3 Simple Micro-Habits That Can Help You Age Well

Stay younger longer and stem the effects of aging by adopting simple micro-habits. These will support your health and can extend your life.

1. Eat an Apple a Day for Healthier Skin

Compounds in apples can help protect your skin as you age:

• Polyphenol antioxidants in apples can protect skin from environmental damage caused by sun exposure, pollution, and other factors that can lead to skin aging.
• A diet rich in apples may reduce chronic inflammation, which can lead to premature aging.
• Apples are a hydrating food (rich in water), which helps prevent dehydration and its effects on the skin.

2. Drink Black Coffee to Live Longer

Black coffee has some surprising benefits in reducing mortality from any cause, as well as mortality from cardiovascular disease:

• Drinking one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily reduced the risk of all-cause mortality up to 17% as compared to not drinking coffee.
• It’s important to leave out the sugar, honey, syrup, and cream, as those coffee add-ins eliminate the lowered risk of death.

3. Walk Briskly for Half an Hour Each Day to Live Longer

If you are a typical American who doesn’t achieve the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, you can increase your lifespan by several years by simply meeting that goal:

• Walking briskly for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week can help you reach this goal, reduce health risks, and extend your life.
• Brisk walking is walking at a pace that makes you breathe harder than normal, but you can still speak (though not sing). The exact speed varies with your fitness level, but generally is 2.5 to 4.5 miles per hour.
• If you don’t enjoy walking, consider other moderate-intensity physical activities such as bicycling, swimming, dancing, or aerobics classes.