12 Rules For A Longer Life, According To An Ageing Expert

Your Bio Age Can Move In Reverse

Although we all age with time, we don’t all age equally. Ageing is a complex process influenced by many factors, and even though two people can have the same chronological age, their life expectancy and living quality can be vastly different. Bio age is based on the premise that our bodies are constantly subject to damage and degradation from internal and external sources. By assessing how much damage has accumulated in your body, your bio age shows how old your tissues, systems and even your genetic material are. In other words, you could be 50 chronologically but have the same amount of damage to your body as a typical 58-year-old. 

Looking Out For The Warning Signs Is Important

Ageing shows up in many places. We can see it in our skin and joints. For example, do you have pain when you move? Are you too weak to open that pickle jar you used to be able to open? Is it tricky to sit down on the ground and then stand up again? Are you having a hard time recalling a word or a friend’s name? Are you overweight, especially around the stomach? Are you depressed and feel like you’ve lost a zest for life? If any one or two of these apply to you, it doesn’t  necessarily mean you are ‘old’, but if you’re nodding to multiple items here, it’s time to consider the fact that you are ageing more quickly than you should be. 

Sleep Is A Vital Piece Of The Puzzle

Sleep is a fundamental component of health and healthy ageing. Yet it’s well documented that, as we age, our sleep changes. Most significantly, the all-important, restorative deep sleep (the form of sleep we need to prevent age-related diseases and decline) decreases significantly over time. Also, the total duration of sleep drops off and it becomes more fragmented. Do what you can to get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Try to cut out caffeine later in the day, keep your room at a cool temperature, play white noise when you go to sleep and minimise screen time in the evening. 

Exercise Is An Anti-Ageing Elixir

You may think of exercise as a way to burn calories, build muscle, improve cardiovascular health or clear your head. Exercise is all of these things, yet it is so much more. Exercise is well known to be beneficial for almost every aspect of health – from regulating insulin sensitivity to decreasing inflammation – and has been shown to extend lifespan. You probably know that lifting weights causes microtears in your muscles that the body then knits back together to make it bigger and stronger. A similar process also happens on a cellular level: exercise causes increased free radicals in the mitochondria, which are the energy factories within your cells. As a result, every time you exercise, your mitochondria are drenched in the potent antioxidant elixirs that only your body can make. Moderate and consistent movement is the name of the game. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, at around 60-80% of maximum effort, doing an activity you truly enjoy. Do something that makes you breathe a little heavier, but so you can still talk, sweating a small to medium amount. Going from the sofa to a CrossFit class is destined for failure for most of us. But going from the sofa to a nice, light walk? That’s doable. Over time, you can layer in a bit of HIIT and resistance training. 

Learn To Stress Less

Countless studies show stress accelerates ageing and is associated with an increased risk for all of the diseases of ageing. Conversely, meditation, yoga and tai chi are all either associated with longevity, biological age reversal or better gene expression. And you don’t need to be an expert in meditation to see results – studies show that just one meditation session will benefit the body. That said, people who are experienced meditators are biologically younger, so maintaining a practice is important. The Calm and Headspace apps are a good place to start.

Gut Health Plays A Part

In the majority of patients I see, overall gut health is suffering. Why? The reasons are far-reaching and include excessive hygiene (and a lack of exposure to dirt, nature and plants); overuse of medications; nutrient poor, calorie-high diets; high rates of C-section deliveries; toxin exposure; and stress, which directly shuts down our ability to digest. It’s vital to support your gut health for optimal ageing – add in probiotic foods like garlic, blueberries, flaxseeds, leeks, asparagus and cocoa, and eat more fermented foods, ideally a small amount with most of your meals. My favourites include sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir, kombucha and traditionally pickled vegetables. If you are buying these foods, always check they are kept in the refrigerator section, not on room-temperature shelves. This is a good sign that they contain live cultures. 

Green Vegetables Are The Name Of The Game

Aim to eat seven cups of different vegetables per day, starting with two cups of dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach and Swiss chard, as well as two cups of cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, watercress and cabbage, and three cups of colourful vegetables – think asparagus, red peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, leeks and beetroot. If this sounds like a lot, try having vegetables for breakfast – add a side of greens to your eggs or add steamed spinach to an omelette – or add to a smoothie. I also love roasting a pile of vegetables at the beginning of the week and adding to salads, soups and scrambled eggs, or eating them as a snack.