It’s disappointing that we cannot drink from the fabled fountain of youth! However, the good news is that most people are born with a good shot at living a healthy and long life. Only around 25% of age-linked disease is genetically determined, contrary to what most people think. This implies that our lifestyle and environment play a significant role in longevity. In most instances, these factors alone could be the ticket to dancing circles around your ninety-fifth birthday. Little lifestyle changes may not sound or feel like much, but they have great benefits.
Exercise
You’ve probably heard this a million times. However, in modern busy and sedentary lives, it can be challenging to find exercise time. You have to sit long hours at work, take care of family, drive to and from work, making it impossible to find time for yourself. Exercises do not always have to involve hitting the gym. You can do simple exercises such as walking, jogging, cycling, taking the stairs and so on. These exercises help strengthen your bones and heart. Always aim for at least 30 minutes of simple activities daily.
Watch your weight
Overweight and obesity are linked to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, some types of cancer, and cardiovascular diseases that reduce life expectancy. One of the main dietary in most countries is shifting to more processed foods, which increase the chances of obesity and the underlying consequences. Always try to eat healthy home-made foods high in proteins, fiber, and vitamins.
Quit smoking
It’s a no-brainer how harmful smoking is to your health and body. Smoking has always been linked to chronic diseases and premature death. However, if you’re a smoker, you’re aware of how hard quitting can be. However, with the right strategies, quitting smoking can add some of the lost years back.
Don’t sit still
If you don’t have enough time to exercise, which is normal in the busy modern world, you can get at least 15 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily. Research showed that this helps add three extra years to your lifespan. The result is correct even for those with health conditions such as heart disease and for overweight people. One of the best moderate-intensity exercises is brisk walking which increases longevity.
Stop holding grudges
Anger can be a difficult emotion to release, particularly if one feels justified for their outrage. However, is all this worth the cortisol? When angry or stressed, your stress hormone levels go up, negatively affecting your immune system, metabolism, and heart. High cortisol is linked with high mortality in numerous studies.
Avoid keeping to yourself
Staying social is one of the best longevity boosters. It helps you strengthen your immune system, manage stress, and increase longevity. Good relationships keep you healthy and strong while the opposite leaves you in a weak state of mind, putting you at risk of heart diseases and depression. Staying connected can be a daunting task to some, especially introverts. Still, it is always possible to re-engage, meet new people, volunteer, network or even move to a new city.
Stop Stressing
Like anger, stress takes a great toll on your mind and body, shortening your life. Strive to reduce stress to improve your health in the long run and quality of life. There are many ways of coping with stress, such as learning to relax, meditation, social groups, and more.
Other ways to live a longer and healthier life
- Eating healthy
- Meditation
- Avoid overthinking
- Enough sleep
- Avoid fear and denial
- Appreciate the small changes in life
- Make intimacy a priority
