With age comes wisdom. But age also brings some less appealing ‘gifts’ like reduced mobility, aches and pains and brittle bones. To feel how old you aren’t is simple. Commit to living an active and healthy lifestyle, not when you start feeling old, but early in life as possible.
Your biological age can be different to your chronological age and while your age can represent how you feel, it is also determined by the way you act. Here are my simple tips for anti-ageing that will make you look and feel much younger than the number of candles on your birthday cake.
1. Manage your weight
Losing a few kilos is a great way to make you look and feel younger. If you are carrying some excess weight you’ll be putting extra stress on weakened muscles and bones, and in some cases increasing problems that are associated with osteoporosis and arthritis. Instead of jumping to a fad diet, learn to eat healthier and more nutritious meals combined with regular exercise. The ideal way to lose weight is gradually rather than dropping multiple kilos in a week.
2. Keep active
Get up out of the house and enjoy the outdoors. Make time to walk or cycle with friends a couple of times a week. It’s also a great idea to add a regular dose of strength training to your routine which can assist in the reduction of arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, back pain and depression symptoms. Keeping active will also help manage blood sugar levels, increase bone density, metabolism and muscle tone. A Back In Motion physiotherapist can create a personalised program best suited to your body’s needs.
3. Practice balance
You will be familiar with stories of the elderly having falls and suffering injuries as a result. In many cases this can be due to poor balance. Balance is something you lose over time and I recommend taking the time to add balance based exercises into your daily routine. This can be as simple as balancing on a single leg while you brush your teeth. Work yourself up to doing it with one and then two eyes closed. This will challenge your body’s equilibrium and develop your ability to respond to a loss of balance.
4. Smile and laugh
While this is not something I learned while studying physiotherapy at university, research has shown that smiling, laughing and general happiness will keep you young at heart and in mind.
Don’t make these tasks a chore, rather make them something you can look forward to. Invite a friend to join you for a walk, prepare a healthy meal for your grandchildren or share a funny story from when you were a teenager. Australia is an ageing population. Make the most of this and feel younger than you should, for longer.
There’s no better time to get started with these tips than now!
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.