What can we do to lower our biological age?

While research is ongoing, the study’s positive findings promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Reducing stress can be complex, and the thought that it could be ageing us isn’t exactly going to help us relax. But there are small and achievable ways we can tweak our lives to optimise our biological age.

It’s not just about stress

“Lifestyle medicine is made up of six pillars: nutrition, exercise, sleep, positive psychology, mental wellbeing and avoiding toxic behaviours (such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling or excessive social media use, among others),” explains Dr Raizada. “The study shows that we may be able to reduce our biological age by targeting stress in these areas to help with anti-ageing and longevity – it’s not just about stress levels themselves.”

Focus on eating more plants, exercising and sleep

If you’re having a particularly turbulent time, it’s important to focus on the metrics you can control, such as diet, exercise and prioritising sleep, as these will all help with your ability to recover from stress when it’s (hopefully) over.

“Positive changes we can all make include eating a balanced diet which is high in beneficial polyphenols [such as whole grains, fruits and nuts] and plant foods,” advises Dr Raizada. “It’s best to avoid excess alcohol, take regular exercise which can include meditation and yoga and optimise healthy sleep habits.”

But if you are feeling super stressed out, go easy on the workouts as you’re more likely to get injured, and exercising can in itself cause stress on the body. It’s wise to be mindful of balancing risk with reward here.

Maintain an active social life

“Harbouring a positive mindset, self-care and engaging in activities you enjoy, practising gratitude and maintaining healthy and happy social relationships are all positively influential on the ageing process,” explains Dr Raizada. We’ve all learned the power and importance of human contact over the last few years, and research shows that having good interpersonal relationships can help us to live longer.

We may not be able to reverse grey hairs just yet, but hanging out with our friends more is something we can all get on board with.

How to improve your biological age: top tips for reducing ageing stress