How old are you really? Did you know that there are more factors than your birthdate to consider when defining your age?
Biological age can be defined as one’s probability of survival. It considers, not only the number of years that you’ve lived but lifestyle habits such as the food you eat, your level of education, how stressed you are at any given time, and even whether you wear a seat belt while driving.
Why is biological age important?
While chronological age cannot be controlled, biological age can be reversed or accelerated based on your behaviour. While your chronological age may be 36 for example, your true age may be 29 since real age considers how well your body functions in relation to physical and mental habits. In other words, if your body age is higher than your chronological age, you are in bad shape and need to make some fast changes.
According to Momentum, who has created a free online body age calculator, the following factors are taken into account when calculating body age:
- Whether you maintain a healthy balanced diet
- Your ability to maintain positive social relationships
- Travel, such as your commute from home to work
- Your frequency or intensity of physical activity
- A good sleep schedule
- Your ability to balance blood pressure and sugar levels
- Your family history, and
- Daily routine
If you already know your body age and would like to reduce it, here are other factors that you may want to consider to increase life expectancy:
- Frequent exercise
- Limiting alcohol and caffeine
- Not smoking
- Reducing refined carbohydrates from your diet
- Gaining better quality sleep, consistently
- Moderate sun exposure and,
- Reducing stress
Of all the factors that influence body age, a high level of stress, poor diet and lack of exercise are the major habits that speed up ageing.
