Looking Younger Than Your Age May Be a Sign of Intelligence, According to Research

Our biological age very rarely fits how we actually feel. There are too many contributing factors that make us appear either older or younger, including stress, financial status, daily routines, and as one study suggests, intelligence. The idea is that a high IQ eventually results in us feeling and looking younger than our actual age in later years. But how?

We at Bright Side want to know more about how IQ affects our health and appearance as we get older because it’s never too late to help ourselves in this department.

How you feel about your age is what really counts.

The study is quite fascinating and it first started back in 1957. Back then, researchers measured IQ in high school students and later asked about their “inner age” from 1992 to 1993 and in 2011, when they were 71. The conclusion was that people with higher intelligence felt younger than their actual age.

But how does one’s inner age affect how they look if it’s based on feelings? Think about it: feeling older and less physically capable than we are can make us depressed and vulnerable to illness. The younger we feel, the more we want to do and the more excited we are about life.

Intelligent people are more open to experiences.

In many ways, our sense of wonder and excitement about the world around us is what makes us feel youthful at any age. Intelligent people are more likely to explore new countries and try new things because they’re more aware of the possibilities waiting for them. Traveling helps us to stay active and energized. We can all agree that running off to another adventure sounds way better than staying on the couch on yet another Saturday night.

It’s about building healthy habits.

At the end of the day, what we eat and how we take care of our bodies are what’s going to count most. And it takes a big commitment to actually stick to a healthy lifestyle.

Smart people know the body can suffer from consequences as a result of bad choices which can motivate them to take care of themselves, whereas a person with lower intelligence might only know it on a surface level. So it’s worth learning more about your body and what harms it. It can be scary, but it pays off in the long run.

Intelligence can bring money, which comes with perks.

A good education often results in a high-paying job and money matters. People with salaries greater than average have access to better medical care, they can splurge on beauty procedures from time to time, they eat more quality foods, they travel — you get the idea. This little bit of extra care can make a big difference in our later years.

Smart people have an easier time dealing with stress.

Stress is the biggest villain in our fight for youth as it actually speeds up aging on a cellular level. People with high a high IQ are more capable of prioritizing their problems, which helps them to focus on solving one thing instead of stressing about everything at once. They’re prepared for the challenges that come with older age and feel less vulnerable to change.

Have you ever thought about your inner age? If you could change something about your life that would affect how old you feel later on, what would it be?