Experts say exercise and sex help you look younger

Jet, Nov 2, 1998

Proper exercise and a little bit of sex can go a long way in helping you look and feel years younger, according to new research.

The study conducted by noted clinical neuropsychologist Dr. David Weeks at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland found that the key ingredients for looking younger are staying active--both intellectually and physically--and maintaining a good sex life.

The report studied the lifestyles of 3,500 people between the ages of 30 and 101 who have been told they look years younger or feel younger than they are, according to a Scripps Howard News Service story by Emily Sheffield, published in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Weeks believes anyone can be like the people in the study if they take advantage of several practices. "It's not all in the genes," he said.

Sex helps you look between four and seven years younger because it helps you feel more content, sleep better and feel less stressed, the study noted.

"Sexual intercourse, most people would agree, is one of the most pleasurable of human experiences," Dr. Weeks said in the Scripps Howard News Service story.

"When it culminates in orgasm, the body feels good, setting in train further physical responses," Dr. Weeks said.

Sex releases substances in the brain that are natural painkillers that eliminate anxiety, the news article noted.

Proper exercise can make you look between five and eight years younger, the study also explained. Three one-mile walks a week helps improve your circulation, bone strength and immune systems functions, the Scripps News Service reported.

The study also found that genes and environment also play a significant role in making people look younger. Those surveyed reported that they had a loving and secure upbringing. They also have genes that produce enzymes and proteins that help the mind and body stay healthy, according to Weeks' study.

Older people tapping into their younger inner spirit have been celebrated in such movies as How Stella Got Her Groove Back with Angela Bassett and 1985's Cocoon with such veteran performers as Jessica Tandy, Don Ameche and Hume Cronyn.

In Stella, Angela Bassett's character gets her groove back when she allows herself to fall for a younger man. For the first time in many years, she begins to enjoy herself and goes out partying with a young man who inspires her to dream like she did as a child.

In Cocoon, senior citizens recapture their youth and energy after they discover an actual fountain of youth.

Remaining curious and a willingness to learn and try new things also helps to look and feel younger, the study found.

"Being creative keeps the brain healthy and functioning," Weeks said in the Scripps Howard News service story. "The young mind is naturally very curious. This starts to level off in our thirties. But people who keep using their brain right into old age will also keep it working at a younger level."

Those who stay young are usually non-smokers and eat a well balanced diet. Smoking can make you look 12 years older, the study pointed out.

RELATED ARTICLE: 14 TIPS ON HOW TO LOOK YOUNGER

1. Stop smoking.

2. Avoid exposing skin to the sun.

3. Think of stressful situations as challenges.

4. Exercise regularly.

5. Create intellectual challenges to maintain brain power.

6. Learn to relax properly and cope with stress.

7. Improve your memory. For example, concentrate on remembering your dreams.

8. Improve your grasp and use of language.

9. Seek a partner if you're single and/or seek new friends.

10. Concentrate on improving your sex life.

11. Improve your diet.

12. Plan your retirement.

13. Work and socialize with younger people.

14. Be positive about the future.