Here are some great ideas and methods you can use when it comes to how to slow down the aging process.

Is aging something we should be ashamed of? Or should we be proud of the experience, wisdom, and insight we’ve accumulated?

Growing old is inevitable. It’s the looking and feeling old that gets people down, especially if they are not feeling well.

It’s getting easier to treat the outside and look younger than you feel with all the anti-aging creams and procedures, but what good is looking young if you feel old, sick, and frail?

If you’re proactive in your approach to aging, you’re sure to grow old gracefully and beautifully. One way to look at it is prevention is better than cure, which is what health professionals are shifting their practices toward; how to prevent disease and inflammation in the first place.

How to slow down the aging process is not rocket science, it is simply following a few golden rules and living your life to the fullest.

How To Slow Down The Aging Process And Add Life To Your Years Ahead

Exercise

Exercise is great for burning fat, feeling lighter, more in balance, and staying more flexible. Working out also reduces stress, improves posture, strengthens the cardiovascular system, helps the digestive process, and slows down bone loss. If you are wondering how to slow down the aging process, then exercise is at the top of the list.

Bob Greene, trainer and author of 20 Years Younger, says, “When done properly, weight-training makes micro-tears in the muscles, which leads your body to generate thicker, stronger muscle fiber.”

Weight training is also an excellent way to build stamina and leaves you less vulnerable to injuries. Building muscles tones your body and boosts metabolism. You can use light-weight dumbbells and do bicep curls, squats, calf raises and lunges.

Not into the Gym. Try something different…..

3 sets, 10 repetitions, 3 times a week is ideal.

Exercise The Brain

Your brain needs a good workout too. Stimulating your brain keeps you focused, and increases concentration and memory abilities. And while dementia may have a genetic component, lifestyle habits also have an impact on whether brain cells stay active or not. To keep your mind sharp, you can do the following:

• Read
• Complete a crossword puzzle, word search, sudoku, jigsaw puzzles
• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Learn a foreign language
• Go to concerts and the theatre
• Play Scrabble

Social Connections

It may surprise you to learn that relationships and strong social connections are some of the most important things to help healthy aging and longevity. An ongoing 80-year-old Harvard study finds that happy relationships are a better predictor of good health and increased lifespan than other factors as they reduce stress, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and boosting the immune system.

The study found that it wasn’t the subject’s “middle-age cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old, it was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80.”

Hydrate And Eat Well

The Harvard School of Public Health states that our cells are threatened by free radicals on a daily basis because they’re a byproduct of a reaction that takes place when the body turns food into energy. Other free radicals enter our bodies from the outside environment and damage our cells. This damage results in a structural change to cells’ DNA. The only way to defend our bodies against free radicals is with antioxidants, which are found in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Incorporating fiber in your diet is a great way to fight chronic diseases. It keeps cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Plus, it fills you up and slows down the digestive process, so you consume fewer calories during the day.

Another smart habit is to reduce sugar intake. This maximizes your energy levels and reduces inflammation in the body. Processed sugars can be found in high-fat, processed foods, and sodas which should also be avoided at all costs. Sodas are rich in phosphoric acid which leads to muscle loss, osteoporosis, as well as kidney and heart problems.

Drinking ample quantities of water throughout your day enhances blood flow to the skin’s surface, improves circulation, increases energy and boosts brain function. The rule of thumb is 8 glasses of water containing 8 ounces each.

“Start every meal with a fruit or vegetable and a tall glass of water. Loading up on the vitamins and antioxidants in fruits and veggies will make you feel refreshed, recharged, and reenergized,” says Dr. Henry Lodge, co-author of Younger Next Year for Women.

Probiotics are also recommended to keep your gut working well as you get older.

Get That Beauty Sleep

When it comes to sleep, Dr. Lodge states “The only time your body can truly restore itself is when you’re asleep. It helps build a more vibrant body and brain.”

While the exact number of hours differs from one person to another, experts agree that 8 hours is an average to help repair organ damage and regenerate new cells.

Set a goal, draw up a plan, and set the ambiance in your bedroom – do what you can to give your body the quality rest it needs to help maintain good physical and mental health.

Reduce Stress

Chronic stress results in age-related psychological disorders reduced functioning of the immune system and cardiovascular diseases.

Schedule in a few minutes to manage and alleviate stress, pick somewhere quiet and serene, breathe deeply, and focus on the present moment only – that is the smart medicine that will positively affect how you feel and look.

There are a couple of ways to relieve stress and calm the body and mind, such as:

• Mindful meditation. Studies show that meditation decreases anger, anxiety, and depression. This mind-body workout results in better energy, posture, increased flexibility and improved mood.
• Yoga. Defined as ‘union’ in Sanskrit, yoga has the power to oxygenate cells and rid them of harmful toxins. The many poses of yoga are designed to work the inside of your body as well as the outside. This helps boost the immune system, and revive all physiological systems, thus protecting the body from diseases. It also keeps your muscles strong and your joints flexible.

Quit Those Bad Habits

Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke is linked to a myriad of age-related diseases; hardening of the arteries, pulmonary fibrosis, and other diseases. It can also speed up the aging process because it has such a detrimental effect on your skin and teeth.

One sure way to slow down the aging process is to simply quit smoking and passive smoking.

When it comes to alcohol, one drink per day for women and two for men is just enough to reap its benefits.

Overindulging leads to premature aging from the inside out since it negatively impacts every single physiological system in the body.

To find out more about how to slow down the aging process, click here.