Slowing the Aging Process: Understanding the Basics

Have you ever noticed that some celebrities just seem to age gracefully? At 60 or 70, these famous individuals can look younger than most 40-year-olds. To these stars, an appearance of youthfulness seems to come easily.

So why is it that some people seem to age differently? In terms of our own lives, can we slow the aging process to give ourselves a more youthful look and cultivate a sense of personal growth in the bargain?

As you might expect, the answer to this question is a complicated one that is dependent on a number of different variables. For example, how we define youthfulness can help us to better understand the aging process and its role in our lives.

What Exactly Is Youthfulness?

When it comes down to it, much of what we define as youthfulness comes down to skin quality, muscle tone, and hair quality. This is not to say that someone with acne issues or thin hair cannot look youthful.

What this means is that a person tends to look more youthful when they take care of their bodies. Regardless of genetics, a person who regularly exercises and stays hydrated will almost certainly have better skin and hair than someone who does not do these things. Consequently, such a person will usually appear more youthful.

How we cultivate muscle tone is a great example of this idea. In a recent article published in The New York Times, the connection between youthfulness and muscle tone developed through exercise was explored. According to the article, scientists found that people who maintained good exercise routines well beyond the age of 40 as a means of cultivating personal growth had almost identical muscle tone to people in their 20s.

Why Proper Hydration Makes a Huge Difference

Whether we like it or not, in other words, human beings are biological creatures. Just as we require exercise to maintain healthy bodies, we have also adapted to our environment in such a way that we require a good amount of water to stay healthy.

To test this idea out, try the following experiment when you have some free time: On a day when you aren’t properly hydrated, try taking a few selfies. Afterwards, drink a tall glass of water. About 16 ounces of H2O should do the trick!

Take a few more selfies about five minutes after you’ve had your glass of water. You’ll probably spot a few differences right off the bat: For one thing, your eyes will probably appear brighter; moreover, your skin will probably appear to have a slight glow to it.

Taking Proper Care of Ourselves

Now imagine how much better you will look if you stay hydrated throughout the day! As you might have noticed from the social media posts of today’s biggest stars, one of the secret weapons of celebrities in this day and age is the humble water bottle. Indeed, many celebrities keep themselves hydrated throughout the day by always keeping a water bottle nearby. This can do wonders for a person’s appearance and can help us to keep our bodies looking healthy. We’ll also look younger in the process!

This same principle applies to exercise. Of course, exercise isn’t always fun; oftentimes, exercising can feel like a serious chore that most of us would much rather avoid.

Using Positive Reinforcement

And that’s okay! If exercise feels like too much of a chore, try rethinking your approach to this healthy and essential activity. When it comes to creating an exercise routine, it’s important to be honest with yourself: What forms of exercise do you actually enjoy doing? Maybe you love long walks to the park. Maybe you enjoy riding your bike to your favorite coffee shop in the morning. Maybe hitting the gym with a couple of great friends is your idea of a fantastic social activity.

However you like to take your exercise, it’s important to be realistic about what you can expect from yourself. As human beings, we thrive under positive reinforcement.

But we also wilt under negative reinforcement. If something does not feel rewarding, most of us won’t stay with it.

Fortunately, exercise can often feel rewarding because it will cause us to look better and feel better almost immediately. It’s no secret that exercise gets the blood flowing; by this process, exercising helps us to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone. There’s a reason you’ll immediately look younger after a good jogging session!

Eating Healthy Foods: Weighing the Benefits

Just as water keeps our bodies healthy, good food gives us a more youthful appearance in the long-term. If our diet revolves around fast food, for example, we probably won’t feel very well about ourselves or about our appearances. Most of us do not tend to associate high blood pressure with a youthful appearance after all!

To get a more youthful complexion from your daily diet, try picking out foods that are nutritious and delicious: You don’t have to sacrifice taste in order to create a healthy meal. If you’re not enjoying what you’re eating, moreover, you’re probably not going to stick to your diet.

In other words, if you don’t like salads, don’t force yourself to eat them on a daily basis just to stay healthy. You’ll end up resenting your new meal plan before it becomes a daily habit. Aging gracefully should be a long-term goal after all: Giving up on a healthy diet plan after a few weeks will just frustrate you. To this end, take time to explore different healthy food options: Finding healthy foods that you actually like can make a healthy eating plan feel enjoyable!

Striking a Balance

To wit, striking a balance with yourself will help you to define what does and doesn’t work for you when it comes to healthy activities. If you’re getting positive reinforcement from your new diet and your new exercise plan, you’ll be far more likely to maintain those plans in the long-term. Frustrating yourself with unrealistic goals will just keep you stressed out and upset.

Remember, cultivating a youthful appearance is also related to your attitude towards life. If you can enjoy the process of developing your new goals, you’ll radiate a sense of accomplishment and optimism. In conjunction with a proper hydration schedule, the right diet, and the right exercise routine, you’ll look younger in no time. And you’ll slow the aging process in its tracks to boot. Staying healthy doesn’t get much better than that!