19 Easy Ways to Fight Signs of Aging
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19 Easy Ways to Fight Signs of Aging
It's easy to overlook the signs of aging until you notice wrinkles or feel your joints ache. But it's never too late to make positive changes. Just by embracing a few healthy habits or routines, you can look and feel younger—and live your best life at any age.
Discover the signs of aging you can reverse or slow down. Try some of these tips today, and pretty soon you'll be saying, "I haven't felt this great in years!"
Restore Your Skin’s Youthful Glow
Your skin’s affected by age, lifestyle, genetics, and sun exposure. Though you can’t control biological factors (like lower collagen production), you can take other steps to nourish your skin.
1. Power up your beauty routine.
Don’t barrage your skin with tons of skincare products. Instead, stick to a simple routine with clinically proven anti-aging ingredients:
- Gentle cleanser: Avoid rough cloths and exfoliating cleansers, which can irritate your skin or damage its moisture barrier.
- Vitamin C serum: It brightens your complexion, counteracts free radicals, and helps your body produce more collagen.
- Retinol: This powerful exfoliant prompts your body to produce new, healthy skin cells, but your skin may become more sensitive. Use at night and start with small concentrations. You can also apply a thin layer of moisturizer before retinol cream.
- Moisturizer: Your skin gets drier and rougher as you age because of lower oil production, slower cell renewal, and sun damage. Moisturizer hydrates the skin and temporarily plumps it up to hide fine lines and wrinkles.
- Sunscreen: UV exposure is the leading cause of premature skin aging. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 and reapply every four to six hours.
2. Include skin-boosting nutrients in your diet.
While no single superfood can erase wrinkles, a balanced diet can help your body make collagen and healthy skin cells. Include these nutrients, which your body uses for maintaining a healthy glow.
- Healthy fats: avocado, nuts, and olive oil
- Healthy proteins: lean meat, eggs, legumes
- Antioxidants: berries, beans, dark chocolate, green tea
- Vitamin C: citrus fruits, bell peppers
- Vitamin E: spinach, sweet potatoes, papaya
- Omega-3 fatty acids: fatty fish like salmon, walnuts
- Zinc: chickpeas, lentils, quinoa
- Selenium: whole wheat bread and cereals, tuna
3. Get your beauty sleep.
A new study reveals that even just 31 hours (or less than two days) of sleep deprivation changes your facial features, making you look older or sadder. You get droopy eyelids, red or swollen eyes, dark circles, and paler skin with more wrinkles.
But more than that, your skin produces collagen and repairs skin cells during sleep. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Struggling with insomnia? Start a bedtime routine that includes these sleep sounds and apps. You’ll feel (and look!) more refreshed in the morning.
Keep Your Mind Sharp
Cognitive decline is the gradual decrease in mental abilities like memory, attention, and problem-solving. It's often caused by age-related changes in brain structure and function.
However, you can take steps now to slow down or even prevent mental aging.
- Stay social. Making friends and joining community activities keeps your mind active and helps fight depression, which can speed up cognitive decline.
- Keep learning new things. Sign up for online classes or start a new hobby. By constantly challenging yourself, you help your brain form new cells and connections.
- Play brain-boosting puzzle games. Some apps were even developed by neuroscientists and brain-training experts. Try: Brain HQ (App Store, Google Play), Memorado (App Store, Google Play), and Impulse (App Store).
Beat Chronic Body Pain
You know you’re getting old when you start hoarding liniment and googling ergonomic office chairs.
Body pain comes from lower flexibility and blood circulation and higher inflammation, but you can relieve discomfort and get back into shape.
- Stay active. Start with low-impact exercises like swimming, walking, or yoga. These develop flexibility and muscle strength without straining your joints.
- Consider strength training. Hate lifting weights? Consider resistance training, which uses your own body weight, like Pilates or power yoga.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts additional stress on your joints.
- Invest in a good mattress and furniture. These provide proper spine alignment and support, for less back and neck pain.
- Manage inflammation. Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, such as fatty fish, leafy greens, and nuts.
- Keep moving. Regular walks and simple stretching exercises can reduce muscle tension and joint pain. Set phone reminders to move every 45 minutes.
Feel More Energetic and Focused
Do you always feel lethargic or tired? Do you struggle to focus on tasks or remember details?
Chronic physical and mental fatigue can be caused by many changes in your body like hormonal fluctuations, poor sleep quality, or health conditions. Here’s how you can stay strong and sharp the whole day.
- Eat for energy. Choose food with a low glycemic index, which releases a slow and steady stream of energy. This includes whole grains, high-fiber vegetables, healthy proteins and fats, and nuts.
- Increase your fluid intake. Dehydration causes fatigue because it reduces blood flow to your brain and muscles. Aim to get at least eight glasses of water a day and incorporate broth or juicy fruits like watermelon in your meals.
- Get some cardio. Cardio exercises strengthen your heart and lungs, which boost your blood circulation and oxygen levels. It also regulates blood sugar levels, which prevents energy dips and “brain fog.” Try scheduling 20-minute exercise breaks when you tend to feel sluggish—like after lunch or late afternoon. Track your steps and other health markers with a fitness watch.
Manage Tummy Troubles
As you get older, your digestive system becomes more sluggish. This leads to issues like constipation, acid reflux, bloating, or conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
If you often experience digestion problems, try adjusting your eating habits.
- Eat smaller, frequent meals. You avoid overloading your digestive system and can monitor your portions.
- Consider more plant-based foods. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes are easier to digest and have more fiber, which prevents constipation.
- Avoid late night eating. Give your body time to digest by eating your last meal at least three hours before bedtime.
- Keep a food diary. You may have developed food sensitivity or intolerance. Monitor what you eat and how your body reacts. Then consult a doctor to rule out underlying conditions or get personal diet advice.
There are many good things about growing old, like experience and maturity, and happy memories. However, your body does need more TLC. See those wrinkles or body pains as timely reminders to take charge of your health. If you make changes now, you can live your best life at any age.
Start fighting the signs of aging today! Schedule a personal online consultation with KonsultaMD to know more about your health and what your body needs.
You can use your GFiber Prepaid or GFiber Postpaid plans to look for fun exercise routines, healthy diets, and other anti-aging methods. Download the GlobeOne app to get vouchers for your health needs. Start a health and beauty routine that works for you, and access tools wherever and whenever you need it.