“How Regular Walking and Healthy Habits Can Prolong Your Life”

It is common to think that everything related to health is expensive and time consuming. And manipulations that can prolong youth are available only to the elite. Of course it isn’t. Usually the recipes are simple and accessible to almost everyone, and the key to the success of the event is regularity and perseverance. Our colleagues from Marie Claire Learn what else you can do to live longer.

Scientists from the University of Leicester (UK) have established a relationship between the speed of a person’s walking and the rate of his aging. In the course of the study, experts came to the conclusion that regular brisk walking can extend your life by as much as 16 years. Tempting offer!

The experiment was published in the journal Communications Biology, during the work it was possible to find out: half an hour of regular brisk walking a day helps to increase the length of telomeres.

Telomeres are protective “caps” at the ends of chromosomes, similar to the plastic caps on shoelaces. Although they do not carry genetic information, telomeres play an important role in maintaining the stability of DNA. Scientists measure the ends of chromosomes to determine a person’s biological age. The longer they are, the less this age (it can differ significantly from the actual one).

The authors of the work studied data from more than 400 000 of adults in the UK from the UK Biobank and found that a lifetime of fast walking resulted in a person who practiced it biologically about 16 years younger than their actual peers by average age.

A study published in the medical journal BMJ offers hope for a long and happy life. And such hope in our time is worth a lot. It turns out that it doesn’t take much to live as long as possible. In total, the authors observed 73 196 women and 38 366 men aged 34 and 28, respectively, and noticed curious patterns.

It is obvious to everyone that, other things being equal, healthy eating, maintaining optimal body weight, regular exercise, avoiding drinking too much alcohol and to give up smoking will help prolong life and improve its quality. But let’s try to specify these criteria.

Regular physical activity – that’s at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. Starting with a calm walk and ending with active movements (if there are no contraindications).

Moderate alcohol consumption for women is one serving (a glass of wine or beer) per day, for men up to two drinks per day.

The authors of the study showed that women who practiced four or five of the listed healthy habits after the age of 50 lived an average of 34.4 years without diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, compared with 23.7 years without disease among women. women who did not have such habits. About 10 years of healthy life is a plus – it seems to be worth it.

Men who practiced four or five of the listed healthy habits after the age of 50 lived an average of 31.1 years without chronic disease, while men who did not adhere to any of these habits lived an average of 23.5 years without disease . Those who actively smoke and drink have the lowest life expectancy without disease.

Another factor that is not often talked about in the context of longevity is is the amount of sleep. If you consistently sleep poorly and don’t get enough sleep, you’re at increased risk for serious health conditions, including obesity, coronary heart disease, and diabetes. Thus, interrupted, restless sleep and disordered daily routine can significantly reduce life expectancy.

How much sleep do you need? Around 8 o’clock, but this indicator is extremely individual. It is important to monitor your well-being and be able to determine the needs of your body.

And not only habits are important, but also the character of the person himself. Help to live long optimism, active life position, diligence and adaptability.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, more than 85 thousand centenarians live in the country in 2023. You will not believe, but their age is 100 years and older. And every year the number of cheerful grandparents is increasing.

Most often, women in Japan live up to 100 years. Japanese women make up 80 percent of all centenarians in the world. The secret is that the people of this country are serious about their lifestyle.

According to the ministry, most centenarians carefully monitor their health and at the first sign of any ailment, they immediately turn to doctors. Many Japanese undergo routine medical examinations every year.

The culture of sleep in a country also affects life expectancy. The Japanese wake up and go to bed earlyand the regime of the day is observed with an accuracy of half an hour.

Of the interesting rituals – hot tub love. Before going to bed, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun love to soak in hot water. And this, according to doctors and experts, has a good effect on the body as a whole.

Also, Japanese pensioners (and not only) are very athletic. They do not miss the opportunity to play sports on the street and for the most part have a habit of doing exercises.

Particular attention is focused on the nutrition of centenarians. Almost no Japanese eats fatty, high-calorie foods.. Experts say that the inhabitants of this country are mostly indifferent to spices and salt.