Staying young is not merely superficial. Our looks, thoughts, feelings and performance are revealing. Preserving our youth is all about feeling good, increasing energy levels and maintaining good health. So are there easier, cheaper and more natural ways of staying young?
Drink Lots of Water
Over 70% of our body consists of water, so it is an essential component for the proper functioning of our cells. Water regulates our body temperature and enhances blood circulation. When our body runs low on water it is like a car running low on fuel and this leads to imbalances in our body as our cardiovascular system has to work harder to pump blood around the body. Drinking sufficient amounts of water each day aids our kidneys in ridding our body of toxins and metabolic wastes and keeps our energy levels up.
Exercise Regularly
Exercising builds denser and stronger bones which helps lowers the risk of osteoporosis as we age. In our increasingly sedentary and lethargic lifestyles, obesity and fatigue are commonplace. Regular exercise and movement serve to boost our energy levels and mental alertness by sending more blood to the brain and more oxygen absorption by our brain cells. It can also boost serotonin levels, a chemical in our brain that stimulates calmness and that “happy feeling” and keeps stress and depression at bay.
Enjoy Hearty Laughs
A good hearty laugh provides great physical release by exercising our diaphragm, abdominals and upper body. It relaxes our muscles and aids our mental, emotional and spiritual health. Each time we laugh or smile endorphins - the body’s natural pain killer - are released while excess stress hormones like cortisol are reduced. This helps us relieve pain, stress and sickness. It also connects us to others in a positive manner, increasing our social energy. So choose comedy shows, funny movies and humorous stories over gossip, horror flicks or violent computer games.
Be with Children, Be a Child
To feel younger, simply play like you did when you were younger. Spend time and play with kids whenever you can; wonder, laugh and marvel with them. Feel free to let your inner child emerge and join in their worry-free imagination and innocence. Even if you cannot physically catch up with them or participate in their games, being around their laughter, spontaneity and energy is invigorating and helps you fight ageing.
Adopt a Healthy Mindset
A healthy mindset and positive attitude are essential to staying young. Negative thoughts and undue worrying reduce pleasure and raise stress levels, resulting in our performing poorly in life. Cognitive psychologists believe that it is our thoughts, and not external events, that determine our moods – it is how we respond to what happens, rather than what happens itself, that determines how we feel. If something can be changed, change it. If it cannot be changed, then change the way you look at it. And we can learn to do this first by noticing our negative thoughts and substituting them with more useful and positive ones. By looking on the bright side of life we can create success, happiness and a healthier mind and body.
Ageing does not have to be painful. And feeling youthful certainly does not have to be difficult nor expensive. All it takes is a consistent habit of healthy living; water, exercise, laughs, child-likeness and positive attitude.
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