Unlock Vitality at Every Stage: Active & Ageless Fitness for the Over50s
Over 50s Fitness Centre.
Health & Wellness Specialists
Would you like to know more about the journey of an Active & Ageless member?
Ok, whilst it isn’t possible to completely reverse ageing, there is most definitely a number of things you can implement in your life, in order to keep your body and mind as healthy as possible!
Age gracefully while discovering the role of hydration, nutrition, active living and more! Embrace these tips to reverse ageing and welcome the time of your second youth!
Our bodies are made up of 70% water – with the skin, 64% water. That is huge!
Dehydrated skin can become dry, irritated, inflamed, and appear dull, discoloured or faded. Lines and wrinkles can become more noticeable. As the plump elasticity of our skin reduces with age – it becomes increasingly important to give our skin every chance it has to renew itself.
Water also makes up a large portion of our muscle. So, in order to maintain as much muscle mass as possible when we age – keeping our hydration levels up is crucial in helping to reduce diseases such as osteoporosis and limiting muscle atrophy.
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘You are what you eat’, and it could not be closer to the truth if it tried. In order for our body to function well and efficiently into our older years, we must take care of ourselves internally.
Reducing the amount of sugar, salt, and saturated fats we consume is important. But replacing these with fresh, wholesome fruit, veggies and lean meats will ensure our organs remain healthy. So, we can continue to perform at our best!
One of the most important things to remember as we age is that if you don’t use it – you lose it. Past the age of 50, our muscle breakdown increases rapidly. It puts our bones and joints at risk, as well as our waistlines with a slowing metabolism.
Aim to move your body each day for at least 30 mins. Doing resistance training 2-4 times a week will aid greatly in maintaining your muscle mass. Besides, it will help you keep your body mobile well into your later years.
When we are surrounded by those who bring us joy, it is no secret that we light up! Continuing to surround yourself with the people you love including family and friends will continue to promote endorphin releases within the brain which make us feel happy and fulfilled within our lives.
Now you don’t have to see people every day, BUT aim for at least one outing every couple of days. This could be a walk or coffee with a friend, a book club, or even a gym class.
More and more research is being released relating to the impact that stress has on our health. And believe us when we say, it is something you want to avoid at all costs.
So, before you get wound up – ask yourself these simple questions. Do that in order to assess whether the stressor is something you really need to be concerned about, or if it is something that can be put aside.
Along with stress, there is much research coming out regarding the positive impacts that meditation and mindfulness have on our mental well-being.
There are suggestions that meditation may promote healthy ageing by reducing the onset of dementia and preserving brain structures. Meditation also improves cognitive functions, attention, and can reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
It’s no secret that alcohol is a poisonous drug. With this comes rather grim side effects when consumed in abundance.
These include cancer, liver diseases, brain damage, immune system deficiencies, and heart disease. Along with this, alcohol may also worsen conditions such as diabetes, mental health disorders, ulcers, and blood pressure.
As much as you can, reduce your alcohol consumption, and do this as early as possible. Alcohol may feel great at the time, but the damage it is doing to your body isn’t worth the short-lived high.
We may as well copy and paste what you just read relating to alcohol, as it is completely applicable to cigarettes too.
The one big difference with cigarettes is that they also impact the people around you. It is not unheard of for those who live with smokers, yet have never smoked a cigarette in their life, to develop lung cancer or more minor health conditions.
Whilst the link is not yet concrete – research shows that about 20% of women who are diagnosed with lung cancer in the US have never smoked a cigarette in their life.
If the stuff on the inside doesn’t scare you, perhaps what happens to your external features might. Those who smoke are more likely to develop wrinkles, dull and discoloured skin. Also, they become drawn in the face, lose or have brittle hair, and lose both muscle mass and bone density.
Need we say more?
Whilst being in nature will not directly reduce the ageing process (or reverse ageing), it has been shown to aid in other areas of life (some previously discussed) which in turn will help.
Getting out into nature may increase happiness, reduce stress, and boost vitamin D. This is a vitamin shown to reduce the risk of many common diseases, improve memory, promote weight loss, and boost your immune system!
As we age, our brain along with the rest of our body, begins to deteriorate. For this reason, it is important to not only keep up the physical activity we do, but also the mental exercises.
Performing neurologically stimulating activities such as crosswords, sudoku, scrabble, etc. can help in reducing the rate our brains deteriorate, and in some cases has been shown to reduce the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
So, there you have it! 10 tips you can implement to help reverse ageing, or rather reduce the process itself, and keep your mind and body in tip-top shape!
