You Won't Believe How Easily You Can Stall Aging

Are you as young-looking as you could be? Or are your daily habits prematurely aging you? Wrinkles and gray hairs are a fact of life. No one fortunate enough to grow older escapes them. But that doesn’t mean you can’t stay looking younger than your years for as long as possible! And while health issues and injuries are a sometimes unavoidable part of the aging process, there’s no reason to “grow old before your time” by not taking the care you should.

Explorers dreamed of finding the Fountain of Youth, or magical elixirs to restore youth. Most people alive today would say those dreams of magical youth-granting potions were senseless. Still, today’s market is flooded with products dubiously promising to get rid of wrinkles, to restore skin’s youthful vitality, or to make you feel much younger.

This article doesn’t offer a review of the plethora of popular of anti-aging products on the market today. What it does do is provide practical tips you can use to stay looking and feeling younger starting today!

1 – Get Regular Cardio Exercise

Did you know that the body’s ability to transport oxygen into muscles begins to decline around 15 percent per decade once you reach your 30s or 40s? It may seem like a depressing fact, but don’t despair. Regular cardiovascular exercise can actually combat that decline, increasing oxygen efficiency significantly.

You may have heard that 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three days a week is what you should be getting. But while 90 minutes of cardio is adequate, it isn’t really ideal for those wanting to stall aging. Optimal cardiovascular exercise per week will be different for everyone depending on age and ability. But you can maximize your heart health by getting 3 or more hours per week.

2 – Take Care of Your Skin

It’s the largest organ of your body and caring for it properly will do more to combat the visual signs of aging than any other measure you can take. Wrinkles, age spots, sun spots, and sags –these are the visible signs of aging that many of us obsess over. But at the same time, many people fail to protect their skin, resulting in premature aging.

Protect your skin from the sun. Even if you don’t burn, constant exposure to the sun’s UV rays causes damage to the skin over time. While the debate on the safety of tanning beds vs. laying out in the sun rages on, the fact remains that too much UV exposure from any source can prematurely age your skin. Always wear sunscreen. Get a daily moisturizer with a high enough SPF to keep you from burning. Keep your skin well hydrated and soft by using lotion regularly.

3 – Breast Feeding

New moms will be faced with the personal decision as to whether or not they will breastfeed their children. Many moms make their ultimate decision after careful research, and after speaking with their spouse and doctor. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding, mainly because breast milk provides the ideal nutrients for an infant. But there are also some health benefits of breastfeeding for the mother.

A lot of moms experience quicker weight loss when they breastfeed, because it actually burns calories. Breastfeeding also releases a hormone called oxytocin into your system. Oxytocin helps the uterus shrink back to the size it was before the pregnancy. In addition, breastfeeding can lower your risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.

4 – Do Strength Training Exercises

Did you know that most sedentary people will lose approximately 50% of their muscle mass by the age of 80? As we age it becomes increasingly important to maintain muscle strength. Having strong muscles is what will enable you to stay active and independent as you grow older. Strength training lowers your blood pressure and your bad cholesterol. It increases your bone density too and may prevent, stop, or even reverse bone loss.

In addition, strength training helps you stay younger looking by toning your body and making it easier for you to lose weight and keep it off. And if all of those health benefits weren’t enough to make you consider starting a strength training routine, there’s more. Strength training can also help you sleep better, which means less tension, fewer bags under your eyes, and more energy.

5 – Don’t Smoke or Drink Alcohol

Guess what the second leading cause of premature wrinkles is? If you guessed smoking, then you’d be correct. Smoking actually unbalances the body’s natural mechanisms for breaking old skin down and renewing it. It breaks down the elasticity of your skin, making it sag and making you appear older. In addition, smoking shortens your expected lifespan and increases your risk for lung and heart disease.

Consuming wine in moderation (one glass per day at most) may have some health benefits. But on the flip side, consuming larger amounts can accelerate aging in several ways. Alcohol lowers your body’s Vitamin A level. Vitamin A aids in collagen production. When your body produces less collagen, your skin loses its elasticity leading to sagging and wrinkles. So drinking actually speeds up the aging process in your facial skin.

6 – Do Drink Plenty of Water

Simply drinking enough water has major health benefits that translate into a younger feeling and younger looking you. So before you reach for another soft drink, consider the following reasons why you should drink more water instead. First, drinking water keeps you hydrated, maintaining your balance of body fluids, and protecting you against muscle fatigue. Second, getting enough water is essential to healthy brain function.

In addition, drinking enough water keeps your skin firmer and smoothing and makes you look younger. Water also helps your body flush out toxic sediments from your skin, joints, and organs. Finally, water is calorie-free, so drinking it can help you combat the yearly weight gain that is a typical part of the aging process.

7 – Eat Diets Rich in Anti-Aging Foods

That old adage “you are what you eat” couldn’t be truer. By that measure, the foods that you are consuming can, and will, have a direct impact on how well you age. It should come as no surprise that fast foods, processed foods, or any greasy, fatty, sugary food can have ill effects on your health. But there are also foods you can eat that have a positive impact on your health and even prevent the signs of aging.

Whole grains (like oats, brown rice, and quinoa) keep your blood vessels in optimal condition while lowering your risk of diabetes. Fruits and vegetables that have vibrant colors (think leafy greens, cantaloupe, carrots, and berries) contain antioxidants like vitamin C, zinc, and beta-carotene that protect you against vision loss. These powerful antioxidants can also keep your skin looking younger and lower your risk of cancer and heart disease.

While these aren’t the only ways you can change your habits to stall aging, they are enough to get you started. Even if incorporating these habits into your daily routine seems overwhelming now, the benefits you’ll reap in the long run are well worth the effort.