7 simple tips to ANTI-AGEING

Our bodies change as we get older but there are some smart moves we can make to fight back and stay fit and healthy

- TANYA PEAREY

Move every hour

Getting more activity into your day doesn't need to be extreme. Simply make sure you break up the time you spend sitting. Whether that's walking to the kitchen to make a cuppa in the TV ad breaks or whizzing round with the vacuum and duster.

Research suggests that gardening, in particular, is a great activity for warding off a joint, muscle, and back pain in older age.

A study of the over-50s by Portsmouth University found that doing some weekly digging reduced your likelihood of chronic pain. And Japanese research found heavy gardening reduced the risk of dying.

But you need to put your back into it, says Dr. Nils Niederstrasser, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and lead author of the Portsmouth study. 'Activity needs to not only be vigorous, it needs to be done at least once a week,' he says.

Eat a handful of blackcurrants

All berries are great anti-agers, but blackcurrants are particularly potent due to their high levels of antioxidant flavonoids, especially anthocyanins. Studies suggest that as well as enhancing our immune system, fighting inflammation, and reducing the risk of chronic age-related conditions, these plant compounds are great for boosting heart health.

‘Research suggests that blackcurrants can enhance blood flow,’ says Mark Willems, Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester, who has been researching the effects of blackcurrant extract on cardiovascular function.

His studies show that blackcurrant extract is able to help lower blood pressure and may improve the stiffness of blood vessels in older people – putting the clock back by up to 10 years.