Six Healthy Habits for Younger Looking Skin

You can have younger looking skin that doesn’t come from a bottle of pills or lotion. Work these six basic healthy habits into your lifestyle for a youthful appearance.

Get Moving

Research continues to show the benefits that exercise, especially cardio aerobic, brings to multiple systems of the body. It increases blood flow of oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Heart and brain health improve and the skin is revitalized. People who regularly exercise have a more youthful appearance. Their skin looks more youthful because of the rich surge of blood flow when the heart is pumping vigorously.

Cardio aerobic exercises include brisk walking, swimming, jogging and bicycling. Vigorous dance classes also get the heart and lungs working.

Resistance exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups and light weight training firms up specific parts of the body and improves strength. Those toned muscles add to a youthful appearance.

Eat Healthy

Don’t go on a diet. Begin and maintain a healthy eating lifestyle. Eat six servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Limit meats to just a handful of times per month and then make them lean poultry and fish. Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, flax seed and almonds.

Stop Smoking

Besides the greatly elevated risk of heart disease, lung and other types of cancer, smoking over the years turns skin yellow and creates “smoker face”… a haggard, lined appearance. There is no good reason to smoke. Time to quit if you haven’t already.

Stay Hydrated

Not drinking enough water produces a cascading set of problems in the body, not least of which is skin that dries out, turns flaky and wrinkled. Follow the 8 x 8 rule which instructs to drink eight containers of water of eight ounces each per day.

Limit UV Exposure

The sun is hard on skin. UVA rays cause skin to wrinkle and develop brown spots. People obsessed with a dark tan in their youth set themselves up for a leathery look as they age. Skin cancer often doesn’t present until later years, long after the years of baking in the sun began. Wear sun screen with a minimum SPF of 30.

Manage Stress

Anger and anxiety show on people’s faces. When we are stressed our bodies produce cortisol which is damaging to cells and shows outwardly on our faces. All of the above basics will help with managing stress, especially exercise. Getting enough quality sleep helps. Learn how to let things go and to carry responsibilities lightly. Faith practices such as devotional reading, prayer and contemplation, especially at the start of the day, bring peace within which will show on your countenance.