One of the biggest factors that determines how
well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A study
published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows
that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following
things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit
and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess
alcohol.
While those are some of the obvious steps you
can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to
share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts
of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to
age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who
studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes
that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like
Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into
your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might
have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go
ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 12 habits and check out
Perls' lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to
live.
1. Don't Retire
"Evidence shows that in societies where people
stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets
after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal
Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of
centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from
their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating
grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't
for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience
Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban
public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.
2. Floss Every
Day
That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008
New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of
gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the
bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for
heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of
bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries,
another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a
day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," says Perls.
3. Move Around
"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth
that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher
at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for
your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better."
Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood,
mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in
immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not
a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing
nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30
minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga
classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight
lifting.
4. Eat a Fiber-Rich Cereal for
Breakfast
Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in
the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels
throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his
colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known
accelerator of aging," he says.
5. Get at Least Six Hours of Sleep Each Night
Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours
to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most
important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says
Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people
need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the
century mark make sleep a top priority.
6. Consume Whole Foods, Not Supplements
Strong evidence suggests that people who have
high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and
E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately,
there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those
anti-aging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200
different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these
chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single
nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." Avoid nutrient-lacking
white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and
vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden
nutrients.
7. Be Less
Neurotic
It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his
worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to
find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows
that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles,"
says Perls. "They are great at rolling with the punches." If this inborn trait
is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga,
exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all
good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very
bad.
8. Live Like a Seventh Day Adventist
Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day
Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the
average American. One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important
to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol
abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian
diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise.
They're also very focused on family and community.
9. Be a Creature of Habit
Centenarians tend to live by strict routines,
says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of
activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each
day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can
be easily disrupted as you get on in years. "Your physiology becomes frailer
when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce
back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much
alcohol." This can weaken immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to
circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections.
10. Stay Connected
Having regular social contacts with friends and
loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death,
something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. Some
psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from
exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or
taking a group exercise class. Having a daily connection with a close friend or
family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their
back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more
withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you
recognize that you need to see one yourself."
11. Be Conscientious
The strongest personality predictor of a long life is
conscientiousness—that is, being prudent, persistent, and well organized,
according to The Longevity Project, coauthored by Howard Friedman and Leslie
Martin. The book describes a study that followed 1,500 children for eight
decades, collecting exhaustive details about their personal histories, health,
activities, beliefs, attitudes, and families. The children who were prudent and
dependable lived the longest, Friedman says, likely because conscientious types
are more inclined to follow doctors' orders, take the right medicines at the
right doses, and undergo routine checkups. They're also likelier to report
happier marriages and more satisfying work lives than their less conscientious
peers.
