Valecia Weeks is licensed through the state of Texas as a therapeutic massage therapist who specializes in providing on-site chair massage for corporations and events. She is also a certified personal trainer with NESTA, as well as a licensed ZUMBA instructor.
Take a look in the mirror today when you read this; then picture yourself in that same mirror 30 years from now. What do you see in the back of your mind? Do you see a vibrant, strong, and gracefully aging diva or will you be drying up like a ripe prune and looking older than you really are? The choice is yours, and yours alone! Well, good news, ladies; it’s never too late to slow down that biological clock by training yourself to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Below are some really bad habits that are to be avoided if you want to enjoy that fountain of youth and continue to look young for your age:
Sugar Fix
Excess sugar doesn’t fix anything but a place for wrinkles to reside. If your reward for a job well done or “just because” includes candy bars and pastries, you may find that you are setting yourself up to age rather prematurely.
Sleep Deprivation
Have you heard the phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”? Well, those who have this outlook may, in fact, find themselves there sooner than later. Scientific studies have shown that getting less than seven hours of sleep per night on a regular basis can cause a shortened life, not to mention leaving you so sleepy and sluggish that you strike out to every poor victim who comes in your path. There is a healing and detoxification process that takes place during the vital sleep hours. Also, the hormone that is produced during sleep, melatonin, helps with the repair of cells which ward off cancer.
Cutting the Sex
Not tryin’ to be nosy, but ask yourself, “When was the last time I had sex”? Busy ladies, no need to give me an answer. There are studies that indicate that people who have sex on a regular basis enjoy more vibrant skin, a much clearer mind, and bounce back from stressful situations. Of course, all these benefits contribute to a more youthful state. So, husbands and wives…MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
Letting “Small Stuff” Get the Best of You
Ladies, don’t take life so seriously! Being the beautiful diva that you are, would you rather have laugh lines or frown lines?…Yes, that’s what I thought. Try for 21 days (amount of time it takes to create a habit) to laugh things off whenever possible and appropriate. Beyond doing your part, there isn’t much else you can do with a situation that comes your way; and even if you create the negative situation, roll with it and just go with the flow. Let some things roll off your back and try to not always throw yourself under the bus.
It’s important to realize that growing old too quickly is a choice that is in your hands. Since this getting old thing is a gradual process, it’s happening as I write and you read this article. It’s the “little things”, those little habits that we do daily that can determine how healthy and happy we are now and will be down the road. Think “HAPPY” thoughts today.