7 WAYS TO HACK YOUR BIOLOGICAL AGE

1 BE MORE EUROPEAN

A study in the British Journal of Nutrition

suggested that changing to a Mediterraneanstyle diet of fish, vegetables, whole grains and unrefined carbohydrates – even later in life – brings a 25 per cent reduction in all-cause mortality.

2 ENTER THE COMPOUND

Cement good habits early. Compound lifts increase your production of testosterone, and research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism has linked reduced testosterone to an elevated risk of heart disease.

3 SLEEP IT OFF

A study in Biological

Psychiatry found sleep deprivation heightened inflammatory markers linked to cardiovascular disease, while a US study suggests those who sleep less than five hours have an ‘excess heart age’ 5.1 years beyond their real age.

4 BEND THE RULES OF TIME

Incorporate stretches throughout your working day. University of California research found that routinely sitting for ten hours a day increases your biological age by eight years.

5 HIIT PAUSE

Research by the Mayo Clinic has shown that highintensity interval training slows cellular ageing by boosting the regeneration of mitochondria (your body’s energy-producing powerhouses) by up to 69 per cent. It also enhances circulaton and heart health.

6 LIFT MORE

A study in the journal Obesity

confirmed that people who lift weights have less visceral fat – which is linked to age-related problems such as heart disease and diabetes – than those who just do cardio.

7 UP YOUR OMEGA-3S

Research by Japan’s National Centre for Global Health and Medicine suggested that a traditional Japanese diet high in omega-3-rich fish delivers a 15 per cent lower mortality rate.