Habits are good. They keep us safe, they help us accomplish our goals, and they can even make life more enjoyable. But some habits aren't so great for older people because of the way that aging affects their bodies. If you have a habit that makes your body age faster, it's time to break it! Here are nine bad habits that make old age come earlier than expected.
1 Not tackling your stress levels
I remember seeing a friend who went through a terrible ordeal and I remember seeing her and thinking omg, she looks so old. As we live in different countries I saw her a year later and to my surprise, she looked a good 10 years younger. So when people say not to neglect your stress levels, they are not kidding. So seek things that make you smile, get some exercise, take a relaxing candlelight bath, meditate, talk to friends or a counselor. Just de-stress!
2 Not protecting your skin from UV all year round
Yes, we’ve all heard this many many times, and here it is again. Protect your skin from UV! Have you ever seen that image of a truck driver who only had one side of his face exposed to the sun for his entire career? Well, that side had ages horrifically and the side that remained in the shade was normal. Thus use sunscreen guys and not only when the sun is out :)
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5445161/sun-damage-truck-driver-face/
3 Not exercising
Leading a sedentary life is sometimes easy, however, there are multiple reasons why this is not beneficial for anti-aging purposes. Exercise reduces stress and combats depression, it will also reduce your blood pressure and will increase your immune system. One could write an entire blog post on this topic. Exercise benefits the body mind and soul, Hippocrates said “Walking is man’s best medicine”, and many other philosophers said to walk and talk.
4 Smoking
Smoking has a very bad effect on your skin. Not only does it make your skin look dull, but they cause wrinkles. Smoking reduces circulation and the oxygen levels in your blood will also be affected detrimentally. Also when taking a puff, you purse your lips which will create permanent lines from your mouth.
5 Drinking alcohol
So alcohol dehydrates you, that’s why we are all told to drink water to get rid of a hangover. Alcohol can cause depletion of nutrients, enlarge your blood vessels, can cause permanent redness, and will result in loss of collagen. Therefore drinking in moderation and alternating with a glass of water you will not only thank me for the next day but down the line, your skin will show its thankfulness by remaining radiant.
6 Not eating your fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are a natural source of Vitamine C, which stimulates collagen production. Also, fruit and vegetables possess anti-oxidants, which help reduce Reactive Oxygen Species. These are free-radicals which are by-products of the natural chemical processes of your body. These free radicals will damage your DNA, which will cause aging. So if you eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables you will protect your body from the inside out.
7 Not getting enough sleep
While we sleep the body goes into regeneration mode. If you do not get enough sleep you will get paler-looking skin, get dark circles under your eyes or even get puffy swollen eyes. The corners of your mouth can start to droop and the lack of sleep can directly cause more wrinkles and fine lines to appear. So allow your skin to recover and get that Beauty Sleep!
8 Not drinking enough water
Your body is made up out of 80% water, this means each and every cell in your body is mostly water. As we age the overall percentage of water in our cells reduces dramatically to about 55-60%. Keeping this in mind it’s not too crazy to think that drinking enough water will plump up your skin. It will improve your skins elasticity, avoid dry skin. The key is to constantly drink small amounts and avoid feeling thirsty.
9 Not cleansing your skin
Not cleansing your face will make you age. This is because all accumulation of dead skin, dirt, germs,, and excess oil will clog your pores and will make your skin appear older. Therefore not cleansing your skin is one of the worst habits you can have. Some people even suggest double cleansing rituals. This is because the first time you will only remove the accumulated debris and the second time around the pores will properly get cleansed.
If you want to look and feel younger, it’s important to take care of your body. To achieve this goal, we suggest incorporating these anti-aging habits into your daily routine. Give them a try and see if they make an impact on your appearance. What are some other anti-aging habits that we didn't mention? Share with us in the comments below!