Lifestyle habits that can secretly make you age faster

Ageing is a natural process and you certainly cannot put it at a halt. The only thing you can easily do is slow it down by making healthy lifestyle changes. You might not observe but some of your habits can make you age faster and obviously you wouldn’t like it. But what are they? Following we have listed some of the harmful habits which are secretly making you age quicker and you should get rid of them for your own good.

Smoking

“Smoking kills”, haven’t all of us heard that? One thing that most people don’t know is that smoking speeds up the skin ageing process causing severe skin damage. The more you smoke, the more likely you are to develop wrinkles on your face. Cigarettes contain nicotine which narrows the arteries and minimizes the flow of oxygen as well as nutrients to skin cells resulting in premature ageing.

Other harmful effects of smoking include uneven skin tone, deep creases below eyes, sagging around the jawline, and wrinkles between eyebrows.  So if you have developed the bad habit of smoking, it is high time you refrain from it. It’s for your own good.

Unhealthy Diet

The food you eat decides your mental and physical health. A lot of teens love to give in to their sugar cravings and eat junk food on a daily basis. Dr Ajay Kumar Ajmani says that high sugar intake can cause functional and structural damage to the proteins and thus speeds up the ageing process.

Food items fried in oil such as french fries release radicals that can cause damage to the cellular structure of the skin. Excessive salt consumption can cause dehydration and wrinkling. Drinking alcohol and caffeine can also make you age faster. Numerous studies have shown that over-consumption of caffeine can have profound ageing effects on the skin.

Hence it is really important to eat a healthy diet in order to slow down your ageing process.

Poor Sleep Quality

Not only do we need to have a good quality sleep but also a good amount of it for improving our cognitive capabilities and to prevent health-related problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases. We often compromise on our sleep for work or other activities and this adversely affects our daytime function.

Not getting enough sleep or having irregular sleeping patterns can cause dark circles under your eyes. It can also make you feel tired and cause behavioural changes. People who do not get a good night’s rest often develop anxiety disorders and depression. A recent study done by researchers at UCLA reports that getting inadequate amounts of sleep encourages biological ageing in older adults.

All of the above-mentioned effects make sleep even more important than we would like to believe it is. To begin with, find yourself a comfy mattress to have a comfortable sleep on by following the guidelines recommended by mattressesguide.com.au.

Lack of Physical Activity

Exercising notably enhances your sleep quality and increases your pain tolerance levels. Sitting on the couch all day and not moving your body can speed up your ageing process. If you are not taking out time to exercise at a young age, you are more likely to suffer the consequences such as disability and other illnesses in old age.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham and King’s College, London found that older adults who exercise regularly defy the ageing process and have the immunity and muscle mass equal to that of a young adult.

It is not necessary for you to go to the gym and exercise for hours. A 30 minutes long morning walk every day can significantly slow down your ageing process. Not only this, it will also increase your muscles strong and help prevent diseases like cancer and strokes. Save yourself from distress by simply moving your body.

Increased Stress Levels

Overthinking every little problem or conflict that you face on a daily basis can be really harmful to your health. Constantly stressing about things you have no control over increases cortisol (stress hormone) levels that can slow down your metabolism and cause high blood pressure. A weak immune system means that you are prone to develop diseases and thus shortens your life.

The key is to socialize. Do not isolate yourself in times of stress as being alone gives you more time to overthink and feel anxious. Talk to people around you, engage in activities, and consult a medical advisor if you feel that you need more help for managing stress.

Immoderate Sun Exposure

Often heard your elders telling you to sit out in the sun as it is a rich source of vitamin D? Well, it surely is. But being exposed to sunlight for too long can severely damage your skin and cause wrinkling. The exposure of skin to UV radiation can cause premature ageing as well as skin cancer.

To protect your skin, try applying good quality sunscreen before you go out in the sun. Consult a doctor if you notice signs of photoaging such as hyperpigmentation and loss of skin tone. Wear a cap to prevent direct sunlight contact.

Ageing is inexorable. Slowing it down isn’t. Eat a healthy diet, avoid caffeine as much as you can, eat organic fruits and vegetables, and refrain from eating processed meat. A healthy lifestyle will not only improve the quality of your life today but will also protect you from developing diseases in the near future. Remember to take rest when needed and exercise daily. As a result, the biological aging process will slow down and you will feel better.