By Bob Livingston
Danish research predicts that half of all babies born today in the developed world will live to be 100.
Centenarians used to be a rare breed. These days, centenarians are still fairly rare but you can join their ranks — and still be healthy and sharp — with a few adjustments to what your lifestyle might be now.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the average life span was 31 years. And even though our average life span in America is just shy of 79 years, it’s very possible to go a generation beyond that if we fix a few habits.
None of us wants to grow old and decrepit in poor health and a burden to others. That’s not really living, and it’s a scary thought. But follow as many of these recommendations as you can and you won’t even have to worry about family health history. Your genes only have about a 10 percent influence on how long you live.
1. Quit smoking — This is the No. 1 thing you must do if you want to live longer, healthier. Did you know that when they do health studies, they have to do special statistical corrections to account for the influence of smoking? The reason is that smoking overshadows everything else as a possible cause of disease and early death. It’s never too late to quit. A study in the prestigious journal The Lancet showed people who quit smoking live 10 years longer than if they had continued smoking,
2. Have a drink — One or two glasses of alcohol a day can help you live longer, according to a 2010 study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. But don’t overdo it. Excessive alcohol consumption has the opposite effect, trimming years off your life and increasing the risk of accidents that cause injury or death.
3. Eat real fiber — A 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that eating lots of fiber, especially from grains, could help ward off an early death from heart disease, infections, and respiratory illness in men and women, as well as the risk of death from cancer for men.
4. Brush and floss — Proper oral hygiene can add more than six years to your life span. Removing bacteria helps prevent gum disease that can lead to heart disease and strokes.
5. Snooze — Most Americans on average come up about an hour short on sleep. Get a full eight hours sleep to add a couple of years to your life. Taking regular short naps dramatically cuts the risk of dying from coronary heart disease, especially for working men. But don’t loll around in bed too long. More than nine hours of sleep increases the risk of health problems and even death. One study showed that long sleepers have a 30 percent higher risk of premature death.
6. Get married — A Duke University Medical Center study found that “permanently-partnered” people live longer than singles. Marry someone younger than yourself for an extra bonus of life span, studies show.
7. Don’t argue — Close relationships inevitably hit rough spots, but try to keep them to a minimum. Couples who fight a lot have more health problems, says a Brigham Young University study.
8. Have sex — Regular intercourse (2-3 times a week) relieves stress and releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin. It significantly lowers your risk of heart disease. You’ll also burn about 200 calories.
9. Think about death — Strange as it may seem, a healthy realistic awareness of your own mortality can help you live longer by motivating you to make healthy lifestyle choices.
10. Turn off the TV — Every hour of TV you watch after age 25 cuts your life span by about 22 minutes, according to 2012 research from The University of Queensland, Australia.
11. Stand up — Sitting for less than three hours a day can add two years to your life, according to analysis published in BMJ Open.
12. Stand up straight — Poor posture accelerates bone and muscle degradation. It also puts unnatural stress on internal organs. Stand up — and sit up — straight. You’ll not only feel better but look better and live longer.
13. Move to the city — Living in the country may sound serene, but Country Health Rankings findings published in the Wall Street Journal show city dwellers live longer and healthier than their country cousins, who suffer from higher rates of smoking, obesity, and chronic health problems like diabetes and hypertension.
14. Practice yoga — Exercise routines like yoga and tai-chi not only work the muscles but help relax and soothe the mind to relieve stress.
15. Swim — Any exercise is good, but swimming may be the best single exercise. A study in the International Journal of Aquatic Education and Research showed that compared with running, walking or being sedentary, swimming cut death risk for men by 50 percent.
16. Walk — A brisk daily walk helps you maintain healthy weight, strengthens bones and muscles, improves your mood and helps prevent heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, among other health benefits. And it’s a good way to say hi to your neighbors.
17. Run — But don’t overdo it. A 2012 Copenhagen City Heart study indicated that moderate jogging can add five to six years to your life. However, University of South Carolina research showed that running more than 20 miles a week faster than 7 miles an hour or more than five times a week gained no longevity benefit.
18. Ride a bike — And put the pedal to the metal. A Copenhagen study found that male cyclists who pedaled fastest lived about five years longer than the slowpokes. For women, the gain was about four years. A study by the European Society of Cardiology Congress found that Tour de France cyclists generally live longer than non-cyclists.
19. Take the stairs — University of Geneva researchers found that even couch potatoes who simply take the stairs instead of the elevator burned enough calories and lowered blood pressure enough to reduce the risk of early death by 15 percent.
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20. Use your head — A study found that 89 percent of centenarians keep their minds active. Your brain needs exercise, too. Work puzzles, read, play cards against your friends, take classes in things that interest you. If you’re computer-literate, play strategy games that require critical thinking skills.
21. Take up a hobby — Having an enjoyable pastime reduces stress and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Getting involved in hobby groups can lead to new friendships.
22. Take a vacation — Sticking to the grind and not taking your vacation days cuts time off your life clock. Get away from it all now and then.
23. Get out of a rut — It’s a tired old cliché, but “variety is the spice of life” really is true. Your brain and body can get lazy when you do the same-old-same-old all the time. Change things up now and then. Get out of your comfort zone to stimulate your mind and body with new experiences, or at least a change of scenery.
