Are we getting older or are we making ourselves older?

As soon as something starts to hurt or you start to feel discomfort when moving, the common phrase that comes to mind is “I’m getting older”. Let’s take a look at this statement and see how much truth there is in it. Certainly, we all start to age slowly, pretty much from the age of 25, but how quickly we move towards old age depends largely on our ability to manage our bodies, our health and our general wellbeing, which in many cases we know little or nothing about. Our body is a unique and sophisticated instrument that controls an incredible number of processes and works intensively around the clock without interruption. Wouldn’t it be wise to make life easier for it instead of taking everything for granted or even abusing it in some cases? This is where self-love, mindfulness and general awareness come in. In simpler terms, how can we look and feel better, how do we contribute to our aging and how can we slow it down?

Social environment

Most of us know that stress is one of the main factors that accelerates the aging process. An oppressive and negative environment has harmful psychological effects on our cells, damaging our immune and natural regeneration systems. Surround yourself with happy and like-minded people and you will feel a big difference in your overall wellbeing: your mindfulness will raise up, sending positive signals to your health system and encouraging you to new achievements. Have you experienced this while training in our Ballet Body Sculpture classes?

Poor diet

Processed foods, alcohol, sugary snacks and fizzy drinks are all common components of our modern diet. When consumed regularly, they consistently cause inflammation in our bodies, which in most cases becomes chronic. It’s unfortunate, but many people over 40 have developed insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels, which can lead to many diseases, not just ageing. This is all due to a lack of knowledge and time, but also because we take our unique bodies for granted until they break down. On a positive note, changing the old diet to whole foods, fresh vegetables and fruit, seeds and nuts, fresh water gives the body the breathing space it needs and helps to reverse unwanted processes.

Sleep

Sleep is an important part of your body's recovery process and helps to balance and rejuvenate the entire system. We all have different time scales that we need for our sleep and it is important that we stick to them. If you are getting too little sleep due to stress, work or travel commitments, remember that it takes a while to build it back up, not just one night of good sleep.

Lack of exercise

Physical activity can have an anti-aging effect as the body responds to movement and changes at the cellular level.

Research shows that people who exercise regularly not only strengthen their muscles but also improve their overall health, regardless of how late in life they start. Exercise can help fight aging by allowing the body to better adapt to the aging process or make changes at the cellular level. According to science, exercise should be considered a health-promoting, potentially life-prolonging treatment, alongside medication and a healthy diet.

Positive attitude

Positive thinking has been shown to have a direct impact on health and longevity. Many studies have shown that our mind actually have a major influence on our body. People with a positive mindset stay healthier, heal faster and live longer than people with a negative mindset. Positive thinking reduces stress and blood pressure and accelerates healing. In addition, people with a positive attitude generally have a better, health-promoting lifestyle. So a healthy life is no accident, it is only possible if you commit to a discipline that consists of the simple components of diet, exercise, mindfulness, social engagement, a cause bigger than yourself and constant learning throughout your life. None of this will happen without an attitude that believes it is possible and an attitude that drives the processes that make it possible.

Stay healthy, fit, young and positive! We look forward to seeing at our classes and upcoming ballet workshop! Xoxo