A new study conducted by Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health reveals five practices on how to make your life longer. The study, which was published in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, examined data on more than 100,000 people, who were followed for up to 34 years.
Researchers studied the life expectancy of those who are engaged in five "low-risk lifestyle factors," such as not smoking. The team concluded that if these "low-risk lifestyle factors" will be practiced, the lifespan of an individual will significantly increase - an average 12 years for men and 14 years for women.
Here are the five low-risk factors:
1. Do not smoke - the low risk is defined as never smoking.
2. Maintain a healthy weight - Having BMI in the range of 18½ to 24.9. BMI is a ratio of weight to height that, though imperfect, offers a quick and easy assessment.
3. Exercise regularly - Moderate or vigorous exercise for 30 or more minutes a day.
4. Consume moderate amounts of alcohol - One-half to one drink per day for women and one-half to two drinks per day for men.
5. Maintain an overall healthy diet - Diet with high intakes of vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains, polyunsaturated fatty acids and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and low intakes of red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened drinks, trans fat, and sodium.
The research is mainly focused on the outcome of the lifespan. Those who are making lifestyle changes and focusing on these five components can also help those who want to increase their life expectancy.
"This study underscores the importance of following healthy lifestyle habits for improving longevity," says Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School and senior author.
He further added that public policies should be emphasized on creating healthy food and social environments to support and promote a healthy diet and lifestyles. If the public policy changed in the future, there are steps you can take now to implement change.
Try to start assessing how you score among these five parameters. For instance, you don't smoke, you exercise regularly, but you drink more than two drinks a day, your BMI is elevated, and your diet isn't always healthy. You need to be more specific and note where you're doing well and where you're struggling.
