There is no denying that a healthy lifestyle is better for us both physically and mentally – but how much of an impact can it have to living longer?
In the last 100 years life expectancy has increased dramatically, by as much as 30 years. This increase is mainly due to astonishing discoveries in human health, education, medicine and how to live a healthier lifestyle. It is said that medical care only contributes to 20% of our lifespan, how we care for ourselves can contribute to the other 80%.
We put together the following guide which includes tips to help you improve your lifestyle with a longer lifespan in mind…
Staying active is one of the most important habits if you’re looking to maintain your health and improve your lifespan. Exercise has many benefits which can have a significant effect on your health. For example exercise can help keep your heart healthy, a healthy hear leads to reduction in cardiovascular risks like heart disease or high blood pressure.
Regular exercise also can help you maintain a healthy weight – this in turn reduces the risk of diabetes – therefore helping to keep you healthy for longer. Physical activity is not only good for your body, but also great for your mental health. Keeping active can be one way of reducing symptoms linked to depression, anxiety and stress.
Recent scientific studies have shown that loneliness and isolation may be a hidden killer of the elderly. Being isolated and unable to be social can lead to mental health problems like depressions and physical issues like lack of activity, increase in drinking and a poor diet.
Social interaction is so important to mental health. Being around people on a regular and consistent basis helps ensure we can gain the right amount of emotional support. Social connections to friends and family can also be important in ensuring older people are staying health and keeping up with medications.
What we eat is important to how our body’s age and how we feel within ourselves. Adopting a healthy diet is important to health and can help combat common illnesses like diabetes. If you’d like to learn more about how eating healthily can improve your overall wellbeing; read our health benefits of super-foods post.
The best anti-aging foods for your skin include pomegranates – for skin softening, blueberries – for smoothing fine lines and kale / spinach – for firming. Of course, it’s not just important that our skin is healthy, but that our internal organs are, too. Undertaking a diet full of vitamins, fruits and vegetables is the best way to keep organs functioning well and our happiness levels intact. Remember – don’t be afraid to treat yourself!
Is your glass half full or half empty? Life throws us all different routes and challenges to face, but through making sure we’re always one step ahead via embracing a positive attitude, we’re allowing our bodies to avoid un-necessary stress – which isn’t just bad for us mentally, but also physically.
There are many physical and mental health benefits of meditation, including stress-relief, heart disease risk reduction and improvement of our immune systems.
The obvious key to taking care of our bodies and avoiding health implications during our lives is to not excessively drink alcohol and to avoid smoking cigarettes. However, drinking alcohol in moderation, particularly red wine, could actually help you live longer - studies have shown that one glass of wine a day can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. If you’re looking to live a longer and healthier life, you should avoid smoking at all costs – research has shown that smoking reduces life expectancy by approximately seven to eight years.
Embracing these anti-aging lifestyle habits will have a great impact on your happiness, health and general life-span; however, none of us know for certain what’s to happen in the future. This is why it’s important to consider acquiring health insurance. Take a look at our benefits of health insurance for over 65’s post or contact us to discuss the best health insurance options for you.
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