Keeping age at bay

1. Get off the couch

Exercise is not number one for nothing – it’s one of the best ways to ensure you live longer and stay younger! Research shows that people who sweat it out for half an hour every day, have body cells 10 years younger than inactive people. Exercise combats not only loss of stamina, muscle strength and bone density, but also improves blood flow to your brain, stimulating new nerve cells.

2. Stress less

Stress and exhaustion can cause havoc on your body. Geneticists have found that chronic stress shortens the lifespan of the cells in your body, but by reducing stress in your life, you’ll be able to actively fight of the effects of ageing. You can keep your stress levels to a minimum by exercising and getting enough rest and surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people.

3. Reduce alcohol and smoking

Drinking alcohol and smoking have been cited as two of the major causes of premature ageing. Alcohol contains toxins that damage your overall health and too much alcohol consumption can deprive your body of essential nutrients. It can also cause heart disease, increased blood pressure and liver cancer.

Smoking not only cuts down your lifespan by increasing your risk for several cancers, but it also causes your blood vessels to narrow, impairing blood flow to your skin. Both alcohol and smoking greatly intensify the ageing process, leading to sagging, wrinkling and an overall tired look.

4. Better Bones

Bone density peaks at the age of 30 and then starts to decline. However, you can promote strong bones and prevent bone thinning later in life with exercise and two essential nutrients, calcium and vitamin D. Calcium supports your bones and tooth structure and can be found in milk, cheese, sardines, spinach and other leafy greens. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from food and is found in tuna, salmon, eggs, sardines and yogurt. You can also prevent bone loss with exercise – playing sports, lifting weights, running and any other activity that moves muscle will promote stronger, denser bones.

5. Live healthy, eat healthy

Cutting out trans-fats, refined carbs and sugar; increasing your fibre intake; eating more vegetables than animal protein; and drinking five to eight glasses of water each day could help you to live longer and look younger.

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