6 Simple Tips To Look Younger
Want to look younger? Maybe we need to flip that script because looking younger typically focuses on wrinkle-free skin and has us chasing the fountain of youth with cosmetic procedures that will keep our faces frozen in time. Or maybe just frozen. Too many professional peels or face-freezing fillers to recapture skin’s youth (or the new buzzword refreshed skin) can actually cause skin to look anything but. It’s a startling fact that since 2018 we’ve spent over $43 billion dollars on anti-aging products. $43 billion. Today, I'm sharing 6 simple tips for a youthful appearance that won't cost you a dime.
For as long as mankind has been around, we’ve more or less been obsessed with staying young. In years gone by, I think they just wanted to avoid old age since it was one step closer to death. And no one wants to think about that.
As long ago as 1513, a young Spanish adventurer inspired a worldwide fascination with his quest for a certain mythical fountain. More than five hundred years later, we’re still on that same quest.
Just check out the latest health and beauty magazines. Drug and nutritional companies are quick to label products with youth-restoring descriptions, and diet and exercise programs make miraculous claims towards “shedding years” off of our appearance.
Take a look at popular YouTube videos with catchy phrases “Look Ten Years Younger” or “Mistakes that make you look Older” Haircuts supposedly make us look “older” or “younger,” and incorporating specific makeup tips will take twenty years off! Heaven forbid we should look “old” or even our age.
What’s wrong with looking 64? I’m proud of my age and have earned every single wrinkle. Honestly, they’re a badge of honor for a life well lived.
Modern science has been dedicated for decades to finding ways people can live longer or even forever. We’re fascinated with cryogenic freezing and cryo-saunas - a three-minute bath in liquid nitrogen with temps below -100 degrees that accelerates metabolism and slows tissue aging.
Then there’s hyperbaric oxygen therapy that athletes and celebrities incorporate into their lives, involving breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. I went on a date with a gentleman who slept in a hyperbaric chamber that reduces inflammation and infuses your cells with oxygen that has a lasting effect on our tissues, muscles, joint, and brain. I have to admit that he looked pretty darn good, although this was part of his overall health regimen. He was a CEO and needed to keep his brain sharp as a tack.
It’s no secret that aging is inevitable. But if we have to age (and since birth, we’ve all been aging), then let’s do it with grace, strength, and beauty. Let’s shift our focus: to a healthy and youthful life. Health is the new wealth, and strong is the new skinny. If we choose the right habits to incorporate into our lives, we can lead healthy lifestyles regardless of age.
And we do need a spring in our step to chase after active grandchildren or roam the cobblestone streets of Italy. So let’s take a look at habits that give us a youthful appearance and enable us to lead an active lifestyle.
The Summary
Today, I'm sharing 6 tips for a youthful appearance that won't cost you a dime
All of the tips are easy to incorporate into your daily life and help you age with grace, strength, and beauty
6 Simple Tips For a Youthful Appearance
1. Make Time For Excercise
Exercise is good for the mind, body, and soul. Regular physical activity is an important way to improve our overall health. Being physically active, whether it’s a sweaty workout routine or a simple walk in the neighborhood, improves our brain health, strengthens bones and muscles, boosts energy, and improves our mood. Regular exercise also increases our overall level of fitness, which in turn boosts our immune system.
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2. Get Consistent & Quality Rest
Our mother’s always insisted on getting a good night’s rest. And she was right. Sleep is as important as what we eat and incorporating exercise into our lives.
While we sleep, our body is at work to support a healthy brain. And it’s been discovered that our brains have a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep. When we sleep, the brain changes function and works similarly to a kidney removing toxins from the body.
Our bodies use sleep to improve and repair and continuously release hormones that promote cell turnover and renewal, which is why it’s a good idea to use our age-defying retinoids at night.
Did you know that weight gain is directly linked to lack of sleep? It’s true. Sleep deprivation interferes with our ability to control blood sugar levels which are linked to weight gain.
