Eight quirky ways to stop the ageing process from how you should stand to what type of music to listen to

A new study found 36 years old is the age when most of us notice we are no longer in the first flush of youth.

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Age is just a number – but how old you feel does not have to correlate to the number of candles on your birthday cakeCredit: GettyBut there are plenty of ways to continue to feel young at heart. 

Here Laura Stott suggests ways to turn back time in a flash, whatever your age . . .  

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

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Setting and smashing achievable goals boosts confidence and helps you feel youngerCredit: GettyWhether it’s a fun run, starting dance lessons or walking 10,000 steps a day, set a target that is achievable. 

Completing a task that stretches your capabilities has been shown to build confidence and provide a sense of accomplishment, which makes us feel more youthful.

Feeling physically fitter puts a youthful spring in your step, too. 

SAY CHEESE

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Research has found that people with happy faces are perceived as younger than they areCredit: GettyForget Botox or going under the knife, if you want to take decades off in an instant, then just smile more.

Research has found that people with happy faces are perceived as younger than they are, and also feel it. 

One study found that images of cheery faces were considered much to be more youthful-looking than those with neutral expressions. 

PUT ON RECORDS YOU LOVED IN YOUR YOUTH

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Playing your favourite old tunes can spark powerful memories and make you feel years youngerCredit: GettyWhether these are rave tunes or power ballads might depend on how many decades have passed – and whether you first heard them on CD, vinyl or cassette.  

But whatever, listening to those songs can turn back the years in your mind. 

Studies show that favourite sounds activate a region of the brain linked to autobiographical memories. 

HAVE MORE SEX

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Research shows keeping busy between the sheets makes older adults both look and feel years youngerCredit: GettyMaking love can leave you looking and feeling five years younger, according to one study. 

The research, for the charity Age UK, revealed that keeping busy between the sheets makes older adults both look and feel years younger.

Experts believe this is because sex releases feelgood hormones, endorphins. Another UK study even found that regular sex can make you look up to seven years younger. 

STAND UP STRAIGHT

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Keeping your spine tall, shoulders down and core strong will stop your skeleton from looking outwardly oldCredit: GettyAs we get older, practising good posture is a proven way to look and feel younger.

Keeping your spine tall, shoulders down and core strong will stop your skeleton from looking outwardly old, by preventing stooping or sagging.

It can make us feel more confident which also turns back the clock cognitively. 

Whether sitting, standing or walking, pay attention to posture, to harness its instant anti-ageing benefits. 

TRY NEW FOODS

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Trying new foods and shaking up your routine can boost your mindset and help you feel youngerCredit: GettyIf you always eat the same foods, change things up a bit. 

Whether that means a cuisine you’ve never tasted, at a new restaurant, or just varying your mealtime routine, these new experiences should make you feel open-minded.

Even if you don’t enjoy the flavours, breaking a dietary rut should make you feel younger. 

STAY ORGANISED

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Clearing clutter and keeping your paperwork in order can refresh your mindset and help you feel youngerCredit: AlamyFrom filing your paperwork, to sorting your wardrobe, good housekeeping has been proven to make people feel younger. 

Researchers in 2019 concluded that the more ordered people’s homes were, the more youthful they felt – with a structured environment boosting their optimism and improving memory, even longevity. 

GET SOME KIP

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Lack of quality sleep can leave you feeling a decade older, studies showCredit: GettyStudies show that tiredness from a lack of quality shut-eye can make us feel ten years older. 

Participants who did not have sufficient sleep reported feeling older than their real age. 

In contrast, research in Sweden, at Stockholm University, found that being well rested can make us feel up to four years younger. 

YOUNG AT HEART

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Whether it’s downloading TikTok, a new hobby or wearing this summer’s latest trend, you can keep your mindset feeling fresh and youthfulCredit: GettyEmbracing a youthful mindset can also work wonders. 

Don’t dismiss activities or opportunities as not being for you because of your age – challenge those ideas.  

Whether it’s downloading TikTok, a new hobby or wearing this summer’s latest trend, remain curious about new things – whatever your age. 

How to reverse ageing in just 2 weeks, according to royal go-to nutritionist

LONDON -based Gabriela Peacock, who has helped the likes of Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie prepare for their weddings.

She told Fabulous: “The science is evident that we all have the power to make simple life changing alterations to better our future selves – no matter what genetic hand we might have been dealt with.

“The reality is, we all sometimes indulge in unhealthy eating habits like processed foods, smoking cigarettes, drinking too much alcohol, inhaling city pollutants, and even drinking water from plastic bottles – none of this is good for us. 

“All this does is promote the ageing process, but we all have the potential to change this.”

It may be hard, but try to keep away from sugary carbohydrates, because they feed chronic inflammation, which is one of the worst enemies of reversing ageing. 

Now only will you end up putting on weight if you consume them regularly, but your energy and hormonal levels will be affected and this will influence how you look and feel.

Whatever your age or state of health, it’s never too late to reverse how quickly you are ageing and embrace the energy and vigour of a younger you.

Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, are essential in neutralising free radicals—the culprits behind premature ageing. 

Integrating a spectrum of colourful fruits and vegetables into your diet provides a potent source of antioxidants.

Omega-3 fatty acids, abundant in fatty fish like salmon and flaxseeds, are vital for maintaining skin elasticity and hydration. 

Omega-3s act as nourishment for your skin, locking in moisture and diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. 

Collagen, a structural protein dwindling with age, can be replenished through collagen-rich foods like bone broth and lean protein sources.