As many of us stretch out our working years and delay retirement, there’s one investment you should be considering — investing in your health.
“Without health, your life will have little joy,” says Dr. Gabe Mirkin, an anti-aging pioneer who says that the secret of youth centers on how you treat your mind and body today. “Don’t wait until it’s too late to recover your health. Begin now by exercising every day, eating the right foods and avoiding obesity.”
Dr. Robert Goldman, M.D. is the co-founder of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine and is one of America’s biggest advocates for physical fitness. He’s listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for many fitness achievements, including 13,500 consecutive sit-ups and 321 consecutive handstand pushups.
“The earlier your start on your anti-aging program, the better,” he tells Newsmax.
- Limit sun exposure. That’s the one tip that can help you not only avoid deadly skin cancer but also help preserve the elasticity and health of your skin. While experts recommend 15 minutes of sunshine daily to get your quota of vitamin D, more than that can cause permanent damage. Wear a sunscreen of at least 30 SPF, shade your face, and apply moisturizer daily to prevent wrinkles and leathery akin associated with premature aging.
- Water is essential to every cell and every organ of your body. Goldman says it is crucial to stay hydrated to keep your body functioning at its maximum. “Drink at least eight glasses daily,” he says, adding that drinking pure, distilled water is the best option to avoid toxicity in our water supply.
- Take supplements. Generic multivitamins just don’t always make the grade the expert says. “Ask your health care provider for a physician’s grade multivitamin or visit your local health food or vitamin store to get a superior, anti-aging product,” Goldman adds. “There’s evidence that adding omega-3 fatty acids to your diet either in the form of eating fatty fish or in the form of supplements helps reduce your risk of heart attacks, arthritis, chronic pain — even developing wrinkles!”
- To maintain cardiovascular health and to maintain muscle mass and strength, you need to vary your routine. Goldman recommends doing any form of cardiovascular exercise such as walking, running, swimming, or biking for 30-45 minutes at least three to five times weekly to build endurance. In addition, you need to train with weights, even if you use resistance tubing, three times a week to keep your bones and muscles strong.
- In addition to aerobic exercise and strength training, doing yoga helps keep the spine flexible and helps calm the mind, both key anti-aging strategies. “You are only as young as your spine,” says Goldman.
- Reduce stress. “We are living in a toxic environment with too much sensory input, unclean air, and too many things on our to-do lists,” says Goldman. “Stress is an extremely potent aging factor and dangerous to both the mind and body.” Goldman recommends getting back to nature often, unplugging from all electronics for one day a week, and taking meditation courses to help cope with stress in a more healthful way.
- Nutrition is key. Choose organically grown produce whenever possible to reduce ingested pesticides or other pollutants. The best anti-aging program is based on the Mediterranean diet that’s centered around fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, and olive oil. “Steam foods whenever possible to preserve their nutritional integrity,” says Goldman.
- Have regular sex. Dr. Walter Gaman, co-author of “Age to Perfection: How to Thrive to 100 Healthy, Happy and Wise,” says that having sex two to three times a week helps release multiple hormones such as testosterone and estrogen that help you stay younger, longer.
- Get your beauty sleep. Studies show that getting at least eight hours nightly helps maintain normal weight levels and encourages the production of human growth hormone, our chemical fountain of youth.
- Develop a spiritual belief system. Dr. Harold Koenig, M.D., director of Duke University’s Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, declares that “prayer can prevent people from getting sick, and when they do get sick, prayer can help them get better, faster.” In a study published in the U.S. Journal of Gerontology, it was shown that atheists had a “significantly increased risk of dying than the faithful.”
- Stay mentally active and involved. Start now to develop strong ties to family and friends. Studies have shown that people who are socially active tend to live longer than those who are isolated. “Loneliness can lead to depression,” says Goldman. “It’s important to build a strong support group now so that as you get older, you won’t feel lost and alone.”
- Challenge your brain. Dr. Gary Small, author of “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program” and director of the UCLA Longevity Center, says you should exercise your mind in a compassionate fashion. “Make sure you train but don’t strain your brain,” he says. “Find puzzles and games that are fun and challenging but not too easy or tough. Try to cross train your brain by doing right-brain visual puzzles such as jig saw puzzles one day and then left-brain verbal games like crossword puzzles the next day.”
-Newsmax