The Exact Ages You Peak At Everything Throughout Your Life, According To Research

While you may think that when it comes to ageing it’s all downhill after a certain point, research suggests that may not in fact be the case… 

If you’re the far side of 30 and feeling like your best years are behind you, take solace in the fact that there are some key life skills that you will perfect as you get older. 

From learning a language to psychological wellbeing, studies have shown the exact ages at which the average person will ‘peak’ - and thankfully there’s quite an even spread.

What age is best for learning a foreign language? 

Starting with the younger years, in one of the largest linguistics studies ever conducted - a viral internet survey that drew two thirds of a million respondents - researchers from three Boston-based universities showed that while children are proficient at learning a second language up until the age of 18, it is best to start by age 10 if you want to achieve the fluency of a native speaker.

That’s not to say older adults can’t do it, just that it will probably take more time and effort than doing so as a child. If you do fancy a crack at learning a new language, TOTUM members get a whopping 70% off all Centre of Excellence courses. They offer a whole host of language courses for both beginners and more advanced speakers.

If you are studying part-time while working, that doesn't mean you need to miss out on student discounts...

A TOTUM+ membership is your access to hundreds of discounts, exclusive savings, coupons, freebies and more including FREE TOTUM Cashback card to help you save £100s on your supermarket shopping, travel savings and discounts in over 90 countries worldwide, and FREE government-approved 18+ ID.

Check if you’re eligible for TOTUM+ and sign up today! 

At what age is brain power highest?

Feeling like your brain power isn’t quite what it used to be? Well another study found that the optimum levels for brain processing power are achieved around age 18. 

Yep, while that may seem on the young side, data was from a 2016 study that saw a cohort of people tasked with completing a digit symbol coding test found that the 18-year-olds did the best on average.

If you feel like you could do with a bit of a boost to help with your brain function, TOTUM members get 15% off site wide at HUX, who have all sorts of vitamins and supplements to help with sharpening focus, improving your memory and falling asleep faster. 

If you’ve ever met someone new and then completely forgotten their name almost instantly don’t worry - well unless you’re 22-years-old that is. A 2001 study about cognitive development and ageing found that the ability to remember unfamiliar names peaks at about 22.

At what age is life satisfaction highest?

In ‘general life satisfaction’, it seems your early twenties could be a golden era again… A survey conducted in Germany asked 23,000 people a series of questions regarding their satisfaction and found that, on average, 23-year-olds were the most satisfied with their lives.

At what age are people most physically attractive?

As far as being at your most physically attractive goes, research suggests that the ages actually differ quite a lot between men and women.

A book published in 2014, Dataclysm, used data from the dating site OkCupid to find that men find women in their early 20s - 23 to be exact - the most attractive, while the peak age for men is said to be 38. 

The same data noted that even as men get older, they still kept their preference for women in their 20s, while women maintain a tendency to go for men one or two years their senior.

That being said, 26 is the most common age at which people decide to settle down into a long-term relationship, with the lowest divorce rates found between ages 28 and 32.

At what age does physical strength peak? 

According to research from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, your physical strength reaches its peak at the age of 25 - and in good news, will stay that way for the next 15 years - so be sure to check out TOTUM’s discounts with all sorts of Health and Fitness brands including MyProtein (up to 70% off), Green Chef (45% off your first box), discounted gym memberships with Village Gym and up to 50% off at JD! 

And it’s not just physical strength that you’ve got going for you throughout your thirties and into your forties. 

28 is the optimum age for an average elite marathon runner, (check out our 40% discount on health and fitness wearables at Garmin) chess players hit the heights of their careers at 31, while most Nobel Prize winners achieve the award at 40, on average.

At what age do you earn the highest salary?

Financially, it’s been found that women's earning potential peaks in their 30s while for men it’s between the ages of 40-49 - although it’s important to note that men still earn more than women on average across all age groups in the UK. 

Read our blog: International Women’s Day 2023: Why Promoting Gender Equity, Not Just Equality, Is So Important.

What do you get better at as you get older?

As you move into your forties, Harvard researchers have observed that the age of 43 is when people's ability to focus reaches its high point while understanding others, empathy, and arithmetic skills all also peak in your 40s and 50s.

A 2015 study found that people in their late 60s and early 70s have the best vocabulary, while overall life-satisfaction hits another high at age 69. 

Also, people aged 70 report feeling the best about their bodies with a Gallup study claiming that senior citizens like the way they look the most! 

Obviously it goes without saying that everyone is different, and while these averages have been identified using a whole host of varied surveys and self-reports rather than controlled trials, regardless of your current age, it's clear that whatever stage of life you’re at, there’s stuff to look forward to!