8 Common Habits That Will Make You Age More Quickly

Apr 13, 2018

Many of the habits that we engage in during our everyday lives have the ability to take years off of those lives, prematurely aging us. As we get older, we want to stay healthy and feeling young and to avoid anything that could make us feel and look older.

Keeping an eye out for unhealthy habits helps keep our bodies and mind from aging faster than they need to. Avoiding the following habits has been scientifically proven to help slow premature aging. 

Everyone knows that smoking can lead to a variety of cancers. However, smoking also affects the way you appear. Smokers tend to look older than their nonsmoking friends and family. The effects of smoking can last even if you quit smoking. This is a habit that can definitely prematurely age you both internally and externally. 

Smoking can yellow your teeth, make your skin appear rougher and tougher, and generally make you appear to be older. Internally, the chemicals from smoking can affect every different part of your body from your lungs to your fertility. 

When you’re young, you don’t care about your blood pressure because it’s not something that really affects you. However, by the time your blood pressure becomes a problem, you have spent lots of time not really making it a priority. 

You can experience the early signs of hypertension anywhere from your 20s to your 40s. This, in combination with high blood pressure can really affect how young you look. Even if you aren’t having heart disease symptoms, your body is still aging and you can still appear older to those around you. 

So, if you don’t check your blood pressure regularly, it can really affect how long you live and can lead to other dangerous diseases like heart failure or strokes. 

Cholesterol and blood pressure are two things that go hand in hand and when you’re young, you don’t really manage them. However, as you get older, high cholesterol levels can lead to serious health complications that may age you faster.

So, even in your 20s and 30s, make sure to keep an eye on your cholesterol levels and be sure that you are taking in good cholesterol and not bad cholesterol so you don’t age faster than you need to.

Science shows that when people who are overweight lose some of their weight and keep it off they can actually increase their lifespan. People who lost a little over 2 pounds were found to increase their lifespan but about 2 months.

Therefore, the opposite is probably true as well. Not watching your weight could shorten your lifespan by introducing a whole host of health problems. 

Taking risks in life can be scary and some people prefer to take a safer path, an easier choice. However, when you miss out on those opportunities, the regret can lead to a life that’s unfulfilling.

This can actually make you age faster and lead to an earlier death. People who are happier tend to live longer lives.

Higher education isn’t exactly accessible to all people but if you’ve managed to find a way to make it happen for yourself, don’t let go.

That education, be it a degree from a four-year university or a trade school certification, can improve your life in many ways. The improvements will help you keep feeling young and help stop aging early. 

Science has shown that even adding light activity to your lifestyle can increase your lifespan. If you’re not one for running or climbing, try walking around your neighborhood or exploring somewhere new.

This kind of light exercise will keep you from being inactive, a habit that can cause you to age quicker. Regular exercise is the key to helping you stay younger longer.

Meditation is a great way to help manage stress and anxiety in your day to day life. Unmanaged stress and anxiety can really age you just by constantly making you worry and bringing your overall mood down. The negative thinking is draining on both your body and mind. 

A constant habit of meditation can actually help the body decelerate cellular aging so make sure that you keep your peace and find your Zen place. That way your anxieties and stress don’t prematurely age you. 

There are many ways to stay looking and feeling young that don’t just include superficial ways to keep the skin looking young.

What did you think of this list? Send us your opinions and show it to a friend who might benefit as well.

*Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!*