How to stay youthful at any age
There’s something fun about selecting a flattering filter and seeing your skin magically look flawless and youthful—it’s all in good fun, right?
But chances are there are days when even the most powerful photo filter doesn’t have you feeling vibrant and youthful. There might actually be days when you feel a lot older than you are. It doesn’t have to be that way, though.
If you’re stuck in a rut of photo filters and ageprediction apps, it might be time to consider a more realistic approach to looking at age. Because sometimes we feel older than we are, but the opposite is also true … sometimes we feel a lot younger than we are.
Try analyzing your health and lifestyle factors to get a better picture of your youthfulness. Risk factors, like smoking and stress, legitimately age you more than you might imagine, and efforts like physical activity have been shown to tangibly increase longevity.
If you are looking for more ways to tap into a feeling of youth and vitality, these five antiaging tips will have you feeling youthful no matter what your biological age!
Learn what age your body says you are
Curious about how healthy you really are? The HealthyFutures assessment is a simple measure of how healthy you are relative to your actual age – your healthspan versus your lifespan. It measures all aspects of your wellness like exercise, nutrition and stress. The feedback can help identify and prevent or manage any health risks early on.
The assessment is an important health check which assists you in understanding your health and any health risk factors you may have. This is the first step to educating yourself on the real state of your wellbeing.
Five ways to stay youthful at any age
These tips are simple changes that you can easily make in your everyday life. The key is consistency—you need to commit to these changes and continue to work on them going forward. When you start prioritizing and practicing these healthy habits, you will feel the difference in your overall wellness.
Relax
Researchers have found that stress causes physical changes in the body that can accelerate aging. Adrenaline and cortisol cause blood pressure to rise and your heart to beat faster, and chronic doses of these hormone surges take a heavy toll on your physical and psychological health. Meditating for at least 10 minutes a day and getting enough goodquality sleep go a long way in helping your body recover from stress.
Up the physical
A recent Vitality study has found that the average 30yearold man could increase his healthspan by 18 months just by introducing 20 minutes of vigorous exercise a day. This same man he would add nearly six years to his healthspan if he became the healthiest version of himself. That is if he improved all of his risk factors to their best levels by eating healthy food, not smoking and reducing alcohol consumption and stress levels. In addition, regular exercise (120 minutes or more a week) reduces risk of poor outcomes from communicable diseases like COVID19 by up to 42%. It also leads to better mental wellbeing, heart health and many other positive outcomes, giving you many great reasons to move more.
Eat mindfully
There is overwhelming evidence that a calorierestricted diet is associated with increased longevity. Find out what your recommended daily calorie intake is and try to stick as closely to that as possible. Our data shows that eating healthily, along with exercising regularly, results in a fourtimeslower risk of psychological distress. If, however, you have a slice of cake or overindulge once in a while, don’t sweat it!
Keep your brain active
Staying mentally sharp as you age can protect your brain from Alzheimer’s and prevent cognitive decline. Don’t stop learning and challenging your brain as you grow older — take up a musical instrument or a new language, join a special interests club, or try a new sport to keep those synapses firing.
Pack in those plants
Longevity studies have found that people who live the longest tend to eat less meat, and more beans, soy, dark leafy greens and nuts. Superfruit like pomegranates and goji berries are packed with vitamins and antioxidants like carotenoids. These can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, boost the immune system and stimulate the release of natural human growth hormones. So the next time you’re trying to decide what to have for dinner, think about trying a meatless burger or opt for a nut and seedfilled salad.
The benefits of age-appropriate health screenings
Head of Vitality Wellness Dr Mosima Mabunda also stresses the value of keeping tabs on your body as you grow older by going for ageappropriate health screenings.
“An annual Vitality Health Check is an opportunity for our members to understand their health and be empowered to make necessary changes if needed. We have made health screenings easily accessible to our members by offering the check at a wide network of healthcare providers and have removed the cost barrier by ensuring that the test comes at no cost to the member,” she says.
So, try out the antiaging tips above, and take advantage of all Vitality’s benefits and rewards to start enjoying your best health at every age.
Please always check with a medical professional to ensure these strategies are right for you.
