Don't Consider It A Trivial, 5 Things That Are Unrecognized Make Someone Old Quickly

Illustration of parents (Freepik/asier_relampagoestudio)

JAKARTA - There are some habits that make people look older. Such as smoking, alcohol, and lack of sleep. However, some other less well-known lifestyle factors can also accelerate the aging process.

Thomas Buford, PhD, a professor of gerontology, geriatry, and palliative care at the University of Alabama in Birmingham says if you want to slow down your aging rate, you can make some lifestyle changes.

"It's never too late to improve health as we get older," said Buford.

Here are 5 surprising things that can make you older, as reported by the Very Well Health page on Monday, October 28, 2024.

A report found that most people aged 65 years and over felt lonely. Those who feel lonely can increase the risk of dementia, heart disease, stroke, and depression.

"People are often surprised by how the lack of social connections can significantly increase a person's early risk of death," said Sara B. Leonard, MD, FAAFP, a geriatric expert and member of the clinical faculty at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Having an active social life and having a life goal can help adults stay healthy and live longer.

"It is very important to realize that healthy relationships and strong social support networks are important for the rest of our lives, but especially with age," Leonard said.

If you wear sunscreen when going outside, it's already helpful to prevent the skin from the negative effects of sunlight. But did you forget to wear sunglasses?

"For those of us who don't wear large sunglasses, or are not used to using sunscreen, that's where we can get damage from sunlight and loss of elasticity," Ivy Lee, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Los Angeles, CA.

Damage due to sunlight and common skin cancer occurs in the thin skin of lower temples. Wearing sunglasses not only protects the eyes and skin from harmful UV rays, but also makes you not close your eyes.

Lee said people with the habit of turning their eyes or repeated movements with their eyelids are more vulnerable to developing wrinkles.

Watching TV all day will make you age faster. A recent study attributes a long TV watch to reduced chances of healthy aging. But replacing that habit with moderate or mild physical activity can increase the chances of healthy aging.

Buford said prioritizing movement is key to healthy aging. Each amount of physical activity will have benefits, and the best is to focus on the exercise you enjoy.

"Start with what you can do with where you are today, and have the goal of increasing intensity or frequency over time, as is done," Buford added.

Don't ignore endurance exercises, which can help rejuvenate aging skin. In addition, this can support mobility, and maintain muscle mass as you get older. Walking up stairs or practicing tai chi every day can help strengthen the body's muscles.

"Cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and bone health must all work together in terms of preventing fall and preventing weakness," said Buford.

Physical, mental, and emotional stress, including finance, work, discrimination, and parenting, can accelerate aging.

"Some people aged 65 take care of their parents and grandchildren. They are often stressed and can advance the process of biological aging to a certain extent," said Buford.

chronic stress causes inflammation, which accelerates biological aging. Leonard added chronic stress can affect parts of the DNA called the telomer. This regulates the aging process in motion and increases the risk of health problems.

While it may be difficult to solve chronic stress, especially with limited resources, you can try to focus on what can be changed. Sleep at least seven hours every night, meditate, limit alcohol consumption, move the body, and connect with people you believe can help manage stress.

Consuming foods that contain too much sugar and ultra-process can lead to faster biological aging.

"More research is needed to answer this question, but it is currently estimated that higher sugar intake has an effect on methyl clusters on our DNA surface that can accelerate cell aging," Jen Bruning, MS, MS, RDN, LDN, a Chicago-based registered dietist and spokesperson for Academy of Nutrition & Dietics, told Verywell in an email.

This can endanger mental and heart health, which reduces a person's health range. Limiting this food and consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, seeds, and protein sources can support healthy aging.