Never Stop Moving
As age increases, the body, especially the bones, muscles, and joints, begin to show signs of aging, affecting mobility. However, maintaining physical activities can help us maintain flexibility and play a vital role in extending lifespan.
In a 2012 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Aging Research in the United States, it was pointed out that engaging in physical activities can reduce many major risk factors for mortality, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, as well as certain types of cancer.
From the analysis of 13 studies on the relationship between physical activity and mortality rate, it was found that regular exercisers can reduce the risk of death from various causes by 30-35% compared to less active individuals. According to experts, people with an active lifestyle can add up to 7 years to their lifespan.
Recent studies have also shown that increasing physical activity, even with small changes such as walking more every day, can have a significant positive impact on health and longevity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that each person engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, and more exercise is even better.
Maintaining physical activities can help us maintain flexibility
Stay Connected with Others
In Pakistan, the average life expectancy is only 66 years, but in the Hunza Valley, located in isolation amidst the country’s mountains, this figure is 100. Since 2021, a group of American scientists has spent time living in Hunza and discovered factors that are likely to contribute to this remarkable difference in lifespan.
One identified factor is the sense of togetherness, the bond among the community members in the village that helps maintain good health and high longevity. Numerous studies have confirmed that a close social network has a significant impact on human longevity.
Expert Samantha Shea said, “The communities and villages here are very close-knit. The people of Hunza care and take care of each other, especially the elderly. There is no nursing home in Hunza. The elderly here are respected and well taken care of by their families.” After two years of living in the village, she found that she had never seen such a close-knit community.
Avoid Processed Foods
A study published in 2017 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that improving the diet, even in midlife or later, can help increase lifespan by many years. Specifically, the study found that improving the quality of the diet by 20% can reduce overall mortality rate by up to 14%.
Doctors and nutritionists recommend that people actively consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, and low-fat protein sources, while limiting salt, sugar, and food additives.
This is also the secret of maintaining health that the people of the Hunza Valley have been applying. “Here, people rarely consume processed foods, and you won’t find any fast food stores. Regular meals are prepared from fresh ingredients right at home. Almost every family grows their own vegetables,” shared Samantha Shea.
Avoiding processed foods is the secret to maintaining health
Reduce Animal-Based Foods
Studies on “Blue Zones” – special areas around the world where life expectancy is more than a century higher than the average – also show that reducing meat consumption can contribute to longevity.
Findings show that centenarians in Blue Zones eat only about 57 grams of meat or even less, about five times a month, compared to the meat consumption of the general population. They also consume very limited amounts of dairy.
In 4 out of 5 Blue Zones, people consume meat, but in small amounts. Meat is usually used as a garnish, and their diet is primarily plant-based, accounting for up to 95%.
Live Optimistically
Elderly people often face prolonged stress due to decreased self-care abilities. However, notably, more than half of those who live to be 100 years old do not suffer from depression, and they are also less haunted by worries.
The positive power of the soul, along with the ability to adapt resiliently to life’s challenges, helps them face challenges more gently. This is reflected in a study on Geriatrics published in the US Medical Library.
More than half of those who live to be 100 years old do not suffer from depression and they are also less haunted by worries
Avoid Smoking
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that nicotine addiction can lead to death for about half of smokers. A study on the relationship between lifespan and smoking showed that smoking increases the risk of death and causes many common chronic diseases in the elderly. As a result, the majority, accounting for 83.8%, of those who reach the age of 100 do not have the habit of smoking.
A study published in the American Medical Journal in 2004 also emphasized that smoking, when combined with other health risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes, increases the incidence of disease and disability, as well as mortality.
In addition, the study also showed that only 2.7% of those who live to be 100 years old have ever smoked.
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