Youth is a beautiful thing. For as long as human beings have had the luxury of growing old, we’ve worried about doing so. And rightly so — after all, nobody enjoys feeling less energetic or growing less attractive! Mankind has gone to great lengths to retain youth and beauty, and some of the ideas people once pinned their hopes on feel very silly now: There is no Fountain of Youth, of course, and crocodile dung is not the best ingredient to have in your eye cream. And before you laugh too hard at the silly humans of years gone by, remember that there are folks out there right now in our modern era who are doing strange things like getting transfusions of blood drawn from younger people (and in case you were wondering, the answer is no, this does not work).

The truth, of course, is that there’s nothing that we can do to stop or reverse the course of aging. But we can do certain things to slow aging down, and even “reverse” things to reclaim a little bit of our energy and good looks, at least for a while. Maximizing your youthful vigor and looks is something that you can (and should!) do at every stage of your life. Here’s what you need to know about doing so at any and every age.

Youthful habits

Many young people feel invincible. They’re not, of course, but it’s easy to see why they think that! Young people may be able to devour unhealthy meals without showing any evidence of them in their waistlines. They may be able to drink heavily and dodge hangovers.

But don’t be fooled. Mistakes you make in youth can hurt you immediately (binge drinking is always dangerous and can kill someone of any age). And if you dodge the short-term consequences, you’re not off the hook: Your youth is when you build the lifelong habits that can make or break your youth and beauty.

So choose wisely. Eat well — not just because it’s good for you now, but because eating well now will make it easier to eat well later. Don’t drink too much or smoke; doing that stuff is terrible for your health and your looks. Exercise regularly to stay fit and trim, and to make it a habit that lasts a lifetime.

Visit the doctor regularly, and don’t forget about the dentist. Develop your beauty routines, too: You don’t have wrinkles yet, but you will later, and you’ll be happier with your looks if you take the time now to clean and moisturize your skin twice a day.

Growing old gracefully

If you cultivate healthy habits in youth, you’ll feel younger and look better in middle age and old age. If you don’t, you won’t be happy! However, while you may not be able to totally undo the damage of bad youthful habits, it’s never too late to make better choices.

Start eating better and exercising regularly at any age, and you’ll see results. Losing weight will help your energy levels and your looks. Skin care matters at every age, as does dental care. And you could consider reclaiming some of your lost looks with processes like teeth whitening, say experts in restorative dental care.

If you’re not happy with how you look and feel as you age, don’t despair. Talk to medical and cosmetic professionals about your options. You may find that certain procedures can restore the looks and energy that you feel like you’re losing. For example, hormone replacement therapy is a popular procedure that boosts an aging person’s diminishing supply of hormones like testosterone — which can result in higher energy levels, a more youthful appearance, and even an increased sex drive!