Most seniors can point to two factors that have allowed them to live longer than most – 1) their inherited family genes, and 2) the ways they have chosen to preserve and maintain their health.
Regarding genetics, the science is undeniable. According to the Longevity Genes Project at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, people living well into their 90s inherited the genetic capacity to delay chronic and debilitating illnesses, including dementia, regardless of their lifestyle choices.
On the other hand, the number of people reaching age 100 is growing rapidly — with an estimated 101,000 in 2024 and a predicted increase to 422,000 by 2054. So, there is more to living a healthy and long life than just your genes.
Improvements in public health and medicine over the years may partially account for this increased number of centenarians. However, seniors are also becoming more aware of the value of eating well, exercising, and other healthy lifestyle changes.
10 Habits to Support a Long Life
1. Eat Well
What you eat and how much you eat has a direct bearing on how long and healthy your life may be. In American culture, huge restaurant servings of high-calorie foods have come to be expected. This isn’t the way the human body is designed to feed itself, however.
Rather, the Mediterranean diet is an excellent example of a healthy diet that emphasizes the consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats. These foods, along with a weekly intake of fish, poultry, beans, and eggs, as well as limited portions of dairy products and red meat, are why the American Heart Association recommends the Mediterranean diet.
2. Stay Physically Active
Just 15 minutes per day of physical activity could add years to your life. The recommendation is for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week. People who meet that goal could have up to a 21% lower risk of premature death.
Don’t forget balance exercises. A study showed that people maintaining good balance as they aged had a lower risk of premature death.
NOTE: Consult with your physician before beginning an exercise program.
3. Limit Alcohol Intake
Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to liver, heart, and pancreatic disease – and increases the likelihood of an early death. While moderate wine consumption has been considered beneficial in some studies, there is no need to start drinking as a health measure.
4. Don’t Use Tobacco
Smoking and use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars and smokeless tobacco, can cause or worsen numerous diseases and conditions. Smoking, by itself, is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
Find out more on how smoking and other tobacco products affect your health with these tobacco facts from the American Lung Association.
5. Manage Weight
Being too heavy or too light can take as many as four years off your life, a study suggests.
When exploring how to live longer, you’ll likely be encouraged to work toward a healthy BMI – a measure of body fat based on height and weight. To determine a healthy weight, there are body mass index (BMI) calculators online. However, you may want to consult your physician to determine your ideal weight.
6. Sleep Well
The amount and quality of your sleep affects your health. Insufficient or poor sleep can lead to problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
Sleep disorders are more prevalent among seniors. For example: sleep apnea — a condition where a person temporarily stops breathing as many as 30 times per hour — negatively impacts nearly 20 percent of all older adults.
If you suspect you have a sleep disorder, contact your physician who can talk to you about testing (called a sleep study).
7. Build and Maintain Relationships
A Harvard study was designed to look into what leads to a longer and happier life, and discovered that relationships were key.
The study followed 268 Harvard sophomores beginning in 1938, and found that healthy and happy relationships help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.
8. Manage Stress
When we are stressed, our bodies produce high levels of the hormone cortisol. As a result, our blood pressure and heart rate increase, which can become damaging over time. Stress can also lead to other unhealthy habits—drug abuse, smoking, drinking and overeating.
Some stress management tactics include:
- Identifying the source of your stress and how you may be contributing to it with your thoughts and actions.
- Taking a few minutes to back away from a stressful situation and regroup by engaging in some type of physical activity, like taking a short walk. This may help you release your anger and frustration.
- Accepting what you can’t change, and instead look for the positive side of a situation. Share how you feel with others. And, most importantly, learn how to forgive yourself and others.
- Seeking professional help if your stress becomes unmanageable.
9. Think “Younger”
This isn’t Peter Pan Syndrome, where an adult acts like a child. It’s about recapturing some of the best parts of being a child. Each day, for example:
- Laugh. Find the things that bring you joy and laughter.
- Learn. Start a hobby or research a new subject.
- Explore. Ask questions about what you observe and how you feel. Go somewhere you’ve never been before.
- Play. Participate in games and social interactions. Sing, dance and have fun.
10. Find a Purpose
Does having a life purpose equate to a longer life? Yes, according to a study on JAMA Network. A study of 6,985 people aged 50 years and older revealed “a stronger purpose in life was associated with decreased mortality.”
Think about what you consider to be most valuable to you. Is it your community, your family and friendships, or your causes and beliefs? If you feel you have lost your purpose, seek another reason to get up in the morning — help a friend, volunteer or join a worthwhile organization.
Age can be measured by a number, but living as fully as you can during those years is the real measure.
Visit Bethesda’s Health & Wellness articles for more senior health tips.
