11 Real-Life Age-Stoppers

You can't turn back the clock, but you can slow down the aging processes often associated with getting older.

"Many of the physical phenomena that occur with time, such as the loss of bone density, muscle mass, and muscle strength, are largely preventable," says Robert N. Butler, M.D., CEO of the U.S. branch of the International Longevity Center.

Steps to take

Dr. Butler recommends the following proven ways to help you live a longer, healthier life:

• Lift weights. To avoid the loss of muscle mass, a classic sign of aging, "you must strength train," says Dr. Butler. Weight lifting can help reduce your risk of frailty, especially if you do lifts that work the quadriceps.

• Quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and many types of cancer. "To really improve your chances of living to a healthy old age, you must stop smoking," says Dr. Butler.

• Fill up on fruits and vegetables. Eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day helps neutralize free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that can damage cell DNA, leading to disease, he says.

• Prevent weight gain. Extra pounds are associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes—and untreated diabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.

• Join a walking club. Walking is one of the easiest ways to keep your heart in shape. To increase your chances of sticking with a walking routine, "form a walking club with people in your neighborhood," suggests Dr. Butler.

• Keep mentally active. Participating in a variety of activities will help prevent mental decline. You'll improve the connections between nerve cells in the brain that relay messages. If your job involves working with numbers, for instance, spend your spare time writing or painting.

• Reduce stress. Stress is "a hormonal chain of events that can expedite the aging process," says Dr. Butler. To manage stress, do relaxing activities, such as tai chi and yoga.

• Don't skimp on sleep. Not sleeping enough impairs your ability to cope with stress. Try to get a solid eight hours of rest each night. Most people sleep an average of 7.2 hours nightly.

• Don't drink to excess. Women should have no more than one drink a day; men, no more than two. If you have more than that, you increase your risk of liver problems and breast cancer—and the risk gets greater as you age.

• Work out regularly. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least three to four days a week.

• Eat a low-fat diet. "It's one of the best ways to avoid weight gain and heart disease," says Dr. Butler.