A balanced lifestyle slows down aging. 

 Scientifically speaking, a balanced lifestyle can help slow down aging.

It now appears that following consistent daily routines—with regular and consistent time allocated for rest and activity—can help slow biological aging, according to Science Alert.

According to the findings of a new study led by a team from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, daily lifestyle patterns tend to change with age, with older adults, for example, tending to go to bed earlier. The new findings suggest that these changes may be directly linked to biological aging.

A regular and balanced routine. The study indicates that if a regular and balanced daily routine is implemented early on, it may have an anti-aging effect, leading to a longer and healthier life. However, at present, these are just indicators, not conclusive proof.

Adam Spyra, a psychopathologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, explained: "The study's findings suggest that rest and activity patterns can be useful indicators of the rate of physiological aging in adults."

If future research supports these findings, these patterns may emerge as potential targets for interventions aimed at slowing the aging process.

Aging 

4 Genetic Indicators

Researchers analyzed a week's activity data from 207 older adults, checking movement, sleep, and light exposure. They also examined the consistency of the patterns, when rest and activity peaked, and the magnitude of the differences between periods of rest and activity.

This data was then compared to four "genetic clock" indicators. These clocks all use biomarkers in the blood in slightly different ways to assess biological age by looking for chemical markers on DNA that indicate damage and erosion.

Evidence of Accelerated Aging

Although not all the indicators matched perfectly, strong associations were found between regular, predictable routines and slower biological aging. People with irregular schedules, whose lives alternated between activity and rest, and who followed an irregular routine showed evidence of accelerated biological aging.

Longevity Aging 

Biological Rhythms

Jeans Hopkins Bloomberg geneticist Bryon Maher says the findings are consistent with previous studies linking disruptions to circadian rhythms to increased inflammation and brain shrinkage. In other words, the human body appears to prefer regular, predictable schedules, in line with its 24-hour biological rhythms.

Biological rhythms are known to be closely linked to health, telling the body when to rest and when to be active. When this rhythm is disrupted, the risk of health problems increases, as is the case for night shift workers, for example.