You can’t change your genes, or even much of the environment around you, but there are lifestyle choices you can make to boost your health. Being informed and intentional about diet, activity, sleep, and smoking can reduce your health risks and potentially add years to your life.
This article looks at seven lifestyle factors serbagadget that are backed by the best evidence when it comes to your health over the long run. It shows you why they matter and how to begin making positive changes.
Getting the Right Amount of Sleep
Getting the right amount of sleep, and doing so regularly, is first on the list. It’s often missed because people focus on diet and exercise, but the link between sleep and life expectancy is supported by research.1
What surprises some people is that the relationship is a U-shaped curve. This means that too little and too much sleep can affect your health. In one study, sleeping for a long duration (defined as more than 10 hours a night) was associated with psychiatric diseases and higher body mass index BMI.2
Eating Well-Balanced Meals
A healthy diet gives you energy and lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other diseases. Some of these conditions have proven links to food and nutrition, as is the case with red meat and colorectal cancer.6
Taking steps toward a lifelong change in diet will help more than jumping on the latest fad diet does. You may have heard author Michael Pollan’s signature phrase: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Of those plants, choose a rainbow of colors to make sure you get all the nutrients you need.
Making Time for Physical Activity
Thirty minutes a day of physical activity protects heart health. It also lowers the amount of bone loss as you age, and with it the risk of osteoporosis. It’s so important that a 2021 study of colon cancer survivors found that living in a “green” community that is friendly for exercise reduced the risk of death.8
A 2017 review in Lancet found that people participating in moderate physical activity every day had a lower risk of heart disease and overall mortality, no matter what their income level.9
Best of all, physical activity is a low-cost way to boost your health and even save you money. Sometimes your health may limit your exercise options, but you can keep moving by washing your windows, mowing your lawn, sweeping a sidewalk, and other basic tasks.
Keeping a Healthy Body Weight
Obesity is associated with a shorter lifespan and a higher risk of many diseases. The good news is that just being somewhat overweight does not reduce your longevity. In fact, for those over age 65, it’s better to be on the high side of normal than the low side.
A 2018 study looked at body mass index (BMI) and mortality over a period of 24 years.10 A BMI considered between 19 and 24 is considered “normal” or healthy. For those who were in the range classified as obesity, a BMI of 30 to 35 meant a 27% increase in mortality. A BMI of 35 to 40 was linked to a 93% increase.
BMI Limitations
BMI is a dated, flawed measure. It does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age.
Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
There isn’t any real magic when it comes to keeping a healthy weight. Eating a nutritious diet and exercising dailyare the true secrets for most people. If you’re struggling, talk with your healthcare provider. But keep in mind that fad diets don’t work, and your greatest hope for success lies in making long-term changes.
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