By: Darren Rieck
The older we get the faster life seems to pass us by: years become months, months turn into weeks, and yet another week just passes by. We try to fit as much as we can into our day, only to realize there's just not enough time to get it all done.
Whether you are older or younger, I guarantee you will look in the mirror one day and just be amazed at how much older you look than you remembered. As baby boomers reach the 40's - 60's, this may be more frequently noticed, as youthfulness is the closest to youth as it gets.
Stopping the aging process is not possible, but slowing it down is. Every mammal from the whale to the mouse is given approximately the same number of heart beats, as strange as that may sound. The difference in life spans is due to how quickly these beats are used up. Whales have very slow heart beats, which accounts for their long existence, and mice have rapid beats, which is why they expire so quickly.* Accidents and stressful events can rob us from living long periods of time, but the biggest culprit is of our own design.
Lifestyles and daily habits are the main difference between the health of one human compared to another. Living a healthier, more active life will, in general, offer an individual a longer stay on this earth. But how do you maintain or retain youth?
Breaking this down logically, one of the easiest ways to speed up aging is to have a highly stressful existence. Every attempt should be made to limit the stress in your life. In order to tackle this issue, each of us must recognize the most stressful conditions we face personally and then limit our exposure. Understanding your stressors is the first step toward lessening them. The next step, after you know what stresses you the most, is to eliminate or minimize them, which, unfortunately, in most cases may not be possible. Getting a different job or divorcing your spouse is more realistic than it may originally appear, but they are not the options most would accept.
The next best decision is to improve your ability to live with these issues, which will be dramatically improved by concentrating on your health, which is within your control. This includes eating a proper diet and getting more exercise. Making sure you get complete nutritional requirements will assist your body’s natural defense system to deal with the effects of stress. Taking a high quality vitamin pack each day can help to assure your nutrition.
The best defense against stress, and to slow down the overall aging process, is being active. Yes, exercise is the key to increasing youthfulness and combating the negative aspects of stress. The body's cardiovascular and muscular systems flush out the old and bring in the new on a cellular level as these systems are forced to exert themselves. The body heats up, and sweat excretes what is released out of the body, removing elements that cause these systems to deteriorate when idle. Your skin is moisturized and replenished through this process as well, which helps keep a more youthful appearance. Over time, this continual maintenance through regular activity helps to slow down the aging process.
Other Tips:
Drink several glasses of water each day.
Watch less TV.
Walk More.
Drive Less.
Don't Smoke.
Use alternatives to prescriptions when available.
Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night.
* Stress increases your heart-rate without having positive affects like exercise. Exercise increases your heart-rate while doing the activity, but over time decreases your resting heart-rate if the exercise is regular.
HEALTHandFITNESS.com 
