The good news for anyone born after the year 2000 is that studies in Denmark have shown
that they will probably live to be 100.
But that doesn’t mean that the rest of us are doomed to an early grave.
A clinical professor at Stanford University says “What’s holding us back are bad habits.”
So the secret to longevity is as much to do with what we don’t do as what we do.
Sure, there’s a strong element of luck and genetics at play in the longevity game, but
these are things we can’t control.
So let’s concentrate on the things we can control, In this episode of the Infographics
Show, How to live to 100.
The office for National Statistics show our life expectancies just keep on increasing.
In 1981 a 65-year-old woman in the UK might be expected to reach 81.9 years of age.
Longevity is something we all strive for.
There are vitamin supplements, exercise regimes, medical procedures, and mind therapy techniques
that all claim to make us live longer.
There a huge industry built around prolonging life.
But how do we actually reach that wise old age of 100?
In this episode we’ve decided to research some of the proven methods of living a longer,
fuller life, and we’ve noted some of the comments made by those who have made it over
the 100 mark themselves.
Today we share their secrets and see how you too could live to be 100.
Exercise Daily.
Now this is something that some of us find difficult to ease ourselves into.
The secret is to find a type of exercise that you enjoy to the extent that it can be practiced
as a hobby.
Not everyone finds the gym a fun environment but if you do, visit regularly.
Swimming is good if you hit the pool once a day or every other day.
Or why not find a low-impact sport like badminton?
Even power-walking through the city beats driving a car or taking the train or bus everywhere.
The more you exercise the more your body and brain will reward you with those feel-good
chemicals – dopamine and endorphins.
So find the exercise that you enjoy and stick with it.
New York City man Alexander Imich lived to be 111 years old and before his death he told
NBC news that he stayed in good condition with a life-time of healthy eating and spent
many years swimming and performing gymnastics.
111 year old Duranord Veillard still performed five to ten push-ups every morning until his
death on June 1st 2018.
Stress is a killer- literally.
One good way to avoid stress is to find a hobby that you enjoy doing, or even better,
find a job that you enjoy doing so much it feels like a hobby.
Not every golf player will turn professional, but if you find out what your true passion
is while still young you may be able to turn that into a career.
Otherwise find a sport or activity that puts you in a relaxed frame of mind.
It could be reading or even watching films.
Find something that puts you out of your normal work routine and do it regularly.
Also try to have a vacation at least once a year and try to incorporate your hobby into
that vacation.
If you like walking why not book a trekking trip in Nepal?
Gertrude Weaver who lived to be 116 years old credited being calm and kind as the secret
to her longevity.
“Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to
you,” she told TIME magazine in 2014.
So relax, be kind, and don’t sweat the small stuff.
Or as novelist Charles Bukowski said “Find what you love and let it kill you.”
Stay connected, but with the right people.
Emma Morano who was the world’s oldest person at 117 when she died in April 2017 explained
that ending her abusive marriage in 1938 contributed most to her longevity.
“I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone,” she said.
Brigham Young University found that social isolation increases risk of death by up to
30% while other studies place the risk as high as 60%.
Psychologically loneliness is linked to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, schizophrenia and
dementia.
Not all lonely people are depressed or suicidal but it is also realistic to observe that of
those who are suffering from psychological problems many list loneliness as part of the
problem.
Loneliness can have practical and circumstantial effects that might lead to one’s demise.
A lonely person may have a disease that would ordinarily be recognized if he or she were
amongst a group of caring people.
Or maybe a sudden health event like a heart attack or a stroke may go unchecked and nobody
is there to rush the patient to hospital.
So staying connected is key to a longer life, but make sure you stay connected to kind and
caring people.
Eat well.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, or so they say.
Fruits and Vegetables should be an important part of our daily diet.
Emma Morano ate raw eggs every day and had fondness for cookies until she checked out
at age 117.
It is claimed Japan has more than 50,000 people over the age of 100 and this is often attributed
to the country’s low fat fish-heavy diet.
Avoid fried fatty food, and fast food should be a once in a while treat rather than a daily
diet.
Get screened.
A regular medical check-up could catch any potentially life-threatening diseases in the
early stages.
However, that said, Adelina Domingues, who died aged 114 claimed to have never taken
any medications and never visited a hospital in her life.
Staying slim, not smoking, and being financially secure by the age of 50 could be the secret
to living longer according to a 50-year study by researchers in Sweden.
Just 10 of the study group of 855, all men born in 1913, lived until their 100th birthday.
All of these 10 were non-smokers who had kept themselves slim and fit and had low cholesterol
and low blood pressure.
They drank no more than four cups of coffee a day and owned their own house by the age
of 50.
Dr. Lars Wilhelmsen of the Sahlgrenska at the University of Gothenburg who has been
involved in the study for the entire 50 years said, “Our recommendation for people who
aspire to centernarianism is to refrain from smoking, maintain healthy cholesterol levels,
and confine themselves to four cups of coffee a day.”
It was also noted during the research that those participants who lived to 100 years
old had a mother who had also lived to an advanced old age.
Get enough Sleep.
The average American gets one hour less sleep than they need.
Sleep is important for neuron development and general cleansing of toxins.
Studies have repeatedly shown that sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues such as
high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and a general increased risk of
mortality.
Director of the Sleep to Live Institute Robert Oxman says, “The majority of research shows
that a longer sleep time is associated with better health.”
Don’t overdose on sleep either as research also shows that those who sleep more than
9 hours a night also have a higher risk of dying.
But this may be that excessive sleep is associated with other conditions such as cancer and depression.
Generally eight hours of sleep every night is ideal.
Drink a little alcohol.
Agnes Fenton from New Jersey lived to be 111 years old and credits drinking three bottles
of beer and a shot of whiskey a day for over 70 years for her grand old age.
Although heavy drinking will probably lead to an early grave study after study has shown
that a small amount of alcohol each day does increase your chances of making it to 100
years old.
Research presented to the American Association of Science suggested that moderate drinking
of about two glasses of wine a day could contribute to an 18% drop in the risk of an early death.
These results came from a 90 plus study group by the University of California who studied
the lifestyle of people who had lived to at least 90.
But this is no reason to reach for the bottle and the corkscrew.
Many of those who reached 100 years never drank a single drop of alcohol all their lives.
To live to 100 years, everything, including alcohol, should be taken in moderation.
However, before you pick up the corkscrew, an even bigger study published in the Lancet
Medical Journal, says five standard glasses of wine or five pints of beer a week is the
upper safe limit and zero alcohol intake is the healthiest option.
But all scientists agree that heavy drinking is not good
for you!
So how long do you hope to live for?
And is there a secret remedy for longevity?
Let us know in the comments!
Also, be sure to watch our other video called What if There Was No Money and Everything
Was Free in The World?
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next time!