How great would it be to stay young and fit forever! We tend to watch videos or lookout for products to stay young. Everyone wants to look young or we could say age gracefully. But what does it actually mean? Is it only about the wrinkles on the skin or the sagging part? Well, there is much more to aging. Aging gracefully doesn’t mean that you want to look how you used to in your 20s. Aging gracefully means living life the best way with good physical and mental health. There are many programs that are available in the market that offer various routines and nutritional diet charts to follow. But all these come with a heavy price and secondly, once you stop them, it would adversely affect your skin and body.

Below are the 4 to-do things for healthy aging in women.

1. Watch What You Eat

Your diet is the most important element that affects your body. Healthy and nutritious foods are the best way to age gracefully. Replace your processed and fast food with fresh fruits and vegetables. A sufficient amount of lean protein such as beans, chicken, fish, etc. helps the body to repair cells and make new ones. It also helps in the digestion of food. Whole-grain cereals are low in saturated fat and are cholesterol-free. Switch from bread to rotis and chapatis.

Keeping minimum salt intake helps the blood pressure to stay normal. Watch for healthy oil options. Avoid much heaty food during heavy flow days. And most importantly stay away from unhealthy fats, refined sugars, and processed foods.

2. Exercise Is A Must

Exercise is very essential in aging gracefully. It lowers stress, keeps skin tight, and improves bone health and sleep. Regular exercises help in reducing the risk of various health conditions such as heart diseases, stroke, cancer, etc. It helps retain mobility and keeps you fit.

You could start with simple walking for 15-20 minutes a day and then increase as per your body comfort. Cycling, skipping and swimming are great exercises too. Those who can get involved in dancing would find themselves more active and enthusiastic. Dance not only refreshes the body but the mind too. Some might want to go for muscle strengthening. For that, you could exercise using weights. Muscle and bone-strengthening exercises keep the body toned.

3. Sufficient Sleep & Water

Getting good and sufficient sleep is really important for your physical as well as mental health. Sleep plays a crucial role in your skin’s health too. A minimum of 7 to 8 hours of sleep for an adult is very important. Sleep improves concentration and helps to focus. It lowers the risk of obesity, heart disease, and stroke. It also reduces depression, stress, and inflammation.

Water is the most integral part of the body. All the cells and organs depend on water for their functionality. It also helps in regulating the body temperature through perspiration. During periods you tend to lose a lot of fluid and get dehydrated. Drinking 9 to 10 glasses of water during your periods helps to fight the bloating caused in the first 3 days. Hydration helps in alleviating backache and cramps during periods and also reduces fatigue. Drinking sufficient water detoxifies our body and hydrates the skin. While aging it is very important to take care of our skin as it is your body’s largest organ.

4. Develop New Hobbies

A recent study shows that people who are engaged in hobbies are much happier than those who don’t. Developing a new and meaningful hobby that will help you maintain your mental and physical health and keep you engaged, is the key to a stress-free and happy life. It will also reduce the risk of any kind of depression.
A hobby in which you could involve your loved ones and friends would be the best as it will build your social network and improve your mental and physical well-being. Having furry loved ones also lower stress and loneliness. All these add to aging gracefully.

There are many more tips that could help you in aging gracefully but the above 4 are the ones that you should start right away. Nature plays an integral part in aging. In some way spend time with nature too. It soothes the mind and brings joy. All you need is to stay healthy and happy than being stressed and attract wrinkles.

A healthy lifestyle and the company of a few loved ones and friends make the journey of aging beautiful and graceful.