I have read so much about age lately. So many web sites and television shows are discussing the Age calculators and questionnaire's to determine your, "real age." What does all of this new information really do for us?

The way I see it, there are two kinds of age. There is physical age and biological age. What is the difference? Based on taking a look at my family, my husbands family as well as friends; I feel that there is a lot of difference between the two ways of looking at "age."

Biological age is simple. It is our age based on the date we were born. Isn't age really about so much more beyond just the "biological" age?

Physical age deciders:  

• environment  
• lifestyle  
• diet  
• exercise 
• type of work 
• stress levels 
• emotions (happiness, depression etc.)  
• heredity 

All of the above factors definitely affect the way in which we age. For example; both of my grandmothers lived into their 90's. On the other hand, my husband's family considers 70 to be old.

There are many questions to ask as we try to determine how we can stay young in a physical sense even if the biological clock suggests otherwise. I have provided some suggestions on becoming physically younger.

These are based on the Eight Physical Age Deciders listed above:

1) Environment: If you use standard cleaners in your home consider switching to a home mixture like vinegar and water for cleaning kitchens and bathrooms. Have you ever noticed how strong some of these mixtures are? These can't be very good for us.

Try using natural methods of reducing unwanted weeds in your grass. The old method of "pulling it out when you see it" is probably the best method and it is good exercise. We already know that the herbicides and pesticides are not good for our pets, how can they be good for us?

Wear sunscreen everyday no matter what your skin type. This is an easy habit to get into and well worth it in the long run.
Stay away from second hand smoke. In my state, Minnesota, smoking is no longer allowed in bars and restaurants. This is a great step for eliminating second hand smoke.

2) Lifestyle: Do you live a "clean" lifestyle? A clean lifestyle would suggest that you not smoke, get moderate exercise, eat a diet filled with fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans and whole grains. In addition limit your alcohol intake and have a relatively stress free life. I believe my Grandmother's live a clean lifestyle. They both have told me in the past that they didn't do anything special, just worked hard and cooked all of their meals from scratch.

3) Diet: Are you always on a diet? This is not what I am advocating. I am suggesting that we work to eat a healthy diet as suggested above. Be sure to have at least 8 glasses of water each day. Limit the amount of "fake foods" that you eat. I have heard a lot about this topic on the internet and television lately. Fake foods would be highly processed foods; foods that would not have been recognized as food in the early to mid 1900's. Don't deprive yourself. Eat reasonably.

4) Exercise: Do you exercise on a regular basis? If you don't, you should. This doesn't have to be organized exercise at a gym, but we all need to get up and move. The human race was not meant to just "sit on the couch." Our bodies are designed to move, to run, and to jump. Whatever exercise you do, the most important decision to make is to decide to "do something."

I find that I feel at my best if I exercise most days of the week. My mind is clearer and physically, I feel great. If I skip days I find that my back gets sore and I feel sluggish. Exercise allows me to sleep well and keeps my energy levels up throughout the day.

5) Type of Work: What kind of work do you do? Is it stressful? Do you like your work or hate your work? If you hate it, this will probably take years off your life. My husband worked in a very stressful position for over 10 years. He resigned from this job about 2 years ago. We now work together as a team. I truly believe that my husband would not be with us if he had continued to work in this extremely difficult work environment. We are now happier as a couple and as a family. Each day goes by nicely with limited amounts of stress and a great deal of satisfaction.

6) Stress Levels: Do you have high levels of stress? I remember having high levels of stress in one of my past jobs. I would try to take deep breathes throughout the day to relax but it seemed like I could never breathe deep enough to relax. Regular exercise, relaxation techniques, meditating, yoga etc. can all relieve high stress and tension levels. Having a pet can also be amazingly beneficial. Try to take a few minutes out of each day to focus on the positive and calm yourself by deep breathing and silence.

If you have high stress levels try to determine if they reasons for stress are real or fabricated. The questions I was taught to always ask myself was, "Will tomorrow still come?" If the answer is Yes, then the stressor cannot be that bad.

7) Emotions: Getting overly excited with anger is not necessarily a healthy thing especially when it occurs on a regular basis. It can raise blood pressure. In addition, being unhappy (based on some studies that I have read) can decrease lifespan. When I was growing up, my Mother always said that I should, "Smile more. It is a lot easier to smile than frown." When I look in the mirror I can see some wrinkles around the sides of my eyes. I often wonder, "Would I have less wrinkles if I would have taken my Mother's advise?"

8) Heredity: Heredity plays a big role in how well we age. We can't do anything about the hand of cards that we have been dealt. I try to think about all of my family members and the problems that they have had over the years. For example; my Father has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This may be an indicator that it could be a problem for me down the road. I can do a lot right now to decrease my risks of these diseases creeping up on me in later years. Exercising a making sure my diet is low in fat and sodium are two really good ways of at least, lowering my risks of getting these diseases later in life.

The way in which we live our lives can make a big difference in how well we age. If you come across a person that looks half her/his age. Stop and ask them, what their secret is? You might get some great new ideas on how you can keep yourself looking and feeling physically young.