The average American is expected to live to a ripe old age of 78. There are a number of things that people can do, however, to increase that life expectancy even further. Below are some of the things that you can do to extend your life:
Habits that Will Help You Live Longer:
Get outside Today, Americans spend most of their time indoors. It is very important for people to make sure that they at least 15 minutes outside per day. The sun helps the body produce vitamin D. Studies have shown that over half of the American population is deficient in vitamin D.
Spend time with your friends There is nothing like a good night out with friends. Human beings are meant to be social creatures, but so many of us isolate ourselves from others. People who build strong relationships with others are more likely to live a long life. Health researchers believe that spending time with family and friends reduces a person’s risk of using drugs and engaging in other risky behaviors.
Exercise everyday Exercise helps you maintain a healthy body weight and keeps your heart strong. It can also help slow down the aging process. There was a study done that compared the cells of non-exercisers to exercisers. The results of the study were that cells of the exercisers appeared to be nine years younger. Experts recommend getting at least three hours of exercise per week. If you exercise for at least thirty minutes five days out of the week, you will be able to meet that requirement.
Floss You probably are aware of the fact that flossing can help prevent gum disease and cavities. Studies have also shown, however, that people who floss actually live longer. Health researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between gum disease and heart disease. If you floss every day, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Habits that Will NOT Help You Live Longer:
Additionally, there are also some myths surrounding life expectancy. For example, you may have heard that educated people have a tendency to live longer. However, there has been no study done that proved that highly-educated people live longer than those who have less education. This mistake could be attributed to the wealthy’s access to both better education and healthcare.
There has also been a misconception that married people live longer than single people. Recent evidence has proven that marriage does not have a direct effect on a person’s life expectancy. However, researchers have found that divorced men usually die younger than married men. Divorced women usually live just about as long as married women.
Besides what’s listed here, there are many other things that are important to extending your life expectancy, like dieting and visiting your doctor on a regular basis for preventative medicine. There are many insurance options that could provide you coverage for physicians and even dieticians. If you’re uninsured, it’s a good idea to compare prices of coverage at websites like InsuranceQuotes.org. And remember, if you want to live even longer, you need to make sure that you build strong relationships, floss, exercise and go outside every day, because your education and marital status will probably not have any influence on your life expectancy at all.