How To Stay Young Looking

Stopping this one habit will likely do more for your longevity — and your health in general — than any other change you make. Numerous studies have chronicled the toll tobacco takes on the overall well-being and health status of both men and women. More specifically, continuing a heavy smoking habit past the age of 40 has been shown to chop as much as a decade off your life. It can worsen many age-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

While there remains some controversy about how obesity is measured — using Body Mass Index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, skinfold thickness, or simply the number on the scale — most longevity researchers agree that too much fat on your body predisposes you to many serious conditions like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

Obesity can also take a lethal toll on your liver, leading to fatty liver disease. What's more, too much fat on your belly is linked to metabolic syndrome, which includes symptoms like high blood sugar and elevated blood pressure, or hypertension.

Finding out the right number of calories you should consume each day and tackling a moderate and sustainable weight loss plan will help you avoid illness, make it easier to remain active and mobile, and help your body's functional, or biological age, stay as low as possible in the months, and years, to come.

Staying young and healthy is easier when you eat a healthy diet of mostly fruits and vegetables supplemented with lean protein and whole grains. These foods provide key nutrients that support healthy aging inside and out. Fruits & veggies also boost your intake of important phytonutrients that help defend against damaging free-radicals.

Make sure you’re active daily – recent research shows that vigorous exercise, particularly high-intensity interval training, can slow aging by almost a decade at a cellular level! Exercise also increases blood flow, moving oxygen and nutrients to working cells in the body – skin included – promoting a more youthful look.

Exercise is also linked to maintaining muscle mass and strength, maintaining more brain volume in areas that affect motor control and coordination, fewer menopause-related hot flashes, improved memory and brain function with age, and adding nearly 5 years to your lifespan.

As many seniors will attest, age is simply a number. There are numerous examples of people accomplishing amazing things in their sunset years, including the man who made 27 feature films after age 55, the 86-year-old woman who competed in gymnastic competitions (and often won), and the man who began running marathons at age 81. No matter what your age, you can accomplish lifelong goals, help your community, and embrace life with enthusiasm. The key is youthful energy, not a youthful age.

If you want to keep your body strong, spry, and flexible, you need to get moving at least once a day. Try incorporating a daily walk into your schedule, and perhaps following up with some strength training two or three days a week. Before you begin any new exercise routine, be sure to discuss your plans with your doctor or another qualified healthcare professional.

Don’t forget about mental health. Give your brain a workout each day by doing memory games or brain puzzles. You could also take a class, learn a new language, or read a book about a subject you’ve always wanted to explore.