How To Look Younger? 5 Key Components to Anti-Aging (for Men)

By Lisa Henard

Posted 8 years agoHEALTH

Aging is inevitable. Lines and wrinkles have started appearing where once there was smooth and glowing skin, and you are left wondering whether it is time to sneak into your wife or girlfriend’s beauty stash for a quick, anti-aging facemask.

But before you resort to such drastic measures, here are a few anti-aging tips for you to try. No one can avoid the aging process, but you can certainly delay it if you follow a proper skin care regimen and make good lifestyle choices that include a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep.

If looking and feeling more attractive for the opposite sex  is important to you, here are five simple, but key components to help you slow down the signs of aging.

1.Water

Do you know what is the cheapest and most effective anti-aging remedy? Water. The human body, on an average, is 50 to 60% water. If you don’t drink enough water daily, you will start experiencing dehydration symptoms such as dryness of mouth, fatigue, joint stiffness, headaches, reduced urine output and so on, not to mention the effects on your outward physical appearance.

It’s actually very simple. Without enough water, the transport system in your body stops working effectively. The cells are not able to get as much oxygen and nutrition as they need, and toxins and other waste products in the cells are not removed as efficiently as possible. Increased toxin levels cause the cells to degenerate and die, and this manifests itself externally in the form of dry, drooping or flaky skin, wrinkles, and hair loss.

So if you want to slow down the aging process, remember to keep your body well hydrated. Avoid loading yourself up with coffee or soda. Drink eight to 10 glasses of water or at least half your body weight in ounces every day. If you are active or live in a hot or warm climate, you may need to drink more. There is no point in spending thousands of dollars on anti-aging creams and serums if you don’t nourish and hydrate your body from the inside.

2. Sunscreen

The best thing you can do to protect your skin against aging is wear a sunscreen – daily – come rain or shine. But the fact is, a lot of men leave sunscreen out from their morning routine, unless they are planning to spend the whole day at the beach or are nagged by their persistent wives while on vacation. Many others consider creams and lotions as things that are only for women. No wonder that some dermatologists consider this as one of the main reasons why men are more likely to get skin cancer than women.

However, sunscreens do not just fend off sunburns and skin cancer; they also help you protect your skin against most signs of aging. Some experts, in fact, say that majority of what we consider signs of skin aging, such as age spots, wrinkles, loss of skin tone and pigmentation, are caused by unprotected exposure to harmful sunrays. Daily use of a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of at least 25 and inbuilt UVA and UVB protection can help you keep those pesky signs of aging from making an early appearance. Also, do not forget that you need to reapply sunscreen every four hours if you are going to spend a long time out in the open.

3. Diet

You are what you eat. So if you want to look and feel young, you need to eat a nutritious, balanced diet that contains anti-aging ingredients like anti-oxidants, probiotics, fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Have at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Choose dark, leafy greens and colorful vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots, beets, berries and peppers to fill up your plate. Load up on Vitamin-C rich oranges and tomatoes. Tomatoes also contain a key ingredient called lycopene, which protects your skin from sun damage and improves your circulatory system. Choose whole grains like brown rice, wheat and quinoa over refined white flour. Eat foods like salmon, walnuts and flax seeds, which are rich in healthy fatty acids essential for keeping the skin walls healthy and plump. Also, look for fermented foods such as yogurt that contain healthy bacteria to help condition your system from inside out.

While we focus on what to eat as part of a healthy, anti-aging diet, it is also essential to know what foods to avoid. Do not think twice about cutting out refined sugar from your diet. Sugar plays a key role in most of the aging-related processes, including inflammation, acidification, and hormonal imbalances. Increased sugar intake can also cause loss of radiance, bloating and puffiness.

Also, restrict salt consumption to not more than three grams per day and avoid consuming processed, pre-packaged foods rich in sodium.

4. Rest

Sleep gives your body time to repair and heal itself.  Even the most expensive of anti-aging creams and serums cannot give you what uninterrupted sleep every night can. If you don’t get enough sleep, the effects will be immediately visible on your face in the form of dark circles, lines or bags around your eyes, not to mention other symptoms of sleep deprivation such as lack of energy, decreased concentration and weight gain. So aim to get at least seven to eight hours of shut-eye daily for improved health and glowing, younger-looking skin. Do not hesitate to shell out more for a proper mattress if you think it will help you get quality sleep.

Many studies show that stress causes body to age faster. Increased stress causes the release of damage-causing free radicals in the body. If you are in the habit of multi-tasking regularly, try to focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking does not work for everyone and often creates a lot of undue stress. Also, do not forget to set aside enough time for yourself to unwind after a long and tiring day.

5. Exercise

Regular physical exercise reduces aging-related inflammation in the body, increases aerobic capacity, combats muscle loss, and delays cognitive impairment caused by aging.

Remember when you could shoot up five flights of stairs without breaking a sweat? Yes, that was in your 20s. With every passing decade, your aerobic capacity starts decreasing. But moderate and high intensity cardio workouts can help you increase your aerobic capacity by as much as 20% and overcome this side effect of aging.

Muscle loss and weakening is another side effect of aging that can be negated with exercise, particularly resistance training. Reports indicate that people who live a physically inactive life can lose as much as 5% of their muscle mass every decade after they cross 30. So if you want to keep the years off, you need to add regular strength training sessions to your workout routine.

The good news is that it is never too late to start exercising. People who exercise regularly not only look and feel younger, but also live longer. However, if you have any health concerns, talk to a doctor before starting any new exercise program.

About the author Lisa Henard

Lisa Henard taught GED classes for 29 years. She's now retired and freelance health writer. Her main gig is in depth writing. She has been married to her husband for almost 50 years.They have two sons and 12 grandchildren. She lives in Winamac, IN, 100 miles north of Indianapolis and 100 miles south of Chicago.

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