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Internal 'Clock' Makes Some People Age Faster and Die Younger

  • September 29, 2016

Regardless of your lifestyle, some people are simply born with an internal “clock” that makes them age faster and die younger, The Guardian reports. Scientists found that for the 5 percent of the population who age fastest, this translated to a roughly 50 percent greater than average risk of death at any age.

The aging “clock” used to determine this relies on subtle chemical changes the scientists measured in their study of 13,000 people. While they don’t have a solution for stopping this accelerated ageing process, there are things you can do to help yourself physically and socially to prolong your life into a healthy old age. In fact, the No. 1 social factor that the National Institute on Aging found that correlated with a long life was education.

Giving up a seat and taking to your feet can make a huge impact: Mounting research suggests that spending your day sitting is detrimental to your physical and mental well-being. The most effective techniques for reducing sitting include using a sit-stand desk if you work in an office, setting goals to limit your sitting time, and do simple exercises at your desk.

The key thing is that movement, not just standing, is important for slicing sitting’s ill effects from your life. Strive to put in 10,000 steps a day, and add strength training to your workout twice a week. Add a wholesome diet of mostly fresh, non-GMO, organic foods and you have a good prescription for a longer life.