Stress less, sleep more and exercise smarter to slow down the ageing process

Exercise slows down the ageing process… but if you're not careful, it can speed it up.

That feels like a cruel "damned if you do, damned if you don't" paradox, but the trick is balancing exercise with rest: if you don't give your body a chance to recover, it accelerates the ageing process.

"When we over-exercise we breathe very rapidly and it creates free radicals," explained biochemist Dr Libby Weaver on Today — free radicals being those particles that damage your body's cells. "The body needs movement and we thrive on it… [but] you want your movement to energise you, not exhaust you."

Chronic stress will also put pressure on your body, as will the usual suspects like not getting enough sleep and eating a poor-quality diet. In this video, Dr Weaver lays out how to take care of yourself to slow down ageing and lengthen your healthspan.

READ NEXT: Why am I so tired?: Three strategies to max out your energy levels