How to combat the signs of ageing
We all want to know how to combat ageing
Growing older is something that happens to us all, wrinkles start to appear and parts of our bodies begin to sag. No matter how old we feel, we can’t stop our bodies changing on the inside and out. Life expectancy has risen dramatically throughout the twentieth century in the industrial world and as a result scientists and the public became extremely interested in the ageing process and the remedies that could help slow it down. We now know there are actions and solutions to help us age healthily, in our bodies, mind and appearance.
Ageing Bodies
The government recommends that those aged 65 and over should exercise every day. This should include muscle-strengthening exercises that work the major muscles in the body two days a week or more, plus either: 2 and a half hours of cycling or power walking a week, 75 minutes of intensive aerobic activity a week, like running and tennis or 75 minutes of a moderate and vigorous exercise combined. If you want to stay mobile, it’s important to do an activity every day that keeps your heart rate up.
If you want to try something new – yoga, tai chi and Pilates are all great for helping with your mobility and they also reduce stress.
Ageing Mind
As we get older, we naturally lose brain cells (neurons) and the messages which travel between neurons are slower. This means we have to support our brains with a healthy lifestyle. Exercising for 30 minutes a day will boost the amount of oxygen to the brain and regular exercise can improve your reaction speed and memory.
Your diet is also important – make sure you eat plenty of vitamins and avoid low-carb diets, as our brain needs glucose to function. Also avoid high fat in your diet, because too much fat can narrow your arteries and prevent blood flow to your brain.
It’s vital to keep using your brain every day and challenging yourself – good conversation, crossword puzzles, learning a language, playing Scrabble and taking up a new hobby are all great ways of giving your brain a workout.
Ageing Appearance
Everyone wants healthy, glowing skin, no matter how old they are. But as we get older the quest for great-looking, youthful skin becomes more difficult as we fight bags, sags and wrinkles. Start with the basics – protecting your skin from the sun and eating the right foods.
Sun damage to your skin can cause sun spots and wrinkles, so even in the winter you should be wearing at least factor 15. As for what you eat and drink – you should be drinking plenty of water (eight glasses a day) and eating lots of fruit and veg. Make sure you are getting vitamin C, zinc and vitamin E in your diet as well as essential fatty acids, which are found in fish and flaxseed. If you feel like your skin is already damaged from too much sun or an unhealthy diet, you can seek help in the form of anti-wrinkle injections. Botox canhelp smooth out your wrinkles, but it’s important that you start eating better and wearing sunscreen straight away to prevent more wrinkles from appearing.
In this day and age, we know so much more about the ageing process than ever before and there are so many solutions you can try to help slow down this process. Remember the most important thing is to live a healthy lifestyle – stay active, eat well and exercise your mind.
