I'm 42 with the biological age of a 21-year-old - and walking is the only exercise I do

Bio-age is having a moment, with wellness warriors the world over trying to get their bio-age younger. If you're not in the know, bio or biological age refers to how well your body functions at a cellular and physiological level, rather than the number of years you’ve been alive – also known as your chronological age. 

Celebrities including Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner are all years younger than their chronological age, thanks to a series of intense biohacking practices, from cryotherapy chambers to supplement regimens to NAD drips. But you don't have to be immersed in the wellness world to have a bio-age lower than your actual age.

Take 42-year-old Bettina Campolucci Bordi, who has a bio-age of 21 – half her age! – and follows one of the most low-key wellness routines we've ever heard, adhering to what she calls 'grandmother wisdom'.

"Wellness has gone a bit crazy, and it's pushed me to go old school," Bettina explains, sharing that her approach to maintaining a young bio-age is super simple. "I focus on health pillars of movement, plant-based food, keeping my stress low and avoiding technology as much as possible."

Read on for a deep dive into Bettina's simple approach to wellness.

1. Minimal technology

While it might seem helpful to track your health via watches and rings, Bettina isn't so sure. "I find it really counterintuitive and quite intrusive if you're constantly tracking your body."

She feels similarly negative towards phones, noting that community is crucial for living well, and our phones increasingly isolate us. "Make sure that when you are with people, you are fully present and having an amazing time rather than checking your notifications and looking at your phone."

Separating ourselves from our phones creates a cutoff point for work, lowering stress. "We're so online at the moment," Bettina laments. "If the first thing we do when we wake up is check our emails, we're working from the minute we open our eyes – and it's unlikely we're getting paid for that!"

With community at the forefront of health, even before food and movement, according to Bettina, even having our phone face down on the table while we eat can be detrimental as it tells our friends or family that we're not fully in the moment with them.

2. Taking exercise easy

While movement is essential for a young bio-age, Bettina explains that overexercising is one of the markers that really ages us. "Olympians and people that are extreme overexercisers are often 70 or 80 years old in terms of bio age because they're using up all of their fuel and stressing their bodies, which affects their inflammatory receptors."

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Bettina takes a more relaxed approach to working out. "Walking is the only thing I do," she reveals. "I'm acutely aware that at 42, I need to start strength training because of my bone density and it's on my to do list, but I'm being completely honest when I say all I do is walk, normally between 10,000 and 15,000 steps per day."

3. Adding to your plate, not taking away

People often assume that healthy eating requires us to cut food out, but Bettina says her key to eating well is adding as much as possible to your meals.

"Don't be afraid to think outside of the box and add more vegetables to your meal, even if they don't traditionally 'go' in the meal. Make a pasta sauce with 10 different vegetables or put all the veggies into a stew or a curry. At the end of the week, I chuck all my remaining vegetables into a pot and make a meal from that."

4. Supplements aren't forever

Bettina says she is a "big fan" of supplements but tries not to rely on them, instead taking them for three or four months, before taking a break.

"I think that it's important not be completely dependent on supplements," she says. "This is a completely personal opinion, but I feel our bodies are constantly changing – especially hormonally in our 40s – and it’s good to take stock and add in or take away as needed, making adjustments to suit."

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Bettina's rotation of supplements includes magnesium for sleep, as well as adaptogenic mushrooms when she's going through a stressful time. She also periodically takes NAD+ but is quick to note she wasn't taking this when she tested her bio-age, so doesn't attribute it to her impressive score. Multivitamins also earn a place in Bettina's supplement rotation.

5. Don't be overly strict

Many of the biohackers out there swear by a super strict routine of early bedtimes and no alcohol or caffeine, but Bettina rejects this notion. "I love coffee, but I have a maximum of two per day in the morning."

Alcohol-wise, Bettina drinks red wine and Champagne only. "Something happened to me when I turned 40 and now I can't digest any other alcohol."

6. Ease off on your schedule

While we all need to follow a schedule to some degree (public transport times, work hours, etc.) Bettina doesn't buy into a constant schedule. She runs wellness retreats and doesn't give her guests an itinerary. "If you tell someone lunch is at one pm and it gets to five past one and lunch isn't there, that becomes a stressful moment."

Instead, she leans on a loose guide of timings, stopping unnecessary stress - sounds good to us!