Healthy Lifestyle for a Longer Life

Presently, 10% of the population have lived for more than 60 years old. However, researchers estimated that by 2050 only 1 in 5 people will be able to live over 60. There are many factors affecting the longevity of the population but one huge contributor in lowering the average life span is ignoring the healthy lifestyle. Bad behaviours such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, lack of exercise and eating greasy and unhealthy food are most causes of decreasing longevity of mankind. 

How exactly can a person live longer? According to research, people who live a healthy lifestyle have reached at least 90 years old or beyond. A study from the British Medical Journal showed that exercise, eating healthy foods and avoidance from harmful habits greatly helped elderly women and men to live five and six years longer than average. The study highly recommend people to encourage favourable lifestyle habits in enhancing life expectancy and reducing morbidity. In addition, exercise appeared to have the greatest connection with longevity.  People who exercised lived two years longer than those who didn’t. With the fast-paced era and hectic life people live in, exercise does not necessarily last for 30 minutes or so. A simple exercise like walking, swimming, biking, running or even stair climbing can help a person live longer.

People also read: It’s Time to Spend Time Outdoors with Your Family

Moreover, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) presented their research that exercise and eating fruits and vegetables could actually do help to extend the lifespans of elderly population.  According to Thomas Perls, an acting chief of gerontology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, only 10% – 15% of people over 65 exercise regularly. The lack of exercise for elderly can lead to a high risk of osteoporosis, depression and other health problems. Also, a large number of population eat an unhealthy diet and practice overeating. These undesirable eating behaviours caused half of the population to become overweight.

As the saying goes, “what you reap is what you sow”. The lifestyle of a person is highly significant to extend life expectancy.