Women deal with constant pressure to be skinny, but having too little body fat can actually work to your disadvantage when it comes to aging. "As women age, they lose collagen and elasticity in the skin. Having a very low body fat actually speeds up this collagen loss," says Alexander Cortes, a Los Angeles-based personal trainer. For your ideal body fat percentage, check your BMI here.
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Work your upper body
While I'm not opposed to working out, I steer clear of the weights because I don't want to bulk up. But Cortes says a weak upper body contributes to a hunched back -- and women are more likely to develop a hunched upper back than men are. The key is to do exercises that'll keep your back and core strong. Exercises like push-ups (great for your chest, shoulders, and triceps) and pull-ups (which work out your back, biceps, and forearms) are especially effective.
Plus, once you hit 30, you lose about half a pound of lean muscle every year -- which translates to a whopping 5 pounds of lost muscle by the time you're 40, says chiropractic sports physician Len Lopez. The only way to offset that muscle loss is through strength training. The good news is that you don't need to spend an hour in the weight room; a high-intensity weight-bearing workout for 15 minutes, twice a week, is plenty.
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Run, don't jog
I love cardio. I find it's the fastest way to undo a weekend of too many glasses of wine, helps me clear my head, and gives me a rush of happy-making endorphins. Plus, it's free. The problem? Cortes says most women don't run -- they jog. And "slow pace jogging has actually been shown to cause joint damage," he says. Instead of jogging, opt for a brisk walk. Or if you really love running, do intervals (alternate sprinting for 30 seconds and walking for five minutes).
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Start using a humidifier
Dry, parched skin is never going to make you look younger. But guzzling water isn't the only thing you have to do to stay hydrated. To wake up glowing, what you really need is a humidifier, says Kyra Johnson, Director of Spa Operations at Park Hyatt Aviara Spa in San Diego, Calif. "Our skin is happiest in 60 percent humidity," she says. "During winter, humidity can drop to 40 percent, which can have a significant effect on your skin's appearance and texture."
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Keep portions in check
If you feel like every bite of food you swallow immediately shows up on the scale, you're well aware that with age comes a slower metabolism. And here's the fact that's going to bum out all of you foodies: As you age, your body needs fewer calories to maintain its weight. So the sooner you start to control your portions, the better, says Jenn Walters, co-founder of Fit Bottom Girls. "Get in the habit now of paying attention to how hungry and how full you are before and after meals," she says. "When you know how to listen to your hunger, it's much easier to keep off the weight as you age."
I have a 35-year-old friend who tells me all the time to enjoy my crow's-feet-free eyes and sunspot-less skin. She waxes poetic about "when she was my age" like she's my grandmother, wistfully telling me stories about a time before she had to spend $300 a month on anti-aging serums and night creams.
Her (very direct) message to me, her 25-year-old friend: "Smarten up, biotch. That perfect skin of yours will go to pot -- and sooner than you think -- if you don't take some preemptive measures."
Of course, she's right. I want to stave off the crow's feet and sun damage as much as the next gal. But I also don't want to shoot myself up with baby Botox now -- or drop an entire paycheck on the newest laser when those first signs of agingdo start to appear. I want to age gracefully -- and look like an even hotter version of myself 10 years from now.
And so, my older, wiser (and seriously aggro) friend inspired me to call the best nutritionists, trainers, docs, and estheticians I could find. My question to them: What should women do -- no matter how old they are -- to look hot in 10 years? Of course, "wear sunscreen" was at the top of their lists, as was eating right, drinking enough water, and working out. But since you know all of these look-hot commandments already, I grilled them for even better ones.
So now I'm going to do something that most 20-somethings never do: listen to my elders.
