Being asked your age used to be straightforward. You could even count birthday candles if unsure. Yet, today those candles might not tell the entire story. A growing wave of scientists suggest that you hold two kinds of age: a standard chronological age and a more dynamic biological age. They also claim it’s possible to reverse your biological age, if you know the right steps.
Initial excitement arose in 2013, when DNA-based tests estimated a person’s age within a few years. DNA age usually differed slightly from chronological age. If someone’s DNA indicated an older reading, it prompted many questions. Could it reveal the speed at which your body was ageing?
A decade of research confirmed that a higher epigenetic age suggests your body is ageing faster. Such individuals are more likely to get ill or die sooner. This discovery shows what many suspected: people age at different rates. We now understand numerous cellular and molecular processes that underlie ageing. These so-called “hallmarks” drive changes like wrinkles, grey hair, frailty, memory loss, and a rising risk of illnesses.
If we could reverse your biological age by slowing these hallmarks, we might delay cancer, heart disease, and dementia. For now, a quick way to gauge your ageing rate doesn’t require costly epigenetic tests. There are free methods you can attempt at home. Just look in the mirror and note whether you appear older or younger than your chronological age. Danish twins who looked older than their actual age were at higher risk of poor health or death.
A handful of physical measures can help too. Walking 10 meters quickly or balancing on one leg can shed light on fitness and functional age. If these tests highlight concerns, there’s good news: research indicates that environment and lifestyle matter more than genes, by up to 75–95 per cent of lifespan. Below are nine science-backed ideas that may help reverse your biological age.
1. Maintain Your Muscle
Doctors often joke that if there were a pill replicating exercise, everyone would rush to get it. Unfortunately, you can’t just pop a capsule to gain its benefits. Many of us don’t meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Strength training is particularly critical for healthy ageing. It bolsters bone density and preserves muscle, both vital for functional independence. Muscle also helps regulate blood sugar, which declines with age.
We lose about five per cent of muscle and ten per cent of strength each decade after 30. But resistance exercises—like press-ups or squats—can reverse your biological age in terms of strength. You don’t need an expensive gym. Doing bodyweight exercises at home can work wonders. Astonishingly, research on 90-year-olds who started resistance training showed they nearly doubled their muscle strength in two months.
2. Ignore the Fad Diets
You could devote a lifetime to sampling every “longevity” diet. Thankfully, the big picture is simpler: eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, and cut back on red meat. Although it’s hard to know precisely how these habits might reverse your biological age, large observational studies plus short-term clinical trials imply real benefits for key health markers.
There is ample data supporting healthy body weight as crucial for a longer life. But the evidence for fasting or extreme calorie restriction is mixed. Animal research shows such interventions help species like yeast or worms, but findings with monkeys are murkier. In people, some studies link fasting to muscle loss, which can be counterproductive. The biggest takeaway is to embrace balanced eating over strict or trendy diets.
Photo credit: Ollie Hirst
3. Brush Your Teeth
One of the most surprising anti-ageing connections involves oral hygiene. Earlier studies noted a relationship between poor dental health and heart disease risk. Was the issue a shared factor—like diet or general self-care—or something else? Further research suggests chronic inflammation may link gum disease to earlier death.
Inflammation is a normal immune response, but it’s supposed to be temporary. Ageing bodies often develop a low, continuous level of inflammation, damaging tissues over time. A lingering bacterial battle on teeth or gums can increase this burden. Consequently, brushing and flossing don’t just protect your pearly whites; they may reverse your biological age by reducing hidden inflammatory triggers.
4. Get Enough Sleep (But Not Too Much)
Experts repeatedly tell us: aim for 7–8 hours of sleep each night. Interestingly, sleeping over nine hours appears linked to higher mortality than sleeping four. Various factors might be at play. Perhaps those who sleep longer are dealing with undiagnosed illnesses. Or maybe extended sleep somehow disrupts immune regulation.
