6 ways to help slow down aging

Aging is a natural process that occurs in every organ, influenced by age, genes, environment and lifestyle; There is currently no way to accurately determine biological age or completely reverse this process.

However, many studies show that lifestyle is a factor that can be proactively adjusted to maintain health as you age. Dr. Nguyen Le Nga, Medical Manager, VNVC Vaccination System, said it is impossible to prevent the body from aging, but each person can build good habits to maintain physical, mental health and mobility over time.

Below are 6 factors that each person can adjust appropriately to enhance physical and mental health and help slow aging.

Exercise regularly

Physical activity is not only good for the heart and metabolism, but has also been researched in relation to biological age. A meta-analysis of 44 studies involving more than 145,000 people, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity shows that people who exercise a lot often have a lower biological age according to some DNA methylation clocks, but most are observational studies so it cannot be confirmed that exercise slows aging.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults do aerobic exercise 150-300 minutes/week (moderate intensity) or 75-150 minutes/week (vigorous intensity), with muscle gain at least two days/week.

The important thing is not to overexercise to “rejuvenate”, but to maintain regular movement, suitable for physical condition, combining aerobic and strength exercises to maintain endurance, muscle mass and mobility. Beginners should gradually increase intensity; People who are older or have underlying medical conditions need to choose the appropriate form to avoid injury.

Balanced nutrition

The body needs energy to maintain and repair tissue, so nutrition directly affects how we age, not just our weight. A study in Nature Medicine (2025) shows that people who maintain a healthy diet from middle age are more likely to achieve “healthy aging” in old age – that is, living after age 70 without severe chronic disease, while maintaining good cognitive, physical and mental function.

Diets rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts and beans are associated with healthier aging. Conversely, eating a lot of ultra-processed foods is linked to accelerated aging.

Get enough and quality sleep

Sleep is the time when the body regulates and recovers, so disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea are related to biological aging. An overview above Experimental Gerontology (2026) showed that sleep disorders are associated with DNA methylation changes, which accelerate aging, possibly through mechanisms of inflammation, oxidative stress and immune disorders. However, more research is needed to know whether improving sleep can slow aging. According to Dr. Nga, the need for sleep gradually decreases with age, adults should sleep 7-9 hours per night with quality sleep.

Maintain mental health

Chronic stress and inflammation can aggravate many chronic diseases and in the long term accelerate biological aging by causing cell damage and hindering repair processes. A synthesis of 22 studies in middle-aged and older adults, published in 2026, found that stress, depression and loneliness are all associated with increased aging.

According to Dr. Nga, there is no evidence that just thinking positively can rejuvenate biological age. However, each person should identify and control stress, maintain social relationships, exercise, get enough sleep and seek psychological support when needed to protect physical and mental health.

Avoid harmful agents

Biological age is influenced not only by genes and lifestyle but also by environment. A meta-analysis of 102 studies, based on data from more than 180,000 people, found that although the results were not consistent, overall exposure to air pollution, cigarette smoke and certain chemicals was associated with increased biological age. In particular, evidence of association is recorded quite often for cigarette smoke and air pollution.

Therefore, people should maintain a healthy lifestyle by not smoking, avoiding secondhand smoke, limiting unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals, and protecting their health when air quality is bad.

Prevent infectious diseases

Infections can cause inflammation and affect many systems in the body. When prolonged or chronic, they promote cellular aging through persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage and immune dysfunction. A 2025 article on Springer Nature suggests that persistent infectious agents can accelerate aging and tissue damage. On the contrary, aging also causes a decline in immunity and low-level chronic inflammation, increasing the risk of infection and severe progression.

Vaccination is an important prevention measure for many infectious diseases. Depending on age, underlying medical conditions and risk of exposure, adults may be advised to receive vaccines such as influenza, pneumococcus, shingles, RSV, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B…

Aging is a natural process that cannot be reversed by diet, exercise or vaccines. However, maintaining exercise, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, taking care of mental health, limiting harmful agents and proactively preventing diseases helps reduce the burden of disease and maintain better body function as you age.