8 Habits that Make Us Look Older than We Really are
We might do something every day without knowing that it adds years to our bodies. As we get older, we should focus on doing things that will keep us as healthy as possible, instead of those that make us age beyond our years.
Some every day habits can make us age faster, so knowing them can help us quit them easier. In that way, we will maintain our health and youthful appearance. According to scientists, avoiding certain habits can help slow down the aging process and keep us young.
As Dr. Sandra Hunter explains, regular exercise should be part of everyone’s life as it keeps you healthy while preserving your youthful look.
So, pay attention to the habits that add years to your age, and make sure you avoid them as much as possible.
8 Habits That Make You Age Faster
1. Not Watching Your Weight
Research shows that losing some excess pounds can increase the lifespan of overweight people. On the opposite, not watching your weight can add years to your age.
The participants who lost a minimum of 2.2 pounds succeeded to increase their lifespan by two months. This implies that maintaining a healthy weight can improve your lifespan, thus preventing you from aging faster.
2. Ignoring Your High Blood Pressure
You may not think about your blood pressure levels while young, but the earliest stages of high blood pressure can appear even in your 20s and 30s.
In fact, high blood pressure can make you look older than you really are, even if it’s not dangerously high to cause heart attack symptoms.
That’s why you should check your blood pressure regularly. Not only that it will affect your appearance, but high blood pressure can also increase the chances of stroke and heart disease.
3. Smoking
A higher risk of cancer is one of the many health risks of smoking. Even though it’s one of the most dangerous effects of smoking, it’s not the only one, and this refers even to former smokers.
Smoking changes your skin, hair, and teeth in ways that make them look older. In fact, it affects almost every organ and function in your body, including your fertility and the function of your bones, lungs, and heart.
Even though it’s best if you have never started smoking, quitting them is still better than continuing this bad habit that makes you age faster.
4. Sedentary Lifestyle
Not having regular physical activity, even if that’s taking a walk every day, is a habit that makes you age faster and reduces your lifespan. Just like regular exercise, you should try to have even a low-level physical activity every day to have a longer and healthier life.
5. Not Living Life
Not living your life to the fullest and taking the safe and easy path every time won’t make you happy or fulfilled. This, in turn, adds years to your age and reduces your lifespan.
On the other hand, people who live their life as they want to are more positive and live longer lives. And, you can definitely see the happiness on their faces.
6. Not Paying Attention to High Cholesterol
Everyone should pay attention to their cholesterol levels, even if they are young. High cholesterol is a huge risk factor for heart disease and heart attack. But also, it can make you look older than you are, even if you’re in your 20s or 30s.
That’s why you should first monitor your cholesterol levels, and then try to reduce your bad cholesterol and increase your good HDL cholesterol levels.
7. Not Practicing Meditation
Are you one of those who let themselves get overwhelmed by the negative emotions, stress, and anxiety you encounter on a daily basis? Well, this is a really unhealthy habit that makes you look older than you are.
Instead of letting yourself wallow in these negative feelings, work through them with the help of meditation.
Meditation decreases the effects of stress and negative emotions, and if you practice it for a long period it could even slow down the aging process in your cells. This means you will keep your youthful appearance longer than usual.
8. Giving Up on Education
According to studies, getting as high of an education as you can is important for you in so many ways. In fact, researchers have shown that education affects your life regarding your health and well-being, as well as increases your lifespan and keeps you young.
Conclusion
Quitting these unhealthy habits can help prevent you from aging faster. So, stop buying those expensive anti-aging creams and turn these habits around to live a longer, healthier, and happier life.
