Gone are the days where we dread turning 50; 50 has never felt younger
Things are changing as we begin to live longer. We have the luxury of taking our time to develop a career, discover ourselves and start a family. Though we’ve been given more time, our bodies aren’t often on same page us. Though there are a few things we can do to make our bodies feel as young as we are at heart. Everybody wants to feel younger, its ingrained in our very DNA, its time to take charge!
Here are a few simple but effective things to make 50 feel like 40.
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Take a break – Stress less
Why?
Stress is the core of many problems and to be honest, it’s definitely something we can live without! Stress leads to many things like eating poorly, drinking less water, emotional fatigue and strange sleeping patterns. These things can lead to unhealthy habits that will take a toll on your body and you’ll add on years rather than taking them off! Stress can also induce more serious problems such as heart disease, cancer and dementia.
How?
Laughter
Good old fashion laughter is a great way to wind back and reduce stress.
Did you know that it takes 37 muscles to frown and only 22 muscles to smile!? Well why frown when you can save energy by smiling instead! Smiling also helps stimulate organs such your heart, lungs and muscles, which increases feel-good endorphins and enhances intake of oxygen. So why not, choose to find the humor in a stressful situation and live a longer life!
Breaks
The next point of action is to take a well-deserved break. Try to put some time aside each day to unwind, have a glass of wine, put your feet up, have a bath or enjoy a TV show. Just have some time to relax and stress less.
Hobbies
Hobbies are great to get your mind off stressful things. A hobby should be something that you enjoy doing and doesn’t feel like work. Remember that hobbies come in all shapes and forms and can easily fit into your life. If you have children, you could start doing crafts to enjoy with them. If you have more time you could pick up an instrument. Or you could even start a new sport with your friends to combine your social life with your hobby.
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Diet
Diet can play a large role in making you feel years younger. A good diet can help maintain, enhance and nourish your body.
Did you know that Japanese people are the longest living people in the world? They have an average life expectancy of 83.7 while Australia is 82.8. Their longer life expectancy has a lot to do with their diet. So what can we learn from the Japanese?
How?
- Fish: Japanese people eat a lot of fish, which has lower cholesterol and saturated fat unlike red meats. By eating less red meat, this leads to lower rates of heart disease, stroke and heart attacks.
- Tea: Tea is very popular in Japan and is consumed much more than coffee, unlike many western cultures. Lots of coffee can have negative health effects such as heart attacks, insomnia, indigestion and headaches. The lower level of caffeine in tea might be a better alternative to coffee and will have you feeling much better in the long-term.
- Vegetables: This one is a no brainer, fruit and veg are the key to a healthy and balanced diet. A good way to do this is to make your meals as colourful as possible to ensure you’re getting vegetables with different benefits.
- Portion control: This is a big one, it is important to give your body enough food but don’t be greedy and overdo it! Try to have a good portion for each meal and snack on things such as nuts and fruit when you get hungry between meals.
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Exercise
Exercise is key to making you feel young and alive. Exercise has many health benefits such as reducing chances of heart disease, high blood pressure and weight control.
Exercise will also increase your energy levels as you begin to build endurance, strength and stamina.
Lastly, exercise helps release endorphin’s that will make you feel better and help reduce chances of depression.
How?
There are many ways to easily get some exercise in your life. Here are a few things you can do easily without going very far from home.
- Walking
- Push ups
- Squats
- Swimming
- Lunges
- Pilates
If you are interested in getting your body feeling younger, give our team a call to see how we can help you on 03 9699 2499.
