7 Things that slow down Aging

Aging is a biological process. Who don’t want to slow down this biological process? It is a part of life and we gain a lot of experience as we grow older. But there is a solution to your worries, certain lifestyle changes can prove that the fountain of youth is just isn’t a myth.

As we turn older our bodies break down due to many health conditions. We can’t turn back the time but the effects of time on our body can be altered.

Studying the lifestyle of centenarians across the world can give you a better idea on how to slow down your aging process. Aging is actually not for cowards. As we age our body and mind also starts showing a lot of changes. Aging increases aches, pains and our body starts to break down. So also there is mental decline.

There are a lot of factors other than genetics which adds to your aging process. Some are still under your control and you can slow down your aging process. So lets discuss the factors in detail that slows down the aging process.

Exercise

Adding exercise to your daily routine not only helps you in short term but it also helps you in the long run by keeping you in proper shape. Maintaining a proper body mass, having control over our cholesterol levels and building our immunity helps in slowing down the aging process.

Exercise leads to healthy weight loss and thereby controlling our blood sugar level. This in turn prevents diabetes that is a common diseases among the adults.

Aerobic exercises increase your breathing and heart beat rate and thus leads to a better heart health. It also maintains the bone strength and reduces arthritis pain.

By doing daily exercises, you can also increase your mental health. Studies have confirmed that exercises reduce anxiety disorders. But exercises should not be intense. Walking 30 mins per day reduces the possibility of heart diseases.

Healthy and balanced diet

A diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and good fats can slow down your aging process. Remember what you get inside your body will reflect in your skin. Processed foods with added sugar, fats and salt are hazardous for your body. These can lead to diabetes and heart problems.

Eating whole foods like whole grains, fish, lean meat, fruits and vegetables can result in a good heart health and prevention of many chronic diseases that comes along with aging.

Adding more plant based food to your diet can make you look younger. Plant based foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables not only keep you physically fit but also keeps you away from heat diseases and other health conditions by lowering the bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

Getting enough protein is also important in maintaining the muscle mass as we age.

Enough Sleep

Sleep helps the body to cell damage repair. If you are not getting enough sleep, it is a sign of premature aging. As you cut on your sleep hours, cells don’t get enough time to recover from sun exposure and hence develops more fine lines and wrinkles. Bags and wrinkles under the eyes are a result of poor sleep.

Long term insufficient sleep not only causes premature aging but also it causes age related diseases like heart problem, diabetes, and high blood pressure. It also increases the risk of depression.

Many adults suffer from insomnia. To get more sleep you should incorporate certain habits in your bed time routine. Eat earlier i.e 2–3 hours prior to your bedtime, avoid taking late night snacks, avoid using electronic devices while going to bed, set the bed time and stick to it. These are some of the habits to follow in your daily routine. It is recommended to sleep 7 to 9 hours daily.

Protect your skin from sun

As sunlight contains UV rays, too much exposure of skin to sunlight can cause wrinkles, fine lines and also it may cause skin cancer. Some people may think sun burn can cause damage to the skin, even a tan can damage the skin.

To protect your skin from the sun, limit your exposure to sun, also you can use a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day and don’t skip sun protection even if in cloudy days.

Stay Hydrated

Water is essential as it makes 60% of the body weight. We need water for our proper body functions, maintaining a healthy skin, it also aids in digestion. As we grow older our kidneys start to work less efficiently. Most of the time elderly people are prone to dehydration as they take a lot of medications that lower the body fluids.

To work your body work longer, drink enough water as not drinking enough water can fast your aging process.

Avoid Toxins

Environmental toxins like arsenic in ground water, benzene from industrial emissions can speed up the aging process.

Cigarette smoking is one of the toxins that cause great harm to the body by destroying the blood vessels and multiple organ systems. It can also lead to faster aging by affecting your skin and body.

It is challenging to quit smoking but by making a proper plan and managing your cravings you can quit smoking. You can also find a counselling service that can help you to find the ways to quit smoking.

Reduce Stress and relax for a better health

We can say that stress is a part of everybody’s life but long term stress can not only damage your body by causing multiple diseases like heart attack, immune disorders, gut issues, diabetes but also it will cause ultimately death. So it is important for all to reduce stress in our life.

We can reduce stress by doing meditation. Meditation is highly effective for managing stress and thus increases the concentration ability of your mind. You can also be active socially. This gives a faster rebound from stress. Doing daily exercise can also help out in flushing out the stress chemicals from your body.

Finally optimistic people lives longer than pessimistic people irrespective of any health conditions. Maintaining a positive attitude and being socially active not only helps to control your depression and anxiety levels but it also helps in managing certain health conditions.