Lyndal Linkin describes herself as an anti-ageing expert. In this extract from her book, To Age or Not to Age, the 56-year-old outlines the most effective methods to help you look and feel younger.
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The truth is you no longer have to age the way your parents or grandparents did. You can age on your own terms, starting now. In our crazy, busy world, the struggle to look after yourself is real, let alone deciphering what you really can do that will actually make a difference to the way you age.
As women, the expectations are high and we are constantly bombarded with messages that we need to be all things to all people, including ourselves. We need to raise children that are healthy, well educated, kept off computer games and social media but entertained with wholesome play. Add to that maintaining a home, keeping on top of the bills and activities, maintaining friendships and family relationships. Plus, we need to look great, exercise, sleep well and possibly even manifest our dreams and create incredible careers. PHEW, it is a lot!
So how do you become more vibrant and youthful without adding complicated routines into your already busy day? It’s about knowing what simple things you can do and understanding the importance of consistency.
Read: Why strength training is critical
Small, seemingly insignificant steps taken over time will create a radical difference. You don’t have to be the smartest, fastest or the strongest – you have to be the most consistent. Let’s take a look at five anti-ageing hacks:
1. Happiness. Understanding happiness is one of the most significant measures for longevity and it is very empowering to know that we can work on our own happiness. It has now become a scientific field of research, with evidence indicating that happy people are healthier, have better immune function and less heart disease. Further, happier people have great mental health and can live up to 10 years longer. We have a certain baseline of happiness and we can raise this with long-term strategies rather than the instant gratification we usually look for. Learning these tools is highly important when slowing the ageing process. These include not comparing ourselves to others, learning that we can only be happy in the present, letting go of resentment, practising kindness, being grateful and avoiding perfectionism.
Read: How singing promotes healthy ageing
2. Fasting. Giving your body a rest from having to process what you are putting into it has extraordinary results. You can choose to fast for a day, or to restrict the time that you are eat in any one day. For example, you may choose to eat only between 11am and 7pm. Going into a fasting state not only helps you lose weight but can propel the genes to function better in repairing the body. It can increase levels of human growth hormone and delay ageing. Practising this a couple of times a week consistently will have amazing results over time.
3. Meditation. Our mind is our most precious and valuable resource and we use it to experience every single moment of our life. We depend on our mind to be focused and perform at our very best. This can be done in as little as 15 minutes a day. Once again, consistency is key and this will reduce blood pressure, stress and anxiety, improve sleep, your immune system is boosted and the ageing process is slowed. This is an extremely powerful anti-ageing hack.
Read: Getting fit – and staying fit – for healthy ageing
4. Strength training. This is the biggest physical anti-ageing hack you can make and you don’t have to spend long hard hours in the gym – 30 minutes twice a week will do it. Not only does this make you look great it reverses the ageing process at a cellular level, increases the production of collagen and the anti-ageing hormones oxytocin and progesterone.
5. Sunscreen and the ingredients in your skincare. There is no question that maintaining a consistent skincare routine promotes smooth radiant skin. You just need to be aware of the active ingredients in the products you are using. The most important are vitamins A, B and C. Peptides are also important to support collagen production.Do you know which active ingredients are in the cream you are using? Prevention using sunscreen on the face daily is a major hack in the war against ageing.
The majority of the above hacks don’t require you to find more time in your day, they are just a change in how you do things. A mindset change. If you were to make these five changes to your life right now, you will be a different person in 12 months. Whatever you do, make sure you tell yourself every day that you matter and that you are worth it and start with one simple step.
Lyndal Linkin, author of To Age or Not to Age, is a 56-year-old anti-ageing advocate who has spent her life learning about anti-ageing solutions. A successful entrepreneur, corporate leader and mother, she uses her years of research and personal experience to explain the most effective methods to help you look and feel younger. Find out more at www.lyndallinkin.com.au or Instagram: @lyndallinkin
