Page 33 - Seniorstoday January 2023 Issue
P. 33
Our body’s DNA is made of genes, and at CrossFit, cardio, cycling, etc.
any given point of time, there are some 4. Take your beauty sleep
genes which are expressed, while others An adult requires close to 8 hours of sleep
are dormant. The process of expressing daily, to have a fresh mind and healthy
genes, and making others dormant, is body. Anything less than that can prove
called methylation. harmful.
Ageing causes a lot of changes in the Studies have found that decreased sleep
methylation process. Studies have used can leave you vulnerable to chronic
this to make fairly accurate age predictors, diseases like diabetes, and can increase
called epigenetic clock. biological age, especially that of the heart,
by five years.
Supporting a healthy bio age 5. Avoid Stress
1. Exercise Stress has been known to increase your
Exercise is, of course, very good for the biological age exponentially. Studies show
body. It can also help lowering the bio age. that stress redoes the length of telomeres,
Weight training, especially, is as well as increases free radicals in the
recommended by experts, as it helps body.
build muscles, reduces free radicals and Try to avoid stressful situations, whether
increases blood flow – all of this aids in at home or work. Try meditation and yoga
reducing the biological age. to help you manage stress. Approach a
Cardio exercises, like CrossFit, help in physician, if you feel you require medical
reducing weight as well as strengthening attention.
heart and lung muscles. 6. Maintain a healthy weight
Exercises like cycling and swimming keep Overweight people tend to be vulnerable
you supple; researchers also found that to chronic diseases like diabetes,
these people had higher levels of T cells, hypertension etc., which take a toll on the
responsible for good immunity. biological age.
2. Move Around Underweight people, too, can have low
It has been found that a sedentary lifestyle immunity, leaving them susceptible to
and a job that has you sitting at the desk infections.
for seven hours or more, can increase your Try maintaining a weight suited to your
biological age by almost 8 years. height and age.
So move around, take an hourly break, a 7. Maintain your body shape
short walk. Practice stretches, not only do Your body shape can determine your
they help relax you mentally, they’re good health- the manner in which the body
for a supple and young body. distributes weight makes a difference
3. Do not overdo it. ● Apple shaped body - the fat is
Pushing yourself daily into a strenuous concentrated on the waist and abdomen.
routine can be detrimental; instead, try to This shape is unhealthy and can increase
exercise moderately, 45 minutes, 5 days cardiac diseases.
a week or so… exercising in moderation ● Pear shaped body – The fat is
can reduce your biological age by 9 years. distributed to the hips and thighs. This is a
Try combining various forms of exercise… healthier body shape to maintain.
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #43 | JANUARY 2023 33
