How to lower your health age

You might be of the opinion that you’re only as young as you feel. But what does your AIA Vitality Age say about you?

It doesn’t matter if 30’s the new 20, 40’s the new 30 or 50’s the new 40. We all want to look and feel younger than we are. But what if the health decisions we are making on a daily basis are prematurely ageing us – on the inside at least?

Your AIA Vitality Age (which you can find out through our AIA Vitality Health Review that will also earn you up to 1,000 AIA Vitality Points) is one way to see how you’re doing. If your health age is less than your real age – great. What’s not quite so great is if your results indicate you’re older than you actually are. While we might not be able to turn back the clock on paper, here are a few ways you can shave a few years off healthwise.

We’re not saying you have to give up drinking altogether, but if you want to cut down, it’s worth putting a few basic safety nets in place. Avoiding rounds when you’re out with friends is a good one, because it means you’re not cajoled into drinking more (or more quickly) than you typically would. For nights in, try to limit a tipple to dinnertime only. And if there’s a single glass left in the bottle or beer left in the slab, resist the urge to drink it and add it into the next night’s recipe instead.

Our mental wellbeing is a fragile thing. It can take a long time to get it in check and there are times when even small things can throw us off balance. This makes it all the more important that we’re dedicating time to regular self-care rituals – most of which don’t have to cost a thing. Spending time getting back to nature or taking time out to learn a new skill are both good places to start.

Distraction can be a helpful tool for quitting smoking, but make sure you’re not just replacing one bad habit with another. Comfort eating, for example, only replicates the same illusion of pleasure and relaxation as smoking. Instead, reward the health gains you’re making by cutting back on cigarettes with some mindfulness minutes (minus the racing heart) or a lengthy stroll with a friend (save the breathlessness).

A healthy BMI sits at between 18.5 and 24.9, so if you’re not currently in the green zone, a couple of lifestyle factors might need tweaking. Checking your diet is the first port of call. Regardless of whether you’re classed as over or underweight, a balanced diet remains the key to attaining and maintaining a healthy weight, so ramp up the goodness – and the exercise. Moving more builds muscle mass and burns fat, so now could be a good time to take up a new sport, like running or cycling.

Five-a-day should be simple, but the reality is, it can be a struggle to squeeze them all in. To help with the mission, endeavour to make some simple switches to up your intake, without drastically changing your meal plan. Choose mushrooms over bread as the base for that smashed avo brekkie. Try zucchini bolognese. Or make Laura Henshaw’s seriously good green smoothie with zucchini and spinach.

Familiarise yourself with the health apps that are built into most smartphones nowadays. They track basic things like your steps, but also have the capability to monitor everything from your exercise minutes to your resting energy. If you haven’t already, link these with your AIA Vitality account and you’ll receive a weekly benefit for reaching your workout goals.

Research from the World Health Organisation indicates half an hour of regular, moderately intensive physical exercise, coupled with a healthy diet, has the power to significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Hit the often-neglected 20g target of daily dietary fibre with the help of legumes and whole grains and reduce your intake of fatty and processed meats to ditch the saturated fat at the same time.

When it comes to health issues, sugar tends to be labelled the main culprit. But it’s sodium that takes centre stage when it comes to high blood pressure (hypertension). Excessive levels appear across heaps of different food groups, from proteins like bacon to dairy products like cheese. But it’s particularly prevalent in ready-made sauces, so try making them from scratch instead.

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the artery-blocking substance that – if allowed to accumulate and harden – can cause major heart problems. But you know what actively lowers this type of cholesterol? Not medication, not reduced-fat diet foods – just a simple, all-natural, plant-based diet. Introduce more meat-free meals, rich in legumes like beans and whole grains, along with tofu, citrus fruits and nuts.

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

Disclaimer:
The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional, tax or other advice. It does not take into account any individual’s personal situation or needs. You should consider obtaining professional advice from a financial adviser and/or tax specialist, or medical or health practitioner, in relation to your own circumstances and before acting on this information.