Can you imagine actually adding years to your life? I’m not talking about one or two years. According to CNN, new research shows that it’s possible to add a couple of decades to your life. Adopting eight healthy habits at the age of 40 could add up to 24 extra years to your life. If you start by the time you’re 50, you could still extend your life by up to 21 years. Even if you don’t do it until 60, you could gain almost 18 years if you add all eight of the lifestyle choices.
A new health study analyzed data on more than 700,000 U.S. military veterans and the findings were presented in Boston on July 24th at Nutrition 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition. “There’s a 20-year period in which you can make these changes, whether you do it gradually or all at once,“ says lead study author Xuan-Mai Nguyen. “The earlier the better, but even if you only make a small change in your 40s, 50s or 60s, it still is beneficial.”
Adding just one healthy behavior at age 40 could add 4.5-years to a man’s life and 3.5-years to a woman’s life. Adopting additional habits adds more years and doing all eight gives you an “added boost to extend your life, but any small change makes a difference,” Nguyen explains. So what are these life-extending habits? They’re all things we’ve heard before that are actually attainable for most people.
Add Years To Your Life With These 8 Healthy Habits
1. Exercise
The study’s authors find that working out is one of the most important behaviors anyone can do to improve health. It can lead to a 46% decrease in the risk of death from any cause compared to those who don’t exercise.
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2. Not becoming addicted to opioids
Opioid addiction became an epidemic in America beginning in the 1990s, largely due to nefarious marketing tactics and over-prescription. Avoiding a dependency on opioid drugs can reduce the risk of early death by 38%.
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3. Never using tobacco
The study finds that never smoking can lower the risk of death by 29%. However, even if you have used tobacco products, stopping at any point in life comes with major health benefits.
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4. Managing stress
While some amount of stress will always be with us, especially during our working years, it behooves us to find ways of reducing its effect on our health. Managing your stress can reduce the risk of early death by 22%, according to the study.
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5. Eating a plant-based diet
This is one of the most challenging ones on the list. Shifting to a plant-based diet requires real commitment, but it appears to be worth the effort. The study shows doing so could raise your chance of living longer by 21%.
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6. Avoiding binge drinking
Not having more than four alcoholic drinks a day reduces the risk of death by 19%, study results show. As with opioids, alcohol addiction can lead to devastating outcomes, both for the user and the people around them.
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7. Getting a good night’s sleep
Along with managing stress, it pays to be mindful of one’s sleep. The study’s authors say that at least seven hours a night can reduce early death by 18%. I think it’s even worth investing in some things, like a humidifier, that can help with your sleep quality.
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8. Having positive social relationships
The COVID-19 pandemic showed what social isolation can do to a person’s well-being. Loneliness has actually been called an epidemic of its own, especially among the elderly. We all need supportive people in our lives. Those healthy relationships with family and friends can help boost longevity by 5%.
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