With every day that goes by, we age. Some of us seem to age in slow motion while for others, the effects of growing old are more visible. No matter what we do, we cannot stop time leaving traces on the outside. But we can try to prevent the process of aging from getting worse.
Doctors recommend to step up and make a healthy change in your lifestyle at an early stage in lif. If you want to keep a youthful look. These are some of the everyday habits that are triggering aging and inflammation. You might want to start avoiding them to minimize their effect.
1. Your sedentary lifestyle
Our jobs in modern times. They all entail a sedentary behavior that is quietly killing us. Studies show that women who spend more than 6 hours sitting down are at greater risk of cancer and are 34% more likely to die early.
Is sitting the new smoking? Probably.
It’s a problem way more serious than just the simple lack of exercise. “This is not just about getting regular exercise, but also pertains to prolonged periods of sitting,” said Heather Hamilton (MD, a family medicine physician at Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Houston) for HealthyWay.
One study suggests that standing up every 30 minutes can have similar effects as quitting smoking.
Our fast-forward way of life and most of our jobs require sitting down at computers for 8 hours straight. Specialists warn us about the importance of getting up every 30 minutes and walk around, no matter what.
There are a couple of solutions: sitting on an exercise ball at work, opting for a standing desk and by all means, and making sure you move every half an hour. If you watch TV, walk around during commercials. At work, besides the bathroom breaks, you could walk down the hall or simply stand around your office desk.
2. Loathing your job
If you want a fulfilling life, you have to follow your passion in life. You must love what you do. It’s pure science.
Loathing your job can cause a lot of health problems and can exacerbate mental health issues.
“Mood disorders such as depression or anxiety can be linked to job dissatisfaction. There is an intricate interplay between health and job satisfaction in which both affect each other. When dealing with mental health, it is important to assess outlook on work as well as work-life balance”, says doctor Hamilton.
Hating your job, aka what you actually do every day, is a neverending source of stress, anger, and overall dissatisfaction. Chronic stress not only worsens existing health problems but develops bad habits, like smoking or overeating, increasing the risk of a heart attack.
3. No vitamin D
Lack of vitamin D is also something that triggers inflammation and aging. Vitamin D is crucial for preventing inflammation-related disorders that come with age. You must stay outside in the sun for at least 15 minutes every day and make sure you have a diet rich in vitamin D.
There are more obvious causes of fast aging, like no sleep. Sleep deprivation can take a lot of years off of your plate, please don’t try this at home!
