by Scientists are just beginning to crack the code for a long, healthy life. Certainly, our genetics play a huge role in determining our… lifespanbut it’s becoming increasingly clear that small, everyday habits can have a profound impact on how long we live.
Researchers who study long-lived individuals have found that it is not their education or income that keeps them alive for decades. The only thing non-age and centenarians have in common? A healthy lifestyle. And Generation
By incorporating a few simple tips into your daily routine, you can add a few years to your life. Because how you treat your body now directly affects how well it will function in the future.
HuffPost asked Gen X doctors and other healthcare professionals what they recommend for living longer based on their own experience in the field. This is what they said.
Try to walk a little bit every day.
“While things like lifting weights or running can be very helpful, recent studies have suggested that something as simple as walking regularly, especially in people who are not as physically active, can help people live longer,” says Dr. Jeff Stanley, an internal medicine physician and medical director of Virta Health, told HuffPost.
Better yet, regular walking improves your mental health, research shows, and prevents anxiety and depression. “Walking can help improve overall hormone balance and dopamine release and aid in healthy sleep patterns, all areas linked to living longer,” said Milica McDowell, a certified exercise physiologist and vice president of operations at Gait Happens.
Getting between 2,500 and 4,000 steps every day will significantly improve your cardio and mental health, McDowell says. cardiovascular disease and mortality.
Walking doesn’t have to be a heavy burden. Use a walkway at your desk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park further away from your office, home, or grocery store to increase your steps.
Sleep at least seven hours a night.
Dr. Neal Waliaa sleep medicine physician at UCLA Health, said poor sleep has been linked to increased mortality and… oxidative stresswhich is an imbalance of free radicals that contribute to cell damage.
“We think the body needs that time to clean out the junk and byproducts produced during the day, and it is designed to do this on a regular basis,” Walia said. These effects are likely to compound over time, which could explain why prolonged poor sleep is often associated with poor health.
While it may be tempting to sacrifice sleep for productivity, regularly skimping on sleep can lead to cognitive decline, noted Sarah Bullard, director of psychology at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare. “Just because you feel like you can get by on less sleep doesn’t mean it won’t silently undermine your health over time.”
A lack of sleep is linked to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline and obesity Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most adults should aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night. Sleep is restorative, the Mayo Clinic states – it helps your body rest and heal itself. When you sleep, your body repairs sore muscles, flushes out toxins, and your brain helps consolidate memories—all things that will extend your lifespan.
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Limit processed foods and prioritize fresh foods.
Stanley advises his patients to monitor the amount of processed foods they consume.
“Increased sugar intake, and particularly added sugars in processed foods and drinks, has been shown to be associated with: higher risk of mortality from heart disease, and even aging at the cellular level,” said Stanley.
Recent research found that people who ate higher levels of added sugars showed more signs of aging. Stanley said prioritizing real, whole foods over processed snacks high in high fructose corn syrup can improve your overall health.
This doesn’t mean you should completely avoid foods with sugar, he added. “But by reducing consumption of processed foods with added sugars, they can improve their health and avoid or reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes or heart disease,” he said.
Learn how to manage stress.
Dr. Casey Kelley, a primary care physician and integrative medicine physician and medical director of Case Integrative Health, said managing your stress levels is crucial when it comes to extending your lifespan.
Many people get stuck fight or flight modea physiological response that is activated in response to stressful or dangerous situations, which can affect the functioning of your body immune system and increase your risk chronic diseases. “Chronic stress is known to negatively impact lifespan by contributing to inflammation, cardiovascular problems and other health problems,” explains Kelley.
To combat these effects, you’ll want to activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), also known as the “rest and digest system,” which helps your body relax and recover from stress.
How can you tackle this? By regularly practicing relaxation techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing exercises the box breathing methodtai chi or yoga.
“A well-functioning PNS reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by maintaining healthy heart rate and blood pressure at rest,” Kelley said. It also improves digestion and metabolism and reduces inflammation. “Calming the PNS is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being,” Kelley added.
Don’t try to multitask at a lot of.
Finally, you may want to avoid taking on too many tasks. Research shows that multitasking can do that tension you get out and drive on blood pressure and heart rate. And there’s mounting evidence that focusing on individual tasks can improve focus and cognition, Stanley said.
“Multi-tasking can become more difficult as people get older,” leading to “additional stress and anxiety, which are bad for health,” he said.
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Bullard said multitasking, or doing more than one task at a time, has become a societal expectation and is often seen as an indicator of success. But juggling tasks comes at a price. Our brains are simply not designed to move quickly back and forth from task to task. “Think of it as wear and tear on your brain,” she said.
Her advice? Slow down and focus on the task at hand. Your brain and body will thank you in the long run.
