6 Free + Easy Healthy Aging Tips That’ll Help You Feel Better Than Ever
These simple strategies will add years to your life— and life to your years!
Aging can seem scary sometimes. But it doesn’t have to be! In fact, these 6 easy tips make getting older a breeze. From getting rid of wrinkles to fighting stiff joints, these every day habits can make your aging process as painless as possible. Keep reading for our 6 favorite healthy aging tips.
1. A pre-meal ritual can melt a menopot
It’s not just you — almost 100% of us battle an expanding waistline after age 50. Fortunately, you can trim up to 17 pounds off your waist and hips — on any healthy eating plan—just by dialing down your production of the stress hormone cortisol. The reason? Cortisol encourages tissues to slow their calorie-burn so they can store as much fat as possible, but as levels of this stress hormone drop, fat-burning metabolism soars. A simple way to destress: Take three minutes before each meal to breathe slowly and deeply, letting your belly expand and contract with each breath. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say this simple trick can cut diet-sabotaging cortisol production by as much as 33%.
Related: Why Women Approaching Menopause Should Start Taking This Supplement
2. Hobbies can strengthen the heart
Knitting, scrapbooking, reading, painting … whatever hobby you truly enjoy, carving out at least 30 minutes daily to indulge yourself can keep your heart young and strong, cutting your risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 50%, suggests a study out of the University of Illinois. Turns out the calm, happy feeling that you get when you’re immersed in a hobby activates a series of nerves (the parasympathetic nervous system) that lower blood pressure and boost nutrient-rich blood flow to the heart. More good news: Those daily doses of contentment also energize liver cells, increasing their production of healthy, artery-clearing HDL cholesterol by 10%.
Related: 12 Must-Read Historical Fiction Books That Will Send You Back in Time
3. Sweet potatoes can erases wrinkles
Sweet potatoes boast rich stores of carotenoids, plant compounds that soak easily into skin cells, where they break down tissue-aging free radicals, reduce damaging inflammation, plus provide a natural shield against UV light, report researchers in the journal Molecules. More good news: Carotenoids also turn back the clock by encouraging the repair and replacement of collagen, elastin and other supportive tissues. Enjoy 3/4 cup daily, and experts say you’ll cut your risk of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging and other signs of skin aging by as much as 69%.
Related: 11 Baked Sweet Potato Recipes
4. A snooze can strengthen your bones
Not keen on jogging, powerlifting or other tough, bone-building workouts? Stretch out and take a nap instead! Research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests just getting 7 to 8 hours of Zzzs nightly (or catching up with leisurely catnaps if your nighttime sleep is often cut short) could cut your risk of bone thinning and osteoporosis by as much as 65%]. Scientists say your body repairs and replaces aging bone cells while you sleep — and the improvements can start within 24 hours of that first blissful snooze.
Related: Doctors Reveal the Best Sleeping Position to Outsmart Nighttime Leg Pain
5. Flossing can keeps your joints young
Just keeping your gums in tip-top shape could halve your risk of stiff, achy joints — plus it protects against osteoarthritis, and can reduce symptom severity if you already have it, Harvard research suggests. The connection? When gums are strong and healthy, they provide a barrier that stops oral bacteria from sneaking into your bloodstream and traveling to your joints, where they attack and prematurely age delicate cartilage. And it’s easy! Experts recommend gently brushing twice daily, plus flossing (or using a dental pick) once daily to keep the spaces between your teeth squeaky-clean.
Related: Dentists Say These 6 Tips Help Stop Bleeding Gums Naturally
6. A daily chuckle heightens immunity
Germ-fighting immune cells often become sluggish after age 45, and that triples your risk of catching draggy colds, the flu and other ills. Thankfully, enjoying a daily laugh (by sharing jokes with a friend, watching a funny sitcom or scrolling through silly memes) can make your immune system as feisty as it was in your youth. Scientists out of Western Kentucky University have found that bursts of cheer signal your body to increase immune system activity, energizing two key groups of virus-destroying immune cells (natural killer cells and B cells) for up to 12 hours per giggle.
Related: 27 Winter Jokes Guaranteed to Make You Laugh
For more on aging, click through the links below:
Is Your Blurry Vision Normal Aging or Something More? Eye Docs Reveal How to Tell the Difference
The 7 Best Ways To Reverse Brain Aging & Strengthen Memory, According to Scientists
6 Anti-Aging Beauty Tips That Nix Wrinkles, Droopy Eyelids, Dark Circles, and More
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
