Watch what you eat. To help you stay young, cut back on calories and fat, and be sure your diet includes lots of fruit and vegetables. Eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day to maximize your power in the fight against aging, and try to stick to whole grains and complex carbohydrates instead of high-glycemic foods. Also, too much sugar can cause you to overeat and can also lead to diabetes, so stay away from sugar in order to fight aging and stay young. Making your diet healthier with extra vegetables and fruits can also help you fight against cancer so you can live a longer and healthier life.

Work it out. Getting exercise is one of the best ways to stay young and feel great. If gyms intimidate you or taking a jog sounds all but impossible, think of other ways to sneak in exercise whenever you can. Take the stairs occasionally to help fight aging, or park a little farther from the grocery store and make that extra trek through the parking lot with your bags. Cardiovascular exercise isn’t the only form of exercise necessary to fight aging, either. Investing in a set of hand weights is another great way to fight aging, since strength training is just as important as aerobic exercise. After age 40, most people start losing muscle at the rate of a quarter of a pound each year. Lift weights two or three days a week for just 30 minutes to stay strong, help fight the signs of aging, and start feeling young again.

Drink all things in moderation. Doctors think having a glass of red wine a day might help you fight cholesterol and heart disease, but having three or four beers a night definitely won’t help you fight aging. Be conscious of your alcohol intake, and try to avoid overindulging. Alcoholic drinks are full of empty calories, which don’t do anything to help your body – or to fight aging. Alcohol isn’t the only pro-aging drink, either. You should also be mindful of your caffeine intake, because the caffeine in coffee and black tea can raise your blood pressure and dehydrate your body. Dehydration can actually cause your skin to sag, leaving you with more wrinkles. Having extra wrinkles won’t make you look any younger, so try to cut back on those double iced mochas.

Commit to quit. You’ve heard it over and over. Smoking is bad for your health. Smoking can cause lung cancer. Smoking will kill you. Did you know that smoking is also detrimental to staying young? The tobacco in cigarettes makes your teeth yellow, which ages you and can make you look (and feel) much older than you are. Meanwhile, cigarettes suck oxygen from your skin, deplete wrinkle-fighting collagen and elastin, and produce free radicals. Free radicals are toxic, unstable chemicals that build up in your cells. As you age, your body has a harder time fighting free radicals, and as free radicals damage more cells, visible aging speeds up. Free radicals also contribute to heart disease. If you need one more reason to quit smoking, remember that cigarettes and all their harmful effects won’t help you look or feel younger. They’re anything but anti-aging.

Be a kid again. Sure, your nieces, nephews or grandchildren might run faster than you can or have more energy than you ever remember having, but being with the young can make you younger, too. Play with kids whenever you can to keep you looking and feeling younger. Offer to baby-sit for an afternoon, and don’t just sit on the couch while the kids play outside. Even if you can’t join in a game of tag, being around kids’ energy and laughter will energize you and help fight aging. As an added bonus, if you’re physically able to play games with them, you might sneak in some extra exercise, too – one more anti-aging trick to stay young.

Give back. Volunteering is a great way to stay young. Volunteering doesn’t have to mean big projects like building houses and painting walls, either, so don’t be intimidated by the word “volunteer.” Try smaller jobs like helping out at a fundraiser, spending time at a soup kitchen, sitting at a voting registration table, or joining a church organization. Focusing your time and energy on other people will help you stay young, fight aging, and give back to your community. Selflessness is the ultimate anti-aging medicine.

Get a pet. As any pet owner knows, having a pet around the house never fails to keep you feeling young. Smaller, younger animals like kittens and puppies have enough energy to get you moving and active all the time. This will give you the added benefit of exercise, which also helps you fight aging. Taking in a pet that needs to be trained will certainly keep you on the top of your game mentally and physically, which is another anti-aging bonus. But if a feisty Fido might be too much for you, consider getting an older, quieter animal. Even if you’re not chasing a pet around the yard to fight aging, having another companion will make you less lonely, which can help you feel younger and more full of life every day.

Give it a rest. As you age, the amount of sleep you need each night changes, but the fact remains that you probably aren’t getting enough. To fight aging, stop fighting sleep. More time in bed doesn’t necessarily mean more sleep, either, so just being in bed for more hours than your teenage nephew doesn’t mean you’re any more rested. Older people are found to have shorter REM cycles, which is the sleep you need to fight aging. There are a few ways to help you sleep better. One key tactic is to get more exercise, which also helps fight aging on its own. Other tactics include taking a bath two hours before sleep, avoiding caffeine, keeping your bedroom quiet and dark, and breaking the habit of going to sleep with your television turned on, as that can disrupt your REM cycle. However you do it, getting more rest will help you fight aging – and it will probably make you a little more cheerful too.

Use your noggin. One of the best ways to fight aging and stay looking and feeling young is to exercise your mind. Crossword puzzles, word games, even reading a book or newspaper will keep your mind sharp and your outlook healthy. Using your mind in these ways can also prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Feeling intelligent and useful is a great anti-aging measure that’s fairly easy to take, and staying young by being up to date will probably please the youngsters in your life, too.

Be thankful. It might sound cheesy, but being thankful for everything in your life and counting your blessings every once in a while can actually help you stay young and fight aging. Remember what you have and how lucky you are to be alive. It’s one of the best anti-aging remedies, because it keeps you mindful that looking young isn’t everything. Stop to appreciate the people you love and the little things that bring you joy. Feeling happy and thankful will lighten your spirit, soften the aging process, and keep you looking younger – if only because you’ve got a smile on your face.