Copyright hellomagazine
We all want to live a longer and healthier life and while the common advice surrounds eating a balanced diet, getting exercise and sleeping well there are also some not-so-well-known practices that can also help us stay in peak physical and mental shape. Experts have revealed three key habits and therapies that will help you keep looking and feeling younger if you're over 40, going beyond the typical diet and exercise advice. We explore this trio of techniques - for younger-looking skin, to reduce health-damaging inflammation and to be more in harmony with your body. 1. Red light therapy: the secret to younger-looking skin One of today's biggest challenges in aesthetic dermatology is low-grade chronic inflammation that's associated with skin ageing. This silent inflammation, caused by factors such as UV radiation, oxidative stress, a high-calorie diet or dysbiosis (microbiome imbalance) progressively deteriorates your skin structure and function. "This then generates tissue damage, degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and a loss of barrier function, which in turn generates chronic inflammation," explained dermatologist Dr Vicent Alonso. Effective treatments for inflammation include physiological emollients with acidic pH, vegetable oils and topical products rich in ceramides and glycerol, but the medical expert highlights light technologies as some of the best therapeutic tools that can treat inflammation's root causes by using techniques such as photobiomodulation with certified LED lamps, especially red and near-infrared. These treatments not only act on the visible signs of ageing but also help restore skin barrier function, stimulating healthier and more resistant skin. Medical-grade red LED light therapy stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, directly responsible for skin smoothness, elasticity and firmness. 2. Cryotherapy: The anti-ageing power of cold therapy Cryotherapy is a technique, as used by stars like Jennifer Aniston, that utilises cold therapy to treat skin lesions, relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Take the Frozen C Cryofacial, for example. This system is a pioneer in facial cryotherapy, using high-pressure CO2 cooling technology to deliver immediate, visible results for firmness and glow. The treatment works by quickly directing a high-velocity stream of cold, vaporised carbon dioxide onto the skin. This rapid thermal shock triggers the skin's natural responses almost instantly. A beam of high-pressure, low-temperature CO2 cools and controls the tissue temperature in about eight seconds, dramatically stimulating skin receptors and vital functions. It's a non-invasive procedure which helps improve skin tone and elasticity by stimulating collagen production while strengthening the immune system. By harnessing the benefits of intense cold, it helps to boost blood flow, firm and stimulate the skin. Yoga: the key to a longer, fuller life? Yoga can be pretty tough at certain levels, but it doesn't require competing against anyone or getting your heart rate up. It's a way of consciously keeping our bodies in shape, and it allows each individual to seek out their personal optimal level without any need to compare themselves to others. Importantly, you can get into yoga at any stage of life. "'It's too late to start', 'Your body won't respond to it in the same way'.... That's what people start telling us when we're 40, 50 or 60," says conscious movement expert Carolina López-Tejero, founder of Swan by Carolina. But it's time to break down those myths about yoga and exercise in general. One study concluded that even starting exercise at age 50 or 60 significantly reduces cardiovascular risk and improves your quality of life, as your body's plasticity - that is, its ability to adapt and change - doesn't disappear, it simply transforms. Yoga instructor Rocío Megía, says that according to several studies, the best predictor of someone's longevity is the amount of physical activity they perform. "The more you move, the longer you live," she insists, "Guided yoga can be a huge ally in achieving it." At any age, we would add!
