If you’re looking for ways to ageing gracefully, think less about investing in creams and lotions and instead take a look at your lifestyle. How can the choices you make protect your brain and body as you age? The answer, it seems, is to keep active, keep thinking and keep socialising. With a balance of good food, healthy exercise, social interaction and stress relief, we can all feel younger and more energetic.
What are healthy lifestyle habits?
If you’re wondering how to feel younger and have more energy, consider these steps to a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise to benefit your brain.
Did you know that the brain shrinks about five percent every decade after the age of 40? The good news is, aerobic exercise can significantly help your brain maintain its volume.
Exercise releases chemicals in your brain that helps to prevent age-related decline. In fact, it seems exercise can protect against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Good aerobic (also called cardio) exercise can be as simple as going for a long walk, riding a bike, swimming, running on a treadmill or taking a dance class.
Exercise to benefit your body.
Exercise is also vital for keeping your body strong and healthy as you age. Both aerobic exercise and strength training are important for maintaining a healthy body.
Cardio, or aerobic exercise, has been shown to reverse some heart damage that occurs with natural ageing. So exercise for a healthier heart.
Exercise can also help your immune system. Activities like cycling have been shown to produce a healthier immune system with the body producing more T-cells and fighting off germs more readily.
Some studies have even shown that regular exercise can improve the look of your skin, although researchers are not clear why this happens.
Be kind to your skin
The skin is your largest organ. And while most miracle creams, potions and lotions won’t do much to prevent your skin from aging, sun cream is vital to maintaining healthy skin, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors. Protective clothing and hats are also great for wearing outdoors. Staying hydrated is also important for the health of your skin. Be sure to get enough daily fluids.
Eat a varied and healthy diet
Of course diet matters. Good food can definitely help you age gracefully. In fact, some foods have been proven to help slow signs of aging. Eggs are good for your eyes – they can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Raspberries, green tea and cranberries are rich in antioxidants which help slow down aging. Blueberries are the fruit with the highest concentration of antioxidants and can help fight free radicals, which damage skin and accelerate aging.
Nuts can help protect against heart disease and cancers, while cauliflower and broccoli can help boost brain health. Turmeric can help with bad joints and arthritis.
Yogurt is good for preventing the loss of bone mineral density and reducing your risk of fractures. Fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, contain omega 3 fatty acids which can reduce inflammation in the body and protect your brain.
Basically, a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables really can have a positive impact on the way we age and even help us to feel younger.
Keep your mind active
Keep learning, reading and thinking. Challenging your brain will help you to maintain individual brain cells, and slow cognitive decline.
Choose to study something, keep up your job, or volunteer on projects where you can put your mind to use. Try to engage your mind daily with things like crossword puzzles, maths problems and riddles to keep your brain cells active.
Reduce stress
Stress ages up. When we stress, we release hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline into our bodies. These stress hormones are not good for our bodies – they have been linked to a range of health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure and weakened immune function. Healthy lifestyle habits for stress relief include exercise and movement, Going for a walk, gardening and swimming can reduce stress. Playing a sport like tennis or golf is great too. Even a hobby like knitting or painting can sooth stress. Socialising is an important tool in helping to reduce stress, so maintaining social relationships is very important to remaining happy as we age.
Knysna Lifestyle Estate Activities
Embracing healthy lifestyle habits is easy for the residents of the Knsyna Lifestyle Estate. Our wide range of activities help keep body and mind young.
Our residents enjoy a range of sporting activities that help with cardio exercise and strength training. Our on-site gym offers spinning classes and free weights. After a workout, the steam room offers a great way to relax tired muscles. You can also take a dip in the pool, play a game of tennis or visit a near-by golf course for a round of golf. There are plenty of walking trails on the estate, and many residents enjoy a daily walk or jog through the natural fynbos. The beach is only a short drive away and many residents head down to the sands for a sunset stroll. The Knysna forests also offer wonderful walking opportunities.
We encourage social activities including a bridge club and birding club. Get together with friends to share a hobby and reduce stress levels. Stop in at the library in the clubhouse to find a new book to read, or grab a drink with friends at the bar.
So keep healthy by taking that daily walk, eating well and keeping your mind active.