Do you want to know how to live longer and feel better?
Many people spend their lives feeling exhausted and run down. But you don’t have to! Nobody lives forever, but you can easily increase your lifespan and enjoy a high quality of life every day.
The secret lies in adopting some healthy habits.
In this article, we’ll share 15 proven tips for increasing human longevity and feeling your absolute best. Keep reading to learn more!
15 Secrets for Human Longevity
If you’re wondering how to live longer and healthier, make this article your guide. Each of our tips is backed by science and proven to increase your life expectancy and overall wellness.
1. Stay Active
Did you know that as little as 15 minutes of exercise per day can add 3 years to your life?
It’s obvious that staying physically active can help keep you healthy, but exercise packs more benefits than you might think! Maintaining an active lifestyle lowers your risk factor for most major diseases, and dramatically decreases your chances of dying early. Plus, it will help you sleep well and make good diet decisions.
2. Eat Right
Eating a colorful variety of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and beans, can decrease your risk for disease promote longevity.
While they might sound like fads, at first, numerous studies link both the Mediterranean diet and longevity diet to big health benefits. In fact, clinical research shows that healthy eating decisions can lower your risk of premature death, and decrease your chances of suffering from cancer, heart disease, and depression.
3. Sleep Well
Getting enough sleep is an important factor for feeling your best, and it can help you live longer too. Getting 7-10 hours a night is essential for regulating cell function and giving your body time to heal.
Recent studies indicate that longevity is linked to multiple factors, including how much sleep you get, the quality of those resting hours, and setting a regular sleeping pattern.
4. Hydrate
You already know that drinking enough water is essential for maintaining your overall health. And, consuming 2 liters a day can help you live longer, as well.
Proper hydration is vital for proper kidney function and supporting your body’s digestion and waste disposal systems. Plus, drinking enough every day is a great way to add vitamins and minerals to your diet. The dissolved nutrients found in this life-giving liquid are important for keeping your body running right.
5. De-Stress
The link between mind and body is stronger than you might think. In fact, stress and anxiety can significantly decrease your lifespan.
For example, women living with chronic stress and anxiety are two times more likely to die from heart disease, stroke, or lung cancer. And, the risk of premature death is three times higher for anxious or stressed men when compared to more relaxed individuals.
6. Caffeinate
Coffee and tea are both linked to a decreased risk of chronic illness, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. So, you don’t have to feel guilty about that morning cup.
In fact, coffee and tea drinkers benefit from a 20–30% lower risk of early death, compared to non-drinkers. Keep in mind that overindulgence on these drinks can lead to some unintended side effects like insomnia, so you should enjoy them in moderation.
7. Cut a Few Calories
Even if you watch what you eat, chances are good; you’re consuming more calories than your body needs. This can lead to excess body weight and belly fat, two factors that are strongly associated with a shorter lifespan.
Studies suggest that even a 10% reduction in normal calorie intake can make a big difference! This small adjustment may increase your maximum lifespan and lower your likelihood of disease. Keep in mind that your body still needs plenty of calories, around 2,000 a day, from healthy sources like lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains.
8. Get Some Sun
Even if you get plenty of exercise and focus on fitness, regular trips to the gym might not be enough to keep your body in optimal condition. Vitamin D found in sunlight is essential for maintaining your overall health and maximizing longevity.
So, the next time you feel like a workout, take your routine outdoors. Just 10-30 minutes of sun per day can help you get a daily dose of this essential nutrient. Plus, spending time outside has been proven to lower stress levels and boost your mood.
9. Don’t Smoke
Smoking cigarettes is one of the unhealthiest habits you can pick up. It has been linked to disease and early death, plus it can decrease your ability to exercise and leave you feeling downright awful.
If you’re still smoking, it’s not too late to quit! Giving the habit up will improve your quality of life and can help prolong your life by more than 8 years.
10. Enjoy Alcohol in Moderation
You’ve probably heard that enjoying a glass of wine every day can be heart-healthy, and helps support proper diet and nutrition. But, having too much to drink will negatively impact your health.
Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to liver, heart, and pancreatic disease. Plus, it increases your risk of early death. And even moderate drinking can negatively impact your health and mortality.
11. Make Time for Friends
Maintaining a healthy social network can help you live up to 50% longer. So, it’s important to make space in your schedule to visit with the people you care about!
A strong circle of friends can also help you react less negatively to stress and lead to positive changes in bodily functions. These benefits include improved heart, brain, hormonal, and immune activity.
12. Adopt a Furry Friend
Spending time with your fur babies can support healthy hobbies, like going for a daily walk and de-stressing after a long day at work. Plus, it’s proven to reduce your risk for heart disease and help you live longer.
Surprisingly, dog owners enjoy a major risk reduction for death from any cause! Plus, people who spend time with their pets every day tend to experience fewer symptoms associated with depression and anxiety.
13. Go on Vacation
If you’ve been craving a getaway, there’s good news. That time off can help you reduce the stresses of daily life, boost your mood, and even live longer.
According to a 40-year long study published by the University of Helsinki, taking fewer than three weeks of annual vacation can increase your likelihood of dying by 37%. People who skip out on holidays tend to work more and sleep less, leading to a variety of health conditions that can negatively impact the heart, brain, and immune system.
14. Mindful Practices
Adopting a mindful practice like yoga or meditation can help extend your life. In fact, studies have shown that these healthy habits are nearly as effective as prescription medication when it comes to managing a few health concerns like recurrent depression and anxiety.
Mediators tend to exercise more, make better dieting decisions, and feel better overall, too. So, adding these calming techniques to your daily life can help mitigate a wide variety of symptoms closely associated with a reduced lifespan and lower quality of life overall.
15. Limit Screen Time
Spending too many hours a day using electronic devices can disturb your sleep cycle, make you anxious, and keep you from getting enough exercise. Plus, it has been linked to other health issues like back pain, blurred vision, obesity, and even a shortened lifespan.
While most studies focus on the effects of screen time on children, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that spending hours a day using phones and computers is just as bad for adults. If you already spend a lot of time staring at screens, start with small changes like taking a break every hour or limiting your exposure to social media.
How to Live Longer
Now that you’ve got the information, the secret to maximizing human longevity is in your hands.
While this list might feel overwhelming at first, most of our tips are easy to incorporate into your daily life. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Instead, start with 1 or 2 healthy habits, and work your way up to a full overhaul.
And, if you backslide into bad behavior, don’t be overly hard on yourself!
It’s normal to struggle a bit as you make these steps toward a longer and healthier life. When you get derailed, take a day or two for relaxation, and then pick up where you left off. You can do it!
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow our blog to learn more about human longevity and our health. It’s packed with helpful advice on combating common health conditions, maintaining proper diet and nutrition, weight loss, and more!
