a guidance in knowing what to expect and how to smoothly navigate the cycles. Sometimes, these transitions can be quite uncomfortable.

Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a deep insight into how we age and what influences our aging process. According to TCM, the aging cycle for women is 7 years while for men it is 8 years.

We all go through stages in life, each with its own distinct characteristics. When we are young, we go through periods of growth and rapid development until adulthood, and then gradually enter a state of decline as we age.

These stages have been clearly defined for thousands of years and are recorded in a Traditional Chinese Medicine document called the “Huang Di Nei Jing”. This work was written in the 3rd century BC and is one of the oldest and most valuable works of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Women’s Cycle (7 years)

7 years old: The reproductive system of women begins to develop.
14 years old: Menstruation begins for women, and they are capable of giving birth. In TCM, the menstrual period (first cycle) is an important factor in understanding overall health, especially reproductive health.
21 years old: A woman’s energy, particularly her reproductive capacity, fully develops at the age of 21.
28 years old: A woman’s reproductive capacity reaches its peak. 28 is considered the optimal age for childbirth according to Eastern philosophy.
35 years old: The body and general reproductive ability begin to decline. However, women can still give birth.
42 years old: Physical energy and reproductive capacity decline. Conception becomes more difficult.
49 years old: Many women begin menopause and may no longer be able to conceive. Transitioning into the post-reproductive stage is a significant change in a woman’s life, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.

Men’s Cycle (8 years)

8 years old: The male reproductive system begins to develop. Hair and teeth become strong.
16 years old: The reproductive system has fully developed, and men are capable of reproduction. Organ systems continue to develop, body and muscle mass grow strong.
24 years old: Kidney energy develops, limbs are strong.
32 years old: The body is at its physical peak, all organ systems are healthy and full of vitality.
40 years old: The body begins a gradual decline. Yang energy (or fire) diminishes, hair starts to turn gray, and teeth weaken.
48 years old: Decline in health continues. Wrinkles appear, hair turns gray, and the body has less energy.
56 years old: Due to declining kidney and liver energy, the body begins to lose flexibility, movements become difficult, and stiffness and pain may start to occur.
64 years old: Vitality decreases, bones become more brittle, less flexible, and teeth start deteriorating.

Of course, some things have changed. One notable change is that we live longer. Our increased lifespan is due to many factors, including access to clean food and water, as well as significant improvements in our overall quality of life.