If there’s one thing we all have in common, it’s that we’re ageing. To date, nobody has invented a magical elixir that will turn back time.
Instead, we’ll have to try shaving a couple of years off with these natural tips to boost our brainpower and make us look younger. They’re all things you can start today!
1) Get plenty of exercise
Get your bum off the sofa and make time in your schedule to exercise regularly. Regular exercise will help you loose weight, tone muscles and boost your mood. Gentle exercise will help you build healthier bones too.
Exercise also improves our bodies’ blood flow, giving our skin a radiant, youth-enhancing glow!
Did you know: Regular exercise will help with more than your physical appearance – it can give you a mental boost too. The National Institute on Ageing found a connection between physical exercise and better brainpower. Gary Small, M.D, director of the UCLA Centre on Ageing found that walking for just 10 minutes a day reduces your risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 40%. Now that’s certainly worth dusting off those walking boots for!
2) Top up your nutrient intake
We’re all guilty of making rash meal choices, gorging on too many takeaways and eating too few fruits and vegetables. When was the last time you did a nutrition audit on your diet? (It’s not as hard as it sounds!) Sit down and think about the foods you’ve eaten in the last week or two: how many portions of fruit and veg would you say you’re eating each day?
Remember you are what you eat. If you want to look younger, eat more fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables. These foodstuffs play a huge part in keeping skin looking young, soft and supple.
A nutritious, balanced diet will provide you with a myriad of health benefits, it will protect your heart, stave off diseases and hold back cancer.
Even if you live a busy and active life and can’t find time to cook healthy and nutritious meals, there’s no excuse: boost your nutrient intake by taking multivitamins and supplements. You can buy both from pharmacies, supermarkets and online.
Look out for: Fruits packed full of healthy antioxidants, such as blueberries and pomegranate seeds. Why not switch to porridge from your morning breakfast cereal and top with a handful of blueberries and a squirt of honey?
Further resources: Prevention magazine has a good article on the best vitamins for beautifying skin, which you should apply topically in addition to eating a varied, balanced diet.
3) Drink bucket loads of water
Everybody knows they should drink more water, but they rarely do it. Water is essential for younger, healthier looking skill and drinking plenty of water will contribute to a sharper, clearer mind too. So resolve to grab a glass each morning before you go out of the door. Then, drink a glass with each meal throughout the day – easy!
4) Have a wardrobe overhaul
Dull, old clothes will make you feel, well, dull and old! Overhaul your wardrobe by throwing anything out that is ill fitting, over five years old, that you haven’t worn in several years, or anything that is unflattering and ‘mumsy’. Gradually start adding newer pieces to your wardrobe. Look online for pictures of celebrities who are your age and take note of what they’re wearing: create a scrapbook or Pinterest board full of ideas – this will help you when you hit the shops.
Clothing that suits you, looks slimming and works for your lifestyle will ultimately boost your confidence too, so a wardrobe overhaul is well worth the time and effort!
Resources: There are plenty of fashion blogs out there aimed at the over 40s and 50s. Thatsnotmyage.blogspot.co.uk is a fantastic blog written by Alyson, a former fashion editor at a well-known magazine. Her ethos is “you don’t have to have youth to have style.” Quite. Chicat50plus.blogspot.co.uk is another great over 50s style blog you should check out too.
5) Exercise the old grey matter
You’ve probably heard it a million times before: your brain is a muscle, it needs exercising. Well it’s true – scientists believe exercising your brain now will help you stay sharp as you grow older. Here are a few ways to give the ol’ grey matter a work out:
- Learn a new skill, such as photography or DIY furniture refurbishing; many local colleges and schools hold night classes once a week in a variety of topics.
- Play “Brain Training” games – there are plenty of online puzzles for you to check out for free, or you can buy specialist books and gaming consoles developed professionally.
- Try and read as many books as possible, and every once in a while opt for a challenging read.
- Play board games with friends. Or, lookfor online puzzles to play with strangers – iSketch is a fantastic mind-work out! You watch as people draw clues and you guess words. You play a number of games in each round, and the winner is the person with the highest points at the end.
- Take up a new hobby, or revive an old one. Finish learning how to play music, start regularly painting or get out the sketchbook!
Photo Credit: Flickr/Ed Yourdon
