In recent decades, life expectancy has increased progressively. Living longer and with a good quality of life is the goal of almost all mortals.
We all want to live longer and live better! But how can we get it?
The good news is that, according to several studies, people who have healthy lifestyle habits can live up to 6 years more than those who don’t. The ideal is to learn these healthy habits from childhood. But if this has not been the case, there is no problem, since people who adopt healthy habits in adulthood and old age can also improve their longevity and quality of life.
What are the healthy habits that can help increase life expectancy?
Adding more fruits and vegetables in your diet
Consuming seasonal fruit is healthy and contributes to the development of the local economy. You will be able to enjoy a wide variety of products from your area and, at the same time, reduce air pollution from transportation.
Eating fish two or three times a week
Fish has great health benefits, especially oily fish, an important source of omega-3 fatty acids which are necessary to keep heart and brain healthy. To get the benefits of fish, cook it in a healthy way (grilled, steamed or baked), and do not add too much oil or sauces.
Consuming milk and dairy products milk derivatives
To have healthy and strong bones you must get a correct intake of calcium. Dairy products are the foods that can help you the most to achieve this, as they are an important source of proteins, calcium and vitamins A, B1, B2, B12 and D.
Maintaining a healthy weight
To be in shape and prevent the development of diseases such as obesity or diabetes, you must maintain a healthy weight. The best way to achieve this is through a healthy diet and doing physical exercise every day. To find out if you have a healthy weight, you can calculate your body mass index (BMI) dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in squared meters (kg/m2).
- Normal weight: BMI 18.5-24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25-29.9
- Obesity: BMI > 30
Men who have a normal body mass index can have 1.3 more years of lifespan, while women would have 1.7 more years.
Staying physically active
The World Health Organization defines physical activity as “any body movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure”. This refers “to all movement including during leisure time, for transport to get to and from places, or as part of a person’s work”. Therefore, staying physically active does not mean playing a specific sport or going to the gym several times a week, but rather than avoiding a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity contributes to preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes.
Avoiding tobacco and alcohol
Men who have never smoked live 3.8 years longer, 3.7 years for women. About alcohol, the situation is similar: consuming less than 46 grams of alcohol per day represents a lifespan increase of 1.9 years for men, and 4.9 years for women.
Making sleep a priority
Having a restful sleep is necessary for the body to reset and correctly perform the next day. Sleeping 5.5 to 7.4 hours a night increases life expectancy a year and a half in men, while women get 1.6 more years of life.
For healthy habits to be part of your routine, you must adopt them little by little. Small and constant actions to improve health are what make the difference. Try to set attainable goals, adapted to your possibilities.
It is important to adopt as many healthy habits as possible; that is, you must try to exercise, eat healthy, include fish in your diet, increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, not smoke and sleep between 6 and 8 hours a day. The available scientific evidence shows that men and women who adopted between seven and eight healthy lifestyle habits from the age of 40 had a life expectancy of 86.8 and 91.3 years, respectively.
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