According to experts we should avoid smoking, limit the amount of drinks consumed and try to be as mentally and physically active as possible
For a rising number of Americans, living 100 years old is now becoming comparable to reaching 80 years old.
Based on data available from the U.S Census Bureau, there are actually around 84,000 centenarians living in America. This number is expected to augment by 10 times by the year 2050.
The mysteries behind longevity have always been a source of wonder and fascination. On the way of human evolution, several regimes and diets, lifestyle regimens and supplements have been flaunted.
The Time magazine have tried to explore what experts have found out during their study of genes and lifestyles of those people who reached their 100 years or more, in a unique section called “The Science of Living Longer”.
While the majority of centenarians seem nearly hard-wired to live well above the standard life expectancy, the senior editor of Time, Jeffrey Kluger declared that there is no reason why the remaining population cannot strive to achieve the same longevity.
He further states that living a long life is a process of cause and effect; it is not that centenarians are able to reach their 100 years by sheer luck.
Researchers are currently studying people who are able to live till 100 years and beyond in the hope that they are able to discover the factor that allow the later to live such a long life and try to replicate what comes so naturally to centenarians in everybody else.
Time’s study found that nowadays’ centenarians are in most cases very healthy people. According to the Long Life Family Study conducted by the National Institute on Aging, there exists a 70 to 30% split in the causes for long life.
Kluger explains that a major number of the centenarians are unable to prevent the illnesses that normally affect people as they age. On the other hand, they can spring back more quickly and effectively.
The Role of Genetics in Longevity
For numerous people, their lifestyle plays 70 percent role in determining their lifespan, with the remaining 30 percent is attributed to their genetics. For the rest, the reverse is true.
Kluger explained that for the larger part of the people who are not genetically hard-wired, their way of lifestyle plays a big role in determining their longevity.
He advanced that since the 1900s, there has been a rise of 30 percent in the life expectancy of the people. This has been in part due to vaccines, antibiotics and preventive care.
Despite the fact that most people would have loved to be born with a genetic make-up that favor long life, not all of them are blessed with such genes. Nonetheless they do have some control over how to prolong their life, that too by adopting some minor changes.
One of the most effective ways for people to enhance their life expectancy is to practice a regular form of exercise. ‘Exercising thirty minutes a day’, at least trice per week and breaking a sweat, is a good routine to be adopted in this regards. Adding 30 minutes of weight lifting and doing 30 minutes of stretches to that weekly routine and working on your joint strength as well as toning your muscles is a very good idea.
Time magazine’s Jeffrey Kluger discusses the key to longevity
Having a purpose and engaging in community help remain vital
Kluger’s viewpoint on the secret to a long life is that there is in fact no secret. The things that we need to do to increase our life expectancy are things that are well known to all; avoid smoking, drinking in moderation. It is only a matter of putting those simple things into action in our everyday life.
He moreover explains that keeping one mentally active and fit is also crucial. It is as important as keeping one physically healthy. One can do that by doing mental games such as a crossword or trying to solve a Sudoku. Engaging in such activities helps the person in keeping his cognitive processes sharp. In order to keep a person’s mind agile the latter can engage in conversations and reading. Studies that have been carried out have shown that by staying mentally fit and engaged, the person can reduce the symptoms of dementia.
Studies have also found out that centenarians who maintain relations with other people are more likely to live longer. Community involvement makes lives become healthier. Usually people whose loved ones have passed away before them, or people whose least needs are catered for, may one day awake and find that they have no particular aim in life. Such people do not generally live that long, Kluger stated.
Elderly people, whose grandchildren take a lot of interest in them, may find a great sense of purpose and satisfaction and a great deal of physical activity in their life.
Having faith is sometimes all that it takes to help some persons remain vital. For others, being a part of a larger group and being able to serve others who are needy, provides them with objectives on which they can concentrate all their energies and from which they are able to derive great satisfaction.
Naturally, no matter the degree of mental and physical activity in which one engages, having a proper diet remains critical. It is important to keep one’s blood pressure and cholesterol low. Avoiding tobacco and limiting the intake of alcohol and eating a balanced diet are all very essential for those wanting to live a long life, Kluger concluded.
Source: ABC NEWS
Tue, Mar 2, 2010
Anti Aging, Health And Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity