Reversing biological age has become a defining habit of modern wellness culture, and the science points to specific methods to achieve this.
Dr Mohammed Enayat, a GP who established the London-based longevity clinic HUM2N, says the pursuit of longevity requires making your "health [work] for you for as long as possible to ultimately give you the best quality of life for as long as possible".
This is why longevity medicine centres on implementing preventive measures to combat decline, according to Dr Enayat. Deterioration and disease are commonly linked to growing older.
"It helps identify the processes within you that we need to work on sooner so we can put interventions in place such as supplementation, nutrition, lifestyle modifications, behavioural changes, education, and sometimes smart therapies as well," he explained.
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Deterioration and disease are closely linked with growing older
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The cornerstone of healthy ageing, according to the GP, is exercise.
"Movement is a very important pillar of health because we need to make sure we put our body through enough energy expenditure requirements so that it can stay metabolically healthy, but also maintain muscle mass and function of the musculoskeletal system," he explained.
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"Try and break a sweat a couple of times a week, because if you're not breaking a sweat, you're not using your body to its capacity or training your cardiovascular system and metabolic system to draw on energy quickly," says Enayat.
Beyond regularly raising your heart rate, it's imperative to focus on strengthening the posterior chain muscles, the GP insisted.
"Try and work out your glutes, your hamstrings and your core to maintain muscle activation and muscle size," he advised.
"You could do some planks, squats, or ball sits."
Naturally, managing stress levels is equally important to protect the body from hormonal imbalance, which can trigger widespread inflammation throughout the body.
Not only does it deplete crucial hormones and disrupt thyroid function, but it can also impair nutrient absorption from food.
"It can dysregulate our blood sugar and make us insulin resistant, which causes downstream effects," Dr Enayat explained.
Ultimately, everyone should focus on developing personal techniques for calming the nervous system, such as breathwork, meditation or gratitude practices. Quality sleep proves equally vital for those pursuing longevity.
"Lots of good things happen in our sleep that help us live longer and healthier," said Enayat.
"For example, we produce T-cells that help regulate our immune system and produce stem cells that stimulate regeneration and release of growth factors during the deep sleep phase."
Life expectancy has risen considerably over the past two centuries
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Habits to avoid include late-night eating, alcohol and blue light exposure to enhance deep sleep.
"My top tip around nutrition is to use food as fuel or food as medicine, rather than food as comfort," he said.
"I would also recommend eating whole foods rather than processed foods and to make sure you have adequate protein in your diet, good vegetable intake, and some healthy fats."
Finally, Dr Enayat highlighted the significance of social bonds and meaningful direction in life.
Maintaining connections with neighbours, family and friends helps individuals stay active and find motivation, whilst providing crucial support during challenging periods.
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