Biological aging is an inevitable phenomenon that is wired into our biology. After reaching the peak of growth and youthful exuberance during puberty and early adulthood, the human body then eventually descends into an unavoidable decline.
Indeed, as people get older, they experience changes in their body that can drastically affect their health and quality of life. However, this doesn’t mean that aging should take away your joie de vivre, that blissful enthusiasm for living. Aging is a process, but it doesn’t affect everyone the same way. Some people may feel old at 30 even as others feel young at 50, 60, or even 70.
Thankfully, there are many things that you can do to help you feel young even as you age. Here are some of them.
Eat a balanced diet
Good nutrition is one of the foundations of good health and wellbeing. It is absolutely important to eat the right kind of food items because these will be used by your body to create the energy it needs. Your body will also use them to synthesize complex molecules that will become the building blocks of your tissues and organs.
Proper nutrition is truly essential to sustaining a person’s life. Poor nutrition, on the other hand, is a great contributor to the development of diseases and disabilities and even death in many people. If you don’t get enough of all the essential nutrients you need, you’re at risk of acquiring serious health conditions. Similarly, too much of particular nutrients can also result in poor health.
A balanced diet is key to ensuring proper nutrition. Make sure that you eat the right amount of the five basic food groups, namely: 1.) Plenty of starchy foods like grains, cereals, pasta, and bread (wholegrain varieties are preferred); 2.) Lots of vegetables and fruits; 3.) Some lean meat, fish, eggs, and other protein-rich food items; 4.) Some milk and other dairy products; and 5.) just as small share for food items that are rich in sugar and fat.
Naturally, every individual has his or her own unique nutritional needs. If you have an existing medical condition, for instance, you would be well advised to consult a doctor or nutritionist to ensure that you are eating the right types of foods.
Exercise regularly
Lack of physical activity has been shown by science to be a risk factor for major health problems, especially those that have something to do with the heart and blood vessels.
Less active individuals are at a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. Studies have shown that when it comes to coronary heart disease, physically active people were less likely to be affected, even after other factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and diet were considered. In other studies, was revealed that overweight and obese individuals who were physically active also significantly reduced their risk of developing diseases by engaging in regular physical activities.
Aside from heart ailments, less active and less fit people also have an increased risk of developing some cancers. Additionally, a sedentary lifestyle also contributes to feelings of anxiety and depression.
As you grow older, you have to develop a fitness regimen that is a perfect fit to your age and fitness level. You don’t even have to do anything drastic. Even just half an hour of brisk walking every day can do wonders for your health. You can also try low impact activities like Zumba, swimming, elliptical training, cycling, and indoor rowing.
Learn to relax
If you lead a very busy lifestyle and you haven’t yet learned to slow down, it’s probably about time you did.
Various scientific studies have shown that relaxation is beneficial to people’s health and wellbeing. Relaxation is good for your heart, reduces your risk of stroke, improves your memory, protects you from depression, and can even help improve your sex life.
There are many relaxing activities that you might want to try. Doing yoga, performing mindful activities, going to a spa resort, and even playing with your pet dog can help you beat stress.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is another major modulator of health. In fact, it has such a tremendous impact on a person’s wellbeing that medical professionals constantly reiterate the importance of avoiding sleep deprivation.
First, lack of sleep is a risk factor for heart diseases, heart attack, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It also impairs your mental capacity, negatively affecting your attention, memory, concentration, alertness, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. It can also make your skin look dull and prematurely aged, make you gain weight, and impact your sex drive.
A lot of these problems have something to do with how sleep deprivation can affect the balance of your hormones, your body’s chemical messengers which tell tissues and organs in your body how to function.
To ensure that you’re maximizing sleep’s health benefits, make sure to get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. It’s also important that you sleep at nighttime because our bodies’ natural circadian rhythm responds better to sleep when we do it at the right time (i.e. not when the sun is shining in the sky).
Try out new things
Committing yourself to new hobbies, adventures, and great experiences can help give you a renewed sense of purpose in life. Whether it’s learning a new language, taking up photography, hitting the hiking trails, traveling to new cities, or yes, even extreme sports, it’s never too late to try out all of the things that you have always wanted to do. If you need an inspiration, check out this news article about a woman who celebrated her 100th birthday by skydiving and cage diving with sharks!
Consider medical treatments
If you have existing medical conditions that affect your health and quality of life, your doctor may be able to recommend therapies to counter their negative effects. For instance, one of the most common problems experienced by aging individuals is a hormonal imbalance. If you’re a woman experiencing premenopausal symptoms or a man on the cusp of andropause, you doctor could endorse bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
Bioidentical hormones are naturally derived hormones that are similar in molecular structure to the hormones found in the human body. They are used medically to treat many negative symptoms being experienced by people who have age-related hormonal imbalances.
With the right lifestyle choices and appropriate medical intervention, you’ll be able to enjoy a healthy, fulfilling life for many years to come.