To age with grace and style, we must embrace the passing years as harbingers of greater wisdom and clarity. The more happiness we seek, the more likely we are to retain our good health and youthful looks a great deal longer. In short, you don’t need to drink from some mythical Fountain of Youth. Just follow these tips to remain young mentally and physically into your 70s, 80s and beyond.
- Reduce Stress
Did you know stress ages both face and body. Anxiety speeds up one’s heart rate even as it slows down
digestion, and it can even cut off blood flow to muscles. This means chronic stress can lead to such disorders as obesity, ulcers, diabetes, and even cancer. How to reduce tension? Boost your happiness quotient! Look for laughs. Go out of your way to see the sunny, funny side of life. Turn on the charm when you’re around people, and they’ll respond in kind.
- Look for Adventure
The human brain thrives on new experiences and sensations as long as they don’t inflect harm. So enroll in that Zumba class. Start a vegetable garden. Train for a 5K. Or try your hand at painting or gourmet cooking. First, having the guts to try something new brings personal positive reinforcement. Second, when you succeed at your new endeavor, the triumph will lead you to look for more adventures. Developing new neural connections by expanding one’s horizons is strongly linked to longevity and the warding off of dementia.
- Learn to Love Yourself
Treat yourself to a spa day. Change your fashion style and get a new hairdo. Even have an anti-aging makeover. The more you like yourself and the way you look, the happier you’ll be to get and go every day. Self-deprecating humor and a hang-dog self-image are induce anxiety, and we already know anxiety is mentally and physically damaging to your health while it etches worry lines across your face.
- Meet, Mix & Socialize
It’s been scientifically proven that social interaction boosts longevity. So don’t be a loner! Maintain an active agenda. Go to work. Join clubs. Attend parties. Enjoy street fairs. Volunteer and help others. There are dozens of ways to meet new people and get involved in your community, and doing so will keep the phone ringing and your social agenda full.
- Exercise
It’s not news that regular exercise is good for us, but sometimes we all need a reminder. In fact, regular exercise dramatically decreases the likelihood of developing such diseases as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, depression and dementia.
