These 5 Surprising Factors Are Secretly Aging You Faster

Cigarettes and lack of sleep can make you look and feel older. However, some lesser-known lifestyle factors can accelerate the aging process.
Even if you can’t reverse all of the cellular and molecular changes that happen throughout life, you could slow down the rate of biological aging by making some lifestyle changes, said Thomas Buford, PhD, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics, and palliative care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“It is never too late to improve your health as you get older,” Buford said.
Here are five surprising factors that may make you age faster—and what you can do about them.

Social Isolation
A recent report found that nearly a quarter of all adults aged 65 and above are socially isolated. Loneliness and social isolation can raise the risk of dementia, heart disease, stroke, and depression.
“It’s important to be mindful that healthy relationships and a strong social support network are important throughout our lives—but especially as we age,” Leonard said.

Not Wearing Sunglasses
If you put on sunscreen when you go outside, it’s already helping to prevent your skin from photoaging. But did you forget about your sunglasses?
“For those of us who don’t wear big sunglasses, or aren’t in the habit of using the sunscreen up to the lash line, that’s where we can get sun damage and loss of elasticity,” Ivy Lee, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Los Angeles, CA., told Verywell.
Sun damage and skin cancers are common on the thin skin of the lower eyelids. Wearing sunglasses not only protects your eyes and surrounding skin from harmful UV rays, but also keeps you from squinting.

Sedentary Lifestyle
Binging your favorite Netflix show won’t keep you young. A recent study associated long hours of television with reduced odds of healthy aging, but replacing that habit with moderate or light physical activities could improve the odds of healthy aging.
Prioritizing movement is key for healthy aging. This doesn’t mean you have to train for a marathon or sign up for an expensive personal training program. Any amount of physical activity will have benefits, and it’s best to focus on the exercises that you enjoy, Buford said.

Chronic Stress
Physical, mental, and emotional stressors, including finances, work, discrimination, and caregiving, can accelerate aging.
Chronic stress can take a toll on the body and cause inflammation, which may speed up biological aging. Leonard added that chronic stress can affect a part of the DNA called telomeres, which sets the aging process in motion and increases the risks of health problems.

Too Much Sugar and Ultra-Processed Foods
The foods you eat influence the way you look and feel. Some studies have linked diets high in ultra-processed foods and added sugars with faster biological aging.
These diets can harm mental and heart health, which reduces a person’s health span. Limiting these foods and eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein sources can support healthy aging.