If crow’s feet, achy joints, and sagging body parts are bringing you down, you’re not alone. The pursuit to look younger is a multi-billion dollar industry, and for good reason. We all want to look our best and feel more youthful, but the aging process is a fact of life.
The trick to staying youthful longer is taking a holistic, comprehensive approach to self-care. While the fountain of youth may be a myth, there are tried and true ways to slow down the aging process for women. Here is a head-to-toe guide to staying spry, feeling fit, and looking younger.
The Skinny on Youthful Skin: Everybody knows that diet plays a huge role in how we look and feel. Introducing anti-aging foods that are dense in nutrients can work wonders for your skin’s youthful glow. Keeping to a healthy diet rich in antioxidants helps skin cells regenerate, boosts skin elasticity, and improves collagen levels, all of which render healthier younger-looking skin. Other ways to prevent your skin from aging include staying out of the sun, getting enough sleep, and keeping your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Flaxen, Waxen, Youthful Hair: Thinning or drying hair can put the brakes on a youthful appearance. Thwart tired-looking hair by starting with a haircut that suits your hair type, face shape, and your personality. A stellar haircut can make a big difference in feeling a youthful spring in your step. Avoid using heat treatments like hair dryers and curling irons as these can make your hair brittle. Also, steer clear of chemical hair treatments such as permanents or hair dyes. Think about adding more vitamin C and E to your diet or in supplement form as this helps stimulate circulation and hydrates your hair follicles from the root. Speaking of hydrating, drinking plenty of water is just as important for healthy, younger-looking hair as it is for the skin.
Age is a State of Mind: An active and alert mind is a key to feeling younger. Keep your brain young by engaging in stimulating mental activities. Learn something new, play word games, take on a chess championship, do the brainteasers in your daily newspaper. You get the idea. Keeping the mind active with new and challenging tasks improves mental elasticity as well as helps the brain generate new brain cells, all of which result in a younger state of mind.
Young at Heart: The heart is the primary engine that helps the whole body function, so keeping a healthy heart is key to staying fit and feeling younger. Get regular medical checks on your heart condition to confirm your ticker is working at its best. The most common and simplest ways to maintain heart health are eating right, and engaging in exercise. And do yourself a huge favor by ditching bad habits like smoking cigarettes and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol once and for all. These destructive activities are the number one cause of heart disease and heart attacks. Also stay away from foods high in sodium as well as artery-clogging factors such as fatty, deep-fried, or sugary foods.
Stay Sexy: Enjoying a healthy sex life is a natural process to feeling young and vivacious. Aging factors such as menopause don’t have to stop you from celebrating sensuality in the bedroom. Enjoy yourself but remember to practice safe sex and get proactive about STI screening for you and your partner. The benefits of sex include improved heart health, elevation in mood, and even an immunity boost. All of these benefits add up to feeling sexy, sassy, and youthful.
The Bare Bones About Staying Young: Bones and muscles are the scaffolding that holds our entire body together, so it’s crucial to cater to the health of these foundational features to feel vital and youthful. This is especially true for women who are more susceptible to osteoporosis. As we age, muscles and bones degrade, making us feel tired and old. There are preventative steps you can take to reduce these symptoms of aging. As with all aspects of feeling young, diet and drinking plenty of water are key for healthy, youthful muscles and bones. Also, consider introducing more foods rich in vitamin D and calcium in your diet that will boost your bone and muscle health. Also stick to a regular exercise routine, as this facilitates stronger bones and enhances youthful muscle tone.
At the end of the day, aging is inevitable. However, making small improvements in diet, exercise, hydration, and regular health checks can mightily contribute to the quality of your life. Feeling and looking young can be achieved, it just takes a personal investment in self-care, and a willingness to stick to healthy habits so you can live your best life.
