Do you ever wonder why some spry 90-year-olds look like they aren’t a day over 70, when some people in their 60s move and act like they’re twice their age? 

While genetics plays a part, your lifestyle can determine how you look, feel, and act when you’re older. It may even affect your chances of losing mobility or getting dementia.

Here are five things that could make you age faster than you should.

1. Unhealthy Diet

Your diet has a profound effect on your health, from head to toe. Not only is it the literal fuel that gives you energy everyday, but the food you eat also impacts your skin, heart, bone density, and brain. 

Experts in dementia care for seniors recommend a diet rich in leafy greens, legumes, fish, nuts, and fruit. Otherwise known as the MIND diet, this brain-healthy menu has been proven to lower the risk of dementia and the loss of brain function as you age. 

It also helps that the MIND diet lowers blood pressure and reduces your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. 

2. Stress

It’s hard to enjoy your golden years if you’re constantly worrying about the little things. Unfortunately, you might not have too many golden years to enjoy when you’re chronically stressed. 

A recent study shows chronic stress can damage your DNA by shortening the strands of a chromosome responsible for cellular aging. This damage can wield a sledgehammer to your health in the following ways:

• Raise your blood pressure

• Disrupt your sleep

• Cause mental health issues like anxiety and depression

• Increase your chances of diabetes, cancer, and dementia

3. Bad Habits 

Smoking and drinking too much — the usual bad habits that doctors warn you about can make you age faster. 

For one thing, smoking increases your risk of lung, throat, and mouth cancer. But even if you’re lucky enough to avoid these diseases, this habit could make you look older than you are. Most smokers show signs of their addiction with pronounced wrinkles, yellow teeth, and stained skin.

As for drinking, excessive alcohol consumption can likewise make you look older than you are. But more importantly, it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, higher blood pressure, and bone loss, not to mention several cancers.  

4. Poor Sleep

Have you ever looked in the mirror after a night of tossing and turning? You probably sported dark circles under puffy eyes and moved through your day like a zombie.

Not looking or feeling your best after one night of poor sleep is the least of your concerns. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to significant stress, which you’ve already learned can be bad for your health. 

Experts in dementia care are also starting to look at how insufficient sleep may increase your risk of the disease. Irregular bedtimes, frequently waking throughout the night, and sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night can led to poor cognition and memory issues.

5. Zero Social Life 

Lastly, a lack of social engagement can lead to rapid aging. According to the CDC, social isolation and loneliness in seniors can significantly impact their health risks, increasing their chances of heart disease, dementia, depression, and weakened immune systems. 

Bottom Line: 

Aging is an inevitable part of life, but your lifestyle choices may impact how quickly it happens to you. The sooner you make healthy changes to your habits, the sooner you’ll see the benefits!