You still have a few more years before the wrinkles really start setting up camp all over your face, so why do you suddenly look like you’ve aged a decade since last year?
Most experts agree that your normal daily routine can have a profound effect on the way you age, even speeding up the process right before your eyes.
From what you eat to the way you sleep, many of your everyday activities can add years to your youthful face.
It’s much harder to turn back the clock than it is to pause it for a little while, so the best way to stop the signs of aging is by preventing them right now.
Here are 4 of the most common age-accelerating habits that health experts say we often make, and how to reverse the process:
- You Watch Too Much TV: If your eyes are constantly glued to the TV, you may be putting your life in danger. A British Journal of Sports Medicine study took a look at about 11,000 Australians over the age of 25 and found that adults cut their life expectancy by 22 minutes for every hour of television they watched. Raymond Casciari, MD, chief medical officer of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, told Health.com that this has a lot more to do with sitting than it does with actually watching TV. "When you sit for more than 30 minutes your body begins to deposit sugar into your cells, which makes it much more likely you'll be overweight as well," he said.
- You Multitask: While you may be juggling a million different things at once to lighten the load on your plate, you’re actually just creating more stress for yourself. Plenty of research shows that chronic stress is detrimental to your health. In fact, stress has been shown to trigger the release of free radicals, the harmful molecules that are responsible for aging and damaging cells. While speaking with Health.com, Casciari suggested focusing on one task at a time to get things done quickly and efficiently, without adding stress to the problem.
- You Don’t Sleep Enough: There’s a reason experts say you should always get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night—any less can shorten your lifespan! Dr. Casciari, who founded a sleep laboratory at St. Joseph's Hospital, told Health.com that enough sleep can help improve alertness, energy levels, weight problems, and much more. ##MN_RESP##
- You Eat Too Much Sugar: That extra piece of cake is doing a lot more damage to your body than you think. Aside from the obvious weight gain, your sweet tooth may be adding several years to your face. Susan Stuart, MD, a San Diego, California board-certified dermatologist, explained the process of glycation to Health.com. According to Stuart, "Internally, sugar molecules attach themselves to protein fibers in each of our cells," which results in dark circles under the eyes, loss of radiance and facial tone, and an increase in puffiness, fine lines, deep wrinkles, and even pore size.
Are you guilty of any of these common aging mistakes? Tell us in the comments!
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