The greatest fact remains that we are all bound to grow old. In fact, about one of every eight Americans is 65 years old or above and that number is forecasted to double by year 2030.
Americans have the average lifespan of 78 years. Mortality is commonly due to heart diseases, cancer and stroke, which are the three top killer diseases in USA. But, we don’t need to just stay still and accept that we only have 78 years to live. The lifespan of a person is not merely based on the statistics or genes alone. Our lifestyles can greatly affect how long we will live.
In one study, it was proven that men in their 70s, who didn’t smoke, exercised regularly, maintained normal weight and didn’t have diabetes or hypertension basically had higher chances of reaching 90 years old by over 50 percent as compared to other older men who didn’t have a healthy lifestyle.
If you want to live longer, check out these 5 steps and lifestyle changes to help you:
Always have a positive outlook in life.
Happy and positive people are definitely healthier than the sad and pessimistic ones.
A study published in “Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being” shares that maintaining a positive outlook can aid in making us live longer and healthier. Scientists found out that individuals who have positive dispositions in life had lesser stress-related hormones, which are connected to lower blood pressure and lesser risks of acquiring chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases. Mayo Clinic also had a study in 2002 that discussed how happy persons have lesser risks of having premature deaths by about 50 percent compared to the pessimistic ones.
Lessen consumption of red meat and processed food products.
Eat healthy and have a balanced diet. Go for fresh foods, lean meat and whole grains. Such diet can help you maintain the normal weight, improve your mood and energy levels and lessen risks of having age-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes and some cancers. The “junk” foods you didn’t eat can even add up more years to your life. Avoid too much red meat and processed foods.
Eating too much red meat can be related to certain cardiovascular illnesses and particular cancers. The National Institutes of Health along with AARP discovered that consuming 62.4 grams of red meat daily gives a 30% greater chance of mortality than consuming just about 5 grams of red meat daily.
Have an active lifestyle.
All of us need to be physically active to stay healthy. It is suggested that adults do about 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise like dancing or brisk walking weekly. If you want, you may also try 75 minutes of extreme aerobic exercises like running every week with strength training exercises at least two times a week. Go for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Go make your heart rate increase to make the exercise truly count.
Exercising regularly can aid in lessening the risks of acquiring chronic conditions and other age-related diseases like heart diseases, muscle mass loss and thinning of the bones or reducing the symptoms. Thus, you will experience lesser pains and have better mobility and flexibility even as you grow old. You could also get to maintain your insulin at low levels and your heart in an optimal condition.
Own a pet.
About 63% of the American households have pets. That’s just about 85 million cats and 75 million dogs plus other animals like fish, reptiles, birds, horses, etc. And 90% of the pet owners take their pets as part of their family already.
Having pets only means having a better quality of life. Pets can offer you companionship. They can even give you more opportunities for exercise and interactions with other people. These benefits give better health to the pet owners. Those individuals who have pets also have lower blood pressure, normal cholesterol levels and lesser depressed feelings and episodes compared to those individuals who do not own any pet.
Do you consider owning a pet? Adopt one! Choose one from over 8 million cats and dogs in different shelters.
Floss every day.
You need to keep good oral hygiene daily because it decreases the risks of tooth loss and gives a positive effect on your total body health. Floss every day.
Although brushing your teeth is really important, it can’t take away all the bacteria that hide in between your teeth. If you floss daily, you remove the plaques and bacteria that may cause gum diseases.
Gum diseases are infections related to inflammations in the body. They are linked to other chronic inflammatory diseases like cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes. Curing gum diseases and keeping a healthy mouth can lessen the risks of developing or reduce the symptoms of other inflammatory diseases.
No diseases only mean healthier you and longer life!