Scientists still debate certain aspects of sleep. However, we do know that getting adequate slumber can help reverse your biological age in crucial ways. One example is how the brain flushes out toxic proteins overnight, including those associated with Alzheimer’s. This system, called the glymphatic network, works best while you rest. Eliminating these accumulations can ease one of the central “hallmarks” of ageing in the brain.
5. Wear Sunglasses More
Protecting your skin from the Sun is well known, but safeguarding your eyes can also help reverse your biological age. Harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation damages proteins in the lens, causing cloudiness or yellowing called cataracts. It can also harm the retina, speeding up age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Both conditions may raise dementia risk.
One theory suggests that reduced visual stimulation accelerates cognitive decline. Hence, preventing cataracts and AMD can bolster brain health as you age. Most glasses or contact lenses include UV shielding. For everyone else, wraparound sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat guard your eyes from sneaky sunlight. This simple step could help preserve vision and mental sharpness in your later years.
Photo credit: Ollie Hirst
6. Always Wear Sunscreen
Among all anti-wrinkle lotions, sunscreen remains the most potent. UV rays don’t just raise skin cancer risk; they hasten visible skin ageing. UV radiation breaks down structural proteins like collagen, creating wrinkles and slower skin “snap back.” Furthermore, UV light causes mutations in skin cells, culminating in thousands of altered cells by your 50s.
We don’t yet fully understand how these mutations hasten ageing, but they aren’t present in younger individuals. So, if you aim to reverse your biological age, daily sunscreen application is wise. Select at least SPF 15 plus high UV-A protection. Wear it year-round since UV rays penetrate clouds and glass. Supplementing with 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily may help offset lowered production from reduced sun exposure.
7. Don’t Waste Your Savings
Recent headlines highlight entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, who spends $2 million yearly on high-tech anti-ageing regimens. He subjects himself to countless medical tests and swallows over 100 daily supplements. While intriguing, data suggests the biggest benefits likely stem from fundamentals: exercise, diet, and regular sleep.
In fact, many studies reveal minimal gains—or even slight disadvantages—from certain supplements. Taking too many might be counterproductive, because biology is complex. Changing multiple variables simultaneously can trigger harmful interactions. You don’t have to break the bank to reverse your biological age. Most proven methods are accessible, like eating enough plant-based foods and getting consistent rest.
Photo credit: Ollie Hirst
8. Wash Your Hands
Handwashing advice flooded our lives during the pandemic. Scrub for 20 seconds with soap, focusing on fingers and nails. It prevents infectious diseases in the short term, but it could also help reverse your biological age long term.
For instance, certain viruses can leave lifelong footprints. One example is cytomegalovirus (CMV). After a minor initial infection, CMV hides in your cells. Your immune system, unable to eliminate it fully, devotes increasing resources to battling it. That leaves less memory for new invaders as you grow older, accelerating immune ageing. Historical data also shows fewer childhood infections correlate with healthier ageing. Avoiding bugs now can translate to a lower inflammatory load later.
9. Prepare for Future Super Drugs
Perhaps the most crucial advice is to keep yourself healthy so you’re around for next-generation therapies. Scientists are investigating medications that might reverse your biological age more powerfully than any current lifestyle trick. Some existing prescriptions, like metformin (for diabetes) or rapamycin (for transplant patients), seem to target multiple ageing “hallmarks.”
Meanwhile, innovative drugs called senolytics aim to remove or tame senescent cells that accumulate in older bodies. These developments raise the possibility of stalling or reversing many aspects of ageing. Keeping yourself as well as possible with today’s basics—exercise, diet, rest, and hygiene—prepares you to benefit from tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
Conclusion
You can reverse your biological age by making simple yet potent daily adjustments. These nine science-backed actions address many hallmarks of ageing, whether preserving muscle mass or protecting your eyes and skin. They also emphasize the value of staying current with emerging research.
Beyond the potential to slow the ageing clock, these measures can boost energy, reduce disease risks, and improve overall well-being. The result is a healthier life in the present, plus a better chance of reaping the rewards of future age-defying innovations.