24. Get a pet — Research shows that both cat- and dog-owners tend to live longer than people without pets. One study showed that having a cat around can lower the risk for heart attack by one-third. Doctors now sometimes prescribe having a service dog for certain psychological needs and emotional support.
25. Eat fish — Seafood (as well as some vegetables and seeds) provides plentiful omega-3 fatty acids. A Harvard School of Public Health study revealed that older people with the highest blood levels of omega-3s lived 2.2 years longer on average than those with low omega-3 levels.
26. Eat spinach — Popeye the Sailor Man’s favorite munch is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. As a bonus, folate also increases blood flow to nether regions, helping to ward off age-related sexual issues.
27. Eat broccoli — Studies show that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage extends lifespans, possibly because they are rich in vitamin C and other necessary nutrients.
28. Eat blueberries — Rich in antioxidants that protect cells by changing the way neurons in the brain communicate. They also reduce accumulation of protein clumps associated with Alzheimer’s. Blueberries taste mighty good, too!
29. Eat nuts. Go nuts over nuts, suggests the result of a study published inBioMed Centra that showed people who eat nuts have a 39 percent lower risk of early death. Walnut eaters do best, cutting the risk of dying early by 45 percent.
30. Drink water — Water is, quite literally, the elixir of life. Without it, no animal on earth can survive. Water not only provides essential elements to keep your body working properly, but it works to flush toxins and waste materials from your body. Start each day by drinking 16 to 32 ounces of water. And reach for water instead of colas for refreshment during the day.
31. Drink coffee — Having a cuppa joe provides antioxidants that lower your risk for diabetes, liver damage, several cancers and depression. But don’t hit the coffeepot too much. Having more than four cups of coffee a day increases your risk of death by 21 percent, says a study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
32. Go easy on processed meats — Numerous studies indicate that a diet heavy in processed meats like sausage and bacon leads to a higher risk of cancer and heart disease.
33. Go shopping — An AARP report says that men and women who shop daily lowered the risk of death by 28 percent for men, 23 percent for women. The results hold true even if you don’t buy anything.
34. Wash your hands — A World Health Organization study in 2005 concluded that the simple act of hand-washing could save more lives globally than any vaccine or other medical intervention. Amazing!
35. Keep busy — Retirement leisure may sound appealing, but Harvard’s Longevity Project found that people who lived into old, old age typically had successful, satisfying careers and continued working, at least part time, long into their 70s. Working gives purpose to living and a reason to get up and get busy every morning.
36. Love your job — If you hate your job and/or your boss, you could be setting yourself up for a shortened life. To live longer, find a job you love doing to fill one-third of your daily life.
37. Look for the silver lining — Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University found that a positive attitude correlates to a longer life span. Don’t dwell on bad stuff. Under stress, your body pumps out adrenaline and cortisol, which are meant to help you cope with danger in the short term but which can damage your immune system, heart, and brain when you’re constantly keyed up, says Hymie Anisman, professor of neuroscience at Carleton University in Ottawa.
38. Be happy — smile! A Yeshiva University study of 243 centenarians found that a common trait among the oldsters was that they loved to laugh. “They considered laughter an important part of life,” the lead researcher said. A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that among older people, the group that scored as “happiest” had a death rate less than half of the unhappiest group.
39. Be nice — Nice people have fewer relationship conflicts that cause stress, increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Getting along contributes to getting a long life.
40. Be social — Frequent social activity and contact can add as much to your life span as cutting down on cholesterol or lowering your blood pressure, according to Thomas Glass, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
41. Be conscientious — Besides being a positive personal habit, being conscientious is also healthy. Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin say in their book The Longevity Project that people who are diligent and responsible are more likely to have healthy behaviors and be less prone to disease.
42. Be creative — Recent research on military veterans revealed that those with the most creativity reduced mortality risk by 12 percent. Take up painting, leatherworking, writing poetry, computer graphics or whatever interests you. It’s relaxing, rewarding and releases stress.
43. Learn to play an instrument — Neuroscientist Christo Pantev believes aging adults can benefit from learning to play a musical instrument. Music is not only pleasant to the ear, but it is mathematically precise and logical. Intense musical training forces the brain to use more mental processes and resources, helping to combat some dementia processes.
44. Meditate — Tom Von Deck, corporate meditation trainer, speaker and author, says it’s important to recharge your inner batteries regularly. “You can take brief breaks for stretching, prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, silent offering of gratitude, a short date with nature, or whatever you find calming and balancing. Even 30 seconds out of each hour will melt away stress and accumulate a powerful sense of peace at and below the level of consciousness,” says Von Deck. Less stress, longer life.
45. Volunteer — Lending a helping hand helps you live longer, says a University of Michigan study in the journal Psychology and Aging. It’s believed that people who give back are rewarded with lower blood pressure, contributing to a longer life span. Feels good, too.
46. Move to Hawaii (or the Dakotas) — A 65-year-old in Hawaii lives longer than in any other state, another 16.2 years on average, according to CDC data. North Dakota has the highest rate of centenarians-per-capita, followed closely by South Dakota.
47. Move up — A University of Colorado School of Medicine study found that the 20 U.S. counties with the highest life expectancy had an average altitude of 5,967 feet above sea level. The higher altitude added 2 to 3.6 years to a man’s life by lowering the risk of death from heart disease.
