2024-01-08 09:00:47

Humans searched for the secret of immortality for thousands of years. For some people, that search today includes things like sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, experimenting with cryotherapy, or bombarding yourself with infrared light.

Most of the aging experts They are skeptical that such actions significantly extend the upper limit of human life. What they do believe is that by practicing certain simple behaviors, many people They can live healthier for longer, reaching 80, 90 and even 100 years in good physical and mental shape. Such ways of behaving are simply not as exotic as transfusing someone’s young blood.

“People are looking for the magic pill,” said Dr. Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director of the U.S. National Institute on Aging. “and the magic pill is here”.

Here are seven tips from geriatricians on how to add more good years to your life.

1. Move more

The first thing the experts recommended was keep the body active. This is because study following study has shown that exercise reduces the risk of premature death.

Physical activity keeps the heart and circulatory system healthy and provides protection once morest numerous chronic diseases that affect the body and mind. Also strengthens muscleswhich can reduce the risk of falls in older people.

“If in part of our adulthood we spend time developing our muscle mass, our strength, our balance and our cardiovascular endurance, as the body ages it will start to lose then from a stronger place for what’s to come,” explained Anna Chang, a professor of medicine specializing in geriatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

Walking a little more than 20 minutes a day is already beneficial for your health.

The best exercise is any activity you enjoy and that you continue doing. You don’t need to do much either: The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, which means walking just over 20 minutes a day is already beneficial.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables

The experts did not recommend one specific diet over any other, but in general they advised eating in moderation and tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. The Mediterranean diet — which prioritizes fresh produce in addition to whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish and olive oil — is a good model for healthy eating and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease , cancer, diabetes and dementia.

The Mediterranean diet, a good model to follow. Photo Shutterstock.

Some experts say maintaining a healthy weight is important for longevity, but for Dr. John Rowe, a professor of health and aging policy at Columbia University, it’s less of a concern, especially as people enter old age. “I was always more concerned regarding my patients who lost weight than my patients who gained weight,” Rowe said.

3. I slept enough

Sleep is sometimes underestimated, but it plays an important role in healthy aging. Research has found that the average amount of sleep a person gets at night correlates with their risk of death from any cause, and that achieving good sleep quality consistently can add years to your life.

Sleep appears to be especially important for brain health: A 2021 study found that people who slept less than five hours a night had twice the risk of dementia.

Sleep is important for brain health. Photo iStock

“As people get older need to sleep more and not less“said Alison Moore, professor of medicine and chief of geriatrics, gerontology and palliative care at the University of California, San Diego. Overall seven to nine hours is recommendedhe added.

4. Don’t smoke or drink too much

It goes without saying, but Smoking increases the risk of suffering from all types of deadly diseases. “There is no dose of cigarette smoke that is good for your health,” Rowe said.

Smoking increases the risk of all types of diseases. Photo illustration Shutterstock.

We are starting to understand how bad excessive alcohol consumption is too. More than one measure of liquor per day for women and two for men (and possibly even less) increases the risk of heart disease and atrial fibrillation, liver disease, and seven types of cancer.

5. Take care of your chronic conditions

All of the healthy behaviors mentioned above help control high blood pressure, cholesterol, and prediabetes and prevent them from developing into even more serious diseases, but sometimes lifestyle precautions are not enough. That is why experts say it is essential follow your doctor’s advice to keep things under control.

“It’s not fun to take medicine, it’s not fun to control your blood pressure and blood sugar,” Dr. Chang recalled. “But when we optimize all of those things in one package, they also help us live a better, healthier and longer life“.

6. Prioritize your relationships

The psychological health It often takes a backseat to physical health, but Anna Chang clarified that it is equally important. “Isolation and loneliness are as damaging to our health as smoking,” she said, adding that it puts us “at greater risk for dementia, heart disease and stroke.”

Personal relationships are key not only to living with greater health but also with more happiness. According to the Harvard University Study of Adult Development, Strong relationships are the greatest predictor of well-being.

Friends are a great psychological support.

John Rowe tells his medical students that one of the best indicators of how well an elderly patient will do in six months is to ask “How many friends or family did you see in the last week?”.

7. Cultivate a positive mental attitude

Even think positive It can help you live longer. Several studies have found that optimism is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and that people who score high on optimism tests live 5% to 15% longer than those who are more pessimistic.

This may be because optimistic people tend to have healthier habits and lower rates of some chronic diseases, but even accounting for those factors, research shows that people who think positively live longer anyway.

If you had to choose a healthy practice for your longevity, “do some type of physical activity,” said Dr. Alison Moore. “If you can’t do that, focus on being a positive person.”

The New York Times. Special for Clarín

Translation: Román García Azcárate

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