Okay, whilst it isn’t possible to completely reverse ageing, there is most definitely a number of things you can implement in your life in order to age with grace and keep your body and mind as healthy as possible!
Here are 10 easy tips you can follow to help turn reduce time’s effect on your body and mind:
Our bodies are made up of 70 per cent water – with the skin, 64 per cent water. That is huge!
Dehydrated skin can become dry, irritated, inflamed, and appear dull, discoloured or faded. Lines and wrinkles can become more noticeable, and as the plump elasticity of our skin reduces with age, it becomes increasingly important to give our skin every chance it has to renew itself.
Water also makes up a large portion of our muscle, so in order to maintain as much muscle mass as possible when we age, keeping our hydration levels up is crucial in helping to reduce diseases such as osteoporosis and limiting muscle atrophy.
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘you are what you eat’ and that could not be closer to the truth. In order for our bodies to function well and efficiently into our older years, we must take care of ourselves internally.
Reducing the amount of sugar, salt, and saturated fats we consume and replacing these with fresh, wholesome fruit, veggies and lean meats, will ensure our organs remain healthy and we can continue to perform at our best!
One of the most important things to remember as we age is that if you don’t use it – you lose it. Past the age of 50, our muscle breakdown increases rapidly, putting our bones and joints at risk as well as our waistlines with a slowing metabolism.
Aim to move your body each day for at least 30mins. Doing resistance training 2-4 times a week will aid greatly in maintaining your muscle mass and keep your body mobile well into your later years.
When we’re surrounded by those that bring us joy, it’s no secret that we light up! Continuing to surround yourself with the people you love including family and friends will continue to promote endorphin releases within the brain which make us feel happy and fulfilled in our lives. Now you don’t have to see people every day, BUT aim for at least one outing every couple of days. This could be a walk or coffee with a friend, a book club, or even a gym class.
More and more research is being released relating to the impact that stress has on our health and believe us when we say, it’s something you want to avoid at all costs.
So, before you get wound up, ask yourself these simple questions to assess whether the stressor is something you really need to be concerned about or if it is something that can be put aside.
Along with stress, there is much research coming out regarding the positive impacts that mediation and mindfulness have on our mental well-being. There are suggestions that meditations may promote healthy ageing by reducing the onset of dementia, and preserving brain structures. Meditation also improves cognitive functions and attention span and can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
It’s no secret that alcohol is a poisonous drug that comes with rather grim side effects when consumed in abundance such as cancer, liver diseases, brain damage, immune system deficiencies, and heart disease. Along with this, alcohol may also worsen conditions such as diabetes, mental health disorders, ulcers, and blood pressure.
As much as you can, reduce your alcohol consumption, and do this as early as possible. Alcohol may feel great at the time, but the damage it’s doing to your body isn’t worth the short-lived high.
We may as well copy and paste what you just read relating to alcohol, as it’s completely applicable to cigarettes too. The one big difference with cigarettes is that they also impact the people around you. It’s not unheard of for those who live with smokers, yet have never smoked a cigarette in their life, to develop lung cancer or more minor health conditions. Whilst the link is not yet concrete, research shows that about 20 per cent of women who are diagnosed with lung cancer in the US have never smoked a cigarette in their life.
If the stuff on the inside doesn’t scare you, perhaps what happens to your external features might. Those who smoke are more likely to develop wrinkles, dull and discoloured skin, become drawn in the face, lose or have brittle hair, and lose both muscle mass and bone density.
Need we say more?
Whilst being in nature will not directly reduce the ageing process, it has been shown to aid in other areas of life (some previously discussed) which, in turn, will help.
Getting out into nature may increase happiness, reduce stress, and boost vitamin D; a vitamin that’s been shown to reduce the risk of many common diseases, improve memory, promote weight loss, and boost your immune system!
As we age, our brain along with the rest of our body, begins to deteriorate, for this reason, it’s important to not only keep up the physical activity we do but also the mental exercises.
Performing neurologically stimulating activities such as crosswords, sudoku, scrabble etc., can help in reducing the rate our brains deteriorate, and in some cases, has been shown to reduce the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
So, there you have it! 10 tips you can implement to help reduce the ageing process and keep your mind and body in tip-top shape!
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.