The fact that we are aging can be hard to process and even accept. We feel like we’re still 25 years old even though our chronological age is no longer it. With every year that goes by, our body inevitably changes. Some changes are hereditary while others are just the result of our lifestyle. There’s a list of antiaging habits we can do on a daily basis to stop that aging clock (or slow it down a bit). It is all about embracing healthy lifestyle habits and ditching those nasty ones in order to reverse the aging clock. Unfortunately, healthy habits are often low on our to-do lists as we are focused on our career. But, if we start showing the signs of premature aging or if people tell us that we must be 35 years old even though we’ve just celebrated our 30th birthday, our body probably looks older than our age.
This article is about ways to get your ‘biological age’ to match your ‘chronological age’. So, let’s focus on the most obvious signs of premature aging and learn how to turn these around and improve our health for healthy aging. We have to embrace only those habits that we’ll benefit from in the long run. Thus, we need to say goodbye to all those habits that age us faster.
1. Your Face Has More Wrinkles Than Any Of Your Friends
Wrinkles and sagging skin are the first signs of aging. As time goes by, our skin simply loses its natural elasticity due to the decrease in levels of collagen. This is a natural occurrence and it slowly starts around the age of 25. That is when the surface of the skin will gradually start to show some fine lines. As we age, these will later become wrinkles and sagging skin.
If you are a smoker, eat poorly, drink a lot and expose yourself to damaging sunrays without appropriate sun protection, these signs of aging will be visible much sooner. If you are among your high school friends and you look a lot older then them, it is time to address these issues.
Genetics can’t be ignored, though. However, there are things we can do to preemptively strike the premature aging. Start by protecting your skin with at least SPF 30 sunscreen. This is as important as your daily moisturizer, vitamin C serum, and your night cream.
Then, start paying attention to your dietary choices. Avoid processed food, fried food, junk food, sugary drinks, alcohol and if you smoke, it is time to stop. Proper hydration is important, so aim to drink at list 2 liters of water daily.
2. Your Skin Looks Flaky
Your skin is your largest organ and it is an indicator of a possible health problem. If your skin is dry, flaky it can be another sign of premature aging. Your thyroid may be the reason why your skin looks lifeless and dull. If this is the case, your thyroid might be overactive or inactive. Whatever the case is, you need it to work properly in order to stay energized and feel young. Make sure to visit your doctor and check your thyroid.
3. Your Eyes Look Tired, Too
Dark circles will also make you look older than you actually are, so you have to address this, too. Lack of sleep, allergies, genetics, dehydration, anxiety or stress can all be the cause. The easiest solution is to get enough sleep, find a way to destress, check yourself for allergies. This area has to be properly hydrated, so invest in a brightening and firming eye serum and introduce it to your everyday beauty routine.
4. You’re Constantly Stressed Out
Being stressed out will definitely age you faster and be the cause of general unhappiness. People who are happy instantly look younger in comparison to those that are unhappy.
Proper work-life balance is essential if we want to fight work-related stress and prevent aging from happening too soon. When you are under stress, your body releases cortisol which further puts your health at risk. Cortisol might be the reason behind weight gain, insomnia, panic attacks, and high blood pressure.
The only way to solve this problem is to find a way to manage and alleviate stress. Physical exercise, spending time with friends, taking part in an activity which makes you happy will all reduce the effects of stress. Just stick to a healthy routine and you’ll instantly feel better and look just your age.
5. You Can’t Wear Clothes You Bought Last Year
If you can’t wear something you bought just last year, you’ve probably gained some weight and accumulated body fat. If such a trend is to continue each year, you might even put your health at risk.
If the amount of body fat is greater around your mid-section then anywhere else, this can be the sign that your body is older than your age. Obesity is a modern-day disease. We live fast, we eat fast and we age even faster.
But, with an adjustment to our diet and a regular physical exercise we can easily fix this problem. These lifestyle adjustments should become part of our regular everyday routine if we want to lead a healthy and happy life.
6. Daily Physical Activities Come With Great Difficulty
If going upstairs feels like climbing a mountain then this is an obvious sign that your body is older than your age. Physical inactivity will age you faster than anything else. Lack of physical activity is one of the causes of heart disease, diabetes, gaining weight and a variety of other health conditions.
Exercise is the best way to reverse the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. It improves the quality of sleep, our metabolism, slows down premature aging and fights off stress. If you’ve been inactive for the past 10 years and you want to engage in physical activity, you have to pick the right one. HIIT is good for those people who wish to achieve a lot in a short amount of time. High-intensity interval training can produce health benefits similar to twice as much moderate-intensity exercise.
For those who would like to combine both strength training and achieve better flexibility, Pilates might be the answer. A typical Pilates class will engage all core muscles in your body. It is a perfect combination of a number of exercises and stretches.
If you are among those who would like to combine fitness and spending some time outside, cycling might be your choice. Riding a bicycle is a perfect cardio activity. You will most likely spend 400 calories in an hour. While it burns a lot of calories, it is also fun. So, make sure you have the necessary gear like proper gloves, reliable cycling shoes, a helmet and a bottle of water and you are ready to burn some calories and reverse premature aging.
7. You Rarely Get A Good Night’s Rest
Lack of sleep affects all areas of our life. It affects our productivity at work, lessens our focus, mental abilities, critical thinking abilities. Not getting enough zzz’s can also affect a person’s social life as it increases the chance of conflict. A healthy amount of sleep is just what our body needs to regulate hormones, for muscle recovery, memory development, and to keep the metabolism working properly. Lack of sleep causes dark circles around the eyes which make us look older, tired and even unwell. Make sure to get a healthy amount of 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night to feel energized and be healthy.
Most Of Your Meals Are Microwaveable
If your diet is based on pre-made meals that you microwave before you eat them, it is time to change your diet completely. By depriving your body of fresh sources of nutrients and ingesting saturated fats, trans fats and a bunch of empty calories, you age your body quickly.
A healthy diet should primarily consist of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins. Try to avoid sugar, processed food, fast food, sugary drinks, and alcohol as much as you can. By embracing a diet rich in nutrients, full of fiber, and low in calories, you will definitely prolong your life and have a healthy body.
The mind plays a significant role in whether we are aging faster or slower, so we have to make a conscious decision to age slower. In order to do that we have to embrace healthy routines and ditch all those bad habits. Once we make these changes, we will improve the quality of our life for the better. We’ll be happier, full of energy, our skin will look better, we’ll shed those extra pounds and increase our lifespan. We might be the ones other people will look up to.
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