Most people follow a skincare routine to maintain a youthful appearance. While life can disrupt our daily rituals, there are ways to significantly slow down your biological clock.
According to research from Columbia University, eight essential habits can either match your real biological age or help delay the aging process by several years.
What Is Your Biological Age?
A person’s biological age differs from their chronological age. Biological age is calculated by combining a person’s actual age with levels of nine markers in the blood collected during a typical annual physical.
Previous research has shown that this age correlates well with a person’s risk of premature death.
Focus On Improving Heart Health
“By improving heart health we can slow down our bodies’ aging process,” said study author Nour Makarem, assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City (via NBC News).
“Another important message is that what we observed was dose-dependent, which means that as heart health goes up, biological aging goes down.”
The Date Behind the Essential 8 Habits
Whether you like it or not, we are all aging (sorry). While biological aging is a natural physiological process that occurs over time in all living organisms, these changes can be somewhat controlled.
Data from more than 6,500 adults showed that there could be up to a five-year difference between people’s chronological age and their biological age if they incorporate all eight recommendations into their daily lives.
Eating Healthier
The first of the eight essential habits that can slow down your biological clock is eating better. It sounds simple, but consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy proteins can improve heart health.
This also means cutting back on salt, alcohol, non-tropical plant oils, and processed foods to lead a healthier life.
Be More Active
The second essential habit is being more active. The study suggests aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. Two of these seven days should include moderate to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activities, such as weight lifting or resistance training.
These three hours of exercise could include swimming or finding a nature hike that gets you out of the house and into the beauty of the world around you.
Cut the Tobacco Out
The third essential habit is cutting tobacco out of your life. According to the study, smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in the US.
Some states are taking measures to assist in quitting smoking by banning all flavored tobacco products.
Get Enough Sleep
Another way to improve your biological age is by getting a healthy amount of sleep. We know—getting an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night might not be possible for everyone, but it’s a good goal to aim for.
Getting enough sleep can help maintain your mind and body health, boosting your immunity to illness, improving your mood, and enhancing your memory.
Managing a Healthy Weight
While eating healthy, exercising, and getting enough sleep can help you manage your weight, ensure you strive for a normal weight. A BMI lower than 18.5 or higher than 25 can lead to more health complications in the future.
Monitor your weight at home or your local gym, and set short-term goals to ensure you maintain a healthy weight.
Keeping Your Cholesterol Levels Low
Most adults have imbalanced cholesterol levels, which can cause your biological age to outpace your actual age.
People who are at high risk—meaning their cholesterol levels are over 100—could experience strokes or heart attacks compared to those with “good” levels of cholesterol. Striving to keep your LDL levels below 70 is recommended.
Managing Your Blood Pressure
We are living in a stressful time. Elections, inflation, job insecurity, and the housing crisis can cause your blood pressure to fluctuate.
However, managing your blood pressure is important for your overall health. It’s recommended to aim for a systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg and a diastolic reading of less than 80 mm Hg.
Check On Your Blood Sugar
The final essential element that can improve your quality of life is managing your blood sugar. The healthy range for fasting blood sugar is below 100 mg/dL, while levels between 100 and 125 mg/dL could increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Monitoring your sugar intake—aided by eating healthier foods—can improve your heart health, thus slowing down your body’s aging process.
