Growing old cannot be helped, but you may be able to help yourself stay healthy as you grow older. Having good health during your senior years can give you a better quality of life and enable you to do more.
It is true that some people who do not observe healthy practices live longer than some people who regularly have healthy lifestyles. In their cases, it may be a set of good genes; but most people with ongoing bad habits will have shorter lives.
So, if you are not willing to gamble with your health and longevity, here are six things that can help most people to live longer.
- Exercise
The one thing that most doctors and researchers say will enable longer life is exercise. It offers the most benefits to help you stay healthy.
Getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week will help you manage your weight by losing the extra pounds and maintaining it. Eating fewer calories will help you lose weight even faster.
Once you get to your recommended weight, it will also help to reduce your risk of getting diabetes – or help control it if you already have it. Exercise also helps reduce the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease, reduces the pain from arthritis, and enables you to feel better and maintain good function.
Another powerful benefit of exercise is that it will help to reduce your risk of several types of cancer. They include breast, colon, kidney, stomach, lung, bladder, endometrium, and esophagus cancer.
- A Healthy Diet
Along with exercise, you need to have a regular diet of healthy foods to live longer. It is well-known that people that live in Blue Zones – areas of the world where people live the longest – eat a very healthy diet. Healthy eating involves low-carb meals and lots of fruits and vegetables.
- Not Smoking or Drinking
Studies have revealed that smoking is one factor that can reduce your lifespan the most. This bad habit can reduce your lifespan by 5 to 6 years. Although alcohol will also shorten your life, it does not have quite the same impact as smoking.
- Get More Sleep
Sleep is essential to staying healthy – especially for mental health. Getting between seven to nine hours each night will help you feel more alert and can help you maintain better cognitive benefits longer. When you get eight hours of sleep, it helps with memory, and concentration, and reduces your risk of dementia.
Taking a nap during the day has also been shown to be beneficial. One study revealed that people who regularly took naps had a 37 percent less chance of dying from heart disease.
- Reduce Stress
If you have ongoing stress, it can be harmful to your body in many ways. It can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, depression, arthritis, heart problems, headaches, and more.
You can reduce daily stress through exercise, taking a walk, listening to calming music, talking with a friend, meditation, and more. Naps can also help reduce it and the effects of the hormones caused by it.
- See a Doctor Regularly
Visiting your doctor for regular checkups enables many problems to be detected early and treatment to reduce their impact. People who do not see doctors develop problems without their knowledge in the early stages, and when they finally do make a visit, more drastic medical measures are necessary.
It is just as important to see a dentist often for greater longevity. Inflammation can start as gum disease, and it can lead to the development of over 100 different diseases. A dentist can provide early treatment to reduce problems with your mouth and teeth.