Important Daily Habits That May Extend Your Lifespan

In recent decades, people have become more aware of how their daily habits can have a positive or negative effect on their lives. This is especially true when it comes to your health and longevity. Making some small changes can have more immediate effects and the benefits of others can be felt in the long-term. In this article, we will take a closer look at some important daily habits that should improve the quality of your life now and they may extend your life. 

What are the Possible Limits of Positive Habits?

Before we begin, it’s a good idea to fully understand the impact of these daily habits over a prolonged period. A recent study found that adopting good daily lifestyle habits could add twenty years or more to the lifespan of many people. A series of positive changes from an early age are extremely beneficial, but they can be extremely significant at later stages of life too. An American Society for Nutrition annual meeting presented data that showed that men adopting healthy habits from the age of forty could add an extra twenty four years of life! Similar benefits were found in women aged forty that may add an additional twenty one years to their lifespan with good habits. So, it’s a great idea to adopt good habits earlier in life, but even making smaller changes at any stage of life can have a significant impact on your lifespan. Also, those with healthy habits are more likely to stay fit and healthy for longer which can only add to the quality of life later. Let’s take a look at some of these good daily habits in more detail:

Daily Exercise

For most experts, daily exercise is believed to be the single most important thing that anyone can do to extend their lifespan. Even adopting one single activity can decrease the risk of death from multiple sources by around 46% compared to those that are sedentary. Exercise can be broadly categorized as light, moderate or vigorous activity and too many people think that it has to be an hour at the gym each day. But, even a daily walk for an hour can make a dramatic impact on the lives of many people. People that tend to live longer and healthier lives engage in 7.5 hours of metabolic exercise per week. This doesn’t need to be extreme sports, if you walk up a flight of stairs and you’re not out of breath this contributes around four minutes to your metabolic weekly total hours. Engaging activities that can cause you to lose your breath tend to be better because the heart gets a workout. This can be as simple as increasing the pace during a walk or switching up to running or cycling when you feel that you’re ready. Make sure to check with your chosen health professional if you haven’t exercised in a long-time. They will be able to assess your health and offer some helpful advice on the best way to get started and maintain your new activity levels. 

Positive Social Relationships

It’s estimated that a person that has positive social relationships will have their lifespan extended by around 5%. Many people live lonely lives, they feel isolated and this is especially true with older adults that may have lost their most significant partner. According to experts, this problem is becoming more widespread and people are becoming disconnected from each other. Although 5% may seem insignificant in terms of your lifespan it does point to a lack of social support which will degrade the quality of your life. But, there is another problem, people that are socially isolated have a 32% higher risk of earlier death from any cause in comparison to people that are not lonely. A study found that people that self-reported themselves as lonely were more likely to die than others. We are social animals, the modern culture can be intimidating for many and it can be hard to find a group of friends at later stages of life. As we become more connected globally, we seem to be losing our local connections that can give our lives meaning. Making an effort to meet new people, volunteering, spending time with friends and family and even taking a dog for a walk can give you a fresh perspective and a sense of purpose. If you meet someone, take some time to enjoy a chat, perhaps they are feeling lonely too and who knows you may make a new friend. 

Avoiding Opioid Addiction

The opioid crisis has been declared as a public health emergency by the Department of Health and Human Services. This is a significant social issue that has ruined the lives of untold numbers of people and blighted entire areas of the nation. If you don’t become addicted to opioids, you will reduce the risk of early death by at least 38% according to recent studies. 

Avoid Binge Drinking

Drinking more than four alcoholic beverages per day will damage your health and it’s categorized as binge drinking. Those that limit their alcohol consumption can reduce their risk of early death by around 19%. A study found that a single alcoholic drink could potentially trigger atrial fibrillation which is an irregular heart rhythm. This is taking things to extremes, enjoying an occasional drink and not drinking to excess is better advice that can be followed easily.

Get Good Quality Sleep

A healthy adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night to relax and prepare for the next day. Those that suffer from insomnia have an 18% increased risk of early death according to multiple studies.

Don’t Smoke Tobacco

People that have never smoked tobacco have a 29% reduced risk of earlier death. There is less research data on people that have smoked and then quit later in life. But, those that do quit are healthier and more able to engage in regular exercise. So, even if you look at quitting smoking indirectly it’s certainly a good step to extend your lifespan.

In Conclusion

Adopting even one of the habits presented in this article may extend your life. But, if you make more changes, the benefits are far more significant. You may find that your stress levels fall and that your outlook on life becomes more positive.