And that age-old myth that older adults need less sleep isn’t true. Although we might have some challenges getting the recommended seven hours or more of shut-eye. Here are a few tips:
- Establish a consistent bedtime routine.
- Maintain a comfortable temperature. My thermostat is set to 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Invest in the best bed linens your budget allows, including a silk pillowcase.
- A daily workout makes getting a good night’s sleep easier, along with my next tip.
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3. Ban Electronics Before Bed
Experts recommend reserving our beds for only sleep to help train our brains for better sleep. But the truth is the majority of us sleep with at least one electronic in our bedroom.
Television, iPads, laptops, and smartphones are all considered electronics and can impair our sleep. Bluelight suppresses melatonin, and TV watching or engaging in our phones stimulates our minds and distracts us from a regular sleep schedule.
I ban electronic devices from my bedroom. There hasn’t been a television in it for over twenty years, and I’ve also banned my phone from my nightstand. I place mine in the bathroom so I can’t reach for it at night, but if an emergency arises, I quickly access it.
4. Limit Alcohol
Listen, I’m all for a great cocktail. When I’m out to dinner with my friends, I typically add a cocktail into the mix or a glass of wine. Over on the blog, I have a weekly series, Fridays with Oscar, my German Shepherd, that kicks off the weekend with a cocktail recipe.
I love Dirty Gin Martinis, an Aperol Spritz, and a Gin & Tonic made with the best tonic water. But I also know that too much of a good thing is just that - too much! Since alcohol functions as a depressant, it slows down our brain activity and can impair our judgment.
And binge drinking can lead to a higher risk of health problems such as liver damage and can adversely affect our mood. Does anyone wake up with a hangover? It’s not fun, and it takes the body some time to repair the damage we caused.
So let’s be mindful of our health and our alcohol consumption because there are many health benefits to cutting down on alcohol consumption, like lower blood sugar, reduced blood pressure, and a better night’s sleep.
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5. Pick Up a new sport
Many of us might have been playing golf or tennis for years. But it’s never too late to pick up a new sport. And it’s a great way to introduce FUN into exercise to motivate our fitness journey.
Trying new things is all about confronting that hesitation and overcoming the fear of the “unknown.” Plus, trying a new sport is so much more than just switching up your exercise routine — in fact, there may actually be benefits that go beyond strict cognitive learning!
Playing sports has significant benefits - social, physical, and mental. But when we try a new sport, we’re thrown into a new situation with new people with similar interests which leads to new friendships.
So go ahead and pick up that golf club or tennis racket. Or better yet, try your hand at one of the fastest-growing sports - Pickleball, that’s fast-paced and fun!
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6. Smile
Whether you call it a grin, beam, or smile, there’s no denying how we feel when we have an ear-to-ear grin. Babies and children alike smile all of the time. But something happens as we age, and we begin to smile less. Research shows that children smile an average of 400 times a day. What’s your guesstimate about an adult? Half? A third? Try 20 times a day. Shocking! Right?!
Let’s do our best to incorporate smiling into our daytime routine. Smiling not only offers a mood boost to others, but it helps our bodies release cortisol and endorphins that provide numerous health benefits.
And smiling is contagious. Try it next time you’re out and about. When you see someone send them a smile and notice how one smile will lead to additional smiles.
And don’t wait for National Smile Day, the first Friday in October, to incorporate smiling into your life. Next time you’re feeling down, put on a smile. Chances are your mood will change for the better, making you more attractive and youthful.
The muscles we use to smile also lift our faces. Smiling throughout the day is definitely a better option than a facelift. But let’s face it; a warm smile is the universal language of kindness.
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In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Jennifer shared 6 beauty tips to perfect for Valentine's Day. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Beth, I love this one! I will link to it for my ladies soon. Thanks! 😎
What a great post today….and happy to hear that you were on a date! We all need to enjoy life more ❤️
Great list, but I’d like to add one more. Stand up straight! Good posture & ease of movement are imperative to looking & feeling younger.
Great advice, Beth! You are a great example of all this positivity in practice.