Even though all the creatures in the world face death, only human beings strive to extend their time on earth, always looking for the secrets to living a better, longer life. With the global life span estimated to be around 71.4 years, anyone who clocks 100 is considered lucky. However, experts agree that you can tweak a few things in your life to get a few more decades. In this piece, we look at some unexpected secrets that can lead to a better, longer life.
- Work Hard and Play Hard
In the typical human life, we are always tongue-tied in living the future in the present. We follow a curated list of events to the extent that we fail to enjoy life. Instead of spending most of your time following a list, hit the gym, go grocery shopping, what if we throw away the list and live by our own rules. Rather than taking the backseat and retreating into the village to age gracefully when we hit 60, stay busy and active in your daily life.
One option is to live in the city and surround yourself with the hustle and bustle of urban life. Cities boast the best healthcare systems, robust transportation systems, opportunities for enhanced learning, and a mix-match of arts and culture to stimulate you physical intellectually.
- Invest in Friendships
Since we are social creatures, the kind of friends we choose will determine how long we’ll live. According to a study published in the journal Personal Relationships in 2017, friends matter the most when we age. While both families and friends bring happiness and better health as we age, it is only strong friendship that shows any link to improved health in octogenarians.
Therefore, if you want to add a few years to your life, pick your friends carefully. Great friendship involves steering each other in the right direction and giving each other advice. Moreover, caring helps your bodies release hormones that help relieve stress.
- Exercise Regularly
Among lifestyle changes that have shown to increase longevity is exercising. Signs of aging are deep routed into your DNA and not only on your skin. Regular exercises help protect your chromosomes by making them longer. Additionally, it stimulates the release of happiness hormones (endorphins), which help relieve stress. And as we all know, severe and persistent anxiety can shorten your life. Research indicates that octogenarians who exercise regularly are not prone to old-age conditions such as loss of vigor, failing cognitive faculties, and impaired hearing and vision.
- Be Consistent in Your Eating Habits
Eating healthy is something that has always been thought to add to your longevity. However, according to Peter Martin, a practicing professor of human development and family studies, as long as you are healthy, what you eat is not as crucial as keeping consistency in your eating habits. If it’s time for breakfast, eat foods meant for breakfast, lunch the same, and don’t miss the timing even by a minute. When it comes to taking alcohol, research shows that seniors with light to moderate alcohol intake have a lower risk of death compared to those who don’t drink at all. So, if you’re healthy, taking something out of the diet or taking a bottle of beer won’t reduce your years on earth but rather increase them.
- Get Married and Enjoy Sex
Having a life partner also comes with several advantages that can reduce the risk of death. Besides companionship, emotional support, and sexual intimacy, it instills a sense of balance and enjoyment that can give you more years. Being sexually active even at old age has been linked to increased satisfaction and, at times, longer life. So, if you want to add more years to your life, don’t leave the scene too early.
Longevity may seem beyond your control, but many healthy habits like the ones mentioned here can boost your health and put you on the path to a long life.
