Scientists are just beginning to crack the code of living a long, healthy life. Sure, our genetics play a huge role in determining our lifespan, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that little, everyday habits can have a profound impact on how long we live.
Researchers who study long-lived individuals have found that it’s not their education or income that keeps them alive for decades. The one thing nonagenarians and centenarians have in common? A healthy lifestyle. And Gen X doctors ― aka physicians who are anywhere from around 44 to 59 years old ― who have been working with patients for years know this by now, too.
By integrating a few easy tips into your daily routine, you can tack on a few years to your life. Because how you treat your body now directly affects how well it will function in the future.
HuffPost asked Gen X doctors and other health care workers what they recommend doing to live longer based on their own experience in the field. Here’s what they said.
Try to walk a little bit every day.
“While things like lifting weights or running can be very beneficial, recent studies have suggested that something as simple as regular walking, particularly in those who aren’t as physically active, could help aid in living longer,” Dr. Jeff Stanley, an internal medicine physician and medical director of Virta Health, told HuffPost.
Better yet: Going on regular walks boosts your mental health, evidence shows, and prevents anxiety and depression. “Walking can help improve overall hormone balance, dopamine release and assist with healthy sleep patterning, all areas that are linked to living longer,” according to Milica McDowell, a certified exercise physiologist and vice president of operations at Gait Happens.
If you take between 2,500 to 4,000 steps each day, your cardio and mental health will significantly improve, according to McDowell, and walking over 7,000 steps every day has been linked to a substantially lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
Walking doesn’t have to be a heavy lift. Use a walking pad at your desk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park further away from your office, home or grocery store to increase your steps.
Sleep at least seven hours a night.
Dr. Neal Walia, a sleep medicine physician with UCLA Health, said poor sleep has been linked to increased mortality and oxidative stress, which is an imbalance of free radicals that contribute to cell damage.
“We think that the body needs that time to clear out the junk and byproducts that get produced during the day, and it’s designed to do this with regularity,” Walia said. These effects likely compound over time, which may explain why longstanding poor sleep tends to correspond with poor health.
While it may be tempting to sacrifice sleep for productivity, regularly skimping on sleep can lead to cognitive decline, noted Sarah Bullard, the director of psychology at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare. “Just because you feel capable of getting by on less sleep doesn’t mean it’s not silently undermining your health over time.”
A lack of sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline and obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most adults should aim to get at least seven hours of sleep a night. Sleep is restorative, the Mayo Clinic states ― it helps your body rest and heal itself. When you snooze, your body repairs sore muscles, flushes away toxins and helps your brain consolidate memories ― all things that will lengthen your lifespan.
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Limit processed foods and prioritize fresh foods.
Stanley advises his patients to keep an eye on the amount of processed foods they consume.
“Increased sugar intake, and particularly added sugar in processed foods and beverages, has been shown to be associated with a higher risk of death from heart disease, as well as even aging at the cellular level,” Stanley said.
Recent research found that people who ate higher levels of added sugars showed more signs of aging. Stanley said prioritizing real, whole foods over processed snacks that are high in high fructose corn syrup can boost your overall health.
This doesn’t mean you need to completely avoid foods with sugar, he added. “But by reducing the consumption of processed foods with added sugar, they can improve their health and avoid or reduce risk for diseases like diabetes or heart disease,” he said.
Learn how to cope with stress.
Dr. Casey Kelley, a family and integrative medicine physician and medical director of Case Integrative Health, said managing your stress levels is crucial when it comes to extending your lifespan.
Many people get stuck in fight or flight mode, a physiological reaction that activates in response to stressful or dangerous situations, which can impair your body’s immune system and increase your risk of chronic diseases. “Chronic stress is known to negatively impact longevity by contributing to inflammation, cardiovascular issues, and other health problems,” Kelley explained.
To combat these effects, you want to activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), otherwise known as the “rest and digest” system, which helps your body relax and recover from stress.
How can you go about this? By regularly practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing exercises, like the box breathing method, tai chi or yoga.
“A well-functioning PNS reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke by maintaining a healthy resting heart rate and blood pressure,” Kelley said. It also improves digestion and metabolism and reduces inflammation. “Calming the PNS is essential for maintaining overall health and well-being,” Kelley added.
Try not to multitask too much.
Finally, you may want to avoid taking on too many tasks. Research shows multitasking can stress you out and drive up your blood pressure and heart rate. And growing evidence suggests focusing on individual tasks can improve focus and cognition, according to Stanley.
“Multitasking can become more difficult as people age,” leading to “additional stress and anxiety, which are bad for health,” he said.
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Bullard said that multitasking, or doing more than one task at a time, has become a societal expectation and is often viewed as an indicator of success. But juggling to-dos comes with a price. Our brains are simply not designed to quickly go back and forth from task to task. “Think of it as wear and tear on your brain,” she said.
Her advice? Slow down and concentrate on the task at hand. Your brain and body will thank you in the long run.