Top Ten Tips To Help You Age Well
Whatever our age, we all want to continue to look as youthful as possible.
While our chronological age is measured in years, our biological age will reflect how old our body really is. And this can be influenced by several factors:
- Our genes.
- Our lifestyle.
- Our environment.
As we grow older, this does not always have to mean feeling older or acting older!
We need to make changes in our thirties
It is hard to think about aging when we are in our thirties but it is a sad fact that many of those illnesses we might experience in middle and old age are actually often set up by the way we live our lives in our thirties.
It is important to keep on an eye on your future health by cutting back on excessive alcohol, on eating less processed foods, on ensuring good quality sleep and cutting out or cutting back smoking.
Try to make this decade the one for building the strongest, healthiest and agile body. A body that will be able to withstand those challenges that growing older could well bring.
We need to keep our bones strong
This is all about bone density. Typically, our peak bone mass will be reached during our late twenties but could start to thin when we get to forty without the right care.
To keep your bones strong, concentrate on plenty of weight bearing exercises. These include climbing stairs, dancing, workouts such as push ups and pull ups - and free weights.
In addition, boost your calcium intake with lots of yogurt, leafy greens and nuts as well as ensuring your Vitamin D levels are high to help absorb calcium and phosphorus for stronger bones.
We need to get eight minutes of activity for every hour of sitting
Unfortunately, we tend to sit too much especially with an office job. Such a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity, diabetes type two and more.
If you sit for an hour try to balance this with eight minutes of movement. And repeat for every hour spent sitting. Suggestions include getting up and walking around or standing up to do squats, lunges and high knees. Your body will definitely thank you!
We need to eat more fatty fish and food rich in antioxidants
Fatty fish includes salmon, black cod, mackerel, herring, bluefin tuna, whitefish and striped bass and these come with Omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamins B2 and D, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, iodine and potassium leading to a lower risk of dementia, heart disease and inflammatory bowel disease.
Antioxidants are found in most fruits and vegetables and they will protect cells from the free radicals that can lead to serious diseases. Try to eat more plant based foods. Those that are highest in antioxidants are kidney beans, berries, pinto beans, apples, plums and dark leafy greens.
We should keep an eye on our balance
As we grow older, muscle weakness and neurological changes can affect our balance and increase the risk of falls. Standing in one leg for as long as possible before switching to the other leg is a great way to improve our balance. Doing this for just five minutes a day can make such a difference!
We need to exercise our brains
The brain works in much the same way as a muscle so that regular challenges and physical exercise help to grow new neurons, build connections and maintain peak performance.
Boost and exercise your brain with stimulating activities such as learning a new language, a musical instrument, playing memory games, solving puzzles or even enjoying board games. Keeping the brain exercised helps to sharpen the memory and slow dementia while keeping you mentally and socially engaged.
We should stress less
While some degree of stress can be helpful in building resilience for future challenges, when it is chronic it can accelerate aging and increase the risk of various diseases.
Try to manage the impact of stress with activities such as walking outside in nature, deep breathing, resting, meditating, listening to music or gardening. When you have decided what works best for you, make it part of your routine.
We should sleep long and deep
Another important part of good health, sleep deprivation can put you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and early death.
We need to make and keep friends
Those with strong social support networks have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Such social connections have been linked to decreased levels of inflammation in the body and improved immune function. Both of these can lead to slowing down the aging process.
We should keep our hearts healthy
Our hearts need regular training to keep them strong with dynamic workouts with varying intensity. For example, turn a walk into dynamic exercise by changing speed and terrain by adjusting the treadmill's speed and incline or walk up and down hills and on different surfaces. If you can raise your heart rate for a few minutes, let it slow, and then increase it again. Offer your body challenges, it will help it to thrive.
By making small changes while still in your thirties and beyond, you can enjoy a sharper mind and a healthier body as you age. It is never too late to start!
SOURCES:
Matyjaszek-Matuszek, B., et al. (2015). Clinical implications of vitamin D deficiency.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4498026/. (Accessed, 2 October 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.