Protective Lifestyle Factors That Will Help You Live a Longer, Healthier Life
Melanie Dabb
Most of us are fascinated by the idea of a ‘Fountain of Youth’ and being young forever. Being young is often connected with happiness, better health, and fewer aches and pains. What if living a longer, healthier life was realistic and did not involve the myth of a magical water source? Well, it is. There are certain behaviors, protective lifestyle factors, you can do to live a longer, healthier life. By doing at least four of the protective lifestyle factors, these behaviors can reduce early onset of death from all-causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes by 66%. Let’s reveal the factors necessary to living a longer, healthier life.
Physical activity
It is recommended that adults should do at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intense exercise, or 75 minutes to 150 minutes of vigorous-intense exercise each week. As a rule of thumb, try to be active for 30 minutes each day. Try to incorporate an active lifestyle into your day-to-day routine, whether that’s riding a bike to work, parking a little farther from your destination, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Regular physical activity/exercise will help you feel better, function better, sleep better, and reduce your risk of many chronic diseases.
Healthy diet
The USDA’s dietary guidelines and MyPlate outline what a healthy diet should look like. The guidelines recommend making half your plate fruits and vegetables while focusing on whole fruits and varying your veggies; making half your grains whole grains; moving to low-fat and fat-free milk or yogurt; varying your protein routine; and drink and eat less sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. Diets and fads aren’t sustainable over time. Establish healthy eating habits, be patient, and you’ll see long-term results.
Healthy weight
A healthy weight in adults, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is determined by a body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference. BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered a healthy weight range. Although BMI is a screening tool, it is important to remember that it can’t diagnose the body fatness or health of an individual. There are additional methods for finding body fat percentage, which is more accurate indications of body fat and healthy weight. These include waist circumference, body adiposity, waist-to-hip ratio, hydrostatic weighing, and body fat measuring.
Not smoking
To live a longer, healthier life, it is recommended that you don’t smoke at all.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol should be consumed in moderation, specifically 0.1-14.5 g each day. Overconsumption of alcohol eventually leads to chronic diseases. Limiting your consumption will limit the development of chronic diseases that can lead to illness and death.
Sleep
It’s recommended that you get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep directly affects your mental and physical health. With a healthy amount of sleep you’re more productive, emotionally balanced, have better brain and heart health, a healthier immune system, and many other benefits.
Use these 6 lifestyle factors to promote a longer, healthier life all while decreasing your risks of chronic disease. Chances are, you’ll most likely find yourself living a happier life as well. There are a few resources listed below to help you implement these factors into your life right away.
Resources:
Physical activity
Healthy diet
- ChooseMyPlate: Welcome to MyPlate: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm
Healthy weight
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/index.htm
Not smoking
- CDC - Quitting Smoking: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/quitting/index.htm
- CDC - Quitline Resources: Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW
Alcohol consumption
- Health Finder - Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation: https://healthfinder.gov/healthtopics/category/health-conditions-and-diseases/heart-health/drink-alcohol-only-in-moderation
Sleep
- Help Guide - Sleep Needs: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/sleep-needs-get-the-sleep-you-need.htm
- Help Guide - How to Sleep Better: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm
Brief references:
- Behrens, G., Fischer, B., Kohler, S., Park, Y., Hollenbeck, A. R., & Leitzmann, M. F. (2013). Healthy lifestyle behaviors and decreased risk of mortality in a large prospective study of U.S. women and men. European Journal of Epidemiology, 28(5), 361–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-013-9796-9
- Ford, E. S., Bergmann, M. M., Boeing, H., Li, C., & Capewell, S. (2012). Healthy lifestyle behaviors and all-cause mortality among adults in the United States. Preventive Medicine, 55(1), 23–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.04.016
- Loef, M., & Walach, H. (2012). The combined effects of healthy lifestyle behaviors on all cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, 55(3), 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.06.017
- Choose MyPlate. (2015). Retrieved from Choose MyPlate website: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/