The only certainties in life, they say, are death and taxes. But that doesn't mean you have to give up on feeling and looking young in the meantime.
You may notice that some people in your life appear to age slower than others, showing fewer wrinkles and fine lines, fewer grey hairs, and more energy. Why is it that some of us age more gracefully than others?
Science is slowly turning over the biological causes of aging––in fact, a variety of startups are trying to "treat" those causes––yet we know little about precisely why our bodies age physically.
From what we do know, that rate is affected by a few inter-related factors, including genetics, general wellness, lifestyle pursuits, and many other factors. They all work together to determine how fast your body ages, your energy levels, and how long you maintain that youthful appearance.
Still, as much as we don't know, there's a lot we do know about general wellness, much of which is tied to slowing the look and feel of aging. Below is a closer look at some tricks and tips to support your youthful spirit and look for longer.
Physical Exercise for Aging
One of the best ways to fight the natural aging process is frequently and consistently engage in physical exercise.
When you don’t exercise, the body doesn’t think it needs to keep all that muscle around, leading to more visual side effects of aging like muscle sagging and weight gain.
Exercise "works" by putting your body under a healthy amount of stress. That healthy level of strain you experience when you go on a hike, lift weights at the gym, or bike around town can help your body maintain tissue mass, strength, and mobility while also supporting circulation to keep your skin looking young.
Not only does exercise keep you limber, it also helps process food and energy properly, which contribute to metabolic health and longevity of life.
Many people associate getting older with decreased mobility. While this trend is real, it's not a foregone conclusion: getting regular exercise is one of the best ways to fight back and ensure you can be active and feel youthful well into your later years.
Maintain a Healthy Sex Life
Sex is an important aspect of overall wellbeing that's all too often swept under the rug. Sex is an opportunity to connect with your significant other in a shared, pleasurable experience while also having beneficial physical effects on self-esteem, blood pressure, sleep, and mental wellbeing.
The benefits of a healthy sex life are immense and have the potential to keep you feeling and looking more youthful. Research has shown that regular intimacy leads to longer lives, through both emotional and physical benefits, it's believed.
Below is a closer look at some of the best ways to address a diminished sex life and get this integral aspect of your wellbeing back to age gracefully.
Treating ED
There are a number of reasons you might be having less sex as you get older, and one that can easily be fixed is erectile dysfunction.
Erectile dysfunction is characterized by a decreased ability to attain or maintain an erection. It can occur at any time (and frequently does), but its prevalence increases with age. As many as half of guys over the age of 40 experience challenges in the bedroom, and as many as 70% of guys in their 70s!
Luckily, thanks to modern medicine, ED treatment options are effective for the vast majority of guys who try them, including Viagra (sildenafil), Cialis (tadalafil), and Levitra (vardenafil).
Rex MD can help you get the right treatment for getting your sex life get back on track, all from the comfort of your home thanks to the power of telemedicine. Our consultations are free, shipping is free, and we carry all of the most popular and effective prescription ED meds.
Managing PE
Another way that men frequently feel defeated in the bedroom as they age is when experiencing premature ejaculation (PE).
PE is characterized by a premature climax during sex, in which you're unsatisfied with how long sex lasted. While getting to the root cause of PE is ideal, some medical interventions and treatments can help to increase longevity in the bedroom and provide a more satisfying sex life. Feeling competent in the bedroom and connected intimately with your partner can play a big role in maintaining your "inner youth", and is just one way of supporting graceful aging.
Alternative Ways To Boost Your Sex Life
While medicine and medical treatments are a proven route of getting your sex life on track, several alternative options can provide needed assistance in the bedroom.
There isn’t always a substitute for medication or medical intervention, but the use of penis pumps, goldenrod oil, meditation, and other methods have anecdotally shown that they can help to support some mens' sex lives.
Take in the Good, and Avoid the Bad
It’s up to you to give your body what it needs and help it avoid what it doesn’t. Diet, external damaging factors, and more can all contribute.
A Quality Diet Helps You Live Longer
The food you eat is the fuel your body needs to operate and function at its best. When you eat a healthy diet, you ensure your body is getting all of the building blocks it requires to build, maintain, and support critical physiology.
A diet low in refined carbohydrates and high in whole foods––think minimally processed, like a baked chicken breast over processed and fried chicken nuggets––are two easy ways you can improve your health and reduce the risk of premature aging. Metabolic disorders like diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders like heart disease, are two of the primary killers in America, and fighting these chronic conditions early in life with a proper diet can go a long way towards feeling younger for longer. If you know a diabetic person who's confined to a wheelchair due to circulation issues, you know how quickly quality of life can decline with these chronic conditions.
More fruit, more vegetables, more lean protein, less processed foods, and less sugar than the average American diet are a great place to start improving your diet for a longer life that feels great.
Avoid Factors That Contribute To Early Aging
Conversely, avoid putting your body in situations where you're actively damaging and aging yourself. Too much sun exposure and smoking regularly are great examples.
Sun damage is one of the fastest ways to age prematurely. Wearing broad-spectrum SPF when in direct sunlight can protect you from harmful UV rays that damage your skin surface, leading to the appearance of wrinkles and uneven skin tone. Have you ever seen a "too-tanned" older folks on the beach who looks 10-years older than they are? You know the look. UV exposure also contributes meaningfully to the risk of skin cancer.
A proper skincare routine with nourishing skincare products like moisturizers, creams, and anti-aging treatments with ingredients like collagen and vitamin C can also support skin elasticity in older skin and are excellent ways to reduce premature aging and skin irritation.
Smoking is one of the most deleterious lifestyle choices you can make for longevity and looking young, too, as smoking reduces skin elasticity with time, contributes to free radical formation, and of course contributes to lung cancer and hypertension development. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to stay young and feel young.
The same is true of chronic alcohol abuse, which contributes to a host of organ damage and accelerates the aging process from the inside.
Drink in moderation and avoid the smokes guys.
The Takeaway
Getting adequate exercise, employing proper skincare (mainly sun protection), a healthy sex life, and a quality diet are all great ways you can support your body to age gracefully and feel your best.
Rex MD is here to help, with men's health medications prescribed online and delivered to your door.
Sources
The Benefits of a Healthy Sex Life | OHSU
